Go in any big box store and you’ll find dozens of smart home appliances. Light bulbs, security cameras, smart outlets, smart switches, LED strip lights, etc. There is no end to it.
So you buy something. Then you have to download the app, and create an account and then you wow your friends by demonstrating how smart your home is becoming. Then you buy another device which means you need another app and another login account. Then you do it again and again and again.
Pretty soon your phone is full of apps and you can’t remember the passwords to all the new accounts you have.
Is it really convenient? There are ways to get all those devices under one roof so to speak with home automation software but this blog isn’t about that. It’s about your security.
All those devices are connected to the INTERNET, aka “The Cloud”. You don’t know who wrote the app. You don’t know if the app has gaping security holes or intentional malware. Also you grant network access to that device. Also when you fill in the app you provide your network credentials to the app. Do you use your wifi password with any other account anywhere? Does the app writer transmit your credentials back to their server?
In 2016 there was an exploit on Internet of Things (IoT) cameras and routers called the Mirai Bot Attack. The attacker focused a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack using HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DEVICES. That kind of implies that in 2016 there sure were a lot of infected Internet of Things devices. Wonder what that statistic looks like in late 2021. Better? Worse? My educated guess = WORSE.
How can you make it better and more secure?
Get Off The Cloud.