Discussion on:

High-tech home security products: Who are they really helping?

Just how much Bandwidth is left for Data Transfer by the Personal Computers used in the house and the Smart TV?

That TV uses 2 way Data Transfer to do the things that some consider as an "Improvement" and I would imagine is fairly intensive on the Bandwidth it requires. Add in all of the other devices and we have a potential Problem with available Bandwidth.

Personally I'm not even going to comment on the Security Issues that are raised here they are too numerous and open to even start on without a bulk load of time to question.

Col

Unless you have a monster Internet pipe, that bandwidth is typically the issue. My son uses NetFlix and that is usually happy with 2 Mb for itself.

I was thinking more of the Internal Bandwidth inside the house with all of the different WiFi Devices connected.

As things stand now if you have a couple of Computers a Slate/iPad and some Smart Phones using the Internal WiFi you are according to some Experts exceeding the available bandwidth of the WiFi Network.

Add to that a Smart TV which is effectively another computer doing it's own thing and then locks, domestic appliances like my favorite Talking Toaster and Fridge/Freezer, light & power switches, blinds/window darkeners, security systems and the like and you very quickly not only have a On Line Home but you need more WiFi Bandwidth to run everything without massive lag times.

Of course all those WiFi Devices running on poor WiFi Security like WEP is an open invitation to the nasties who want what you have and is an open invitation to them. Particularly as these things are now cheap and a lot are being offered on leases. Things like On Line Security Systems are being pushed very hard at the moment here and they are all WiFi so all Door Locks, Window Locks and Sensors chew up a lot of the available Bandwidth when taken as a whole not individually. They are also advertised to just Plug in and go over your Internet connection with no intrusions to the House Users. You sign up for a 24 Month contract with those places and they effectively give you the hardware as it's no use to anyone else and if you dare cancel or fail to renew the contract at the end of the contract you get massive bills from them because the Security System continues to report back to Mummy on everything that happens.

Of course you can always disable it and remove the things but then you have to find something to fill the holes that where made and more importantly what do you now use as a Security System?

Col

Think about it. If you can see into your house, so can they. With the growing ease of finding ways to compromise encryption schemes etc... It would not be too difficult for a somewhat savvy criminal to case houses by IP address. The pick of the litter would be at their finger tips.

Not for me. I'll take the caveman security approach. Be friendly with your neighbors, and carry a big stick.

Great article. I just wanted to mention do not forget the smarthome technology that exists out there (insteaon, z-wave, zigbee etc). Most of those devices talk to each other but in the end require a gateway for the end user to program them (turn the power off, set timers; lock/unlock home, webcam etc.) So the connected home is becoming more and more complex and unsecure especially when some of the users ignore common sense security for the cool factor.

I did forget about those devices, that is certainly another vector. I wonder if there have been any reported exploits?

if a cracker can take over your Mac Air through your smart phone using bluetooth; then it's darn well is possible to do anything not using sufficient encryption. I can't give you a link because the client wants anonymity in this incident. So far only a few people and authorities at Interpol know about this particular case. But with all the news about China getting in everybody's shorts over industrial espionage, it can't be surprising. I've already seen enough on TV about "war driving" to know that even local hoods can comprise you in a heart beat!

"just because we can doesn't mean we should."

This stuff is all gimmick, and people jump on it because it's "cool." Witness your neighbor rationalizing away a very real security risk that is totally unnecessary and that he's paying for. If "security" is at all an issue then the last thing you want is to be forced to use WEP on your home wifi network!

I saw a list of unsecured web cam urls someone had sniffed out. Thousands of them. You could click the links and voila: someone's garbage cans in the back alley, a view of the crib, a bird feeder with the children's swing set in the background...

Who would have predicted that people will enthusiastically shell out for the hardware necessary to construct the "1984" control grid?

There isn't a day that goes by where I don't read, see, or hear of an instance where security loses the convenience versus security/privacy battle.

I know I'm not quite on topic, but this article reminds me of the bio-metric security system at Britain's MI-5, as depicted in the British comedy series "Spy". Tim, a newly hired operative, experiences all manner of inconvenience getting by the retinal scan at the entry point to the secure area, but is never actually thwarted. The scanner announces "Not recognized", so he slips in with someone who is. The scanner announces "Artichokes, 80 pence" - well, who's going to stop an artichoke, right? Perhaps the regular machine is in for repair and they've a loaner from Tesco. Eventually, much to Tim's relief, the scanner announces "Tim Elliot" - but continues to do so for everybody in the queue.

The house thief isn't going to hack the wireless, they are going to smash the door or window, take what they want and leave.

