Friday, September 25, 2009

Break into My House, Hackers!

So lately while watching TV, I've been seeing commercials that boast this new lock where one guy in a rainy scene can unlock his door with his cell phone, where infomercial-type guy is standing in a nice, sunny location.

Am I the only person to see something wrong with this picture?  Am I just that paranoid?  You see, I know that something like this...where you can unlock the door to your home from a cell phone requires some kind of transmitter or connection to something that can be at least, semi-public.  What happens to your computer when you happen to come across "the wrong site?"  What happens when your wallet goes missing and all your credit cards and whatever else are missing?  You go "HOLY SHIT," and go in a mad panic to get things fixed, cancelled, etc.

So now imagine that your home is now linked to the outside world, where, theoretically, its safety hinges on your ability to make a strong password that nobody can hack.

So Schlage came out with a product they call LiNK.  It connects to wireless,  and can be unlocked via Internet, PIN pad or a good ole fashioned key.  On top of the hefty product cost, you also have to pay an additional monthly fee.  I'll get to my feelings on additional fees in another rant post.

So, for shelling out all this money, you now have a few different ways someone can now easily gain access to your home without much effort.  It seems there aren't many locksmith type bandits these days.  However, with certain things out there, a PIN or Internet connection with a brute force attack could easily take this lock down.

I know a lot of people love new technology and finding ways to get lazier... but seriously?  Why would I want to use my cell phone or some random web browsing session to unlock my house?  That seems like too big of a risk to take.  Passwords and PIN's are stolen everyday, and web sites are constantly hacked.  Why would I want to add my own home to the list of things hacked?

My idea of a secure home includes closed circuit infrared cameras on a terabyte sized DVR, panic room, alarm system, and a series of insane locks on the doors.  I think texting a code to my door would kinda defeat the purpose of all that.

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