Hair Tool Hacking?

Hair Tool Hacking?

According to TheRegister.com British hacker Stephen Tomkinson found two Blu-Ray-borne attacks launched from Blu-Ray disks executables which run automatically upon start-up, even when Windows is set to stop that outcome.

With all the ways hackers are invading business and homes these days, is hair tool hacking a possibility?  Could your favorite hot iron, blow dryer or hot rollers eventually be the source of hidden attacks, security leaks or harassment?

Although anything is possible in today's world, it's unlikely hackers can currently or easily get to people through their hair tools or related beauty or health devices.

In the future, it might actually become a concern as the Internet of Things evolves if hair tools become smart devices connected to networks.

Essentially, the Internet of Things is the world of physical devices connected to the network/Internet, from devices ranging from your Fitbit or Nest to industrial machines.

According to technology research and advisory corporation, Gartner, Inc., there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the Internet of Things by 2020 which may very well include hair and beauty tools.

Afterall, Fitbits are used for a wide range of health monitoring tasks.

Home Automation Hubs

Recently some people were horrified to learn that network-connected pacemakers can be at great risk.

Hackers can find out the particular model of a victim's pacemaker.  If they can get within 50 feet of the victim, they can launch a remote attack which might even be deadly in some circumstances.

Smart hub devices manage smart remote devices such as like- house lights, door locks and security cameras, garage doors, baby monitors and theoretically smart hair tools, if they existed, which they don't presently.

The first episode of CSI Cyber starring Academy Award winning Patricia Arquette addressed babycams as a serious hacking/security risk in the home.

Will Determined Sophisticated Attackers Target Smart Hair Tools Of The Future?

Although remote controls need to be secure,  researchers have found that determined, sophisticated attackers can easily get access to gateways.

This allows them to hack the local Wi-Fi network of the user.   Once that happens, the attacker gets full control to the house security and all devices attached to the remote controls.

While it seems unlikely any damage could be done through hair irons or dryers, the more serious concern might be if those hair tools were some day attached to the network.

All Vulnerabilities Can Be Exploited

A vulnerability, however remote, can still be exploited and always remains a risk.  The question becomes how a hair tool devices might be used against the owners.   The exploitation might range from simple harassment to acting as a bridge to the network to steal personal and financial data.

The more features any smart device has, the more opportunity there is for someone to find a flaw and exploit it.

As soon as you start connecting a device like a hair tool to the internet then you are asking for trouble unless it is protected by the same kind of security measures as your other devices in the home.

The US Center for Internet Security has launched an initiative to increase the security of all home connected devices and is working with a wide range of manufacturers in order to develop security guidelines for anything which might be at risk - from pacemakers to baby monitors.

Any connected devices ranging from smart TVs to hair tools could at some day be at risk from real-world exploits.

Summary - Hair Tool Hacking?

Although hair tools hacking should not currently be a concern to anyone, this could change in the near future.

If hair and related beauty tools become smarter or become connected to the Internet Of Things, at some point, they might be used in a variety of ways to launch a privacy or security breech.

It's hard to believe you would ever need to worry about your favorite hair irons, blow dryers or hot rollers, but in today's world of network connectivity, anything is possible.

Who ever imagined they would have to worry about smart phones or TVs which may pose a current threat.