This Tech Tuesday I continue on with part 2 of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month for October. Today I want to discuss what is called “IoE” or the “Internet of Everything”. What exactly is IOE?

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a concept that connects objects, people, processes, and networks through the Internet.

Our lives, wether it be in homes, business, entertainment, social media etc,, are integrated with the internet. We work, learn and surf on it and now new products are being introduced to us to keep us connected. But as we are enjoying these new gadgets we could be exposing ourselves to cyber attacks.

Take for example the new car you just bought. It has 100 million lines of code. It shows you your mileage, gas consumption, even your phone directory. What if that could be hacked and you get the blue screen of death on the digital readout. I never thought about that before.

We now have baby monitors, baby cameras, televisions, wireless switches, and lights. All of these things can be attached to the internet. What can you do to help prevent an attack on smart devices? Before purchasing ask these questions.

Does the smart device provide authentication? For example, require a username or password for access? Can it get updates? Does the smart device properly encrypt its firmware updates and network communications? Are there any open ports?

And here is the big one. How well does the manufacturer manage their device vulnerabilities?

I certainly don’t want to have everything I get to be capable of getting out to the internet, but if they invent a tooth brush that keeps up with how many times you brushed your pearlies and sends it to your pc, take some time to read, ask questions and keep your network safe.

Lisa B