Tens of thousands of UK consumers could unwittingly be putting their personal data at risk by using home computer network storage devices, which cost as little as £50, according to a BBC investigation.
Those under threat are people who use home data storage devices known as Network Attached Storage (NAS). Correctly configured, these devices act as a common data store accessible by any other device connecting to that home network.
But many have been set up incorrectly and have accidentally made this data accessible not just to their home network but to the wider Internet. Visiting this data is as easy as visiting any other webpage, the report claims.
At risk are photographs, home videos and music collections as well as scans of documents such as passports, tax forms and other sources of personal data.
Security firms suggest that attackers have already found out about this easy-to-access source of saleable data and are starting to actively seek it out and share it.
Security company Digital Shadows, which helps large businesses find out how much information about them is being shared online, has corroborated the BBC’s findings.
And Digital Shadows chief technology officer James Chappell claims domestic NAS boxes are regular sources of data leaks. He told the BBC: “We’ve seen tens of thousands that are available online. We’ve also definitely seen an increase in the number of devices in the last six months. The most worrying part is that it’s getting worse.
“For me, the most worrying part of this is that consumers are just trusting the device manufacturer to make smart choices about how they defend the security of their devices,” he said. “They need to be aware that the manufacturer may not be as diligent as they hope.”
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Personal data at risk on home devices
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