As hackers gather in Las Vegas for the Black Hat cybersecurity conference, challenging the security of the Internet of Things seems to be this year's hottest topic.

And no wonder. According to a study HP released last week, a review of ten of popular "smart" devices -- including TVs, webcams, home thermostats, remote power outlets, sprinkler controls and automatic door locks -- found 70 percent had security vulnerabilities.

One of the Black Hat speakers recently discovered a major security flaw at a hotel where he was staying. Telling CBS News that he was just curious, Jesus Molina says he accidentally discovered that he could have taken over communications at the St. Regis Shenzhen Hotel.

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Photos from the Black Hat USA hackers conference in Las Vegas

Molina, who explained details of the hack to WIRED in advance of the conference, discovered that the hotel had been using an older, unencrypted communications protocol known as KNX. It was designed for hard-wired systems but then put to use for wireless. Molina said he could have taken control of it and "changed every channel in every room so everyone could watch soccer with me." But he didn't. Instead, he notified the hotel about the system's insecurities, and they acknowledged that they had been working to fix it.

Molina told CBS News that the insecure KNX protocol is increasingly being used for "smart home" automation systems -- with potentially disastrous consequences, he warned.

"Privacy and physical security is a big concern," Molina said in an email. "The risk in case of a successful penetration heavily depends on the type of devices attached to the home automation network, from mild if lights only are attached, to severe if cameras and key locks are part of it."

Several other presentations at Black Hat also focus on weaknesses in the cybersecurity and physical security of popular devices. Twitter security engineer Charlie Miller and IOActive's Christopher Valasek explore whether some cars are more vulnerable to remote compromise than others. Security researcher Silvio Cesare demonstrates how home alarm systems and keyless entry systems for cars are not as secure as most people think.

"Over time we have started to see a wider group of people attacking physical hardware and many low-end hobbyist hardware hacking tools are now becoming available. This is changing the scenario of having hardware hacking only available to well resourced attackers," Cesare told CBS News in an email.

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Black Hat 2014: Security experts hack home alarms, smart cars and more

MESA, AZ (CBS5) -

A Mesa woman says she got hit with a $150 fine from the city for not having a permit for her security system but says the installers never told her she needed one.

A security system is a good investment for many homeowners, it gives them peace of mind. But if the police are ever called to your home, and you're required to have a permit, you better have one or that peace of mind will get real costly.

"I guess I should have researched it more," Luise Lucas said.

Lucas says the home security system she bought makes her feel more safe at home. She says some neighbors also signed up after ADT reps (Through a distributor named ASC Security Systems) conducted a presentation in her mobile home community. About six months in, Lucas says she made a mistake with the key fob that operates the system.

"The buttons are little, fingers are big, I pressed the wrong button and walked away from the house with the dog," Lucas said.

When she returned twenty minutes later, MesaPolice was out her door. They were accidentally called out because she pressed the emergency button instead of the arming button. About a week later she gota letter from Mesa.

"I didn't obtain a permit for this, and I had a $100 fine, and there's also a $50 fine for having the police come out," Lucas said.

Lucas says her installer never mentioned a permit. She complained to ADT and says they referred her to the contract she signed. It does state she is required to obtain an alarm permit if necessary.

"The permit is $20 and you have to pay it every year, but nobody told us there was a permit," Lucas said.

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Buying a home security system? Get an alarm permit

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How does a couple collect benefits when one spouse hasnt worked outside the home? Photo by Flicker user Ed Yourdon.

Larry Kotlikoffs Social Security original 34 secrets, his additional secrets, his Social Security mistakes and his Social Security gotchas have prompted so many of you to write in that we now feature Ask Larry every Monday. Find a complete list of his columns here. We are determined to continue it until the queries stop or we run through the particular problems of all 78 million Baby Boomers, whichever comes first. Let us know your Social Security questions. Kotlikoffs state-of-the-art retirement software is available here, for free, in its basic version.

William New York, N.Y.: My wife and I are the same age (64 this July and October). I intend on waiting until age 70 to start collecting Social Security benefits. I was thinking of filing and suspending benefits when I turn 66 (my full retirement age). My wife could then start collecting her spousal benefits. Would we be ahead in the long run if she started collecting her own benefits now (at 64), and then collected spousal benefits when I file and suspend when we are 66? She barely qualifies for her own benefits since she was a homemaker raising five sons for over 30 years.

Larry Kotlikoff: Your wifes benefit at full retirement age will be her permanently reduced retirement benefit, plus her excess spousal benefit since she would have dropped into excess benefit status by filing for her full retirement benefit.

The excess spousal benefit is half of your full retirement benefit less 100 percent of your full retirement benefit. If X is her own full retirement benefit, shell get the amounts A) X times R, which is the reduction factor shell permanently face for filing at 64; plus B) 50 percent of your full retirement benefit less X. Her benefit after full retirement age will then be 50 percent of your full retirement benefit, plus (R-1) times X. Since R is less than 1, if you do what you are considering doing, shell end up receiving a smaller total check after full retirement age through the end of her life. So, no, I wouldnt necessarily recommend your proposed course of action.

Mary Elizabeth Massachusetts: I am 66 and applied for Social security in June 2014. I have only 25 credits since I stayed home to take care of my children. Social Security denied me and said I am short and need 15 more credits. They told my husband last year when he applied that I could apply under his name. What should I do, and who is telling me the truth? I am getting the run around.

Larry Kotlikoff: You do need 40 credits to qualify for your own retirement benefit. But you dont have to work another 15 quarters to get those extra 15 credits. If you earn enough in a given quarter, you can garner multiple coverage credits.

