Will IoT Gadgets Betray You And Put Your Practice At Risk?

It’s fun to play with new toys. And a trip to any store, even the hardware store, can find you rushing home with your bag of goodies. 

IoT gadgets are hard to resist. Can they really become smarter as you use them? Can you control things with just a touch of a button? 

When you find something you like to use at home, it only makes sense you bring it into the office. After all, you spend more of your waking hours in your practice; your employees could benefit from increasing technology too. Why not add a few light bulbs you can control with your smart device, or add a few video monitors to keep an eye on things?

Technology is being put into everything we do. You’ll find almost everything is or will be connected to the internet and controlled by an app; if it isn’t today, chances are it’s just a few short months away. Statistics show that while around 15 billion connections existed in 2015, it’s predicted that over 75 billion connections will be made in 2015. That’s a lot of change in ten short years. And all of the inventions come with the “guarantee” of making our lives easier. 

Watches can track your steps each day, and your REM activity while you sleep. Doorbells can give you video access to who’s knocking on your front door. Want a different mood in your rooms? Your light bulbs can dim and brighten at the touch of a button. Even your temperature settings in each room can be controlled from anywhere in the world, all due to artificial intelligence. Why think when your devices can think for you?

What’s even better is a lot of this new technology can be picked up at your big box store for a very low cost. It makes it enticing to buy something and give it a try. 

Of course, like everything, today’s technology will quickly become archaic in a matter of months. In a short period of time, you’ll be laughing at how silly some of the things you buy today seem. Did you really spend money on that? 

Just throw it away. Or should you?

Many of today’s IoT devices have some of the weakest security in place. We’ve all read reports of parents walking into their babies rooms only to find strange voices coming through on their baby monitors. That’s terrifying. 

But what hasn’t received a lot of attention is what happens after you throw it away. New reports show that chips inside these cheaply made items store WiFi SSID and encryption keys in plain text. If the wrong person picks up a device after you’ve put it into the trash, they can gain access to your network with just a few basic tools.

The Internet of Things holds many opportunities and benefits. We’ve only started touching on how it will change our lives. 

Yet no matter where you introduce new technology - at home or in your practice - the best piece of advice is to think safety and security first before you ever lay down your credit card. 

For IT Strategy, Cloud Conversion, or Help Desk Services reach out to us at Silver Linings Technology 360-450-4759.