Written by: Brett Mahoney
The newest wave of technology invading homes falls under the category “Internet of Things” or IoT. These are your Hue lightbulbs, Nest thermostat, or Ring doorbell’s. They promise the ability to control your things remotely from a cell phone or computer and to automate their functions. Who wouldn’t want an automatic thermostat that turns your heat up and down this coming winter? What about being able to see who is at your door, even while you’re at work?
Here’s the downside: they’re not all secure and they can be used against the rest of the world. When you hook up that snazzy new LED and WiFi-connected lightbulb, you’re creating a new presence on the internet for hackers to use. It’s not that people changing your heat without your control that is the dangerous part (even if it costs you hundreds of dollars in excess heating bills). The dangerous part is that they’re susceptible to being used in attacks on other people.
A specific example was two weeks ago: Dyn, a leading provider for domain name system (DNS) management. If a hacker knocks out a DNS system, you can’t browse the internet. Dyn was knocked out two weeks ago by hackers using millions of IoT devices to flood them. This attack knocked out Twitter, Spotify, Airbnb, Reddit, Netflix, SoundCloud, Etsy, and The New York Times.
For this wave of IoT technology, it may be best to hold off and ensure that these gadgets are secured and safe to use. It’s not just your money that could be wasted, but the money of your favorite websites as well.
