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Hackers are targeting your smart devices

Baby monitors, thermostats, cameras and your refrigerator could be used in a cyber attack

By Patricia L. Harman | Updated on October 25, 2016

There is a major trend to connect everyday items to the internet — everything from remote access cameras, security systems, baby monitors, lights and refrigerators to personal tracking tools and other monitoring systems, but a recent distributed denial of service attack illustrated just how vulnerable all of these devices are to hacking.

Unknown hackers used millions of internet of things devices found in homes and offices to facilitate a massive cyber attack that disrupted access to sites such as Twitter, Amazon, Netflix, PayPal, The New York Times, CNN and other businesses that were customers of Domain Name Server provider Dyn Inc. The attacks came in three waves and affected users as far away as Europe and Australia, and disrupted business for multiple online retailers.

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Patricia L. Harman

Patricia L. Harman

Patricia L. Harman is the editor-in-chief of Claims magazine, a contributing editor to PropertyCasualty360.com, and chairs the annual America's Claims Event (ACE), which focuses on providing claims professionals with cutting-edge education and networking opportunities. She covers auto, property & casualty, workers' compensation, fraud, risk and cybersecurity, and is a frequent speaker at insurance industry events. Contact her at [email protected]

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