Tech Magic Comes with a Price
So, did Santa give you the
new Internet-connected gadget you hoped for at Christmas? Remember, as they say in
fairy tales, all magic comes with a price!
The
magic in modern times is technology. One of the prices in the cyber
realm is the security vs. pleasure trade off.
This
shows up when we get or buy a new gadget like a web cam for home
"security", then hear on the news they're getting hacked
left and right due to poor protections built in by the manufacturers.
Assume the worst!
Assume
the worst when you set up a new device! Check with one of your techie
friends about it. Or do a web search, inquiring about
security and privacy concerns.
There
are ways to fix some of the known security holes in vulnerable web devices,
such as updating software/firmware, changing default settings, and
turning off any unwanted features.
Amazon Echo Dot - can be too convenient
Like
web cams, the Echo Dot is a cool web toy. If you haven't experienced
it yet, you can check it out on YouTube. One downside is it can be
set for easy ordering from amazon.com. Hence there are many stories
of kids ordering stuff without their parents' permission. Ouch$!
Keep a close eye on your devices and users
If
you want to be security-minded and keep control of your devices - lest
they control or jeopardize your bank account or worse - make a list of
the devices you have and who has access to them. Keep the devices updated, and
set desired controls (such as parental controls). If you're unsure about the vulnerability of any
device, unplug it from the Internet until you research it or get some
help from a techie.
Trust sparingly
It
can be a painful lesson to "trust the company" who made it
to have your security and privacy interests at heart. In my opinion,
most don't. They want a fast turnaround on their investment.
Web
cams (yes, I'm picking on them again) are notoriously unsafe in this
regard. I recently unplugged security cameras for one of my clients
due to the uptick in remote hacking of such systems. We can
still see the cameras in operation and record video to a hard drive, but we have the system unplugged from the web.
Unplug to be safe
Along
these lines, a good rule of thumb when leaving your home for travel
is to unplug all your equipment, including your Internet
modem/router. This is a good practice due to electrical surges from
stormy weather, but also ensures no one can access or hack any of
your devices while you're away.
And
if you ever suspect a device has been hacked, turn it off immediately
and get tech support from someone local or the vendor. Be sure to go
directly to the vendor's website - don't just “google” for help
on that device. There are plenty of scammers who prey on people
searching online for tech support.
Thanks for reading.
Sam
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