I'm pretty sure we've all been there, I'm convinced my PlayStation Move is watching everything I do.
I was already paranoid that my printer is out to get me; now I'm worried that my microwave is serving a foreign power http://t.co/qqvepMQGMu
— Nick Chism (@NickChism_KPMG) March 3, 2014
The piece to which Nick refers isn't some fantasy tale of a haunted printer gone rogue (though I think we've all been there — usually when my printer starts acting like it's possessed by the devil, it's actually just one of my cats pressing buttons at 3 in the morning for no reason), rather the "Internet of Things" and the security risks that come with an Internet-connected fridge:
The common kitchen fridge has always been a potential source of trepidation. Most people will admit that, at some point in their lives, they have opened the fridge door fearful of finding food well past its 'best before' date, leading to the scuppering of well-made dinner plans, or worse infecting the household with unfortunate viruses.
As technology advances, so too it seems does our fear of fridges. Only last month there were reports of web-enabled domestic devices (including fridges) being hacked and used to generate spam email messages.
It led to wonderful headlines such as "Help! My fridge is full of spam!", but the humour belies a simple truth. We live in a world where ever more devices are becoming network enabled. Just a few days ago, for example, a heating ventilation contractor was alleged to be under investigation as the possible source of intrusion into a major retailer's electronic point of sale terminals. Remote monitoring of store temperature and energy consumption is commonplace in the retail sector and might have provided a possible route in.
So while Nick's microwave likely isn't going to go all Snowden on his ass and tell Wikileaks how often he eats Hot Pockets, it's worth thinking about what a super-connected house of the future means for us. Did no one else read The Veldt?
