“I’m
your friend,” the creepy intruder announced. Terrorizing his eight-year old
victim, the voice encouraged her to destroy her room. A recent news report, and video, shows a frightened little girl being taunted by a
vulgar cyber-criminal that hacked through a home security camera in her room.
The very technology that the little girl’s parents installed for her safety,
and for their peace of mind, provided a virtual gateway for a stranger to enter
their child’s bedroom.
All of us are vulnerable to cyber attacks, but
it may be those we most wish to protect with technology that we may put at the
highest risk.
Smart devices, appliances, and other
technologies that are connected and communicate with other each other, are part
of the evolving Internet-of-Things. These devices connect us to an
ever-growing range of services that support convenience, health, safety, and
security.
Today, at least one in four families are
providing care to an aging loved one. If not a spouse, it is typically
an aging parent – often a mother living alone. While older baby boomers have
high expectations for technology to help them age well, it may be
younger, tech-savvy Gen X and Millennial caregivers, sandwiched between work, childcare, and life, that are most
likely to use technology to extend their capacity to provide care. At a recent
MIT AgeLab-Transamerica symposium on caregiving, technology was identified as an
indispensable means to care for aging parents. But, will that high-tech care
put their parents at higher risk of cyber hacking in retirement?
Manufacturers and retailers are providing
adult children with an amazing and unprecedented range of smart devices forming
a virtual security blanket of care services to keep aging parents connected,
healthy, and safe.
From handheld tablets, to robots with video chat functions, technology is providing a
window into mom’s home for friends and family to simply say hello or to ensure
that she is okay. And, don’t forget smart assistants placed throughout the
home. Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Home, or Apple’s HomePod are connected and
listening – waiting to answer a question from mom about the weather, cue an
exercise routine, or order a meal.
Even mom’s inner sanctum, her kitchen, is now
connected to the outside. Smart refrigerators are equipped with cameras, enabling the device
to monitor what is inside and who is using it on the outside. Some intelligent
refrigerators even suggest a meal plan using contents that are about to expire.
Connected kitchen devices, such as smart forks and spoons, can monitor mom’s
eating habits, while other appliances place grocery orders when supplies run
low so that mom never runs out of her favorite ice cream.
An entire generation of health technology is
being introduced into the home to help mom manage her health. Pill reminder
systems, for example, connected to the Internet beep, glow, buzz, and even
squeak like a small pet to encourage her to take her medications – some even
dispense pills in the correct dosage, at the correct time.
And, while the Internet-of-Things is typically
thought of as devices around us, connected technology includes devices inside
us. Mom may now have a smart glucose sensor under her skin transmitting blood
sugar levels to her phone alerting her to take insulin. Other systems go beyond
simply monitoring and automatically adjust her insulin levels.
Adult child caregivers can’t be everywhere all
the time. A phone call does not always alleviate concerns for mom’s wellbeing.
Many adult children want real time information about their parent’s daily
activities – how active is she, is she sleeping well, who is visiting her, and
more. Tech-savvy caregivers are purchasing systems that enable 24/7 monitoring,
all in the name of mom’s safety and security. Sensors placed throughout the
home can indicate if mom spends all her time in the family room watching
television, if she is cooking a healthy meal, or how much time she spends in
the bathroom. And, don’t forget the front door, multiple devices are available
to provide alerts and live video of anyone that visits mom.
Aside from issues of a parent’s personal
privacy and dignity, all of these systems, purchased by well-meaning adult
children, may be creating a risk never imagined. Similar to the parents of the
eight-year old girl who had her bedroom security camera hacked, adult children
may be inadvertently inviting strangers into their mother’s home.
Discussions of cyber security often spotlight
financial and identity theft. These are real and serious. However, other risks
may present greater harm than lost money or identity.
A hacker may not only invade your mother’s
privacy, but also create unimaginable mischief by making various systems
malfunction. The lights may be turned on and off at random times of day and
night, a television may change channels for no reason, or a smart refrigerator
may order 20 gallons of chocolate ice cream rather than the one pint of coffee
mom wants.
There can be more serious impacts as well. The
smart wristband designed to detect a fall is triggered so often by a hacker
that mom becomes frustrated with the device. She ultimately takes off the band
and unplugs the system. Or an adult child receives so many false alarms, that
they develop alarm fatigue – the system that once served as a vital link to
ensure their loved one’s wellbeing no longer commands urgency and immediate
action.
Now imagine more existential threats. Ransomware
is inserted into her home’s network disrupting an entire smart infrastructure
installed to keep her safe and healthy. A hacker cracks your mother’s
medication reminder, withholding critical medications. Or, her connected
implantable glucose monitoring system is triggered to push too much insulin.
Technology now provides a critical role in
supporting caregivers and the wellbeing of older adults. However, caregivers
now have a new job — the cyber security of their older loved ones. Identifying
and purchasing trusted technology and related services is now only the first
step. It is becoming increasingly important to ensure the highest level of
possible security to protect these systems, and our loved ones, from hacking.
Manufacturers and providers should be prepared to demonstrate and compete on
the superior security of their systems and services for families caring for the
most vulnerable. Insurers may develop a different type of insurance product
that goes far beyond homeowners coverage or the traditional cyber insurance
protection of identity and information breach.
Technology is now a vital part of living well
in retirement. If the risks can be effectively managed, smart technology and
related services offer older adults an unprecedented opportunity to live safely
at home — and provide caregivers with what is often elusive — peace of mind.
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