Here Is How to Fend Off a Hijacking of Home Devices

MODERN homes today are getting internet-connected light bulbs, thermostats, TVs and speakers. So with a simple voice command or the touch of a button on our smartphones, we can set the temperature, turn on a light or prepare the TV to record a program.

What could go wrong?

A lot more than most people are prepared for, it turns out. If one of these devices gets hijacked, hackers could potentially snoop around for sensitive data like financial or health information. Or they could use a network of compromised devices to perform a widespread attack that takes down major websites, which is what happened last October.

The good news is that so far, online attacks on home devices are relatively uncommon. Only 10 percent of American consumers said they were victims of the crime in a recent study done for the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. However, those who experienced such an attack through their home gadgets reported losses of $1,000 to $5,000 from the incidents.

“There’s still this whole sort of, ‘Gee whiz, it’s so cool’ thing that’s going on” with internet-connected home appliances, said Lee Tien, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on digital rights. “That’s also what often gets us into trouble.”

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Did You Know A Black Woman Invented The Home Security System You Use Today?

In 1966, Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the closed circuit television security system which has come to be known as the “home security system.” Brown was born on October 30th, 1922 in Queens New York. Her system allowed homeowners and business owners to view a person at the door and hear the caller’s voice at the same time.

Our people are simply amazing! Instead of always teaching slavery and sharing the same pictures and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, we need to recognize all of the accomplishments of black people. The more we share, the more we influence our people into believing just how great we have been and how great we are!

Watch the video clip here: Did You Know A Black Woman Invented The Home Security System You Use Today?