“The original idea for Shodan was to create a service that could provide trends on software that is used on the internet. In the process, I discovered a love of large-scale data analysis which I ended up applying to internet crawling,” he explains. “I took a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics. Matherly was born and grew up in Switzerland, but moved to the US when he was 17.Īt university he worked for the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and after graduation as a freelance software engineer.

‘I discovered a love of large-scale data analysis’ Shodan is now widely used by security professionals to analyze their network footprint, and identify connected devices with poor, or even no, security. This makes it is one of the few, if not the only, tools that can truly map the internet of things. The free-to-use service can find IP cameras, TV sets, fridges, and coffee makers, as well as industrial infrastructure and control systems, plus conventional servers and routers. INTERVIEW In 2009, bioinformatics graduate John Matherly set up Shodan, a search engine that can discover all and any devices connected to the internet.īut Shodan’s prominence – and its controversy – comes from its ability to discover insecure IoT devices. Once described as one of the most dangerous sites on the internet, Shodan is now a staple in the security professional’s toolkit

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