Home Automation - the security of IoT.
- Further Green
- Nov 2, 2016
- 2 min read
Some readers may have seen the news reports on Friday 21st October detailing a cyber attack on a cloud-based internet performance management company called Dyn, which has as clients several digital services, including Twitter, Spotify, Amazon and Netflix. While this digital attack was focused on the eastern US its impact was felt worldwide. What is also interesting is the method used by the hackers to implement the chaos. Using internet-enabled devices such as printers they were able to activate dormant security protocols, which in turn allowed them to use those devices to launch a coordinated attack on Dyn’s servers.
The security of internet-enabled devices has been and will continue to be one of the hottest topics of the Internet of Things. Technology and security go hand in hand, with the exponential development of technology matched by the desire of people to hack, bend and break it. It has been viewed as a game of cat and mouse with developers and hackers trying to be the first to create or destroy. What the example of Dyn’s hacking shows is that the ever-increasing gloablisation of our services and expansion of connectivity via the Internet of Things means we can’t take security for granted. It is no longer a valid excuse that you weren’t aware that having the same password for your email, facebook and online banking is not a good idea. Like having the same key for your front door, back door, car and bicycle if someone else comes in to possession of it you will be in trouble.
The devices that were used to overwhelm the systems of Dyn on Friday had some things in common. Made in Asia, lack of username and password settings (or just the default), and age. While it is acknowledged that the security provided by IoT devices is varied and can be weak, with no consistent regulation in place (due to the variety of devices, applications and manufacturers), at de-CO we take the security of our clients and devices as the most important thing. Your experience as a user is based on the security provided to you and your home. We will only recommend solutions to our customers which have been rigorously tested to ensure their safety.
