The old myth of home privacy gives way to the prying eyes of the Net.
From a nest of rest and privacy, protected from the world’s gaze, to a place that exposes us to prying eyes hunting for our secrets. From the traditional four walls impenetrable by strangers to a space overlooking the largely unknown world of the web. This is the metamorphosis (or evolution, depending on one’s point of view) that the traditional concept of “home,” which today is increasingly “smart,” is undergoing.
After all, raise your hand if you are not subject to the fascination of technology and artificial intelligence tools.
Particularly within one’s own home where it is now enough to press a button or express a voice command without even getting up from the sofa to relieve us from the inconvenience of many daily chores: starting the washing machine, turning on the TV, operating the heating even remotely, and so on.
A saving of time and energy that allows us, especially in moments of relaxation, to devote ourselves to more pleasant and rewarding activities.
In short, the smart home is undoubtedly a modern dream and, apparently, within the reach of many since, according to a recent report by the security company Bitfinder, “an average household has 21 connected devices in their home.”
A figure that may seem like good news because it indicates how much people are keeping up with technology and innovation.
But at the same time, Bitfinder suggests we also look at the flip side of the coin:the risk of privacy violations and increased vulnerability to cyber attacks to which these connections subject our private lives.
In fact, again according to the report, home networks have experienced an average of more than 10 attacks every 24 hours targeting devices in the home over the past year, up from 8 attacks the previous year.
According to the analysis, smart TVs had the highest number of vulnerabilities discovered (34 percent), followed by smart outlets (18 percent) and video surveillance cameras (13 percent).
The discrepancy between the vulnerability of televisions and other devices suggests that televisions may possess inherently complex systems or face unique security challenges that lead to more vulnerabilities per device.
99.3 percent of attempts to exploit connected devices are based on common vulnerabilities and exposures already known and resolved, “demonstrating the importance of applying security fixes and using the latest software,” the cybersecurity firm points out.
Indeed, the high number of vulnerabilities in televisions underscores the need for strong security measures in consumer electronics, particularly considering the potential risks associated with devices that often have access to sensitive information, have a long lifespan, and are tightly integrated with sensitive home network components (such as Nas devices or other mass storage media).
How to protect yourself?
Knowledge of the tools to defend against these risks is therefore paramount. Awareness and proper training remain the two most effective weapons.
In addition to these, it is good to follow a number of recommendations.
- Always make sure the devices’ software is updated to the latest version.
- Do not use products that are no longer supported by their manufacturers and can no longer be updated.
- Disable functions that are not needed.
- If you are not in the habit of using microphones or webcams in your Smart TV, disable them to reactivate them only when needed. If you do not have to perform automatic payment transactions with a device, avoid providing credit card and e-wallet information.
- Always beware of personal, confidential or even sensitive data, “special data” as defined by the GDPR, being captured and shared on the network by the device.
- When the configuration allows, always set up an encrypted connection. Be wary of devices that do not allow such communication and that transfer information “in the clear.”
- Change default passwords to strong passwords. Not all IoT systems allow the use of special characters, but almost all allow combinations of alphanumeric characters, upper and lower case, and numbers. Therefore, try to create combinations that are not easy to guess.
- Change some manufacturer defaults when this is possible, such as the name by which that device shows up on the network or the communication port. To protect yourself better invest some time to understand the meaning of some configuration fields.
- Be careful not to leave transportable devices unattended. Theft could result in the loss of personal data, especially if access to the device is not adequately protected.
- For home devices, remember that these connect to the network by taking advantage of the router, to which they will, in most cases, connect using Wi-Fi. Always remember the importance of configuring your home router to customize the configuration set by the manufacturer or network service provider. In particular, it is considered an essential measure to change the login credentials, especially the password.
- Finally, watch out for maintenance. There is a tendency in this particular market to continually release new models, and this leads many manufacturers to not maintain older models. Periodic Internet searches, with reference to manufacturers’ sites, can help you check whether updates and support are still active. Be wary of those manufacturers that do not have well-structured Internet sites.
In general, awareness of the risks in using these tools is essential to avoid running into bad adventures.
Always be very careful about the transactions you make online especially if these can jeopardize sensitive data.
A smart home can certainly be very convenient and can give us conveniences that were unthinkable just a few years ago, but to really enjoy it, it is necessary to gain proper digital posture through targeted and quality training.
