ESET’s report on cybersecurity trends in 2021 focuses a lot on risks associated with the new reality.
Noted that covid-19 has caused many to lose a sense of control over their lives.
Remote work helped create a near perfect storm of cybersecurity problems. Organizations and employees outside of businesses face countless cyber risks. And ransomware operators continue to look for ways to increase the “return on investment” for their malicious operations, including by introducing new tactics.
Another trend to watch out for is smart sex toys.
Privacy and security issues are huge with Internet of Things apps, and they take on a whole new meaning when vulnerable sex toys enter the scene.
As ESET research has shown, the security and privacy features of smart adult toys leave a lot to be desired, highlighting the generally dangerous state of affairs in the Internet of Things space. In particular, the vulnerabilities found in the experiments allow interception of information and remote control of devices, as well as access to photos, videos and other personal data of owners of digital sex toys.
“The era of smart toys for adults is just beginning. The latest advances in the field are models with virtual reality capabilities and artificial intelligence-based robots with cameras, microphones and voice analysis features.
It’s no secret that the information handled by such devices is extremely sensitive: names, sexual preferences and orientations, partner lists, gadget usage data, intimate photos and videos – all these details can lead to disastrous consequences if they fall into the wrong hands,” said researcher
ESET
Cecilia Pastorino.
Still from “Black Mirror,” an episode of “Shut Up and Dance” about victims of cyberfraud
Cybercriminals most often use the method of attacking an app that controls some of the functions of sex gadgets. By finding a Bluetooth Low Energy BLE vulnerability, an attacker can intercept local communication between the control app and the device, between the app and the cloud with data, or between a remote smartphone and the cloud.
What are some specific cybersecurity risks associated with remote work and smart toys for adults that individuals should be aware of in 2021?
What are the specific risks associated with remote work that individuals should be aware of in 2021? Additionally, what potential cybersecurity threats can arise from using smart toys designed for adults?