Security issues with Iot.

We have become a wireless device world. This is a great thing as we can share connect many devices to a local network to perform various tasks. The connectivity is a great advantage to small business as well as by connecting many devices can be a cost savings but there is a risk to small business when you are connected in this way. In 2018 there was a rise in cyber-attacks and the impact to the suffered by the public. What I am concerns me now is the wireless devices we have at home. We have cameras, locks, refrigerators, thermostats and lights just to name a few which most likely make up a local home network. We must take steps to prevent hackers from accesses your home network.

What concerns me even more is there are many small companies who make iot devices. They are often cheaper and work the same way any of the more expensive iot devices work. The problem is that all companies are responsible for providing security update to a home device. I know that I have some wireless devices in my home that have not received an update in years. When I investigate what happened to the update some companies have discontinued the product, or the company went out of business. This is happening more and more, so you need to make sure if you are getting an update that you allow it and if not find out why as you may have to upgrade your device or buy a new device from a more established vender.  What I do is 2 a year I make sure my devices are updated and I check with the vender to see what the status is with the company and my product.

Any devices which contain storage of important material should must be stored off line. When I store information on certain subjects of a personal nature my banking, credit cards or any other important documents I store them in an offline drive. This will allow me to recover from any online attack and should I be a victim of an online cyber-attack they will not get any useful information. 

The biggest access to iot device I have seen when it comes to iot devices is the default passwords. When you connect your iot device to you network and get all the initial updates to your device you must change the default password. I would use a pass phrase which are longer and easier to remember than a password.

I hope this helps as always please leave a comment

Mark Carbajal