Google Home and Amazon Echo WARNING: Cybercriminals could hold your HOUSE to ransom
SMART home owners could be denied heating or the use of their appliances if cybercriminals manage to hijack the devices used to control the property, a top security consultancy has warned.
By HARVEY GAVIN
Express.co.uk
Sat, Feb 10, 2018
High-tech home assistants such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home could potentially provide a “central node for attack” for hackers who may then demand a bitcoin or other cryptocurrency ransom before they hand back control of the building.
Automated smart homes are designed to make their owner’s life easier by allowing them to control and monitor everyday household fixtures such as boilers, lights and ovens from their smartphone via the assistant device.
But the technology could prove to have the opposite effect if criminals manage to hack their way in, Scott Stewart said.
The vice president of tactical analysis for geopolitics consultancy firm Stratfor warned the increasingly popular devices are likely to be targeted by hackers as more people have them installed in their homes.
He said unsuspecting homeowners could the receive a message from the hackers ordering them to “send me two bitcoins or you can’t have any heat”.
Giving another example, he said smart home residents could “all of a sudden a message from someone who has put ransomware on your air conditioner” on a hot day.
He added: “While the Amazon system has its proprietary software, because of its market share, we believe its going to be an attractive target for hackers to look at and go after.
“The Google product uses Android software, and hackers have targeted Android for years in phone applications so we think there is probably some crossover there.”
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