The official IT security and cyber-safety advice body Getsafeonline, on the internet of things; everyday electrical/electronic items in the home or workplace that connect with the internet for monitoring and control.
Many devices – central heating systems, home appliances, wireless speakers, IP cameras, smart TVs, IP bathroom scales and even your front door lock – can now be connected via your router. The term is also often used to include connected technology in automobiles and the increasingly popular ‘wearable technology’ such as Google Glass and app-connected fitness aids. Get Safe Online promote responsible use.
Firstly, there have been a number of cases reported of devices being hacked. Although it seems unlikely that somebody would want to interfere with your central heating system, this could be possible because it is connected to the internet. More likely is hacking of IP cameras, where only recently live footage of anything from children sleeping in their bedrooms to office CCTV cameras was streamed on a website for all to see.
See advice pages on the internet of things and smart TV.
Of equal concern , however, is the privacy of the data that you make available via your smart gadgets, whether used in the home, on the road or in the gym. Examples are your TV viewing preferences, which could be tracked by your smart TV and used to bombard you with advertising or – depending on your preferences – be used against you. Similarly, data from your smart fitness wristband could conceivably be captured and sold to insurance companies, affecting your premiums. Put together, all the data captured from some or all of your smart devices – most of it automatically and with no control by you – could be used to build a picture of you, which in the wrong hands could lead to fraud, identity theft and other issues.
