Just like any devices connected to the internet, a smart TVs that are essentially IoT devices can be vulnerable to hacks.
But Samsung created confusion when it advised users of its Wi-Fi-connected TVs to regularly check for viruses and damaging malware.
“Scanning your computer for malware viruses is important to keep it running smoothly,” the tweet from the @SamsungSupport Twitter account read. “This also is true for your QLED TV if it’s connected to Wi-Fi!”
“Prevent malicious software attacks on your TV by scanning for viruses on your TV every few weeks,” the account advised.
The company also included a video of how to use a virus scanning tool that most Samsung QLED smart TV owners probably don’t even know it exists:
Samsung has since deleted the tweet, because it created controversies, and confusion.
A moment after Samsung tweeted its advise, a legion of Twitter users replied either with criticism, skepticism, or just plain comedy to the security advice.
The most common comments are those that were surprised that this is an issue for smart TVs.
While network-connected entertainment devices have been growing in number over the past years, complete with integrated apps along with other features, most owners assume that they’re not subject to the same malware and virus available on traditional computers.
What Samsung did, was trying to prevent its paying customers who bought its smart TVs, which models can be priced as high as $15,000, to be compromised by hacks. But how it asked users to 'manually' scan malware on their TV was what bothered them, not to mention the steps they need to do to get to that “Smart Security” antivirus interface.
Samsung tried to do what it needed to do, but the implementation of its solution presents a poor user experience, to the point that it sounds absurd.
IoT has been flagged as the next potential big war zone in digital security.
For a start, a growing number of homes are having at least one smart device, whether that be a TV, smart speaker or something else.
What makes it concerning is that, device-makers in general aren't always cautious and conscientious with their security as they should have been. For example, many of them are shipping their IoT gadgets with default passwords on admin accounts, equipped with barely-hidden backdoor network access, and outdated firmware.
This fact essentially give hackers a lot of potential choices to start with.
All the same, as internet speed improves, all it takes is for one poorly-secured device to give a point of entry.
Just like any other IoT devices, Samsung's smart TVs aren’t, and won't be supported for long enough with security patches. Eventually, those “smart” software would end up old, unpatched, and even more vulnerable to attacks.
Given that IoT devices are increasingly ubiquitous, customers are going to either have to learn to secure them, or be left behind in the trends of the technology.
