There was a hugely popular commercial in the early 2000’s based around the concept of two guys, one who was prone to huge vulnerabilities, and the other who never had to deal with that problem. The commercial? Windows vs Macintosh, at that point already an old debate. In the commercial, it was claimed that Macintosh computers were less likely to have to deal with viruses than Windows computers. While the debate mainly comes down to cost, software and preference these days, the claim about Macs having fewer viruses was largely true at the time.

Today, this is no longer the case. Macs deal with viruses, ransomware and hacks at the same rate as Windows do. The reason that they didn’t deal with attacks as often was simply because they did not have the same level of market penetration as Windows, and the time to develop attacks was not yet worth it. It is the same situation today with smart devices in workplaces, as well as the myriad of “smart” Wi-Fi enabled tools and devices that can be connected to using Bluetooth. Where it might not have been a large vector of attack a few years ago, that is no longer true.

The Danger for Remote Workers

According to a study conducted by UTSA cybersecurity researchers, attacks on devices other than computers (smart thermostats, bulbs, cameras, home devices etc.) nearly doubled during the first months of the pandemic compared to the period before the pandemic started. According to their research, up to 9 in 10 smart devices send unencrypted information that can be intercepted by hackers. With more people working from home, this represents a real risk that their computer could become infected, especially if it is not properly protected. This is one of the reasons it is so important to have a cybersecurity plan in place. These attacks can jump from an employee’s laptop on to work servers, at which point they can deal a huge amount of damage. 

The Danger for On-Site Workers

It’s not just homes, either. Forescout Technology recently released a report that shows that smart devices from over 150 manufacturers might have vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Besides consumer devices, affected systems include office routers, medical equipment, and critical infrastructure that is used widely—including in water and power plants. Some of their recommendations included making sure that critical systems were not connected to the internet and ensuring that they could not be connected to by anyone off-site. They also recommended using measures to limit who has access to these devices and to keep them separated from your network.

Why Smart Devices Are Vulnerable

Generally, smart devices focus on solving problems they think consumers might have. They do not generally spend a large amount of time focusing on security, and as a result can have sloppy security programming. While some of them might make use of open-source software (which can be its own double edged sword), even more of them use systems that are completely proprietary, meaning that you won’t know of a potential attack vector until it already happens. All of these issues only multiply when there are no defensive measures in place. 

If you are currently unsure about devices that you have in your office, contact us today to schedule a cybersecurity review to see where you might be vulnerable!

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When “2001: A Space Odyssey” made its debut in 1968, the idea of a computer that could interact with us to serve our needs seemed like a far-off fantasy. In 1999, Disney Channel came out with a cheesy movie, aptly named “Smart House”, about a home programmed with AI to be a surrogate caretaker. The main plotline in both of these movies is ultimately that the AI grows ever more conscious and eventually decides to turn violent. While obviously it is highly unlikely that your Alexa will devise a way to kill you, that doesn’t mean that using smart devices in every situation is completely safe. We’ll discuss some of these dangers below.

Why You Should Be Cautious About Smart Devices

There’s a joke in the IT community that those with some or a fair amount of experience with computers will have Nest on their door, or Ring cameras throughout the house, smart lights, an Alexa in every room, a smart thermostat, electronic locks, tons of devices that can be controlled through Bluetooth, and many parts of their house equipped with smart equipment. IT professionals tend to know how dangerous all of these are and will stick with just a 2004 printer, control for media devices only through a protected Wi-Fi, and their trusted devices. Otherwise, they will completely avoid smart devices. While this is not always true, there is a level of truth to it.

One of the primary dangers associated with smart devices is that they can be externally controlled and accessed. This will represent different dangers depending on what specific type of tool it is that you are using. For example, something as seemingly innocuous as a smart utility system may transmit its network information unencrypted, or it may allow access to your general internet of things. The internet of things is all of the devices that you have in your house that are connected to each other and the network. While this can be very convenient, it can quickly turn into a nightmare if a hacker gains control of your connected devices.

How Hackers Can Take Advantage of Smart Devices

Some hacks can make use of access to any single device with network connection to gain access to your network. From that point, the vulnerability would come from the fact that there are attacks that only need access to your network to ultimately read packets sent to your router and potentially gain access to your computer. Once they can access your computer, they will be able to read all unencrypted information (and even some of the encrypted information), potentially gaining access to your laptops and planting a keylogger from there. Once that is done, it would be possible for the hacker to gather all your banking, social media, network, and personal identifiable information. This could all be used for purposes like ransomware, identity theft, data sales or for infecting and adding your computer to a botnet. 

A Real World Example

As an example, an ABC affiliate in Cleveland showed how easy this could be done. An ethical hacker that they hired used a discarded smart bulb to gain access to someone’s network passwords, allowing him to intercept data that the user sends to the router using a device that only cost $15. Using common passwords, he also gained access to another neighbor’s thermostat and smart utility system. Besides harassment, a professional thief monitoring this long enough could eventually find out when they had gone out of town and use that opportunity to execute a robbery.

Key Takeaways

Hopefully now you are aware of some of the dangers of using smart devices and other Bluetooth/Wi-Fi enabled tools in your home. While these devices can be convenient, they can present a golden opportunity for hackers to access your sensitive information. If you do end up buying smart devices, be sure to give each device a strong, unique password and make your home network as secure as possible. A little bit of precaution can go a long way towards lessening the danger these devices present.