ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the Internet of Things (IoT) economy and the impact the criminal pursuit of money has on the current and future state of IoT security. A different class of cybercriminal seeks the destabilization of another entity via the destruction of their assets. But just like IoT, the draw of a new technology and prospects for opening new business ventures abound, creating counter-stabilizing pressures. Cryptocurrencies have fluctuated wildly, especially in the last couple of years. This is common with new currencies, even when they are national currencies. The chapter also explores the challenges facing the greenest defenders—builders of consumer IoT products such as smart toys—whose inexperience with technology makes them a prime target for the bad guys. Crypto mining usually requires expensive, specialized hardware that consumes large amounts of electricity, which can offset the gains in cryptocurrency rewards for the average miner.
