Moms, are you familiar with the term Internet of Things? Well, you should, because recent reports on that front is terrifying.
When you think of the Internet, you think about desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices. The principle behind the Internet of Things is eliminating the idea that the internet should exist only in those devices. In brief the Internet of Things connects, well, things to the internet, so that we can be able to access them even at a distance.
Say you are running some errands, and you forgot that the laundry has to be washed. If you’re washing machine is equipped with a remote connection, you can turn it on through your mobile phone.
This is how traffic lights, traffic signs, and traffic cameras are accessed are used. Handy isn’t it?
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
The problem with the Internet of Things is that the security surrounding it is so weak that basically anyone who knows how to go through the right channels can access anything he or she wishes, anywhere in the world.
This includes vulnerable webcams, and CCTV cameras, and many other devices. If we do not want random strangers touching our kids, imagine how you’d react if you found out someone’s been snooping at them through baby monitors?
In fact there is a search engine dedicated solely to sleeping kids that anyone with the right tools can access. It sounds like a sci-fi movie, isn’t it? Terrifyingly, it now happens in real life.
Popular Mechanics suggests that installing a simple antivirus on your computer can help you prevent hackers from accessing your webcam.
“In addition to virus-scanning software, a good firewall might help more network-savvy people determine if their webcams are streaming data to an outside source,” the website also adds.
Read more on how to protect your computer here
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