But, what if a techy bad-guy was able to scout the home prior to unlocking the front door and disabling the security alarm. That would be safer, easier, and allow for more stealing.

But, if it did, vs the normal smash and grab.

From experience, I can say that the police take an age getting to a house break in, so everything would still be stolen if the crook knows this.
If not, then yes it would make things worse.

But it is pretty sad that it only supports WEP. WEP shouldn't even be on routers anymore.

If you can't convince this neighbor, hack their network and unlock their door during supper time and just walk in and say hi whats for supper?

I suspect that is about to change.

I thought about that, too; break their WEP and do something like reset passwords, disable WEP (thus the door lock) or some other mayhem. It would be "unethical" in normal circumstances, but in your case, it'd be both research and journalism. From the sounds of it your neighbor would be a good sport about it.

On one hand - script kiddies get easily bored and wifi "un-security" gives them a big war driving target; on the other hand, this can also be a breeding ground for smarter criminals who might take a que from the "successful" cracker community, and see bigger bucks for less risk.

I can see a market similar to selling exploit kits, on a smaller scale, where smarter criminals sell to dumb butts, the tools to reduce risk in their criminal pursuits. Maybe I'm over-estimating the typical criminal mind though. Slayer has a point about the smash and grab - but that kind of criminal gets caught on camera and arrested within days. I see that played over and over again on cable programs.

I prefer to keep my neighbor as a friend, he knows how to fix things that I am entirely clueless about.

"I'm just plain 'ol no fun"

I know what I'd do, I'd invite my neighbor over, put a beer in his hand, sit him down next to my computer and show him what I can find out about his 'secure' home over that WEP wifi. "Just so you're aware, Dave, looky here..."

I have been called "no fun" by a lot of people, I think that's ok, I seem to remember time of too much fun, and the price afterwards.

A family goes on Holidays and returns to find their front fence stolen.

Not to be outdone next year they go on holidays again and when they return the front fence is lying on the ground so they think that got back just in time to prevent it's theft. When they look up there is no house.

They go to the local police station and report that their house has been stolen only to be told that the same police gave it a Escort 3 weeks ago as it was removed. That is some of the things House Thief's are capable of doing so Breaking WEP Encryption is the easy way in.

True story happened to a friend of mine and they didn't live in the sticks with no neighbors they lived in an Old Part of the City that was High Density Housing so the neighborhood was being slowly changed from 1/4 Acre Blocks to flats.

No one including the Police asked any questions when a Removals Truck arriver and emptied the house and then a House Mover appeared and started cutting up the house for removal. They actually had the Police Escort them out of the city and it only took 5 weeks after the theft was reported to find out where the house had been moved to.

Col

I can't imagine what I would be thinking. Hiding in plain view is an option. I just would not have the gumption to pull that off.

I remember several years ago driving into work one day and knowing that something was different but not able to identify what it was.

A large commercial building had been demolished overnight and that was what was missing/wrong. To most people something that big disappearing overnight is just impossible to comprehend. I suppose the same applies to stealing a house it's not common so it's hard to believe that it has happened when it does.

Col

where the whole crime scene is demolished! I suppose the risk of high jail time is lowered compared to arson; but I got to admit, if you were such a thief and got caught, you could always beg off on the old, "I got the wrong address" defense, and the cops may let you go long enough to make a good escape. I suppose that is a lot of work most crooks would rather avoid - otherwise they'd simply get a job! HA!

Is something I could not bear. I would probably stroke out.

I sure don't have it. I stole a tiny, wood block shaped like a truck from kindergarten, it still haunts me. I've not lifted so much as a stick of gum since.

Translation: "I'm just plain 'ol no fun."

I've had my network hacked several times while using WPA2/AES by "foreign" IP's. I've seen several so called "secure home security systems" hacked by the very professionals that installed it.It doesn't matter if things are bolted down figuratively speaking or literally speaking these days. If people want to steal something they will.

Quantum computers were supposed to be the latest and greatest things. Even they have tons of loopholes that can be exploited. So far to date no system has been totally, 100% secure. This is one time where low tech definitely is better. So unless you live at the White House,be friendly with your neighbors, and buy a big gun and a big dog.

but instead of just taking everything they want, they also reset your passphrase,
timers, and whatever else is connected in these so-called "smart homes"?
That would just be a "low blow", come back home from vacation (what is this
vacation anyway?? LOL) or from a evening out only to find you can't even
open your own door, and you've set the alarm off, and the police decide that
now is a good time to be on the call? I don't know, just seems a bit too connected
for my taste.