“The thing doesn't have a name”

Abstract

Many consumer Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices are, and will remain, subject to compromise, often without the owner's knowledge. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are among the actors best-placed to coordinate the remediation of these problems. They receive infection data and can notify customers of recommended remediation actions. There is insufficient understanding of what happens in peoples' homes and businesses during attempts to remediate infected IoT devices. We coordinate with an ISP and conduct remote think-aloud observations with 17 customers who have an infected device, capturing their initial efforts to follow best-practice remediation steps. We identify real, personal consequences from wide-scale interventions which lack situated guidance for applying advice. Combining observations and thematic analysis, we synthesize the personal stories of the successes and struggles of these customers. Most participants think they were able to pinpoint the infected device; however, there were common issues such as not knowing how to comply with the recommended actions, remediations regarded as requiring excessive effort, a lack of feedback on success, and a perceived lack of support from device manufacturers. Only 4 of 17 participants were able to successfully complete all remediation steps. We provide recommendations relevant to various stakeholders, to focus where emergent interventions can be improved.