When you think of a smart home hack, you probably don't think of Burger King. In fact, you may not think of any kind of smart home hacking at all. Why would someone want to break into your thermostat or your doorbell?
But, smart home security is a big deal. And Burger King recently showed us why.
Essentially, Burger King hijacked smart home devices in many people's homes by transmitting an audio signal through televisions. This type of security breach is something smart device owners have been concerned about for some time.
The description sounds more dire than the event itself. In one of Burger King's commercials, an actor says, "Hey Google, what's the Whopper?"
In homes that are currently equipped with a Google home system, this command triggered a number of devices to look up information on the Whopper.
Is this a huge violation of privacy? Not really.
Should you be nervous about smart home security? Absolutely.
Burger King, the last company you'd expect to cross paths with the smart home industry, showed us that our smart home devices are more vulnerable than we think. Smart Home Many people try to connect as many aspects of their lives to the web as possible, but many people have expressed genuine concern about the security of these automated living spaces. Read more . It's one thing to have a highly secure router that protects your devices. Another thing is that they are controlled by a simple question in a commercial..
This little prank seems harmless. And, for the most part, it is.
Within three hours, Google stopped the prank by preventing Google Home from reacting to the Burger King commercial sound clip. Wikipedia also had to put an end to the pranks by shutting down specific editing privileges:the page containing the Whopper ingredients received additions ranging from "toenails" to "rats".
But what if the next company to take over your smart home devices thought it would be fun to tell Alexa to order their newest product? Or, what if a would-be thief figures out how to send an audio message through his computer or phone speakers?
That would be significantly less harmless.
The upshot of this experience is that voice-activated smart home technology has some weaknesses that we haven't fully analyzed yet. We know how to secure our home Wi-Fi networks, and that goes a long way toward protecting our smart home equipment. But there are other entry points we have to think about.
You may want to ponder these weak links before you fill your home with Alexa or HomeKit gear. Smart home technology has developed very quickly, and it's really cool. But it's still in the early stages of adoption, and that means there are a lot of key security strategies we haven't figured out yet.
Of course, there is always the potential for traditional hacking as well. Many smart home devices could cause serious damage if hacked Imagine someone disabling the window opening sensor or turning off the fire alarm. Any type of smart home security breach could put your family, your belongings, and your home at serious risk.
We have established that smart home technology is vulnerable. So what do we do about it?
First, secure your home network. You should be doing this anyway, but it's especially important when you have a smart home kit set up. Change the default password of your router. Use a strong password for your Wi-Fi. Enable your firewall. We have lots of tips to quickly secure your network. 7 Simple Tips to Secure Your Router and Wi-Fi Network in Minutes. 7 Simple Tips to Secure Your Router and Wi-Fi Network in Minutes. Stealing your passwords and credit card numbers? Would you know if someone was? Probably not, so secure your wireless network with these 7 simple steps. Read More
Second, secure your phone. Because your phone controls many smart home devices, it's a potential access point to your home. This means that if your phone is stolen or hacked, you could be in serious trouble. Make sure you have a secure PIN or fingerprint Do you need to use a fingerprint or PIN to lock your phone? Should you use a fingerprint or a PIN to lock your phone? Should you protect your phone with a fingerprint or a PIN? No one is likely to guess your fingerprint, but is it really more secure? Could a PIN be more secure? Read more blocking enabled. Also, consider using privacy and security apps. 10 Best Security and Privacy Apps for Smartphones and Tablets. 10 Best Security and Privacy Apps for Smartphones and Tablets. The security threats to smartphones and tablets are endless. Beyond your device's internal security options, you should use some apps to protect your smartphone. Below, we recommend some of them. Read More
Third, use strong passwords for your devices. Your smart home devices will almost all connect to the Internet in some way. And that means there is a chance that someone could try to access them remotely by guessing the password. Fortunately, using good password management practices Are You Making These 6 Password Manager Security Mistakes? Are You Making These 6 Password Manager Security Mistakes? Password managers can only be as secure as you want them to be, and if you make any of these six basic mistakes, you'll end up compromising your online security. Read More
Fourth, use a unified threat management (UTM) appliance. Esto puede ser costoso, pero si tiene muchos dispositivos inteligentes para el hogar que hacen cosas importantes (como cerrar la puerta de su casa o asegurar sus ventanas), valdrá la pena. Estos son dispositivos físicos que cuentan con una gran cantidad de tecnología anti-atacante (como este WatchGuard Firebox). Por lo general, las utilizan empresas y otras organizaciones que albergan datos confidenciales, pero no es una mala idea invertir en uno para su hogar..
Quinto, actualizar todo. Decimos esto sobre otros tipos de dispositivos todo el tiempo, y la sabiduría también es válida para el hogar inteligente. Las actualizaciones de firmware en sus dispositivos se asegurarán de que estén mejor preparadas para manejar las nuevas amenazas a medida que surjan.
Finalmente, compruebe Shodan. Una vez que haya configurado todo, use el escáner de Internet de las cosas de Bullguard para ver si su dispositivo figura en Shodan, un motor de búsqueda para dispositivos IoT de acceso público. Si sus dispositivos están en la lista, verifique sus preferencias y vuelva a revisar la lista anterior.
Las casas inteligentes son geniales. Le pueden ahorrar dinero. Ahorre energía y dinero con estos dispositivos para el hogar inteligente Ahorre energía y dinero con estos dispositivos para el hogar inteligente Uno de los mayores beneficios de un hogar inteligente es la tecnología de ahorro de energía disponible. In addition to saving money, you'll also be pushing toward a more sustainable and convenient living situation. Lea más, mantenga su hogar seguro, ahorre tiempo y esfuerzo y satisfaga sus tendencias geek de una manera muy útil. Pero también pueden ser un poco peligrosas, como mostró el reciente paso en falso de Burger King..
La verdad es que nunca puede estar completamente seguro de que su hogar está a salvo de todas las amenazas. Pero, al utilizar los consejos anteriores, puede seguir los pasos en la dirección correcta..
¿Utiliza dispositivos caseros inteligentes? ¿Cómo se aseguran? ¿Alguna vez has sido hackeado? Comparte tus pensamientos en los comentarios a continuación!
