Recently, Check Point, a company dedicated to finding security flaws in technology hardware and software, found a vulnerability in Philips Hue smart light bulbs that allowed hackers to access home and office networks. The vulnerability also utilized the ZigBee low-power wireless protocol. Based on the research done by Check Point, smart home security was subverted and allowed hackers to trick users into infiltrating the network by causing the users into performing specific actions.
Once alerted to the problem, Philips Hue issued a patch that protected users against the vulnerability. Once the hackers accessed a home network, they were able to obtain all sorts of user data through packet-sniffing, including banking details.
This recent issue raises the question about how well Internet of Things companies and those that make smart devices prioritize security over sales. There are numerous instances of these vulnerabilities being found and internal details showed that the companies that allowed them to happen did not put nearly as much effort into user protection and security as they did into sales. It’s important for users of Internet of Things products to make sure that the devices they are buying are subjected to regular software and security updates.
LIS 4022 Spring 2020 