Flaw in Amazon’s Doorbell Exposes Risk of IoT Vulnerabilities
Amazon’s Ring video doorbell recently received a patch from the company to deal with a severe security flaw. It allowed a proximity malicious user to spoof the doorbell so that when the user connected to reprogram it, the hacker would be able to sniff the credentials for the network. Amazon fixed the issue in September, but it demonstrates a genuine risk of penetration coming from IoT connected devices that need to be rectified.
IoT Has a History of Bad Security
IoT devices have been slow in developing security and have historically had a bad reputation for remaining secure on a private network. Because of how IoT devices are connected, a single machine could lead to a hacker being able to take over all of the other devices on a network. The result could be leaked information, stolen processing capacity, or even monitoring data that passes through the device.
Earlier this year, a report was published showing a security vulnerability that existed on over 200 million IoT devices, with the potential for even more millions of systems to be affected. Combined with the lack of response time from companies that deploy the technology, the widespread use of the IoT may lead to issues with keeping data and networks safe. The level of security manufacturers offer with their IoT devices is limited, meaning that added security needs to be deployed by the company that’s using the tools.
A Warning for the Future
The Amazon Ring problem isn’t a severe one, but it underlines the ease by which a potential hacker could gain access to connected systems. From a consumer viewpoint, this is a critical security issue to consider. Connected homes are becoming more of a reality with the increased use of IoT devices. The risk posed by vulnerable IoT devices that make up a connected home’s network exposes more than just a single device to a malicious user. It could potentially expose all of a user’s data, depending on how deep the vulnerability allows the hacker to get.
