I have been warning you about dangers in the rapidly expanding Internet of things for more than five years.  The Internet of Things is made up of a broad range of devices connected to the Internet including home thermostats, security systems, medical devices, refrigerators, televisions, cars and toys. Many people have probably received smart televisions and other Internet of Things devices during the recently passed holiday season.

This past summer the FBI issued a new warning to consumers about the dangers of posed by hacking of various devices that makeup the Internet of Things.

Here is a link to the FBI warning. https://www.ic3.gov/media/2018/180802.aspx

Cybercriminals will hack into your devices that are a part of the Internet of Things to enable them to enlist your devices as a part of a botnet by which they can distribute malware while maintaining their anonymity. However, they also can hack into your Internet of Thing devices to access your home computers to steal information for purposes of identity theft or to implant malware on your home computers.

TIPS

Many of the devices that make up the Internet of Things come with preset passwords that can easily be discovered by hackers.  Change your password as soon as you set up the product.  Also, set up a guest network on your router exclusively for your Internet of Things devices.  Configure network firewalls to block traffic from unauthorized IP addresses and disable port forwarding.  Make sure that you install the latest security patches as soon as they become available.  Use encryption software for the transmission of data and find out where data is stored and what steps are taken to secure the information.  Also, limit the amount of information you provide when setting up the accounts for smart toys.  The less information out there, the less the risk of identity theft. Most devices allow you to select options that increase your security and privacy.  Finally make sure your router is secure and use its whitelisting capabilities which will prevent your device from connecting to malicious networks.

If you are not a subscriber to Scamicide.com and would like to receive daily emails with the Scam of the day, all you need to do is to go to the bottom of the initial page of http://www.scamicide.com and click on the tab that states “Sign up for this blog.”