Posted on May 21, 2019 at 5:20 PM
Hackers Alert: Coffee machines Are Vulnerable to Attacks
The trend and news about the internet of things have been very loud. Almost everyone is talking about a smart home and its functionalities. Well, there may be many advantages, but one thing that enthusiast has been hitting on is security. If every device you’re using in the home can connect to other devices, there may be a problem one day.
Also, their data sharing capability is alarming. Many have been asking about the assurance that people’s sensitive information will be safe. Now, it has happened. The recent warnings are that hackers can attack smart devices or appliances and lift sensitive information.
Hackers may have a field day stealing people’s information
A security firm executive has come out to say that people are now vulnerable to hackers. Chief Vince Steckler has stated that all the connected devices are now a source of information for miscreants. Gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops, etc. are no longer safe since the owners can lose personal information through them. He went further to reveal that cyber thieves can explore potential vulnerabilities in IoT to compromise people’s secrets.
Steckler further stated that people could not protect their televisions and coffee machines. As such, these gadgets are now vectors to hack people’s account.
Survey Reveals Vulnerabilities in IoT
Recently, many surveys have discovered that IoT is not very secure like we thought. There are many vulnerabilities which no one knew about all these while. Many of the smart appliances and devices we use are not so safe anymore.
One expert in cybersecurity Yossi Atias has exposed the vulnerability in “Amazon Ring Video Doorbell” This was at a Mobile World Congress which he attended. He gave a live presentation of hacking into the doorbell and exposed what nobody knew about. Let’s recall that this device is one of the most popular IoT devices in the market.
From Yossi’s performance, we learned that hackers could expose members of a family to danger. The vulnerability allows hackers to inject counterfeit traffic and arbitrary surveillance capability.
Another research last year by Check Point, a provider of cybersecurity solutions, revealed some things too. They discovered that fax machines are vulnerable too. According to the researchers, hackers can steal a company’s data from the network with a fax number or phone line. They also demonstrated with the Hewlett Packard “all-in-one” printer. Two of the team members who performed were Eyal Itkin and Yaniv Balmas at “DEFCON 26.”
The third group who has revealed their findings on the IoT vulnerabilities are security experts from Texas University. According to them, an inter-connected bulb is all it takes for hackers to get your private data. The two companies they used for this study were Philips Hue and LIFX lighting systems. From their explanation and presentation, hackers can attack a user by confusing the infrared light.
They will simply create a channel through which the smart light and another infrared-sensing device can communicate. Once they create this channel, it will become easy to install an agent on the user’s phone and hack data. Afterward, they can transfer the date using the “infrared covert channel.”
The Way Forward For Users Of Smart Devices
It’s true that all these discoveries are alarming, but there is a solution. According to the researchers, once a user enforces a solid network system, the hackers will not have any access to them. Also, reducing the brightness and light transmittance of smart bulbs which stop the hackers will make things okay.
Well, this has always been the concern of many people in the industry. Maybe now that it is open, solutions will come faster.
