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How homeowners can protect themselves from IoT threats – Part One

The possibilities of the IoT (Internet of Things) are truly endless, writes Ralph Goodman is a professional writer and the resident expert on locks and security at the Lock Blog.

The world is moving towards interconnectivity and communication more than anything else. Imagine, if you will, the world where various forms of technology are constantly communicating with each other. This allows for actions to take place at amazing speeds, letting complex tasks be executed efficiently. This is the type of world that the IoT hopes to bring to the masses, and there are already people that have wholeheartedly bought into it.

If you take your time to think about it, can you blame them? The full potential of IoT is still, as of yet, untapped. Even so, there have already been impressive advancements that have been made in the sector, and it shows a lot of promise. A plethora of industries have jumped on the IoT train, and are attempting to incorporate it into their many activities and ventures. This holds the promise of being truly lucrative, if it works out.

However, the Internet of Things, much like anything else, does not come without its downsides, naysayers, and a fair share of criticism. In other instances, there is nothing to really do but allow the haters to continue to hate. In regards to IoT, this is not necessarily true. Why? Simply because there is some truth to be found in those criticisms, and there is a lot left for the IoT industry to work on before they have a product that can be universally accepted.

In order to better understand some of the threats that the IoT industry has to tackle, let’s take a look at home security and smart homes. The home industry and the home security industry are two heavy hitters that have invested in the IoT industry because, let’s face it, who loves comfort, efficiency, and being lazy more than the average homeowner? IoT is great, but it’s not perfect, so let’s take a look at some of its security flaws and the ways homeowners can protect themselves against the threats of IoT.

IoT in the home

Before we can delve into the threats that IoT can pose to homeowners, and the steps that they need to take to rectify these, we’ll take a quick look at the way IoT has made its way into the home and how it works to give homeowners a taste of a more connected life.

The beauty of IoT rests in the fact that it allows devices to communicate with each other to complete a series of complex or simple actions. Homeowners have taken advantage of the possibilities that IoT presents, and this has caused the interest in home automation to skyrocket. IoT can be used in almost every facet of the home. For instance, some homeowners connect their smart locks to their smart thermostats, light bulbs, speakers and security systems. As I said above, the possibilities are truly endless. Imagine unlocking your front door and having your home already set to a prime temperature, and your lights flickering on to greet you. It sounds rather ideal, doesn’t it?

IoT, when viewed through the lens of home security, is able to provide homeowners with a wider range of possibilities to keep themselves, and their families, safe. However, it also presents criminals, burglars, and intruders with a new host of ways to make their way into your home.

The dangers of IoT in the home

The threats of IoT can be applied to whatever industry is making use of them, it just so happens that in this article we are paying attention to the way it affects the home. The threats that IoT pose to the home are centered mostly on the IoT devices that are present and the way that they communicate with each other. A threat to these devices is tantamount to a threat to your home. In a more general sense, attacks on IoT devices focus on the system software and the system hardware. The software refers to the application and the intricate programming that allows the device to communicate and execute actions, whereas the hardware refers to the physical housing of the device and all the components that physically come together in order to make it work.

IoT devices are vulnerable on both the hardware and the software. The vulnerabilities that stem from the software can come in the form of communication protocols, application software, failed updates, etc. Each of these has the potential to render your system vulnerable if it is capitalized on by the wrong person. This holds considerably true for homeowners, especially because home automation devices each have varying communication protocols. In terms of the hardware, these vulnerabilities are not as clear cut as that of the software. This is due in part to the fact that almost every IoT device has different hardware specifications, whereas there are some commonalities between system software across the board.

In addition to these vulnerabilities, IoT devices can also be compromised based on how they are set up. In most cases, the devices are set up in one location and left there to carry out their assigned function. This leaves them exposed and vulnerable to whoever may want to take a crack at it. This might not be an issue for someone who has only one IoT device, but that defeats the purpose of IoT anyway. It is meant to allow for the use of multiple interconnected devices, which gives burglars and criminals more options when deciding on which device to attack.

IoT devices are also susceptible to DoS (denial of service) and DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, among other things. These attacks result in homeowners being locked out of their devices, effectively making the devices useless. This is a result of an attack on the system that forces it to temporarily become inactive. Furthermore, IoT devices are subject to access attacks and attacks on an individual’s privacy, which essentially means that someone can hack into your device and either monitor your activities or make off with private data.