Drunkard's Walk Forums

You might want to fire wall off from the internet your network ready TV, especially LG TVs.
-------------http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technolo ... e15543631/-------------
It looks like LG network aware TVs  are sending data packets back to LG websites with a full log of the channels you watch, even when you think you have opted out and then adds injury to this insult by going several steps further by also sending home any file names it can find on external drives plugged into it's USB port.
How many want to bet, given that all these packets are unencrypted, that LG TV's have easily compromised poorly thought out network security that allows nearly any one to reprogram them via this unencrypted internet link and send not only file names, but the full contents of any drive connected to them.
I'd recommend using your network firewall to fully isolate your network aware TV and for that matter any other network aware device from having any internet access just on general principals, even if the device is currently considered trustworthy after all how many actual security updates do you think your going to see sent out for a TV or other internet aware device.
hmelton
God Bless

Not just TVs, but basically any other LG network-aware device. Like our Blu-Ray player. I've been following this since I first saw it on the Register a couple days ago.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

It's fortunate that my family doesn't own anything from LG, then (at least, as far as I can recall.).

...I knew there was a reason I didn't go for the network-aware gadgets, aside from computers and console game systems.
There's something to be said for stupidity- I can't believe I just had to say that.  How dare they!

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

My TV is LQ, but unnetworked.

I've kept my two year old LG off the network, outside of testing to see if its YouTube app was suitable (nowhere close). Although, in anticipation of a future housing arrangement, I went ahead and added the blocking to my router so that I don't forget.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

Hopefully LG's spy programming is limited to their internet aware consumer devices and doesn't extend down to the firmware programming of  their computer parts.
One of my older desktops has a LG hard drive and I have a LG DVD drive I pulled from something and been aiming to turn into an additional external DVD.
Right now for me the most worrying LG product I use is a LG cell phone, no way to firewall it and the slight increase in spam calls that occurred at about the same timeI switched to it a couple of years ago might be an better explanation.instead of the tentative blame I'd put on Yahoo for the number being part of a backup Yahoo identifier..
hmelton
God Bless