Is your smart fridge putting your home at risk?

The lack of cyber-security standards for smart home devices makes homes vulnerable to attacks. Here is a look at the recent initiatives announced to change this

Even relatively harmless Internet-connected home appliances, such as a smart refrigerator, can be infected and collectively harnessed to disrupt websites and online services.
Even relatively harmless Internet-connected home appliances, such as a smart refrigerator, can be infected and collectively harnessed to disrupt websites and online services. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
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All it took to infiltrate a home Wi-Fi network was a smart light bulb.

Last month, researchers at cyber-security firm Check Point showed how a vulnerability in market-leading Philips Hue smart lights could be used as the entry point for malware to attack other devices that share the same Wi-Fi network.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 25, 2020, with the headline Is your smart fridge putting your home at risk?. Subscribe