Your Smart Home Might Be Easy to Hack

Just when smart home owners thought that smart devices with hidden cameras or microphones were the issue to worry about, researchers at the RSA Conference in San Francisco introduced a new concern. They presented an unexpected way that hackers might take over a device-enabled home.

IoT devices that connect

The issue has to do with how Internet of Things (IoT) devices systems link up to one another. In other words, we should pay attention to the interactions between our smart devices. These interactions occur in what’s been called an IoT automation platform.

Researchers see a cybersecurity risk in “complex IoT” environments, which means homes with ten or more IoT devices. The more devices that link to one another the larger the opportunity for hackers to break in to your personal life.

The call-to-action is that people stay mindful the security system that connects all of these devices. From smart light bulbs to washing machines, these devices are all IoT-connected.

The greater problem

An IoT automation platforms serves as the brain that allows smart devices to take action by functionally chaining the devices through custom rules. This is how devices interact with one another and affect each other’s actions.

For example, you can set custom rules that tell the front door smart lock to unlock when your smartphone has connected to the Wi-Fi network. This sounds convenient for the smart home owner, but what happens if someone tricks the system to also recognize their smartphone? Now it sounds like a hacking situation made easy.