It’s not long till Christmas Day and you will be sitting with a glass of something to celebrate.
The average person will spend £269 and most of that will be on technology. This leads me to the Internet of Things (IoT). Despite the fact that many people I talk to, both at conferences and privately, do not know the term, it is predicted that within the next few years we will have 30 IoT connected devices in our houses.
The famous scientist and inventor, Nikola Tesla, in 1926 predicted the growth in connectivity in his interview with Collier magazine.
“When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole. We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance… and the instruments through which we shall be able to do this will be amazingly simple compared with our present telephone. A man will be able to carry one in his vest pocket”.
He certainly got that right, but I suspect the range of connected devices and the plethora of information that they collect, would have surprised even him.
So, what is the Internet of Things?
It is a term used to refer to the many devices (eg. phones, fitbits, smart fridges, smart speakers, smart heating systems, children’s toys) that are connected together and able to transfer data over a computer network. They can recognise when you are nearly out of milk or eggs, they can calculate how many steps you have taken today and how many calories you have burned, they can control your home heating, they can tell you when you are fertile! These can save us time and money, encourage us to keep fit, track our children’s whereabouts, cut waste, help reduce greenhouse emissions and even help us procreate. (Gartner Says the Internet of Things Installed Base Will Grow to 26 Billion Units by 2020, n.d.). The question is, are there any risks of these fantastic innovations?
Security
Unfortunately, yes. Security is a major issue. Many manufacturers of early devices did not build strong (if any) security into their products, and many consumers do not take even the basic step of changing the default passwords. Even for those who do, they are often not provided with notifications of security updates in the way that our phones do. Many devices require us to input details of our personal information and this is poorly protected from hackers. Also, if there is a bug in one part of the connected system, all connected devices are likely to be corrupted. This leaves IoT devices as the weak link in household networks. Equally worrying is the vulnerability of unsecured Bluetooth technology embedded in many talking toys which can allow strangers to communicate with our children.
Privacy
Another major problem is privacy. Although public awareness is growing of the value of our data to commercial, political and other players, it is easy to forget that connected devices in our homes are collecting data on us all the time (that’s what makes them “smart”) and it is not always obvious how the data will be used.
Think about the smart vacuum cleaner that takes a floor plan of your house to enable it to clean automatically – who will it be shared with? What about smart speakers? – Google recently admitted their staff listened to private recordings from smart speakers.
What about surveillance? – who might be interested in buying or hacking into data that reveals the whereabouts and activities of particular users? Do not be naive and think that nobody’s watching what we are doing, buying and behaving. All that data has value to someone and can be analysed and used in microtargeted advertising if not more nefarious ways.
So how do you protect yourself?
One of the most important things to do, if you haven’t already, is to change the password on your router and all your connected devices. Most of us leave them on the default setting from when they were purchased. Also, if there is an associated website, check the privacy policy to see what data is being collected and who it is being shared with. This includes children toys. If these contain built-in cameras, turn it off and put the device out of sight at night. You will be amazed how hackers can switch on cameras remotely and the last thing you want is your child’s images being spread across the internet.
6 ways to secure your IoT
- Start with your router and device passwords. These are your front door so make sure you secure them. Change the password to a strong, hard to guess password.
- Do your homework before you buy. Read reviews to see what the toy does and if anyone has identified any security vulnerabilities.
- Read the privacy policies to check what data will be collected, what it will be used for, how it will be secured and who it will be shared with.
- Check the app permissions associated with each new app and deny access to any unnecessary data.
- Regularly check for and implement updates. You may need to check the manufacturer’s website from time to time to be aware of updates.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication where available.
I love the internet and it makes my life so much easier in so many ways, but like everything in life there are risks and we need to take the time to understand how we can keep ourselves and our families safer.
Why not follow the link below and share this will your staff and parents. Gooseberry Alerts are FREE
