Smart homes and offices were once thought to be the wave of the future, but are clearly here now. When it comes to new technologies, we seem to never be able to get enough and new devices are being added every day for efficiency and convenience. As many are jumping on the bandwagon to transition their homes and offices into the “internet of everything”, we need to step back and recognise that these can also be the gateways for cybersecurity nightmares.
The Office:
An office environment is even worse than home, as many have older legacy systems and when adding the convenience devices, networks are not set up to offer any protection. These are possibilities for a hacker to simply access the Wi-Fi, and there are plenty of hacker devices on the market that can accomplish this. On a side note, there have been a lot of older remotely controlled systems that have been setup years ago, controlled remotely, and used for cost savings. These can include lighting, heating/AC, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, security locks, etc. These need to be considered as they were designed before cyber security was an issue.
The most common Wi-Fi access point is via 3G networks and if your home or office makes use of this for your Wi-Fi, it’s time to make a change. Some of the considerations that offices should be talking about for cyber security can include conference calls, smart desks, and the most important is “voice control” devices. While the devices and perks of a smart office run from offering ease of access for everything from coffee makers to meeting presentations, there is a requirement to confer with a cyber security specialist to coordinate with the IT Department before anything is added in a company environment as well as reviewing older existing systems.
The Home:
One of the major problems with adding smart devices is that most are not created for the home with any form of cyber protection. From remote door locks to cameras, refrigerators and baby monitors, our homes are moving towards a smart ideology, and these environments are ripe for the picking for cybercriminals.
When looking at a smart home we know that a majority of the apps that control the technologies are associated with an email address and a password. While it goes without saying to never share this information, it is critical to also make sure that the passwords used are more sophisticated. Use a combination of alpha/numeric/special characters. In this situation, cybercriminals may also try to make use of phishing expeditions to access your information. Being diligent about maintaining security is a top priority.
We recommend that every home and office incorporate multifactor authentication. This typically involves a special secondary password or “hint” and while it may seem like a hassle, it will assist in keeping your home and identity safe.
When adding any new technologies make checking the security a first step. Even for those that have added security protocols, you need to verify that your device will receive automatic updates. Cybercriminals know that this is a step that is overlooked and design breach software specifically for old software. If your device doesn’t offer automatic updates, you will be required to open the app and manually request an update.
“Users of all technology types are required to be proactive in taking care of and monitoring their personal and office security. DaVinci CyberSecurity maintains all of the updated information and works to assure that users are aware of all of the potential loopholes that could allow them to be vulnerable for a breach.”
Tech Team @ Da Vinci CyberSecurity
Source:
http://bit.ly/2IOT-smart
http://bit.ly/IOT-homes-2
http://bit.ly/IOT-homes
