Be careful! WiFi module or the strongest horse into a smart home

Be careful! WiFi module or the strongest horse into a smart home

First of all, the WiFi module here is not equal to the WiFi mentioned in daily life. We do not want to demonize the common WiFi, but we want to put forward some so-called “upgrade WiFi modules into traditional home appliances and other devices to smart homes. "May bring security problems.

Just as smart phones become outdated after the emergence of smart phones, the rise of smart homes has also made traditional home appliances including home appliances, door locks, and lighting extremely unconventional. Traditional devices have been pushed to the edge of the cliff and related manufacturers have to Seek change to achieve intelligent upgrades. Therefore, in this form, many people use the WiFi module as an important code for upgrading traditional devices.

The WiFi module belongs to the transport layer of the Internet of Things. It has built-in wireless network protocol IEEE802.11b.gn protocol stack and TCP/IP protocol stack, which can convert serial port or TTL level into an embedded module that conforms to the WiFi wireless network communication standard. The traditional hardware device embedded in the WiFi module can directly use WiFi to connect to the Internet, and is an important part of the application of the wireless Internet of things such as smart home and M2M.

In short, traditional devices embedded in the embedded WiFi module will allow the device to have Internet connectivity and be able to handle the basic functions of the smart home at the moment, using the mobile phone App. Another advantage of using the WiFi module is that it can seamlessly interface with the Internet, does not require intermediate bridge devices, and is easy to be compatible with other devices. However, judging from the functions and states that smart homes should presently present, it is difficult to claim that traditional devices embedded with WiFi are truly smart homes.

"The appliance has a WiFi module that only has the ability to be connected to the Internet. After connecting to the Internet, it can be remotely controlled. However, it is far from being smart. Cross-brand cross-category product interconnection is the foundation of intelligence. On this basis, It is also necessary to integrate intelligence based on deep learning, semantic understanding, image recognition, etc.,” said industry analysts.

Regardless of how far the "conventional device + WiFi module" is from the smart device, it is considered that the "traditional device + WiFi module / smart device" is established, but this does not cover up the possible security problems.

In the event of “introducing WiFi modules into devices such as traditional home appliances to smart homes”, it actually involves WiFi module providers, traditional equipment manufacturers, and end users. However, the real security issues will not basically exist for WiFi module providers. The negative impact, the real danger is the latter two.

Let's talk about end users first. First of all, we should understand that smart home devices that are upgraded from WiFi modules are based on WiFi communication. Therefore, the security of WiFi communication protocols largely determines the security of related devices. WiFi security has always been in the field of smart homes. Not very reliable. In fact, WiFi is almost universally recognized as the easiest communication standard in recent years. Belkin, Nest, a certain smart camera, etc. have successively breached more or less.

It must be said that the loss of home smart devices is not less than the loss of computer poisoning. In fact, once our smart home is cracked by hackers, it is likely to face two kinds of losses: First, there will be physical damage, hardware will be destroyed in secret, may not continue to work, or continue to work abnormally; second, more serious intangible losses Family data was stolen, and our devices were running on the surface. However, we unconsciously saw our homework in the eyes of others, and even our family life habits have been known.

Recall traditional manufacturers. Without any in-depth knowledge, it may seem a bit alarming to say that the WiFi module may be detrimental to traditional vendors, but the fact does exist and the possibility is beyond our imagination. Because in the process of upgrading smart home devices in traditional devices, the WiFi module may be a "trojan" that is easily overlooked.

In fact, there are two different interests to interpret in the relationship between WiFi module providers, traditional equipment vendors, and end users.

One kind of understanding is that traditional equipment manufacturers make profits. This is easier to understand. The WiFi module provider provides the WiFi module to the traditional equipment manufacturers. The traditional equipment has been upgraded intelligently and the added value has been improved. However, due to the low price of WiFi, the benefit is clearly recognized as being a traditional vendor, and the entire process is equivalent to the “traditional device borrowing the 'heart' of the WiFi module to enter the user's home”.

Comparing with the profit of traditional equipment manufacturers, there is another understanding: WiFi module providers profit. It stands to reason that although the WiFi module prices are 1 yuan, 9.9 yuan, 18 yuan, 22 yuan and so ranging, but want to rely on WiFi module to make big money from traditional equipment manufacturers do not fly, then the WiFi module provider profits from Speaking of it? This will also return to WiFi module and smart home itself.

Under normal circumstances, the smart home is a complete system including the control center, equipment nodes, software applications, and communication technologies. It actually has the characteristics of user remote control equipment and factory back-end management data. After the WiFi module is embedded in the traditional device, the smart device based on the module can also be monitored and managed in the background. In other words, the WiFi module provider can also perform back-end management on devices upgraded by the traditional manufacturer.

Being able to do background management seems to indicate that there is no problem. After all, most smart vendors have this capability, but considering the actual relationship between WiFi module providers and traditional vendors, it is intriguing.

As mentioned earlier, when the traditional equipment manufacturers make profits, the whole process is equivalent to "the traditional equipment borrows the 'heart' of the WiFi module to enter the user's home," and the WiFi module provider profits? Obviously, it is "the WiFi module borrows the 'shell' of a traditional device to enter the user's home." However, in essence, another problem that is hardly considered in the traditional industry field has emerged: What happens when devices with WiFi modules enter the user's home?

Issues that traditional industries do not consider will not be considered after the upgrade of traditional equipment because they actually sell only the 'shells' of smart devices. WiFi module providers can acquire modules from traditional follow-ups and sell them traditionally. Value outside the manufacturer. This value has two aspects: one is to obtain hardware service (monitoring, upgrading, etc.) right; the second is to get user data during the service process. Over time, there is the possibility that traditional vendors will lose control of traditional hardware.

Therefore, for the traditional equipment manufacturers, the traditional equipment may seem to be upgraded due to the WiFi module. In fact, it may be “controlled” by the WiFi module in the form of a “Trojan horse” with subversive damage. So does it "cherish life and stay away from modules"? Although not yet, traditional vendors still need to be cautious about free WiFi modules. (reproduced)