Your Smart TV could be hacked wirelessly, but who would bother?

It only makes sense that putting a TV online theoretically exposes it to hackers, but it’s now clear that those hacks don’t have to go through conventional internet pipelines. According to Engadget, a team of Columbia University researchers has published details of a vulnerability in an interactive TV standard (HbbTV) that lets evildoers hijack your smart TV and other devices in your home network so long as you tune into a specific over-the-air digital channel. Attacks can run undetected in the background, and the nature of the broadcasts makes it difficult or impossible to trace the culprit. Reportedly, the only surefire remedies are to cut off broadcast-based web content altogether, monitor for unusual spikes in network activity or notify users when apps launch.

However, you shouldn’t fret about someone stealing your data just because you tuned into the Food Nerwork. If you only watch shows over cable or satellite, this issue won’t affect you; as it stands, HbbTV hasn’t yet reached South Africa. It’s also difficult for would-be hackers to reach many people without signal amplifiers. Still, the security hole isn’t going to be very comforting to cord cutters who still want the benefits of an internet-connected TV set.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing trainee with extensive experience in launching and building global brands such as Sony Mobile, Acer, BMW, Jamie's Italian Restaurants, Channel O and Radisson Blu in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.