We're being urged to ensure our passwords on smart devices have been changed from their factory settings.
It's after the UK consumers' group Which? found that more than half of 15 devices they surveyed were vulnerable to hacking.
One of the more worrying discoveries was that some high tech kids' toys were easily hacked from someone outside the home.
Juliette Gash reports;
A Which? investigation into the security of connected devices in the home has shown how hackers could access your home network and connected appliances in as little as four days.
Which?’s testing of smart devices has largely been positive, with innovative products and systems making daily life simpler and more enjoyable within the home. However, with so many new and different products entering the market, the consumer group is concerned that some appliances pose a risk to consumer security and privacy.
Which? has carried out a snapshot investigation to test whether popular smart gadgets and appliances in homes could stand up to a possible hack. It set up a home with a host of smart gadgets – from wireless cameras, to a smart padlock and a children’s Bluetooth toy – and hired a team of ethical security researchers, SureCloud, to hack it.
Some of the devices proved harder than others to infiltrate (such as the Amazon Echo, although people should be aware that voice purchasing is activated by default) but eight out of 15 appliances were found to have at least one security flaw. As part of the investigation, Which? found potential risks with the following:
- Internet router – This is the gateway to all connected devices within the home. The Virgin Media Super Hub 2 router is set up with a simple password that many people don’t change and SureCloud was able to gain access to it in just a few days. In light of Which?’s investigation, Virgin is advising more than 800,000 customers in possession of the affected hubs to change their password immediately. Virgin Media broadband was already in the home and there could potentially be similar security issues with other broadband providers and their routers
- Wireless CCTV – Some wireless cameras are easy to hack. A home CCTV camera system, branded Fredi Megapix, operates over the internet using a default administrator account without a password. This is a real privacy concern and Which? found thousands of similar cameras available for anyone to watch the live feed over the internet. Worse still, the hacker can even pan and tilt the cameras to monitor activity in the house.
- Smart children’s toy – CloudPets is a stuffed toy that enables family and friends to send messages to a child via Bluetooth. Building on a recently published flaw, SureCloud hacked the toy and made it play its own voice messages.
When Which? testing identifies a significant vulnerability with a product, it contacts the manufacturer involved. It has done this with the manufacturers of the eight affected products as part of this investigation.
As a result, the majority have updated their software and security. In addition to Virgin informing 800,000 customers to update their password, it is also in the process of upgrading its customers to the more secure Super Hub 3.
Despite the popularity of these products and the benefits they bring, Which? believes that wider action is needed to close security loopholes so that the maximum benefits to consumers are realised. The industry must take the security of internet-enabled and smart products seriously, by addressing the basics such as ensuring devices require a unique password before use, using two-factor authentication, and issuing regular security updates for software.
Which? advice:
- Set strong passwords: Many smart devices come with generic default passwords that are easy for hackers to guess. Set a strong and unique password, ideally with a jumbled mix of letters, numbers and special characters.
- Update your software: Keeping software or firmware updated means that the latest security is installed on the device.
- Complete the set-up: All smart devices should be connected to a secure wi-fi network. This is because many use their own wi-fi during the set-up process which, if left unsecured, is an easy target for attackers located within range of the device.
- Location, location: Be mindful of where devices are located in the home. Those close to windows or behind thin doors can be more easily accessed from outside.
