Currently, there are millions of connected devices worldwide and statistics show that by 2025, there will be more than 75 billion IoT devices. Forbes predicts that the number to be more than 80 billion.

In this article, we are going to take a look at the 4 worst IoT security hacks and vulnerabilities of all time. We hope they will help you to know how the future has for you and why you should start securing your devices now.

Keep reading to learn more.

IoT security is no easy task and is risky. Unfortunately, it is not immune to hacking. A simple hack can be dangerous to human data not alone to organizations. Once hackers infiltrate unsecured devices, they can take control of the whole organization’s system or worldwide connected devices, thereby exploiting a device and using it to access to sensitive, valuable, and confidential data.

John Longman, a technology expert who also offers help with UK assignments, advises people to keep internet-connected devices secured all times.

Read on to learn the worst IoT security hacks recorded in history.

1.   Casinos Hacked Via Thermometer in an Aquarium

We all know that casinos are profitable organizations that have the ability to put in place security measures to avoid being hacked but unfortunately, they aren’t immune to hacking.

It is recorded that some smart hackers found their way into a casino’s database using a method no one could imagine. They broke into one of the casino’s network through a thermometer connected to the internet in an aquarium and collected tons of sensitive data stored in its core database.

2.   The Owlet Baby Monitor IoT Security Hack

Baby monitors have since evolved from one-way radio transmitters to internet enable devices fitted with plenty of sophisticated features. But with all the sophisticated features, hacking is inevitable.

It is recorded in history that one family in the US was hit by one of the worst IoT security hacks where a hacker broke into the wireless camera system that was designed to monitor the kid and threatened to abduct the kid. But this is not the only recorded case of the baby monitors. Some parents have complained that they hear unusual voices in their baby monitors.

3.   The Spying Blond Doll

The “My Friend Cayla”, a pretty blond doll was also banned in Germany in 2017 after it was found to have a hidden surveillance camera.

The doll has a Bluetooth device installed which is meant to entertain a child while she or he is playing with it. This Bluetooth installed device was found to be vulnerable to hacking if not secured.

Researchers found that hackers can break into the camera or microphone of the doll and see or hear what the doll does. Unfortunately, the doll engages with the kid asking questions about their parents’ names, the schools they go and where they live. All this information could be exposed if hackers break their way into the Bluetooth device.

4.   The Jeep Security Hack

In 2015, the Jeep hack was reported by the IBM security team where a team of experts was able to drive a Jeep SUV without the knowledge of the owner. The team was able to take advantage of a firmware updated to seize the Jeep SUV, increase its speed, or slow it down or even drive it off-road as it happens in the Fast and Furious scene.

Fortunately, all this was done by a team of experts, what if hackers could do the same. And given that we are moving into autonomous cars, all these previous security hacks and vulnerabilities if not addressed, we may experience a security nightmare we have never seen before.

5.   Home Thermostats Security Hack

Back in 2016, two apartment buildings in Finland and Lappeenranta were left in freezing cold for almost one week after hackers broke into their environmental control systems via unsecured thermostats using a DDoS attack.

How to Secure Your IoT Devices?

Just try to think about what could happen if hackers could break their way into your system and:

• Manipulate an elevator at a skyscraper with thousands of passengers in.
• Take control of an autonomous vehicle.
• Take control of an aircraft turbine and keep it from functioning.
• Keep the door locks in your smart home from opening and closing or exposing them to hacking.
• Take control of the robotic system in a factory and instructs it to hit all the objects around.

Or

• Keeps all the medical equipment at a hospital from functioning while patients are connected to them.

Well, this is a scary moment and even though Internet-connected devices make our lives easier, not all have the required security features to keep hackers at bay, a study by essay writers reveals that. For this reason, everyone needs to keep security at the top of their minds. Attacks are inevitable but they can be prevented only if we stay a step ahead of the attackers.

As a rule, before you buy a new IoT device to use at home or anywhere, you should make sure it is secured.

In fact, security should be entrenched in the way IoT devices are manufactured.

So how do you keep your IoT devices secured and stay safe from security hacks?

Here are a few ways to do that.

1. Lucas Colman, a security analyst who also offers resume help to students recommends the use of strong, hard-to-guess, and unique passwords for all your internet-connected devices, and Wi-Fi networks. Avoid using words or numbers only but use a combination of numbers, characters, and symbols.
2. Install a trustworthy security program on your computers, smartphones, and tablets. Norton Security Deluxe is said to be powerful when it comes to real-time protection from malware, viruses, and ransomware.
3. Keep your handheld devices, especially smartphones on the check when using them in a public space. Turn off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity in crowded areas if you are not using them.
4. Read the privacy policy of any app you are using to see how they plan to use your data and information.
5. Understand what type of data the device you are using collects, how it stores the data, and how it protects it before buying it. While it is not a bad thing for a device to collect data, sharing that data with third parties is.

Stay Safe!

Security is not a one-day thing. Every day hackers are finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and break into our devices and systems. Keep security first before you buy or use a device.

Sources

1. https://www.newgenapps.com/blog/iot-statistics-internet-of-things-future-research-data
2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2016/03/03/152000-smart-devices-every-minute-in-2025-idc-outlines-the-future-of-smart-things/#2a3e74874b63
3. https://nordvpn.com/blog/baby-monitor-iot-hacking/

https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/blackhat-jeep-cherokee-hack-explained/9493/