Linda Tucker from Dardenne, MO writes:
We just bought a Samsung 60 inch Smart TV. I just wanted to know if someone will be able to get all of my information like passwords from this TV when it breaks in a few years. Thanks for your help!
Linda
Linda, you’re right to be concerned. A smart TV is just another kind of computer. Samsung Smart TV’s do have security modules to prevent malicious TV apps from running.
However, a security firm uncovered an vulnerability in Samsung models that allowed him to locate their IP address. It would be possible for someone to remotely access the device and install malicious software. That prompted Samsung to install a security patch in January.
In June, another researcher was able to snoop on TV owners’ viewing habits and even redirect the TV content to what the hacker wanted to see. With so many household devices becoming “smart” and connecting to the Internet, this could leave them vulnerable. Right now, there really isn’t a lot of security research or protocols for proper disposal of smart appliances. We’ll make sure to keep you up to date as more information becomes available about smart appliances and keeping them secure.
When your Television finally does break, you may want to remove the hard drive and wipe it, just to make sure any passwords and private information aren’t retained.
~ Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for your detailed reply. What surprised me is that a ‘Smart TV’ is another computer on net after all! This means, it is as vulnerable as any other computer on net.
So, hereafter we have to be weary of all those remote controlled smart devices they talk about. They are actually very vulnerable to high tech crooks worldwide. That we are actually widening our risk, and are compromising our security for comfort!