Keeping our families and homes safe is essential in this uncertain world we live in. I often find myself double checking my deadbolt, alarm, and lights before I leave home. Yes, I am one of those paranoid home owners that put the alarm stickers on every window, and of course, I make sure no newspapers are piling up in my driveway. As a conscientious homeowner, these physical security protocols have been ingrained in me but what about non-physical measures? In the Internet of Things, hackers are the new breed of cat burglars.
Do you leave you front door wide open?
A new cyberthreat is looming that is tantamount to leaving your front door open and that is IoT (Internet of Things). According to Gartner, IoT is exploding with estimates of 26 billion connected devices by 2020. Every appliance and technology manufacturer is scrambling to launch IoT devices that can seamlessly connect to the internet. Witness Samsung’s smart fridge at this year’s CES which includes a 21.5″ touchscreen on the front door if you need any further evidence. Think about the average home and the number of potential devices that can be connected to the internet; TV, cable box, dishwasher, refrigerator, clothes dryer, toaster, garage opener, security system, thermostat, smart locks, etc. All of these new devices are being built with provisions to connect to the internet so they each have their own IP address and thus are each targets for a hacker. All of these gadgets provide another level of control that is extremely convenient, but also give access to cybercriminals putting them inside our homes through our IoT devices. Last year, Forbes reported on potential entry point for hackers by way of the popular Nest thermostats. To date, there have been no reported incidents but IoT devices and breaches are all so new that it is only a matter of time before many products will be hacked.
What can hackers do if they get into our IoT devices?
When a hacker gets a piece of our personal information they have a better chance of compromising our identity. It is not the smart refrigerator connected to the internet that a cyberthief cares about, it is the backdoor in the IoT refrigerator that is connected to your home network. Once in your network, hackers have access to your personal computer where you do your banking, stock trading and many other private transactions. Access to your network also means malware can be easily planted on your computer allowing cyberthieves even more unfettered access to your data. This can even lead to extortion via ransomware. If someone demanded payment and I didn’t comply and suddenly my garage door opens and closes all night or my home alarm triggers in the middle of the night, it would get my attention.
Are IoT devices vunerable to hacks?
Part of the challenge in securing IoT devices is that they store personal data. Some IoT wearable devices such as the popular Fitbit are frequently worn between home and office so they connect directly to their company network upon arrival. This would theoretically allow attackers to target companies by first injecting unauthorized code into the user’s wearable device at their home which would soon be introduced into their workplace. Security concerns like these prick up the ears of Andrew Hay, director of OpenDNS Security Labs who writes,
“Early adopters sanctioning IoT use are likely considered fringe cases at this time. Underprepared companies will find they are unable to prevent the tech-savvy employee from bringing their latest toy into the office and connecting it to the network.” Read full piece by Stephen Lynch here.
Experts agree that as IoT adoption grows, there needs to be a set of standards that companies adhere to such as IPv6, but even more importantly, that IoT device providers test for security vulnerabilities before releasing products to market. There is no simple solution to securing IoT but security must be effective for IoT to ultimately achieve success and mass adoption in homes. If IoT devices are truly built with a security-focused approach, they would limit the amount of data being collected and encrypt that data to minimize risks. Fundamentally the internet is NOT secure so we cannot expect IoT devices to ever be 100% secure either. Until there is a security standard, each device maker or individual must choose the type and number of locks they wish to put on their IoT devices’ front and backdoors. Anything less is akin to leaving the front door wide open.
This post is sponsored by HPE’s Business Value Exchange
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Thanks for the kind words. There are just so many topics and ideas under cybersecurity. I feel that we’ve only scratched the surface here.
How about some info on real-world attacks? The bulk of what I see are lab-based attacks that while interesting to Joe Schmo are not at all interesting to an actual hacker. What motivation does a hacker have for hacking a toaster? Again, real-world examples, not hypotheticals. Breaking into IoT devices because people are dumb enough to not change their passwords are not hacks to me. A hack requires some skill and knowledge of the system beyond the obvious. I’d like to see an in-depth review of real IoT device hacks and not another article on whether or not these devices are hackable. Of course they are. But who (outside of researchers) is hacking them and why?
Firstly, we are trying to educate the masses, not a small group of the population which are hackers. Secondly, the reason why the bulk of what you see is hypothetical and not detailed and specific is because we (and tech community at large) do not want to lay out a blueprint for others to hack us and others. We are trying to educate others that in the world of IoT, hacking a toaster seems silly but can actually lead to someone obtaining passwords and other personal data since smart devices are all connected and pose weak security. For every person that wants those specific details (like you presumably), there are bad agents who also want those details to harm others. If hackers, as you say, are truly bright and knowledgable they wouldn’t need our info to learn hacking techniques. This is where I tend to disagree with your notion of hackers and hacking. Most of them are simple social engineers and only exist because of lazy password management. We are not dealing with computer science geniuses. That is why most of them have turned to crime. Criminals are basically dumb and always target the weakest and lowest hanging fruit. Criminal hacking is just another type of criminal performing just another crime.
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