Smart home electronics crammed spyware tools that track your every move
Even the most ordinary household appliances is becoming a spy. Scandals Peeper iPhone and eavesdropping television – already commonplace. The next step – to pry washing machines, controlling and analyzing bracelets coffeemakers. Even the IT professional is impossible to get rid of surveillance. On guard spy ware worth state.
SAMSUNG to listen to you!
Surround yourself with “smart” things we remember that one day this hobby can backfire too careful, too independent, working on algorithms hidden from view, they are able to turn our lives into a nightmare. But it so happened that, until recently, concerns were fears the most. And only now, literally some ten days, the problem showed itself in all its glory – by chance manifesting itself on the example of a product of the manufacturer.
Do not pretend to be an exact reproduction of the sequence, but it happened like this. One January day someone from journalists looked into the user agreement, accompanied by a “smart” TV Samsung, and trekked through the jungle of special terminology found a nasty thing: the warning collected them (TV) information. It turned out, the “box” is not only hears everything spoken by people in the room where installed, and transmits the collected information to third parties if these contain personal information and “other sensitive” information.
Third-party experts quickly explained ( and Samsung confirmed) that it is not about (figuratively speaking) “spying for the NSA,” but only for help in deciphering the voice commands and other similar auxiliary work that Samsung itself does not provide, and the TV yourself unable to perform. However, this did not prevent panic. In the popular press has risen hype (“TV now overhear!”), Which is very well laid the second story.
It also were involved “smart” samsungovskie TV. Some of the spectators who live in North America and Australia, faced with the strange behavior of their TVs – started without warning every half hour break on advertising. Advertising – a common thing, if you look at the actual TV, but in this case some of the victims watched surcharge kinopotok from your ISP, but someone does and twisted movie from the hard drive home computer! After suspicions against TV applications and provider were swept away, it turned out (and Samsung again is officially confirmed) that the advertising Box – HD-video Pepsi, without sound – shows on the initiative of the TV. Samsung activate the function insert advertisements in TV content by mistake (in the future the user supposedly will decide for himself whether to watch such advertising – probably in exchange for certain benefits).
NO CONTROL
Well, the noise still stands, but the inflow has dried up and the facts can make interim findings – especially as the findings in this case are almost more interesting than the scandal, has long woolly one sticky lump accusations, suspicions, and other dubious excuses.
First of all, what has happened is remarkable illustrate that ordinary people for the most part no idea how insidiously clever “smart” things. Now listen to the TV and decrypts it that the thermostat (you know what) hears and feels that electronic bracelets trackers feel and write almost every sneeze. The public perceives the “smart” things from the perspective imposed by advertisers, “smart” – means, first of all, beautiful, modern, can be useful for certain prestige. Few people realize how deep this thing is able to look into the privacy of the home, as a lot of information to gather and issue. Hence – the inevitable unpleasant surprise when the truth is opened.
A smart approach to washing machines and refrigerators, dishwashers and electric meters, lighting and ventilation systems …
Second, even while all the buds fall on Samsung, the problem, of course, is not limited to it. In the same way the user confront impossible choices and other manufacturers: either the person agrees to share information collected about him or device refuses to work or trim it “smart” functionality. In particular, it is the case with TVs LG, And there’s definitely a situation develops for the worse.
But global warming is related to the “smart” devices has already begun. There are statistics on which one-third of US citizens speak at least one smart-piece of iron, not counting the smartphone. Yet it is basically “smart” TVs, but by the end of the year will be added to a variety of foods from the category of wearable digital electronics (bracelets, glasses, etc.). Of those same Americans is now is only one in ten, and before the end of 2015 will carry one in three.
It – point number three: keep track of what data is collected and how it is used, it is difficult now, and more will soon become virtually impossible. Yes, of course, the producers of good use to defend a position (say, the collection is conducted in order to better serve the user, to his advantage), but considering that the interests of the user is often interpreted in favor of the manufacturer (and as yet understand the transcript of conversations for a more accurate selection of advertising? ) and rapidly proliferating number of devices watching us (Siri, Nest, Amazon Echo, Xbox, «smart” TVs, bracelets, etc., etc.), can we trust the manufacturers word?
Rare enthusiasts trying to inspect their own, are horrified by what he saw: for example, visualization of network connections “smart” Samsung TV shows that it is actively connects to servers to the left, where he was and do something as if nothing.
do not want that for you following? – TO JAIL!
But is it possible to limit the initiative of “smart” devices? Unfortunately – and this is the fourth observation – or impossible, or very difficult. Switch, if it is hidden deep in the system settings, where it is sometimes impossible to find even the official instruction (which is the case with unsolicited advertising Pepsi: to turn it off, users are offered the option uncheck Yahoo! Privacy Policy, but not everyone is able to such a clause in their TVs to find). Or disable the “smart” functions are not provided at all, and attempts to uproot it yourself can be a citizen of freedom.
A joke? Not at all. Notorious DMCA in the United States, similar laws in Europe and Russia, including impose a ban on circumvention of protective mechanisms in digital technology. Commercially successful “smart” device – it is usually a mixture of free and proprietary code, and the producers do not want it to someone digging. The law is on their side. Patching, flashing may qualify as a criminal offense.
In the US, human rights activists (EFF, SFC et al.) Now storming agencies and legislators, urging at least weaken the ban – the citizen knew that he was not held accountable for trying to reconfigure the “smart” TV or flash the onboard computer of the car. So far without success.
EVEN FORMAT not save
But it may happen that flashing will not save, even if you know how to do it. Just “Kaspersky Lab” reported the discovery of a new type of spyware that can not be removed, not only reinstall your operating system, but even low-level disk formatting – ie it can infect any computer on the planet, and almost impossible to detect. The latest virus is able to reprogram the factory firmware hard drives. Until now nobody has been able so. It is also reported that the deal involved the NSA – the powerful American intelligence agency, whose mission – to monitor everything and control everything. The new program is closely related to Stuxnet – a virus, developed by order of the NSA for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program. Susceptible to infection (or, perhaps more accurately say “designed”) drives Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba and other leading manufacturers.
The specialists of “Kaspersky Lab” found a new virus is already in 30 countries. The greatest number of infected computers – in Iran, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Mali, Syria, Yemen and Algeria. Most often it is the computers in government and military institutions, telecommunications companies, banks, energy companies, nuclear centers, media companies and Islamic activists.
According to RBC, the former NSA staff confirmed that the findings “Kaspersky Lab “true. The representative of the NSA Veni Vines declined to comment. The companies Western Digital, Seagate and Micron announced that they know nothing about the latest viruses. Toshiba and Samsung have all declined to comment on the investigation, “Kaspersky Lab».
The company Kaspersky delighted with the achievements of American specialists, calling them “a stunning technological achievement.” Probably the NSA least admired “Kaspersky Lab”, which was able to detect this achievement.
By “Computerra” and RBC
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