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Internet of Things and home automation vulnerabilities

Posted on 2/6/20 at 9:37 am
Posted by BruslyTiger
Waiting on 420...
Member since Oct 2003
4610 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 9:37 am
Forbes artical
With the release or new devices, more and more of use are adding automation to our homes. Do it sercuely!
quote:

“Hackers can use innocent devices to do a virtual drive-by of your digital life,” warned the FBI in December. “Unsecured devices can allow hackers a path into your router, giving the bad guy access to everything else on your home network that you thought was secure.” The risk, according to the FBI, was the surge in connected devices at home and at work. Every one of which is a potential vulnerability.


quote:

“We wanted to find a vulnerability that enabled us to take over the lightbulb using the Zigbee protocol,” Balmas says, and then plays down the trivial risk of “making your house go dark.” The team wanted to go further. “We wanted to see if there's an option to infiltrate your network from the lightbulb, to take over that bridge.”

quote:

In addition to automating firmware updates—or patching manually if there is no automatic option, the FBI recommends fire-walling your core home network from the network on which all these IoT devices connect to you and the outside world. “Your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network—keep private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other IoT devices.”
Posted by Vrai
Baton Rouge
Member since Nov 2003
3895 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 9:54 am to
It's not that hard to figure out and set up properly, but most people won't.
Posted by guedeaux
Tardis
Member since Jan 2008
13611 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 11:36 am to
quote:

It's not that hard to figure out and set up properly, but most people won't.


Depending on what comprises your IoT/smart home, it actually can be rather difficult and take more than common knowledge to accomplish successfully.

What kind of system do you have and how have you isolated it from your home network?
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
16418 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 12:37 pm to
quote:

it actually can be rather difficult and take more than common knowledge to accomplish successfully

I think a lot of people get over burdened with all of the smart features they keep adding to their homes.

Wouldn't the first step be to get a router that allows people to hide their network. I would think that would be a simple start as it at least keeps it from being the easiest target in the area/neighborhood.
Posted by guedeaux
Tardis
Member since Jan 2008
13611 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 1:13 pm to
quote:

Wouldn't the first step be to get a router that allows people to hide their network. I would think that would be a simple start as it at least keeps it from being the easiest target in the area/neighborhood.


Not for the exploit identified in the OP (which has already been fixed by Hue, by the way).

The idea of a completely separate network for your home system is not easy unless you are getting 2 IP addresses from your internet provider. Otherwise, you have to create a virtual network. Some people choose to use their router's guest network, but even then it is easy for a hacker to break through. Then, what if your setup pulls information from devices on your home network? Not so easy.

For instance, I have a zigbee 4-button switch that turns on and off my computer and monitor and controls the lights in my office. This would not easily be possible with separate networks. Additionally, presence detection using wifi connections would not work.
Posted by DoubleDown
New Orleans, Louisiana
Member since Oct 2008
12873 posts
Posted on 2/6/20 at 1:32 pm to
So I might be way overstating this or simplifying it too much but generically, is Apple HomeKit more secure than almost all the others? It seems like HomeKit is more secure but I must admit I do not know 100% as to why...
Anyone know?

Seems like Google was just open and compatible with everything and within the last year they've shifted and started to lock things down a bit more.
Posted by Sidicous
Middle of Nowhere
Member since Aug 2015
17187 posts
Posted on 2/7/20 at 8:23 am to
How about the really pertinent question these scare bits always ignore: "What make YOU a target for hackers?"

About the only way a hacker is going to target the average American suburban cubicle dweller is if they make themselves a target. It's not like hackers are driving around New Orleans, BR, Shreveport, Monroe seeking targets of opportunity.

Sure, Los Angeles/Beverly, some areas of DFW, NYC have some slight risk. Yet again though: what makes any specific household a target? Random gonna random. High density is where the targets are, not suburban sprawl.
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