Connected Devices and Your Privacy

Baby monitor

What it does. Modern multitasking parents can check in on their infants via smartphone using fully networked, motion-sensing, HD video-streaming systems with built-in speakers that let them talk to their baby while loading up the washing machine.

That type of right-there access is comforting for a parent, but it’s positively sickening if a hacker is also tuning in. The threat isn’t theoretical. In January, it was reported that a nanny in Houston heard an unfamiliar voice coming from a two-way baby monitor made by Foscam. According to reports, the voice said, “That’s a really poopy diaper,” then warned her to password-protect the camera.

In 2013 and 2014, the British press reported that sadistic hackers took over monitors to scream at sleeping children, and last fall officials in the U.K. warned that live feeds from baby monitors and home security cameras around the world were accessible to the public on the Internet. When Consumer Reports checked recently, we found a site that was still hosting security-camera feeds, including some that appeared to be from people’s homes.

What you need to know. An unprotected camera is worse than no camera at all. Internet-­connected baby monitors and home security cameras use your home Wi-Fi network, and certain models can communicate directly with a phone using Bluetooth when you’re home. Parents need strong passwords on their home network and on the baby monitor itself to keep the feeds secure.

Thermostat

What it does. Connected thermostats are like ordinary programmable thermostats on steroids. They may sense when people are home, learn a family’s preferred temperature settings, and allow users to make adjustments remotely using a smartphone. Features vary: The Honey­well Lyric employs geofencing—it tracks whether homeowners’ phones are nearby—and the Nest programs itself by observing when users are home or away. Nest, which is owned by Google, is courting connected-­home partners including LG refrigerators, lock companies, and Dropcam security cameras (also owned by Google).

What you need to know. In order to work, some smart thermostats need to track when you are home. If that unnerves you, you’re not going to want one of those products.

www.consumerreports.org