Wireless Security In Smart Homes Is Vulnerable

Uploaded on 2024-03-12 in GOVERNMENT-Law Enforcement, FREE TO VIEW, BUSINESS-Services-IT & Telecoms

Thieves are finding new ways to commit crimes and exploit technology for their burglary activities and now any product that promises to protect your home requires heightened scrutiny.

Evidence from domestic burglaries in the US suggests that while wireless smart sensors and cameras may be loudly responding about broken glass, open doors, and burglars moving inside the house those radio signals may never reach the homeowner’s phone.

There have been a series of robberies in Edina, Minneapolis which have led police to believe that burglars are using WiFi jammers to block off security system signals from reaching the home’s residents, as well as disable door, window, and motion sensors.

Edina police suspect that nine burglaries in the last six months have been perpetrated using with Wi-Fi jammers deployed to ensure incriminating video evidence wasn’t available to investigators. Victims have complained to the local authorities about burglars using WiFi jammers to neutralise security systems, especially surveillance cameras.

Many home security devices connect directly to the WiFi network or a smart home hub using radio frequencies such as 2.4 GHz. Their signal strength is limited and is susceptible to interference. A WiFi jammer can overpower signals from security devices by sending a “loud” noise in the same range of frequencies, making receivers unable to distinguish between the genuine signals and the disruptive noise generated by the jammer.

The US Federal Communications Commission has banned the use of jammers in the US because they can prevent people from calling 911 or other emergency services, as well as pose serious risks to public safety communications and interfere with other forms of communications. According to an alert by FCC: “The use of a phone jammer, GPS blocker, or other signal jamming device designed to intentionally block, jam, or interfere with authorised radio communications is a violation of federal law.” Nevertheless, malicious actors can still purchase jammers online from suppliers outside the US.

Wired security devices, relying on physical connections, are generally less sensitive to outside interference. However, cables may also be sabotaged. Users may also check if their smart home solution allows alerts when signals or connections are interrupted.

Image: Mika Baumeister

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