The cyberattacks on October 21 that denied web users access to popular websites such as Twitter, PayPal, Netflix and others was a stark reminder of weak security in an increasingly internet-driven world. The attacks on internet DNS (domain name services) provider Dynamic Network Services, or Dyn, of Manchester, NH, underline the urgent need for consumer education, legislative mandates to force device makers to install adequate security features, and for internet-driven companies to elevate security issues to top management. The attacks worked by marshalling networks of ordinary household devices such as child monitors or webcams to hurl an estimated 1.2 trillion bits of data every second at Dyn’s servers, causing them to crash. Dyn helps connect the browsers of internet users to the websites they choose, by matching the site address with the IP addresses that identify their computers. Dyn contained the problem later in the day, but was shaken by its unprecedented nature.…