Smart Home Security Best Practices

“Smart Technology” may not be so smart after all. Sure, it can make your life easier, but this convenience comes with many security risks. The more convenient or smart something is, the less secure it is. Having someone hack your home’s “smart” thermostat might fall into the harmless prankster category, but there are reports of people stalking their ex-spouses, gaining control of the home devices in a stranger’s house, spying on children asleep in their cribs, and disabling a wireless security entry door lock, to mention a few.

Stories of cyber creeps invading nurseries, swiveling the camera around at will, using it to spy on infants or to swear at a baby are just some of the reasons why New York City recently launched an investigation into the gadgets’ hackability.

IoTs Security – Protecting your Business from Growing Spy Threats

“Internet of Things” (IoTs) are devices and apps that can be accessed via Wi-Fi to the internet yet do not physically connect to a computer. The most common Internet of Things include: TVs, music players, cameras, home thermostats, security systems, refrigerators, fitness bands, electric meters, any medical device that relies on Wi-Fi. According to a new report from HP Security Research, the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Internet of Things Top 10 Project, “The current state of Internet of Things security seems to take all the vulnerabilities from existing spaces, e.g. network security, application security, mobile security, and Internet-connected devices, and combine them into a new (even more insecure) space, which is troubling.” These vulnerabilities exist in all aspects of the “Smart” environment. The NSA is entertaining the idea of using the internet of things and biomedical devices (The Hacker News). Businesses need to stay aware of these growing spy threats and take necessary action to protect themselves. Two important steps to protect yourself or your business against these vulnerabilites include: