Hackers use refrigerators and TVs to launch cyber attack

Most of us have some sort of appliances in our home: a TV, in-home router, or thermostat to name a few.

Recently it was discovered that hackers can get into pretty much any of your “smart” gadgets (even your toilet). It’s been discovered over the past few weeks that hackers have now hit smart appliances to send over 750,000 spam e-mails.

The attacks were observed by security firm Proofpoint, Inc. between December 23, 2013 and January 6, 2014. The e-mails were sent in bursts of 100,000 three times per day and targeted both organizations and individuals.

Proofpoint found that the e-mails were sent by using over 100,000 home gadgets, like multimedia centers, routers, TVs, and even a refrigerator, as platforms to launch the attack.

 
LG Smart Refrigerator.

Since no more than 10 e-mails were sent from a single IP address, the attacks were difficult to block based on location.

The devices were subject to attack mostly because of misconfiguration and use of default passwords, which left them completely exposed to public networks.

The security company worries that Internet of Things attacks such as this one may increase now that it’s predicted that the number of connected devices will grow to more than four times the number of connected computers in the next few years.

According to a press release, IT experts predict this will not be the last Internet of Things attack — home gadgets such as smart thermostats, gaming consoles, microwaves, and security cameras are also susceptible.