The IoT (Internet of Things) is an amazing addition to modern life and one which, though it is in its early stages at the moment, gives us all a pretty good insight of where futuristic technology will be taking us. The general concept revolves around every day household and life items being put on a network, enhancing their functionality and making our lives easier through connectivity. The idea is simple enough and its been adopted heavily in some areas, like smart TVs for example. However, as more and more things get added to the network, your kettle, your house security system and your lighting for example, the threat posed by a hack of some sort, a cyber-intrusion, becomes greater and greater and the consequences more and more serious. So, without further ado, let’s look at ways for you to identify if your IoT has been compromised.
Looking For Anomalies
One of the big advantages that having your network connected to an IoT can give you is that it should, some of the time at least, be easier to spot when something has gone wrong. The reason for this is that the functions of your network are much more obvious, in comparison to if it simply extended to your laptop and smartphone. “So, for example, if your IoT includes a smart toaster, smart lights, smart blinds, a smart TV, a smart sound system, smart sprinklers and a smart door cam, then there are a whole lot of physical functions which will be very noticeable if they fail to function or function in the wrong way” says Jon Castillo, a tech expert at Academized and Paper Fellows.
If you are being hacked on a computer, you’re unlikely to see scary green text cycling down the screen like you’re in the Matrix, since hackers will always opt to try and keep you in the dark. They can be carrying out an ongoing invasion without you ever really picking up the signs that anything has happened. The IoT gives you far more concrete indications that something is up. If your blinds rise automatically at 7am and stay up till 10pm normally but have started going up and down every 15 minutes, you know something is going on. So, be vigilant for any faults in your IoT devices and recognize the fact that if something is going wrong it could be the biproduct of a serious attack, and not just a fault in the hardware.
Using Adequate Wi-Fi Protection
The IoT does sometimes give you its own network, connecting it all together. However, normally, its going to be connected to your central Wi-Fi. This then introduces the importance of protecting your household or office Wi-Fi. There is a whole load of available options given to you when you try and go about this vital step. It’s worth exploring even if you don’t have an IoT set up. One of the easiest first steps is to make your password strong. It should be unique and impossible to derive from your other personal information. Given how much more is at stake when you do have a serious IoT set up, it’s vital that you stay safe in this regard. You can also hide your Wi-Fi, which ensures that no one walking past your house will have the ability to even see it, without knowing what name to search for. “Setting up security systems on your home network will allow you to much better fend off attacks and to identify if your Wi-Fi has been compromised” explains Carl Washington, a system administrator at State of writing and Australianhelp.
Segregate Your Networks
When a hacker is thinking of getting into you IoT network, they are much less likely to be going after your smart toaster than they are going after your home security system or the Amazon account linked to your smart TV. In order to particularly protect certain items and be alerted much more quickly if they have been compromised, you could apply a rigorous protection and security system to a closed network just for the highest value IoT items.
Conclusion
It can be very hard to tell when something has gone really wrong with your IoT and the consequences of not being quick enough can be great. However, with some vigilance you should be fine. Hopefully this list has given you a good starting point.
Ellie Coverdale is a technical writer at UK Writings. She has been involved in huge tech research projects, which she has taken may valuable learning experiences. Ellie also contributes to Boom Essays and Essay Roo sites.