The Internet of Things (IoT) join together physical devices that we use every day with information technology.

Make sure your Internet of Things is secure

We can use devices to monitor our health and fitness, our houses, our environment, and our factories and cities.

Using internet-connected devices expands our ability to control and monitor in the real world. The IoT is literally changing our lives.

The Internet of Things has the potential to fundamentally shift the way we interact with our surroundings. The ability to monitor and manage objects in the physical world electronically makes it possible to bring data-driven decision making to new realms of human activity – to optimize the performance of systems and processes, save time for people and businesses, and improve quality of life.” ~ McKinsey Global Institute study

The potential economic impact of the IoT is astounding – as much as $11.1 trillion per year by 2025 for IoT applications, projected by the same study.

But is there a downside?

In many people’s minds, surveillance, privacy issues, and data breaches seem to be someone else’s problem. “Should I be concerned about all of this?,” people who have “nothing to hide” think. Recently, we published how the Internet of Things can be hacked and what issues arise from the fact that we’re almost 100% online and connected.

Nowadays, all this technology passes through very well-known and yet problematic points: Our home network security. When our early version of Avast 2015 was released, we published many articles about Home Network Security. During the past year, we gathered lots of proof and conducted social experiments to show that…

Your security is as strong as your network security

To protect your security and privacy, you must assure that your network and communications are safe. Although this seems like rocket science, some basic – but effective – measures can and should be taken. It’s really not rocket science, so even us common folk can follow the steps below to make sure we’re prepared to a secure our IoT life.

1. Device protection: Install security software on all your connected devices. Avast is a worldwide leader in providing security for Windows, iOS, and Android devices. They can stop malicious actions and make all the difference when you’re online. Your device protection also depends on its own installed software security, thus, keep all your apps and operational system up-to-date.
2. Network protection: Not all antivirus software provides for proper network protection. If a cybercrook invades one of your devices –most commonly the router – all your network, devices, and data could be compromised. Avast has unique features to allow you to scan your network and find if there is any open door to hackers.
3. Security best practices: There are numerous “best” practices, some of which will save you a lot of headaches. The most important is using different passwords for each online service or site and protecting yourself in open or public Wi-Fi networks. Avast Passwords to manage all your passwords and Avast SecureLine to safely connect you to Wi-Fi, will give you peace of mind.

Avast premium versions include all the protection you need including Home Network Security. You can download and test them for free from the Avast website.

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube e Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.

Your home router could be part of a network used to knock sites like Sony PlayStation network offline.

During Christmas we reported that a hacker group calling themselves the Lizard Squad, took responsibility for ruining the day for Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox users by taking the gaming networks offline. This and previous attacks, which included a bomb threat directed at an American Airlines flight with Sony Entertainment president John Smedley on board, have been revealed to be a marketing campaign to advertise a new product available for rent to anyone who wants to cause a Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack to the target of their choice.

I’m not a hacker. Why should I care?

You may not be a hacker, but the power for this service could be coming from your home office! Security blogger, Brian Krebs, whose own site was attacked, found out that the network of infected devices that powers the Product-That-Must-Not-Be-Named (that’s because Lizard Squad gleefully thanked Brian for the publicity on their Twitter account) is made up mostly of compromised home routers. On that same Twitter account, Lizard Squad said that they are using 250-500k infected routers.

These are the devices in everyone’s home that we warned you about in our blog, Your home network is at risk of cybersecurity attacks. Most people neglect the security of these devices by using the default user name and password that comes from the manufacturer out-of-the-box.

Our research determined that nearly 80% of all home routers in use today are thinly protected by common, easily hacked passwords, making routers an easy entry point to the home network for hackers,” said Avast Software’s CEO, Vincent Steckler.

Lizard Squad has just proven that point.

Today’s router security situation is very reminiscent of PCs in the 1990s, with lax attitudes towards security combined with new vulnerabilities being discovered every day creating an easily exploitable environment, “ Steckler said. “The main difference is people have much more personal information stored on their devices today than they did back then. Consumers need strong yet simple-to-use tools that can prevent attacks before they happen.”

How to protect your home router

Start by scanning you home network with Avast’s Home Network Security Solution.

Open the Avast user interface, click Scan from the menu on the left, then choose Scan for network threats. Avast will take a look at your router and report back any issues. In most cases, if there is an issue to be addressed, then it will direct you to your router manufacturer’s website.

The Home Network Security Solution is available in free and paid versions of Avast 2015. Get it at www.avast.com.

For more steps you can take to protect your home router, please see our blog post, 12 ways to boost your router’s security.

007 Software

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Internet of Things: What you need to do to protect yourself