AliceWith homes these days relying more and more on smart technology, it is only natural that concerns should be raised about home automation technology’s susceptibility to hacking, or if a user’s personal details could be accessed due to security flaws.
It can start small, such as the time when Samsung’s Smart Fridge was proven to be vulnerable to hacking, exposing a user’s Gmail log in details, or when flaws in Samsung’s SmartThings allowed hackers to unlock doors and set off fire alarms, not to mention the fact that people are having paranoid thoughts regarding Amazon’s Echo listening in and logging their conversations.
In fact, just last weekend two hacking ‘researchers’ demonstrated how to hold someone’s smart device hostage, taking control of a smart heating system, then demanding a Bitcoin ransom as payment to release the device.
The home automation market is estimated to be worth US$ 78.27 billion by 2022 – a time where it will be much more commonplace for homeowners to embrace the power and convenience of the IoT.
So with linked devices responsible for controlling everything from someone’s heating, security cameras, garages, door locks, lighting and heating – security for smart home products will be pushed to the forefront.
Can we trust smart devices with the security of our homes? As it turns out, IoT devices can be as easy to hack as someone’s PC.
Not too long ago, one hacker Googled a simple phrase, which led them to a list of ‘smart homes’ that had unintentionally exposed their home’s security: each of the homes in question had automation systems that allowed remote control of their lights, hot tubs, fans, TVs, water pumps, garage doors, cameras and other devices – controllable using a smartphone App or via the Web.
Unfortunately, the systems in question had been made crawl-able by search engines – meaning they showed up in search results. The now discontinued system did not require usernames or passwords, allowing the hacker to click on the links, and hey presto; they could easily control the strangers’ smart devices.
The fictional video above serves as a horror movie trailer for the modern age; a scene from TV series Mr. Robot shows a woman’s smart home completely taken over by hackers, overriding her locks, lighting, projector, heating, water temperature, music and security alarm.
In exasperation, she phones for help: “Un-plug what? Everything is inside the walls; that’s how I had it installed when I ordered the smart house package”.
Is this an extreme scenario? Yes, but it is one for the wider AV integration industry to bear in mind as smart devices and complete automation packages begin to become more commonplace in today’s homes.