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A comment on FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers a window into homes. Parent comment

Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by close04 on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @01:00PM (#21694776)
I don’t see a TV doing 24/7 password cracking. Most WiFi passwords are now relatively complex out of the box and a TV would never have a realistic chance of cracking one. And while collecting data is maybe immoral, hacking passwords is as illegal as it gets.

It would be orders of magnitude cheaper and safer to build in 4G connectivity and use it to upload the relatively small payloads.

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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by rtkwe on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @01:44PM (#21695237)
Wouldn't even really need 4G, 3G or even lower would work if you're just sending text analytics of shows watched. Even the more nefarious spying efforts could go out through text if they bundled a speech to text converter on board.
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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by close04 on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @03:35PM (#21696418)
4G was more of a catch all for mobile connectivity. But actually some networks are turning off their 2G and 4G might have a better chance of working for years to come, since a TV is not really replaced that often.
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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by bduerst on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @01:24PM (#21695026)
The TV wouldn't need to crack a password if it's an XFinity wifi router next door, for example. Those are typically open to all Comcast customers by default, if I remember correctly.
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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by Grazester on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @01:37PM (#21695171)
How is your TV going to get onto a wifi connection that needs an Xfinity customer login(yes there are open to all customers as in they can use the wifi connection but not without supplying a login)?
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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by Drakim on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @02:24PM (#21695678)
By striking a deal with Xfinity?
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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by imglorp on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @01:05PM (#21694830)
> build in 4G

I wonder how many already have.

Are we going to need a spectrum analyzer to watch this junk?

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Re:FBI warns that connected televisions can provide hackers ... by Animats on Tuesday December 03, 2019 @02:44PM (#21695905)
In the 5G era, probably. TVs will come with 5G connectivity built in and always on. At initial power-up, you'll have to log in with your "television provider". Like the way CBS online works now.
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