With the advent of consumer culture that is based on technological goods or services, companies began rolling out products designed make the customer's life "easier." They did this through the creation of products that are made to connect to a network and sync with other devices. A watch for example, that acts as an extension of a smartphone display and allows the user to answer phone calls or texts is an example of this.
Another example is the recent rise of objects that are designed to be used to control various building automation functions. Some examples of this type of product would include small devices designed to react to oral instruction much like Siri or Google - devices that you can place in an office, for example, and conduct things like internet searches, control various building functions such as dimming or turning on or off light switches, door locks, and even the central heating of a building.
Ease of Use
The items described above are part of something called the Internet of Things (IoT). This is the idea that physical, material goods could be connected to something like the cloud, for example, and be used to make a consumer's life less 'busy.' This is accomplished by connecting things such as building functions to the network, and then equipping a device with the ability to control them. This means that things like adjusting the amount of power being used in a building, the brightness of the lights, and even the thermostat could be controlled using a smartphone app or small standalone wall panel, for example.
The value of something like this is endless for consumers who find them constantly adjusting various aspects of a building's aforementioned atmosphere. Even more potential value is present when you consider how something like this could help disabled individuals maintain control over their households without putting them in risk of falling or hurting themselves.
The Solution
Don't leave yourself open to an attack by neglecting to set a proper password with your new IoT devices. Always take the time to research various security risks that your IoT devices might be creating, and read about how best to mitigate them. Are there additional security options that might help you increase the safety of these products? If so, take advantage of them! It might take a little bit more time while setting up the products and getting everything ready to go, however that time is well spent if it means lowering your risk of malicious attacks. Always remember to keep good security software on hand as well - cloud antivirus application can be of great help. Anything that offers a layer of protection between you and the rest of the world, when it comes to services like home automation, is a good thing.
The new products that are being released for general and professional consumption are incredibly interesting, and offer users and unprecedented amount of control over their daily routines. They make something as vital as ensuring that everything is locked up tight easy for some consumers to otherwise handle. With the incredible ease of use and function, however, comes the significant risk of being party to a malicious cyber-attack that could hijack the devices in question and hold the functions "hostage," so to speak. Even more than that, they could gather the information being streamed through the devices and use it to deploy a digital attack. To avoid this kind of trouble, consider advance protection by running simultaneously the light antivirus like Avira and Immunet, as it will help ensure the safety of your home or business.
The Risk
Like most things in life, there is a tradeoff for the ease of use that these kinds of devices offer. One drawback, for example, is the fact that these devices always need to be on and connected to the network or cloud - they don't work if they are not connected to the local network. The same aspect that gives the items their utility, however, is precisely the one that causes the most concern. We've all heard the stories about personal webcams being hacked into, for example, and of people being recorded unawares.
The scandal awhile back where someone hacked into the cloud and managed to download a staggering amount of information about various celebrities - most notably including private photographs - is another recent event. Both of these instances illustrate the danger of utilizing "always on" devices. Because they are constantly running and control such important functions of the building or office, they pose a serious threat to consumer security.
What happens if someone manages to hack into one of these building automation devices and gains control over the locks of a building? What about if they are able to gain access to automatically update logs about what actions the device performs and the time of day in which they occur? As you can see, this could pose a serious threat.
Do you use any IOT devices? If so, how do you protect yourself? Let us know in the comments.