When a smart speaker aggregates customer data, or a car dashboard highlights the nearest McDonalds, the marketer and the consumer assume the devices can be trusted.
But recent research by Israeli security firm vpnMentor raises red flags about whether the Internet of Things could turn into the Internet of Spying Things.
What vulnerabilities were discovered? The company recently announced the results of work by a group of “ethical hackers” it employed in March and April of this year.
In one project, the group was able to connect an SD card reader to a first generation Amazon Echo and install malware that could listen in to the owners’ daily life or interfere with the Echo’s control of other household devices like smart locks or appliances.
[Read the full article on MarTech Today.]
About The Author
Barry Levine covers marketing technology for Third Door Media. Previously, he covered this space as a Senior Writer for VentureBeat, and he has written about these and other tech subjects for such publications as CMSWire and NewsFactor. He founded and led the web site/unit at PBS station Thirteen/WNET; worked as an online Senior Producer/writer for Viacom; created a successful interactive game, PLAY IT BY EAR: The First CD Game; founded and led an independent film showcase, CENTER SCREEN, based at Harvard and M.I.T.; and served over five years as a consultant to the M.I.T. Media Lab. You can find him at LinkedIn, and on Twitter at xBarryLevine.