The Internet of Things (IoT) was the topic of my latest visit to the Great Day Morning Show. It's a $1.6 trillion... yes trillion... market, so it's no wonder new products are springing up. Some of the things we chat about include:

• Samsung smart TV, which can listen to your private conversations, as well as record and transmit images. All uploaded to the cloud, the media data is analyzed by Samsung and potentially others. In the last few months, Samsung has made some changes to help consumers better understand how to turn off the recording when they don't really need it.

• Amazon Echo, a new music system and virtual assistant for the home, which is also listening, collecting, analyzing (i.e. learning about your and your household's activities, likes and dislikes, etc.) and sharing what it hears.

• Baby and security video monitors, which broadcast images of babies and other private spaces. Some may even store those images or share them with others.

• USB chargers, which open people up to "juice jacking." This is when malware jumps from your computer to your tablet, smartphone or whatever device you're hoping to charge (including electronic cigarettes).

Now, if you think your connected devices don't need to be secured because "no one cares about hacking little old me," check this out. The article details how hackers very easily and inexpensively find unsecured connected devises, and they don't care to whom they belong. 

So Many Weeds, So Little Thyme 

We ran out of time on Great Day before I got a chance to mention one of the creepier Internet of Things (IoT) reportedly soon to hit the market - the Hello Barbie.

Equipped with voice-recognition software, this new toy from Mattel will "listen" to children speak and even give content-appropriate responses. And how does it do that, you may wonder? Here's how the Washington Post explains it:

...audio recordings travel over the Web to a server where the snippets of speech are recognized and processed. That information is used to help form Hello Barbie's responses.

So there you have it. The doll is actually listening to the child (and anyone else within range), collecting and transmitting the audio files to what is most likely a third party, and then using that data to "get to know" our kids. Most concerning is the doll - with all of its potential influence on its tiny real-life owners - can say or ask anything Mattel (or criminals hacking into Mattel's or associated third-party's systems) wants to.

The toy is still in development, but I've no doubt it will soon be bound for toy stores all over the world. We can only hope Mattel's engineers are working just as diligently on Hello Barbie's security as I'm sure they are on her marketing. 

And the Breach Weeds Continue to Grow...  

Have you ever used Uber? If you have, it is very possible your Uber ID/password is being sold by criminals and purchased by yet other criminals.

 What should you do? Change your Uber passwords (make sure you create strong passwords) and look closely at the statements for the cards you used to pay Uber.

 Even if they claim to have "no evidence" of a breach, it doesn't mean they haven't been breached (many breaches leave no evidence). Thanks to my friend Gal Shpantzer for pointing out this incident to me.  

I'd Rather Be Gardening

We can never have too many reminders about protecting ourselves from digital threats. What follows is a round up of quick-hit tips to keep you and the people important to you safe online, in your email and on social networks.

Fake Microsoft tech support scammer threatens to cut up victim, toss pieces into river: In a new twist on an old threat, phishing criminals are increasingly taking their craft old-school. When victims don't succumb as easily as others, they may threaten violence.

Spear-phishing could enable cyberterrorism attacks against the U.S. (and other countries): Because spear-phishing relies on what appear to be personal emails sent to a specific individuals, this article contends groups like ISIS, which recruit members from Western countries, will soon gain the ability to conduct effective spear-phishing attacks.

But spear-phishing isn't only targeted at the ulta-connected or high-powered. Recently, a friend of mine received a phishing email that appeared to be from the EZ Pass toll way organization. Although she lives in Iowa where there are no EZ Pass toll ways, she had just visited Florida and thought perhaps this phishing email was in some way targeting her. Stranger things have happened.

What you need to know about Instagram privacy settings: This article does a great job illustrating the geo-location threats that come from Instagram (and really any social app that collects and broadcasts your location along with your content). It also takes the extra step of letting readers know how they can change their settings to prevent automatic posting of location details.

How to find out if someone is using your or your child's images online: We've all heard the horror stories about cat-fishing "moms" who post pictures of their children in the hospital or suffering the effects of chemotherapy. Come to find out, they are simply the lowest form of criminal, often without any children of their own, just looking to make a quick buck off of the generosity of others. If you suspect your child's photos could be used in a similar scam, read this article from my friend Mary Kay Hoal for tips on how to quickly scour the Internet for matching images.

Just a quick caveat, however: When you upload your images to check on their use, be aware that you may be creating a problem. Who knows how Google is, or may soon be, storing those images for future use. 

Don't Forget About the Technology Innovations Whose Seeds Were Sown by Women

Privacy Professor on the Air...

... and on the Road

I have a growing list of presentation and training events confirmed. Here is where I will be next. Stop by and say hello if you'll be in the area.

April 8: Speaking about privacy engineering at the Purdue University Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) Seminar, West Lafayette, IN.