Can You Protect Your Smart Devices From Invasion? Here’s 4 Basic Tips to Get Started
We’re all accustomed to taking certain security precautions with our computers, phones, and tablets by this point. We know to watch for phishing sites, change our passwords regularly, and to never give out sensitive information.
Unfortunately, we don’t always use these strict standards regarding smart home devices. Consumers tend to be much laxer with security when it comes to IoT-enabled devices. That’s a big problem, because these can be just as vulnerable as any other computer and can offer opportunities to fraudsters you may never have anticipated.
Why Do Hackers Want Into My Light Switch?
It would make sense why hackers would want access to devices like a Ring® Video Doorbell or a Wi-Fi-enabled webcam. But what about your thermostat or smart outlets? Or even your baby monitor or children’s toys…why would hackers want to break into those devices?
In most cases, these aren’t the attacker’s end goal. They are just a convenient means of getting where they want to be.
For example, it’s possible that a hacker could use one of these devices if it’s unsecured, or exploit a vulnerability in the device’s security, to gain access to your home Wi-Fi network. From there, a skilled hacker could intercept all kinds of data transferred across the network and truly wreak havoc. Or, someone might load your devices with malware and use them as part of a DDoS attack; though this wouldn’t impact you personally, it still involves a hacker using your device to attack others.
Of course, this threat isn’t going unchallenged. To companies invested in smart home technology, peoples’ trust in their devices is essential. Security threats are truly existential in nature for device manufacturers, which is why skilled security professionals are working constantly to stay several steps ahead of the criminals.
Device manufacturers and third-parties invested in these platforms release patches and firmware updates constantly to address developing and potential threats. Still, the real key to ensure you stay secure lies in your hands.
4 Tips to Protect Your Home
Want to ensure that your home, your devices—and most importantly, your family—are protected against potential security attacks? Get started with these four simple tips:
1. Secure Your Home Network
Most people have a home Wi-Fi network these days, especially when trying to connect smart devices to the internet. You should use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) encryption protocol when setting up your network. Even if your network was setup by your ISP, it will only take a few seconds to verify that WPA2 was used; simply follow these steps based on your device.
2. Keep Security Software Up-To-Date
No matter if you use a secure connection, your computer or phone may still serve as a gateway to allow spyware or other malicious software into your home. Your best approach is to keep your antivirus and security software up-to-date on devices you use to browse the internet. Security companies release patches for their products very regularly. This isn’t an arbitrary practice; in most cases, these are released in response to newly-discovered threats, so ensuring that your products are current is very important.
2. Know What Your Devices Are Capable Of
Be sure that you understand the security implications of each device before you purchase it. For example, there was an uproar a few years ago when it was reveled that some smart TV models may be listening to your conversations. These settings can usually be disabled or modified to suit your preferences, but be sure you understand what each smart device can do before you bring it home.
4. Use Best Practices With Your Devices
You might be surprised to learn that roughly 1 in 3 consumers do not use a password to protect their mobile devices. Given:
- The sensitive personal and financial data most people access and store on these devices
- The fact that most IoT devices in your home can be controlled by your smartphone
…why would you not use a password to protect your phone? If you fall into this group, it’s imperative that you act now and start using password protection on your mobile devices. While we’re at it, remember to carefully read the privacy policy and terms of service when you install a new app on your device. These terms will explain the data that the app will access, some of which you may not be comfortable sharing.
Use Your Best Judgement
From Amazon’s Alexa to lights you can activate by phone, billons of IoT-enabled devices are already operating in households around the world. By and large, these gargets make life easier and more convenient for millions of consumers. However, we must remember to exercise due diligence and be cautious with these new tools.
It’s a brave new world out there…but don’t step into it blindly.
