1The “Internet of Things”, or IoT, refers to the ever expanding offerings of traditionally non-Internet connected things that can now be connected to the Internet. The array of things you can connect to your home wifi network is staggering and, to be honest, pretty dumb. Internet connected toasters, light bulbs and even hot tubs are all available to lurk on your home network and send god only knows what data about you to god only knows where.
Your home network should be a safe place where only trusted devices have access. Traditionally, this has meant your own computers, your own smartphones and perhaps a few other devices such as gaming consoles. The problem with attaching a new device to your trusted network is two-fold: does it make attacking my network easier and what is it doing with the data it collects?
The attack vectors
Any device attached to your network can see all the other devices and, potentially, have access to them. If you’re sharing your budget and medical documents with your wife’s computer that’s fine. But is it possible to really keep track of a large number of often innocuous Internet connected devices that you’ve introduced to your network over time?
Additionally, each device connected to your network that talks to the outside world introduces a new attack vector and heightens the vulnerability of your safe network to some degree. Most of us run anti-virus, ad-blockers, and possibly ever firewalls on our PCs to keep bad guys out, but what does that toaster come with? Does it have any security software installed to prevent itself from becoming the weakest link in your network?
IoT devices are built by device manufacturers. This may seem like a self-evident statement and perhaps it is, but the point is that light bulb people build light bulbs and hot tub people build hot tubs. Their area of expertise is in the thing, not in the Internet which means their ability to build and maintain the Internet part of their device is a secondary concern. Internet connected CCTV networks, printers, and even cars have been hacked over the Internet largely because manufacturers do not have the Internet mindset that is born and flourishes under a healthy paranoia level 11.
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