It’s 2018 folks, where everything has to be high-tech and the internet of things grows by the day. And where there is IoT, there is malware. Cyber criminals can use your smart home appliances and turn them into craptocurrency miners. First world problems, am I right? Cybersecurity expert and VP of tactical analysis for Stratfor, Scott Stewart said that homes with a high amount of IoT appliances could be at a high risk. Just imagine, your toaster, oven, washing machine, dryer AND fridge – all being hijacked for their processing power to mine some suckers Bitcoin and you’re left with slow, useless utilities.

Mr. Scott was quoted saying this while giving a run down on some potential security threats that may be arising in 2018; “The concern is when you have a centralised home assistant device like a Google Home or an Alexa, that connects to many other devices, whether its lights, thermostats, refrigerators, dishwashers, other appliances, we’re really concerned that provides a central node for an attack.” and “We believe we’re going to see this year hackers starting to use new tools and new approaches to grab a hold of those.”

And it also appears that botnets are already running on owners home appliances to be used for denial of service attacks. Not only are you being coined out of your craptocurrency, now you’re helping scriptkiddies around the world take their Xbox enemies offline! How appliances have advanced! He was also quoted mentioning “We’re also concerned though not only for use in DDoS and the ransomware application, but also Bitcoin mining and other coin mining.” and “So people could take over your appliances and use them to make Bitcoin, which is crazy. But it is what it is”. Imagine if within years, you have a fully automated “IoT” styled house, just for everything to become infected and for your home to be turned into a literal “mine”.

He was also saying how hackers will be looking for new malicious ways in 2018 to present themselves as threats to cybersecurity. And how he recommends that users make sure they are using a secured network to make sure that they aren’t put at a higher risk to attack. IoT have already caused a lot of issues concerning privacy, interoperability and standards, legality and rights and the ever evolving development of them. However one thing that hasn’t always been at the front line is the fact that the security of these things are at a lot higher risk than just using them to eaves drop on your “good morning” conversations.

The impeding message too the public when being sold these “smart” appliances is how there is risk of infection software wise and what the signs are. Someone could be sitting at home, happily using their “smart” appliances while they’re not operating at max capabilities because some hacker is using majority of the processing power to mine craptocurrency for them. People need to think about the cybersecurity of not just there computers and phones now, they also have to think about any “smart” appliances that in my opinion are just about to become dumb.