By NOAH PRIDE
Guest Columnist
More and more, everything we buy is becoming smart. Smartphones, Smart TVs, Smart refrigerators, even smart toasters. These things offer great convenience. But, more and more people are becoming aware of the potential risks.
The definition of the Internet of things is, by Oxford Languages,“the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data.”
To use an example of this, Someone might tell their Alexa to turn off their lights. In this case, Alexa is communicating with the lights to tell it what to do.
This web of connective can be built upon to let you do various things like having your front door unlocked and your lights turned on as you pull up in your drive way, or starting a tea kettle when your alarm goes off. The Internet of things is especially useful to people with disabilities.
People who have mobility issues might appreciate being able to adjust their lights or thermostat without having to get up or move. A wearable device would be able to detect if an elderly person has fallen. This isn’t to say that the Internet of things isn’t without risks.
The main concern people have with IoT is one of privacy. They don’t like the fact their washing machine might be recording them or listening to their conversation. In truth, the data an IoT device collects on you depends on a variety of factors.
Not all companies that sell IoT devices will sell your data. In addition, there are steps you can take to limit or negate the amount of data a company can collect on you. For a device to collect data, it must ‘phone home’ to send the data back.
Turning off its connection to the internet, segmenting your home network, or editing what traffic is allowed out of your router can all prevent this. The privacy concern is a big one for some people. However, there is a bigger threat that affects us all.
Vulnerability is the biggest issue with the IoT. In one famous case, hackers were able to hack into a casino via a fish tank. The big issue of IoT is that the hardware for them seems to be built with a lack of security.
In addition, they have very little logging. If your computer’s mouse starts darting around the screen and random websites start popping up, you could tell something was wrong.
IoT things might not even have a screen to show you what is going on. Another weakness is that some IoT devices ship with default passwords and users don’t know any better to change them. For this to change, IoT companies need to start investing more in security and properly educating their customers on how to defend themselves.
IoT devices are very helpful and convenient for people. But they care about risks that need to be addressed. Manufacturers need to increase their security and offer more information for customers to access. Customers and Users need to take the appropriate steps to secure their homes. Only through collaborative efforts between manufacturers enhancing security measures and users implementing diligent precautions can we truly unlock the full potential of a smart and secure future.
