Weve brought this stupid future on ourselves.
you’re free to connectlight bulbs,refrigerators,sex toys,pet feeders, and tons more.
These devices are usually referred to as Internet of Things (IoT).
This isnt a huge deal yet, but its going to be.
Lets back it up a bit first though.
A few different security scenarios are at work here.
To start at the top, IoT devices are hard to secure.
For the sake of usability, they often have weak security.
The scenario is rare, especially considering how close theyd need to be.
We have seen similar security holes in everything from aWi-Fi connected Barbieto aJeep.
It turned out the disruptions were the effect of adistributed denial of service attack(DDoS).
Thats when hackers overwhelm websites with fake traffic, causing the site to break.
Hacked IoT devices fueled that DDoS.
It then hacks that rig and uses it to pound a website with traffic.
In the case of Mirai, it was our own neglect shining through.
An astounding number of people dont change default logins on their devices.
Spying works in a couple of different ways.
Its not only the government thats interested in spying, its also the companies that make these devices.
They then discovered that user preferences and statistics were sent to We-Vibes servers.
A lot of these issues are our own fault.
Were buying these devices even though we dont need them.
Then, to top it off, we neglect to ever change the password on these devices.
Beyond that, our own paranoia has made things much worse than they need to be.
Everyone I know has come to accept the idea that the government is spying on us through television sets.
So when Wikileaks released information about the CIA using Samsung TVs to spy on people, nobody cared.
This isnt new thinking either.Snowdens leaksbrought the same reaction.
That carefree negligent attitude has already led to a few mostly harmless hacks.
But its certainly not going to get better moving forward.
Like, wouldnt it be nice if I couldcontrol a crock potfrom my phone?
Or wouldnt it be nice if myrectal thermometer stored data online?
One of the best things about a crock pot is the fact you set it and forget it.
You (hopefully) dont use a rectal thermometer enough that you better track that data online.
Does the Wi-Fi signal even work in your fridge anyway?
Even useful IoT devices still have serious issues.
If the internet goes down, you cant control your smart thermostat.
Worse, you not might be able tofeed your catusing your overpriced internet-connected pet feeder.
Ive yet to see an IoT machine that actually improves my quality of life on a grand scale.
I can use a touchscreen on the machine itself.
Theres no sign that any of this will change.
One researcher suggests well have over80 billion smart devices on the internet by 2025.
That suggests that everything in your home will be online.
From your fridge to your office chair.
IoT unit makers arent trying to innovate.
What happens next is at least partially up to us.
you’ve got the option to demand better security.
Or you might refuse to buy any of this crap to begin with.
If nothing else, change your default password.
