We live in a “smart” world, surrounded by “smart” gadgets. Our phones are “smart”, our watches are “smart”, and even our refrigerators are “smart” these days! It hard to find something which is not smart (except for the people using them)! But, is all this smartness worth it? Are we compromising on our privacy by using these so-called smart devices? In this article, we shall be disclosing 5 stupid gadgets for privacy which fall flat on their faces when confronted with the issue of protecting sensitive data of the users. Keep reading:
1. Your Smart TV is watching you!
Smart TVs are the latest fad. It is not “cool” if you do not have a smart TV while all your peers have it. In the United States, over 50% if the households are expected to have one by the end of the year. Little do they know the amount of privacy infringements that occur due to such TV is reaching a staggering level. The TV allows you to watch your favorite online contents right on your TV screen without the need for an additional device.
The TV allows installation on apps on them and, as a result, is becoming a prime target for the hackers and cyber-criminals. There have been instances where companies have been tracking what you view on the device and sell them to the advertisers. Also, hackers could be listening to your private conversations made in front of the TV.
2. Is you Smart-watch really that smart?
Smartwatches have usurped the market in terms of its popularity. Though, the market is still new, but still people are willing to shell out a few bucks to buy this item. Some buy it as a gadget while others buy it just for the aesthetic feel. Technological giants like Google and Apple have jumped into the fray to provide users a device capable of performing basic operations from their little screens. However, owing to its weak authentication, the device is prone to hacking. Further, even after multiple failed attempts to log in, the account does not get blocked. The encryption is inefficient, and issues relating to firmware security makes the device a soft target for online miscreants.
3. Samsung’s Not-So-Smart Fridges
Fridges are capable of sending texts, watch Netflix, and even update your Facebook status. And not to forget, it keeps your food fresh (it’s so easy to forget amid all the “smart” functions it can perform. However, all you data stored in the Google account could be at risk since, Samsung, inadvertently, didn’t put on a safe lock. Demonstrations of how easily the info can be collected from the refrigerator have put the ball in the court of the company. As of now, there has been no changes and the vulnerabilities still pose a great risk to the users.
4. Smart Thermostats
You “smart” thermostat could provide a backdoor to the hackers to gain access to your private information. The vulnerabilities are inherently present which even prompted a guy to control his wife’s thermostat even after leaving her house, making the wife and her new partner’s life uncomfortable with the temperature as well as the bills. Such thermostats are also known to track your movements at your home and share your behavioral patterns with Google. The devices are easy to hack and are vulnerability is yet to be patched since the problem lies within the hardware itself.
5. Virtual babysitters
There have been many incidences where the virtual babysitters’ vulnerabilities were exploited to play with the privacy of the family. The devices are easy to hack and have consistently failed the security tests. Thus, it is important to know that the next time your baby is spooked up, it may not be their made-up story, but the reality. Sometimes the reality is stranger than fiction.
Endnote
Upon perusing the list of 5 stupid gadgets for privacy concern, it becomes clear that however smart the AI (Artificial Intelligence) becomes, it is still submissive to the intelligence level of the humans. Such internet enabled devices may be a necessity in many situations but is compromising with our privacy worth it?
