Among the many problems of the internet, one of the most egregious is the fact that anyone can create a website, put it online, and not really be held accountable for what is actually published on said website. Let’s take the website of home automation company Orvibo, who, at the time of this article’s writing, states on their website:
“Cloud platform supports millions of IoT devices and guarantees the data safety.”
The claim that their platform supports “millions” of devices is backed up by the Orvibo database size, which appears to contain more than two billion records, but the fact that we know exactly how many records are in the cloud platform and that their database is currently open for viewing on the internet without a password is the exact opposite of guaranteeing data safety.
How can a company screw up so badly?
I’ve answered this rhetorical question several times in the past on this blog, but in case you’ve missed it: Technology is fallible because humans are fallible. They are also lazy and sometimes downright malicious, but in the case of the Orvibo database which remains open and accessible at the time of this blog’s publication, we have a stunning example of gross negligence and incompetence that is impacting millions of its customers in very personally identifiable ways. Among the two billion records that includes customers from China, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, France, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom and the U.S. are email addresses, passwords, geolocation data, IP addresses and device reset codes. Given that Orvibo devices include home automation and security products, the data exposed in this open database gives hackers literally the keys to many family’s homes and hotel rooms, and could potentially endanger their actual lives.
What should you do if you are using Orvibo technology in your home or workplace? Discontinue using it immediately if possible, and if that isn’t possible, see if you can at least disconnect it from the internet and change any passwords used on the device, especially if it’s a password you’ve used elsewhere (also a no-no for just this very reason). It’s not clear when, or even if, Orvibo will address this vulnerability anytime soon, nor will we know whether the data has been access by anyone with ill intent, but in this case, erring on the side of caution is the best course of action.
