The Internet of Things (IoT) happens to be particularly interesting and useful to have around, but that is only until something unsavory happens – such as a connected device leaking information outside, be it by accident or otherwise. Nest, the popular connected thermostat, is said to have leaked zip codes of local weather stations over the Internet as discovered by Princeton University researchers. This is not a good week for Nest at all, especially since it was found to have a massive battery drain due to a bug.
This particular leak of zip codes of the local weather stations might not be all that serious since no personal information were leaked, but it does showcase the challenges involved in ensuring that information remains as secure as possible, with more and more folks plugging in additional smart devices in and around the home.
CITP (Center for Information Technology Policy) acting director Nick Feamster shared, “Many devices failed to encrypt at least some of the traffic that they send and receive. Investigating the traffic to and from these devices turned out to be much easier than expected, as many of the devices exchanged personal or private information with servers on the Internet in the clear, completely unencrypted.”