As the CEO of 1 Sound Choice, a pioneer in Smart Home Technology, I recently had a thought-provoking lunch with General Thomas W. Spoehr at the Pentagon, delving into a subject critical to our digital age: cybersecurity in the realm of smart homes. The conversation illuminated a startling reality – our homes, adorned with the latest Internet of Things (IoT) devices, are not just comfort zones but potential targets for cyber threats.

According to the report, two years ago an internet-enabled refrigerator was commandeered and began sending pornographic spam while making ice cubes. Baby monitors have been turned into eavesdropping devices and there are concerns about the security of medical devices, such as computerized insulin pumps. In October 2017, thousands of security cameras were hacked to create a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) against Dyn, a provider of critical Domain Name System (DNS) services to companies like Twitter, Airbnb, etc. Then there is the recent disclosure of CIA tools for hacking Internet of Things devices, such as Samsung Smart TVs, to turn them into listening devices. This map shows exactly where cyber attacks have taken place. http://map.norsecorp.com.

Just this week 2/13/18 Consumer Reports warns Smart TVs Vulnerable to Hacking, Spying:

“ After analyzing smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, and Vizio, Consumer Reports has found several problems with their security. In particular, they found that Samsung and TCL’s branded Roku TV are totally vulnerable to changing channels, controlling the volume, and installing third-party apps.”

So now we know that these things can happen with the Internet of Things (IoT). We have to continue to be aware that IOT is somewhat akin to the Wild West and things can be hacked. Much of this hacking can take place in your smart home. As responsible smart home owners, we all need to learn how to protect ourselves against hacking. One of the most important methods of protection is to always make sure that everything has the latest firmware updates.

We also need to protect ourselves against what is termed a KRACK attack, which stands for Key Reinstallation Attack. Anything wireless has this flaw, even under WPA2 security. When two wireless pieces of equipment are transmitting to one another, a hacker can piggyback onto either of them and gain control of the network. This can make your sensitive information, including credit card, bank account, or social security numbers, available for hackers. Again, I can’t stress enough, every wireless product you own must have the latest firmware.

Another thing you can do to protect yourself is to be sure that when you get a new device, change the password. Make sure you use upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, special characters…basically anything that the product will allow. Make sure your passwords are longer than 10 positions.

Finally, be sure to buy reputable products. Choose names you are familiar with and stay away from those you’ve never heard of. Stay away from brand new products, as you want to make sure the manufacturer has had time to work the kinks out before you buy.

Do you want to know more about how to create a Smart Home that buyers will pay for, and that will be secure? Give me a call (973) 316-0678. I would love to chat with you. In the meantime, pick up a copy of my book Join the Smart Home Revolution it is full of useful and interesting Smart Home information. You can get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/e26dc2W