Nightmare in Movies Becomes Reality: The Latest Threat of IoT Attacks by Hackers

In Stephen King’s 1986 horror film “Maximum Overdrive,” a sinister story unfolds where, due to a meteor shower, machines worldwide begin attacking humans. However, this cinematic nightmare is no longer fiction; it is becoming a more terrifying reality through IoT attacks by hackers. Your smart vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, doorbell camera—all these devices can serve as entry points for cybercriminals.

Smart Devices Can Be Entry Points for Hackers

Imagine waking up in the morning to a scene straight out of a nightmare: your vacuum cleaner starts moving on its own, your refrigerator demands ransom, and all your cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts are drained. This is not a movie plot but a very real possibility.

As Tao Pan, a researcher at blockchain security firm Beosin, points out, “Unsecured IoT devices, such as routers, can serve as entry points into home networks.” Currently, the number of IoT devices worldwide is projected to reach 18.8 billion, with approximately 820,000 IoT attacks occurring daily.

Data from 2023 shows that the average American household has 21 connected devices, and about one-third of smart home device users have experienced data leaks or fraud within the past 12 months. Once hackers gain access, they can take control of connected devices one after another, eventually reaching your computers or smartphones used for crypto transactions. This poses a particularly deadly threat for users automating trades via APIs.

Crisis Starting from a Coffee Maker

In 2019, Avast cybersecurity researcher Martin Hron demonstrated how easily hackers can infiltrate a home network. His target? An apparently harmless coffee maker.

Hron discovered that, like many smart devices, the coffee maker was unprotected by default and could connect to WiFi without a password. The device’s initial setup WiFi network lacked password protection, and many consumers were unaware of this danger.

He explained during a demo, “You can replace the firmware—the entire software of the coffee maker. You can add or remove functions, or even bypass built-in security.” In his demonstration, he displayed a ransom message on the coffee maker and completely locked the device.

Even more frightening, hackers could turn the heater on endlessly, creating fire hazards, or spray boiling water to threaten victims. In the worst case, the coffee maker could become a silent gateway into your entire network, allowing hackers to monitor your bank account information, emails, and even your crypto recovery phrases.

From Casinos to Homes: Learning Hacker Tactics from Real Cases

Hackers target all kinds of devices. In 2017, a shocking incident occurred at a casino in Las Vegas. Hackers exploited a connected aquarium in the lobby to steal 10GB of sensitive data.

The aquarium was equipped with smart sensors controlling temperature, automatic feeding, and cleaning systems connected to the casino’s network computers. The hackers used this unexpected entry point to move laterally into the network and transferred data to a remote server in Finland. Despite the casino’s standard firewalls and antivirus software, the attack succeeded. Fortunately, the abnormal activity was quickly detected and mitigated, but this case highlights the potential severity of IoT threats.

Cryptojacking Attacks Targeting Power Grids

In 2020, amid COVID-19 office closures, cybersecurity firm Darktrace detected a covert cryptocurrency mining operation on a biometric server. Suspicious executable files were downloaded from an unknown external IP address, and the server repeatedly connected to a Monero mining pool.

This type of attack, called cryptojacking, has been increasing rapidly, according to Microsoft Threat Intelligence in 2023. Hackers target Linux systems and internet-connected smart devices, gaining access through brute-force attacks, installing backdoors, and then downloading and executing mining malware. As a result, your electricity bills skyrocket, and all profits from mining flow directly into the hacker’s wallet.

Princeton security researchers warn of an even more severe scenario: if hackers could control 210,000 high-power-consuming devices like air conditioners simultaneously, they could cause a blackout affecting approximately 38 million people in California. When these devices operate in unison on a specific power grid segment, it can overload circuits, cause damage, or trigger protective relays to shut down. The load then shifts to other circuits, increasing overall stress on the power grid and potentially triggering a cascade failure.

Your Vacuum Camera Might Be Watching You

In 2024, many regions in the U.S. saw Chinese-made Ecovacs vacuum cleaners suddenly start up automatically, due to exploitation of serious security vulnerabilities by hackers.

Hackers could remotely control these devices, threaten pets, verbally abuse users through built-in speakers, or even use the cameras to view inside your home in real time. Kaspersky cybersecurity firm states, “One of the serious issues with IoT devices is that many manufacturers still pay insufficient attention to security.”

If hackers obtain footage of your password entries or recovery phrases, the consequences could be devastating. All your crypto assets could be stolen within minutes.

Practical Steps to Protect Your Home

So, how can you defend yourself against these looming threats?

Professional hacker Joe Grand recommends the most reliable approach: “Completely avoid using smart devices. My smartphone is the smartest device in my house, but I only use it for navigation and family communication. Smart home devices? I never use them.”

However, if giving up the convenience of smart devices isn’t practical, Avast researcher Hron offers some practical advice:

First, set strong, non-default passwords on all smart devices. Leaving devices with factory settings makes it easy for hackers to break in.

Second, create a separate guest network for IoT devices. This isolates your computers and smartphones from the main network, preventing lateral movement if an IoT device is compromised.

Third, disconnect devices when not in use and keep software up to date. Many security updates fix known vulnerabilities.

Finally, consider using paid scanning tools or search engines that can detect potential vulnerabilities across all connected devices in your home. These tools help visualize your network’s security status.

In the world of “Maximum Overdrive,” a meteor shower caused machines to go haywire. But in reality, hackers are playing that role. Balancing convenience and security in your smart home is essential for a safe digital future in 2026 and beyond.