So I’m writing my first post from my fridge since that is “whats in” these days. While most of us were relaxing over the Christmas break a cyber attack sent out 750,000 spam emails using not computers but 100,000 smart devices including a fridge.
The security firm Proofpoint who uncovered the attack have stated that “in many cases, the devices had not been subject to a sophisticated compromise; instead, misconfiguration and the use of default passwords left the devices completely exposed on public networks, available for takeover and use.”
So I can get a fridge which reminds me to pick up bread and milk on the way home from work, that’s kinda cool. Imagine instead your sprinkler, alarm or door locks being accessed remotely through a computer chip because the security isn’t advanced enough to thwart the hackers or they just weren’t configured properly. The worst part of this is, how do you know that your “smart” home systems have been compromised before an incredible amount of damage has been done to either your home or by using your systems as part of a larger network.
