Dr. Eowyn posted: "Russian TV footage shows a technician opening up an
iron imported from China to find a “spy chip” with “a little microphone”.
Kim Komando is the host of the Kim Komando Show, on computers, the
Internet, and consumer electronics, which is broadcast and sy" Respond
to this post by replying above this line
New post on *Fellowship of the Minds*
<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/> Your smart home
appliances can be hacked to spy on
you<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2014/01/27/your-smart-home-appliances-can-be-hacked-to-spy-on-you/>
by
Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/>
[image:
spy-iron]<http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/spy-iron.jpg>*Russian
TV footage shows a technician opening up an iron imported from China to
find a “spy chip” with “a little microphone”.*
Kim Komando is the host of the Kim Komando Show, on computers, the
Internet, and consumer electronics, which is broadcast and syndicated on
over 150 radio stations in the U.S.
In other words, she knows her stuff.
__________________________
The following is from the Kim Komando
blog<http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=15929&utm_medium=nl&utm_source=totd&utm_content=2014-01-26-article-1-end-b>of
Jan. 26, 2014:
Back in September, I wrote a tip that claimed your household appliances
would soon spy on you. You can read it here if you didn't catch it the
first time around. <http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=15130>
The basic idea was that *hackers will eventually break into high-tech TVs,
light bulbs, nanny cams, refrigerators, toilets, smart thermostats and
other appliances to learn more about you.*
Well, "soon" is sooner than I thought - if we can believe a security report
from a company called *Proofpoint* about a groundbreaking
consumer-electronics botnet it discovered.
A refresher: *A traditional botnet is a large collection of infected
computers sending email spam or attacking other systems.* Click here to
learn how the Pony Botnet Controller stole millions of Facebook and Google
passwords. <http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=15679>
The botnet that Proofpoint supposedly found included more than 100,000
smart TVs, routers and at least one smart refrigerator. It allegedly sent
out 750,000 spam emails.
While some questions have been raised about the accuracy of Proofpoint's
report, no one denies that a botnet like this is possible. With embedded
computers invading common household appliances to make them smart, it was
only a matter of time before this kind of thing started happening.
It doesn't help that *most Internet-connected gadgets don't have the same
security measures or third-party security programs available as computers
or mobile gadgets. That means you have to trust that the manufacturer made
the gadget impossible for hackers to crack.*
As we've already seen from security flaws in smart light
bulbs<http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=15130>
, smart toilets <http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=15130> and
routers <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=15812>,
manufacturers can't protect against crafty hackers. Even smart cars are
vulnerable to digital
carjacking.<http://videos.komando.com/watch/3709/viral-videos-terrifying-digital-carjacking>
Hackers will always find a way in, and there isn't much you can do until
the manufacturer releases a fix - assuming the gadget can even be upgraded
with new software.
Where does this leave smart gadgets? Well, they aren't going away, that's
for sure.
In fact, Google just bought Nest, which is known for its smart thermostats.
I'm betting Google is trying to get in on the ground floor of the emerging
"smart house" craze. So expect to see more about that in the coming year.
So, just like computers, smartphones and tablets keep improving their
security over time to counter hackers, smart appliances will have to do the
same. It would just be nice for once if manufacturers could be proactive
about security instead of waiting for hackers to make the first move.
__________________________
H/t FOTM's CSM
See also "Made-in-China home appliances contain spy
chips<http://cofda.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/made-in-china-home-appliances-contain-spy-chips/>
".
*~Eowyn*
*Dr. Eowyn <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/author/eowyn2/>* | January
27, 2014 at 2:41 pm | Tags:
botnet<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=botnet>,
Chinese spy iron <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=chinese-spy-iron>, Kim
Komando <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=kim-komando>,
Proofpoint<http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?tag=proofpoint>|
Categories: Science
& technology <http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/?cat=1749> | URL:
http://wp.me/pKuKY-p7l
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