There could be many benefits of having a connected household with objects being able to send and receive information between themselves to make your life easier, says Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of ESET Southern Africa.
Your alarm clock of the future won't just wake you up; it will also set the toaster into action and brew a cup of coffee. When every day household objects are collecting your personal data it's more important than ever to stay alert to the dangers. Just like your computer, tablet or phone, connecting your appliances to the internet can also put them at risk of being hacked.
Your smart lawnmower may eventually be sold with its own security software. Hacks who target your light bulbs and electronic door locks sound frightening, but in most cases these have been proof of concept attacks shown off at security conferences. To put it simply there are easier ways for a criminal to get your credit card details than hacking into your fridge.
There have, however, been some real world attacks on connected devices. Particularly those with video cameras. The main worry is that they don't yet have a standard operating system or security package, but high publicity hacks are usually more complex or require physical access to the gadget.
So, how do you make sure that your connected devices are protected?
Most connected devices pose little risk at this stage, using connections that allow them to report faults or working to schedules that will highlight inconsistencies.
As we enter a new era of internet connectivity though being aware of the threats will be half the battle.
