Smart WiFi Light Bulbs Leak WiFi Passwords

As the world moves towards the Internet Of Things, reports like this one from the BBC are going to become more commonplace. A security group called Context Security has demonstrated that by observing how a brand of smart light bulbs from a company called LIFX talk to each other, they could devise a method to get the WiFi passwords of the network that they were connected to. LIFX has since fixed the issue, but you have to wonder how many other products that are designed to make your home smarter have such issues? Also, you have to wonder how many of those issues will be a direct threat to you?

Perhaps it’s time that companies who make this sort of gear adopt the sorts of security practices of much larger software companies. It will not guarantee that hacks won’t happen, but I believe it will reduce the risk and make users safer.

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