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. Our homes have become filled with these devices including Alexa and Siri. The FBI has longed warned consumers about the dangers presented by hacking of various devices that makeup the Internet of Things.
Cybercriminals 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. They also can hack into your Internet of Thing devices to access your home computers or cell phones to steal information for purposes of identity theft or to implant malware on your home computers and cell phones. The risks are extreme, but there are some basic steps you can take to protect yourself.
The key to protecting yourself is having a secure router. The router is the networking device that is used to transfer data between your computer and the Internet. Recently the FBI issued a warning about 13 outdated, end-of-life routers that are no longer supported by their manufacturers with software updates and patches to fix vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals, particularly Chinese cybercriminals are exploiting the lack of security of these routers to gain access to your computers and other devices and install malware and make it part of a botnet. Here is a link to the FBI warning which lists the vulnerable routers which should be replaced with more secure routers. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ic3.gov/CSA/2025/250507.pdf
TIPS
In addition to replacing end-of-life routers with newer more secure routers there are also other steps you should be taking to provide better security. Disable remote management settings on your routers and make sure you are using a strong password as well as encryption. Also, make sure you are not using the default factory-set username and password, which would make your router quite vulnerable.
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.
Finally, make sure your router is secure and use its whitelisting capabilities which will prevent your device from connecting to malicious networks. Routers are a critical part of your smart home security. Make sure it will automatically download and install the latest security updates from its manufacturer. If your router is an older router that does not have this capability, you can check the manufacturer’s website regularly for the latest updates, but frankly, you are probably better served by getting a newer, more secure router. Make sure you have a unique password for each of your Internet of Things devices and use dual factor authentication whenever you can for all of these devices.
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