New Delhi, Feb 18
A team of researchers has found an unexpected correlation between a smart garden mower and cybercrime, revealing that this innocent device can be a weak spot for your home's security network.
According to VPN service provider ZenShield, a threat actor can hack into the device by using the lawnmower software that powers smart devices.
Internet-connected devices, like your smart garden mower, become a part of what's known as the Internet of Things (IoT). While these devices offer convenience, they also become gateways for cybercriminals to infiltrate other more sensitive devices on the same network, the researchers explained.
A recent study showed that homes with smart devices, including garden mowers can experience about 12,000 hack attempts weekly.
"It's a weird world where your lawn mower can become the entry point for a ransomware attack," said Steffan Black, a technology expert at ZenShield.
In the study, a fake smart home was created, equipped with a range of real devices, and linked to the internet. Hackers attempted to break into the devices up to 14 times per hour.
"These criminals aren't really interested in messing with your grass clippings. But they are very interested in finding weak points in your home network that they can exploit," Black stated.
According to the researchers, IoT devices are a popular choice for cybercriminals for several reasons such as ease of access, backdoor entries, and proximity to valuable information.
To secure your IoT devices, the researchers suggested several steps -- change default settings, regular software updates, and network segregation.