In a highly connected world – everyday life incorporates Internet of Things IoT devices, smart TVs, smart fitness trackers, smart security cameras, smart voice assistants (e.g. Alexa, Google Home, etc.), these gadgets offer some interesting features in a connected home, but the use of tracked data from IoT devices is limitless and often goes unnoticed. The question becomes: is the smart device you use spying on you? We’ll go further into some of the implications, and how you can reclaim your privacy.

What Makes IoT Devices Vulnerable?

The majority of the IoT devices collect data for analysis on an ongoing basis, whether that’s voice and location, routine, or preferences. This is a treasure-trove for cybercriminals if not secured.

This is why many of these devices are attractive to attackers: 

• Vulnerable Security Models: Many devices ship with unmodified usernames and passwords.
• Unencrypted: Data transferred over networks is not commonly encrypted, making it simple to capture.
• No updates routinely: Most vendors cannot offer users regular firmware updates, and because of not managing/updating your devices, many will ultimately reach end of life and become potentially vulnerable. 
• Always on microphones and cameras: A few appliances are constantly waiting for commands, and that functionality can be leveraged.

Actual IoT Security Risks

Here are some real threats posed by inadequately secured smart IoT devices:

• Eavesdropping and monitoring, hackers can access smart cameras and microphones and record online or real-time data from homes or places of work. 
• Data Siphoning: Attackers can take sensitive personal data like bank details or health records.

• Botnet attacks: Attackers can utilize hacked IoT devices to take over the hacked device as a bot and control botnets when planning cyber attacks on a bigger scale (i.e., botnet DDoS attack). 
• Home invasions: Attackers can exploit smart locks and security systems to gain access.

How to Tell If Your Device might be spying on you

Watch out for these warning signs:

• The camera light turns on randomly (and unprompted) when it is idle.
• The battery of your device drains suspiciously fast or gets hot for no reason.
• You hear odd sounds or feedback from your speakers or smart assistant.
• You see unusual activity in your network’s connection logs (check your network logs).

How to Protect Yourself from IoT Spying

Here are some practical security guidelines that all smart device users should use: 

• Once you have completed all of the initial set-up steps, change the credentials 
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on any and all accounts and services that you can (it’s just another barrier of protection).
• Update all software: Make sure you regularly check for, and apply updates to all devices and apps to seal off genuine vulnerabilities.
• Use a separate Wi-Fi for IoT: Smart home devices should be on a guest network, and therefore isolated from the main devices you’re using.

• Disable any features you don’t use: Disable the remote access, the microphones that are always listening, or anything else that you aren’t using to reduce risk of exposure.     
• When not using a device, turn it off or cover the camera with tape or a solid item.
• Use a VPN as an additional layer of encryption on your network traffic, and to obfuscate your activity. 

 Why This Matters More Than Ever

With more than 15 billion IoT devices in use worldwide (and climbing), the digital trace we leave is immense, and as we add more devices to our homes, from cars to devices in the office, we add more opportunities for security failures. We must remember that convenience should never replace digital safety.

Conclusion

IoT, or Internet of Things, can make things easier by connecting more devices, but there are hidden risks to your privacy and security. Awareness is the best defense, so before adding another smart device to your environment, ask yourself, Did I think about the unknown risks that may come along with it?

At Ace Web Academy, we believe in creating not just smart systems but smart users as well. With certified expert instructors in cyber security, internet of things development (IoT) and ethical hacking, we prepare you to take on today’s digital challenges. You will learn the know-how to protect what is important.

🔗 Learn more at Ace Web Academy