Today's home has all sorts of conveniences when it comes to security and wireless devices, such as mobile-controlled security systems, temperature gauges, and light switches. These devices can also be connected to the Internet for ease of access. You think it's safe behind passwords, firewalls, and security applications, but you're wrong. Anything that's connected is at risk - even baby monitors.
An Ohio family was recently the target of a hacking attack, as reported by WXIX-TV. This hacking attack wasn't your average one, though. The hacker went straight for the baby monitor and was able to take control of it remotely. The monitor (a touch screen mobile device) was used to let the family keep an eye on their 10-month-old baby. The parents placed the monitor on the corner of their baby's crib, and it even came with audio capabilities so they could soothe the baby with their voices.
The mother had no idea there was a security breach until she was woken up in the middle of the night by a man's voice coming from the nursery. In a flurry of maternal instinct, she grabbed the device to investigate. To her horror, the camera was moving on its own - a clear indicator that it had been hacked.
As the father rushed to the baby's room, he became a witness to the terror. "About the time I saw it moving, I also heard a voice again start screaming at my daughter. He was screaming, 'Wake up baby! Wake up baby!' then just screaming at her trying to wake her up."
Ironically, as soon as the father entered the camera's visibility range, the hacker started cursing at him as if he were the one who had done an injustice. Good old dad came to the rescue, though, and pulled the plug on the monitor. This cut off the hacker's influence over the monitor, but who knows how long psychological damage from the attack will persist?
The sad part is, the only agenda this hacker had was to harass and terrorize innocent people. This brings up the question of how many hackers remain undetected while covertly observing your homes. Think about it like this: just like this hacker was able to sneak into this family's house by hijacking a baby monitor, how many other people do you think he has done this to?
Unfortunately, there isn't a way you can know whether or not you are being watched. There could be something watching you right now and you would have no clue. To make it even more unnerving, the hacker isn't necessarily your neighbor accessing your WiFi. It could be anyone around the world who has access to the Internet.
It's growing more and more difficult to keep prying eyes away from your network, considering most household hardware can be connected to the Internet these days. Some people think that security precautions for your blender or your television aren't important, but you can never be too careful when it comes to anything connected to the Internet - especially when your baby is connected to it via baby monitor!
If you're having second-guesses about the security on some of your connected devices, give Business Solutions & Software Group a call at (954) 575-3992. We'll improve your Internet security so no one robs your virtual cradle!
