Smart bulbs are expected to be a popular purchase this holiday season. But could lighting your home open up your personal information to hackers? Now a new study from an Indian-origin researcher shows that the hackers’ next prime target could be that smart bulb.
Some smart bulbs connect to a home network without needing a smart home hub, centralized hardware or software device where another internet of things (IoT) products communicate with each other.
More on the way
Smart home hubs, which connect either locally or to the cloud, are useful for IoT devices that use the Zigbee or Z-Wave protocols or Bluetooth, rather than Wi-Fi.
Earlier this year Amazon’s Echo made global headlines when it was reported that consumers’ conversations were recorded and heard by thousands of employees.
Now researchers have conducted a review of the security holes that exist in popular smart-light brands. According to the analysis, the next prime target could be the smart bulb that shoppers buy this coming holiday season.
Poised and attractive
If these same bulbs are also infrared-enabled, hackers can send commands via the infrared invisible light emanated from the bulbs to either steal data or spoof other connected IoT devices on the home network, the study said.
Smart bulbs have moved beyond novelty to a lucrative mature market. Last year consumers spent close to $8 billion, and that amount is expected to more than triple to $28 billion in less than a decade.
Words from the man himself
Jadliwala recommends that consumers opt for bulbs that come with a smart home hub rather than those that connect directly to other devices.
He also recommends that manufacturers do a better job in developing security measures to limit the level of access that these bulbs have to other smart home appliances or electronics within a home.
