Hackers Can't Wait for Connected Fridges and Other Appliances

It may well be that the market is developing more slowly than hoped for connected appliances within a connected home because consumers don't see the value. Or it could be that they think the risk outweighs the benefit. JL

Cale Weissman reports in Business Insider:

According to a recent news note from Business Insider Intelligence, the smart home market is currently facing "a very bleak outlook."

Eugene Kaspersky is the founder of one of the world’s most prominent anti-virus companies, known for uncovering some of the biggest digital threats.

Now, he has a word of advice for people thinking about adopting so-called Internet of Things technology: Beware. 

The Internet of Things — which is when various devices and appliances are hooked up to the internet — creates myriad new entries of attack, Kaspersky said in a recent interview with NBCNews.

"You call it internet of things; I call it internet of threats," he said.

With a mobile phone, there’s one point of entry for hackers to access. With a computer, there’s another entry point. But with hundreds everyday devices becoming connected, there’s no telling what methods hackers will employ to gain access into people's person gadgets.

On a

smart TV, a hacker could display ransom messages, said Kaspersky to NBCNews. On a smart watch, an attacker could get access to private data. With each new connection comes myriad scenarios for attack, he concluded.

This warning comes amidst a potentially difficult time for smart home companies. According to a recent news note from Business Insider Intelligence, the smart home market is currently facing "a very bleak outlook."

Lackluster consumer demand was a prime reason for the market woes, according to the report. But Kaspersky’s security warning likely won’t help either.