How High Tech Products Could Be Putting You At Risk
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It seems just about every home has them, modern day gadgets that entertain us and make life easier. But could some of those hi-tech products also be putting you at risk?
Here is some helpful advice to protect your family and your home.
They're often referred to as smart devices. But unless you're smart, some of them have hidden risks that could make you an easy target for hackers.
It seems everything these days is connected to the internet.
Baby monitors or refrigerators with cameras built right into the door. You can even find toys tied to the web.
They all have processors that transmit and receive data.
It's part of an exploding category of connected devices called the "internet of things."
"We're gonna have something like twenty billion of these devices online by 2020," said tech security researcher, Tod Beardsley.
Beardsley says gadgets that send out information on the internet can also let hackers into your home.
Last spring a New York city couple was horrified to hear a man talking to their three-year old through a web-connected baby monitor.
So changing your router's default password is a must.
"You don't have to be a particularly sophisticated attacker to guess 'password' is the password," said Beardsley.
Once one device such as your router is compromised, hackers can learn a lot about you.
"First name, last name, zip code, date of birth. I have a pretty good data set that I can either use directly for crime, or I can sell it," said Beardsley.
Internet security experts always recommend creating unique passwords for all your devices and change them often. You should also check for software updates for all of your connected gadgets. In the meantime, you can reduce your chances of a hacker attack by turning off your devices when they're not actively in use.