You do, it seems, now qualify for a spousal benefit. Your total check will be half of your husbands full retirement benefit (not necessarily what hes now collecting) for the rest of your life (but adjusted for inflation). There is no gain to waiting to collect your spousal benefit. And dont apply for retroactive benefits for any months prior to full retirement age because you will have your spousal benefit permanently reduced.

Jacqueline Illinois: I started taking Social Security at age 62 and continued working. I am now 66 and still working. My ex-husband passed away last year and had been on Social Security disability since 2010. We were married for 20 years. Am I able to draw my Social Security and draw from my ex-husbands Social Security? I have not remarried.

Larry Kotlikoff: You are eligible to collect the larger of either your current reduced retirement benefit or your widows benefit based on your husbands work record. This can also be described as collecting your own reduced retirement benefit plus your excess widows benefit, where the excess widows benefit is just the positive excess of your widows benefit over your own reduced retirement benefit. Your widows benefit will be calculated based on a special RIB-LIM formula for widows of disabled workers.

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How do stay-at-home parents collect Social Security?

A $50 device made with off the shelf hardware can.

For $50 attackers can build a radio device that cracks home alarm systems and other common security devices, Black Hat 2014 attendees will hear this week.

A combination of a microcontroller and a single-board computer comprises the device, which can capture and replay codes that make it possible to disable the alarms, according to Silvio Cesare, a researcher at Qualys who will present the talk.

+ Also on Network World: 10 disturbing attacks at Black Hat USA 2014 |The Black Hat Quiz 2014 +

He says he built the device and was able to train it to steal the codes by eavesdropping on the radio-frequency remote that most alarm systems come with to enable and disable the gear. He says that practically all home alarm systems that had a remote used fixed codes, making a replay attack possible once the code was pilfered.

The device was made from Arduino and Raspberry Pi hardware.

Another soft spot he discovered in home alarm systems is the non-volatile memory that stores information such as calibration, configuration and passwords. With physical access to the devices he says he can connect a device programmer that reads the device's minicontroller where the passcode is stored that customers punch in to enable or disable the alarms.

Either method would let burglars shut down security systems so they could break in without fear of sounding the alarm.

Surprisingly, he says, the easiest way to defend against these types of attacks is to buy systems that don't have these vulnerabilities. He says he'll lay down how to shop for alarm systems that pass the test.

Cesare also plans to show how to break security of the keyless entry system of a popular late-model car using predictable rolling codes. To analyze the system he used software defined radio and some math, but he also built a button-pushing robot to punch in combinations of numbers in order to gather data to do the math.

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Black Hat 2014: How to steal security codes from home alarm systems

Wafer takes stand in Renisha McBride fatal shooting case Wafer takes stand in Renisha McBride fatal shooting case

Updated: Monday, August 4 2014 4:11 PM EDT2014-08-04 20:11:02 GMT

DETROIT (AP) -- A Detroit-area man on trial for killing an unarmed woman who showed up drunk on his porch told jurors Monday that when he bought the gun he shot her with, it was a form of home security he could afford.Theodore Wafer took the witness stand on the seventh day of testimony in his trial on second-degree murder charges in the Nov. 2 slaying of Renisha McBride.Wafer's lawyer, Cheryl Carpenter, asked if he had a security system installed at his home. He said no. "I think everybody w...

DETROIT (AP) -- A Detroit-area man on trial for killing an unarmed woman who showed up drunk on his porch told jurors Monday that when he bought the gun he shot her with, it was a form of home security he could afford.Theodore Wafer took the witness stand on the seventh day of testimony in his trial on second-degree murder charges in the Nov. 2 slaying of Renisha McBride.Wafer's lawyer, Cheryl Carpenter, asked if he had a security system installed at his home. He said no. "I think everybody w...

Updated: Thursday, July 31 2014 7:47 PM EDT2014-07-31 23:47:47 GMT

DETROIT (AP) -- A former medical examiner sparred with a prosecutor Thursday over a wound on the hand of a woman who was fatally shot on a Detroit-area porch, telling jurors it seems to fit the defense's claim that Renisha McBride was pounding on the homeowner's doors before she was killed.Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist, said photos of McBride's body show a "small superficial laceration" on her left hand. It "could have come from pounding on something," Spitz said.The testimony was ...

DETROIT (AP) -- A former medical examiner sparred with a prosecutor Thursday over a wound on the hand of a woman who was fatally shot on a Detroit-area porch, telling jurors it seems to fit the defense's claim that Renisha McBride was pounding on the homeowner's doors before she was killed.Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic pathologist, said photos of McBride's body show a "small superficial laceration" on her left hand. It "could have come from pounding on something," Spitz said.The testimony was ...

Updated: Wednesday, July 30 2014 5:46 PM EDT2014-07-30 21:46:50 GMT

The prosecution has rested its case in the Renisha McBride murder trial. Theodore Wafer, 55, has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and felony firearm.

The prosecution has rested its case in the Renisha McBride murder trial. Theodore Wafer, 55, has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and felony firearm.

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Wafer takes stand in Renisha McBride fatal shooting case

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Home security huntsville AL Phone 877-777-5792Home security huntsville AL - Video

Huntsville security systems PHONE 877-777-5792Huntsville security systems
Check out our video: http://youtu.be/XRK_a6tpzcg CALL TODAY! (877) 777-5792 Don #39;t wait for a break-in! According the the FBI #39;s crime statistics, in 2013 the typical financial decrease in...

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