The Internet of (Crummy) Things

Ah, the shiny new Internet-connected gadget.  All wired together with who knows what sort of security?  It turns out that there are risks you may not have considered, even if the security is top notch:

An Internet of Things maker has just had first-hand experience of the Streisand effect – after remotely killing a customer's Wi-Fi garage door for being rude. 

Garadget builds and sells a so-called smart door opener that can be operated remotely from a smartphone app. Once installed, Garadget's $99 gizmo wirelessly connects to backend servers on the internet. This allows you to remotely control your door, or check if it's open or closed, from anywhere in the world: your phone app talks to Garadget's servers, and these talk to the smart door controller. 

As one Garadget owner Robert Martin found on Saturday night, the gadget can therefore be killed at any time by Garadget staff: they just simply have to block access to a particular gizmo, cutting off the hardware from its app – and leaving the garage door stuck in place.

Good security doesn't seem to protect you if your shiny new Internet-controlled doo-dad is from a company full of Asshats.

But sure I'll trust you, Mister I've-Never-Met-You-Internet-Company!