Bitdefender has detected a security breach within IoT connected devices in kitchens across the country.
Smart fridges, toasters and microwaves are forcing consumers into reconsidering eating habits due to an exploited flaw that could spread to millions of devices worldwide.
Bitdefender conducted several tests in its labs where it found that smart toasters refuse to toast their owners’ food unless they ‘feed’ them with wholemeal bread.
Furthermore, fridges and freezers across the UK are shutting down as soon as ice cream or frozen goods of a similar consistency are detected.
Reports have also shown microwaveable meals set on fire due to the removal of safety protocols, as the company warns the risks of this latest attack far outweigh the benefits.
The flaw has yet to be attributed, but a member purporting to be from Poissonymous (also known as Poisson d’avril), said that the breach targeted the rising obesity levels in the UK. Recently, a global study exposed the country to have one of the highest levels of obesity in Western Europe.
As IoT technology grows in popularity and demand, the security breach initially affected internet-connected devices in the UK that were not safeguarded with a designated network protection.
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Catalin Cosoi, Chief Security Strategist at Bitdefender, said: "This serious security breach is already having a huge impact on consumers, and the worry is this flaw could equally be exploited in territories outside of the UK. The breach has empowered numerous household appliances, who now have a choice and a say in how they are used.
"With the vast majority now unwilling to process fast food and unhealthy choices, many UK consumers may have to rethink their diets or their use of these devices until a solution is found to combat this serious attack.
"We are entering a new, ultra-connected age. Gartner predicts there will be 26 billion individual Internet of Things objects in the world by the year 2020. As the number of connected devices increases, so does the need for a forward-looking mix of hardware and software that offers protection for everything that connects to your home network.
"In this instance, we’ve seen smart fridges and other kitchen appliances compromised, but in reality this could extend to any other Wi-Fi enabled device in the future."
