Getty Image / Philip Pacheco / Stringer
That gargantuan 82-inch TV or that crystal clear 43-inch OLED television that you just bought on Black Friday or Cyber Monday could be spying on you, the FBI warns.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a new warning on the potential dangers of televisions. The FBI cautions that your TV’s camera and microphone to spy on you. Since smart TVs are connected to the internet, hackers can use the TV to infiltrate your home.
Many popular modern TVs have microphones for voice assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Now. TVs also feature cameras for facial recognition to know who is watching and suggest appropriate programming. TV manufacturers and app developers use the data collected for marketing reasons.
The Portland, Oregon, FBI field office issued the warning titled “Oregon FBI Tech Tuesday: Securing Smart TVs.”
“At the low end of the risk spectrum, they can change channels, play with the volume, and show your kids inappropriate videos,” the FBI warned. “In a worst-case scenario, they can turn on your bedroom TV’s camera and microphone and silently cyberstalk you.”
“Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home,” the FBI cautioned. “A bad cyber actor may not be able to access your locked-down computer directly, but it is possible that your unsecured TV can give him or her an easy way in the backdoor through your router.”
The FBI released some tips on how to make your TV less susceptible to a cyber attack or spying:
- Know exactly what features your TV has and how to control those features. Do a basic Internet search with your model number and the words “microphone,” “camera,” and “privacy.”
- Don’t depend on the default security settings. Change passwords if you can – and know how to turn off the microphones, cameras, and collection of personal information if possible. If you can’t turn them off, consider whether you are willing to take the risk of buying that model or using that service.
- If you can’t turn off a camera but want to, a simple piece of black tape over the camera eye is a back-to-basics option.
- Check the manufacturer’s ability to update your device with security patches. Can they do this? Have they done it in the past?
- Check the privacy policy for the TV manufacturer and the streaming services you use. Confirm what data they collect, how they store that data, and what they do with it.
Market research firm IHS Markit claims that global smart TVs made up 45% of total TV shipments in 2015, 64% in 2017, and reach 70% of all TV shipments made in 2018.
Consumer Reports stated that TCL, Samsung, and other Roku-enabled TVs were vulnerable to hacking through a web-based attack.
There was a report from 2017 that stated the CIA uses smart TVs as a spy tool. Reports from Wikileaks used malware to turn TVs into remote microphones, even when they are powered off.
[Inc]