Smart Home and Cybersecurity - The Threats
02 Mar
Smart Home and Cybersecurity - The Threats
The Internet of Things (IoT), which is everything that is connected to the Internet, and smart technology is making our lives convenient and modern smart homes are full of such tech. Even though we are not quite yet at the point where internet-connected smart devices cook you dinner in the evening, making coffee in the morning through home automation is definitely possible. Adjusting temperature through a smart thermostat, locking the doors using a smart lock, and even keeping an eye on what's going on at home via smart camera are all common home routines these days.
However, the presence of IoT technology in your home also means that your smart refrigerator, smart TV, and smart light switch have access to your personal data. All connected devices are essentially data collectors. For a safer smart home, every device should be taken care of. Not only do you need to protect your network, but you need to make sure there are no weak spots by checking every gadget in the house.
To date, over 30 billion IoT devices have been installed in homes worldwide, and every one of them could be of interest to cybercriminals. If you live in a smart home, you should think of securing it.
There are no common security standards for smart home devices. Regulators generally want a refrigerator to meet electrical safety standards and not consume too much energy, and they don't yet care about how it protects its owner’s privacy.
Because the Internet of Things is evolving at a tremendous pace, manufacturers have to keep up and produce as many new products to stay in the smart home game. Some devices are produced in such a hurry that not enough attention is paid to the safety of these devices. Some products get replaced by newer ones, and manufacturers don't always bother releasing new software patches to improve safety.
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for vulnerabilities in smart home devices being it a five-year-old surveillance camera or a smart TV launched last month. They share those “findings” online quite freely. This means that even novice hackers could find exploits on the Internet which they could then use to break into your network.
The security threats to a home with smart technology can include:
accessing HVAC and lighting systems to see if anyone is home
retrieving passwords or even accessing the bank account, using data that was shared with a digital assistant like Amazon Echo through voice commands
accessing smart home’s network through an IoT device such as smart light bulb and running a ransomware program on your work laptop
The list can be continued. However, we would like to talk about solutions that will mitigate threats described above. Stay tuned for the second part of our cybersecurity discussion.
If you would like us to help you with setting up your smart home network or to provide quick and free smart home advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.
416-429-5577