CES: Security Risks From the Smart Home
Since security has been a major concern expressed in every Internet of Things chat and discussion I’ve participated in this past year, I expect things will be more, not less secure in the longer run even though changing the way we do things always poses risks.
THE Internet of Things arrived in force at this year’s International CES, the huge trade show here. But while manufacturers at the event painted a rosy picture of connected grills, coffee makers, refrigerators and door locks, security experts and regulators warned that the Internet of Things could be a threat to both security and privacy.
Hackers have already breached Internet-connected camera systems, smart TVs and even baby monitors. In one case, someone hacked a networked camera setup and used it to scream obscenities into a baby nursery.
Connected-home security threats, at least so far, have not usually been about a hacker trying to break into your home or using your data. Criminals aim mostly at giant databases of personal information or credit cards that they can sell on the black market.
Even so, the more connected our technology becomes, the more data our devices and appliances can gather about us. That data can be shared in ways we don’t anticipate or can be revealed as part of larger breaches.