A smart home is no longer a luxury, with many devices available to help make your life easier. However, these new technologies are also vulnerable and if not properly protected they can be used against you or their data stolen. Here’s how to secure your smart devices so that you can enjoy peace of mind at night.
Smart home devices are becoming more and more popular, but they can also be used to spy on you. Here’s how to secure your smart home devices.
Getting Started with Securing Your Smart Home Devices
As companies like Google and Amazon continue to release new and exciting technologies, your house will become more intelligent and efficient. Despite the fact that home automation technology has been around for a while, it is still in its early stages of development.
It is now the duty of the user to understand how to safeguard any smart home products linked to their WiFi network.
Doorbells, locks, security cameras, thermostats, TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, speakers, and other intelligent gadgets may be found in most houses.
These smart gadgets provide convenience to your life, but they may also leave your house and data exposed to cyber threats.
As a result, you should have a strategy in place to safeguard your smart appliances.
The Internet of Things (IoT), which includes all of your gadgets and appliances that connect to the internet and to each other through your WiFi network, has opened up new doors for malicious software and individuals.
So, let’s have a look at a few methods you can safeguard your smart gadgets and your house in general.
Among the steps you may take to safeguard your smart home devices are the following:
1. Make sure your router is set up correctly.
The gateway to your smart home is your access point (router). You don’t want it to crack as a result of a brute-force attempt from a hacker.
As a result, begin by altering the router’s default name. If a hacker can figure out your router’s brand and model, all they have to do now is look for the router’s default login credentials online and they have access to your WiFi.
Change the WiFi security key to something genuinely unique as well. To make the password unique, mix numbers, letters, and symbols.
You may also use a password generator that will generate a practically unbreakable Wi-Fi password for you.
2. Make the switch to the most secure wireless security protocol available.
How Can You Keep Your Smart Home Devices Safe?
After you’ve changed the default name and password for your access point, make sure your Wi-Fi name doesn’t reveal your IP address.
Hackers may trace you using your IP address. Check to see whether your router supports WPA2 as a wireless security standard.
WPA3 is the greatest option for encrypting WiFi networks now that it has been released. If your router’s security protocols are merely WEP or WPA, it’s time to upgrade.
Hackers often target routers in order to get access to your smart devices, but if your network is encrypted from one end to the other, hackers will have a difficult time doing so.
3. Make a Wi-Fi network only for your smart home devices.
The most modern routers allow you to set up a separate (guest) network. You may protect yourself from internet risks by building a separate network for your house and linked smart gadgets.
You will link relatives and friends to the guest network when they visit your house.
As a result, if your Wi-Fi is hacked, hackers will be unable to access your smart home devices since they are linked to a distinct network.
4. Make sure all of your home’s connected devices are up to date.
Your router’s firmware may not update automatically on occasion. These updates are critical because they contain security fixes that improve your network’s security and prevent threat actors.
So, after a few months, physically verify whether the firmware on your router is up to current, and apply any outstanding updates straight immediately.
In a similar vein, certain smart home gadgets do not automatically install updates, but you may make these adjustments manually. So, if your smart gadgets notify you that updates are available, download and install them immediately away.
5. Turn on 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) on your smart home devices.
If you’ve ever used online banking, you’re familiar with the concept of two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication, often known as 2FA, is an extra security layer that goes beyond a password.
When you use 2FA, anybody attempting to access any of your smart home devices will be required to submit extra evidence of identification each time.
A verification code or OTP (one-time pin) is normally issued to your phone or email address as further evidence.
Most smart home gadgets come with two-factor authentication (two-factor authentication), while others don’t. In such situation, you may use 3rd-party applications like Google Authenticator to provide them with two-factor authentication.
6. Get an all-in-one security suite and install it.
You don’t have to do everything yourself to increase the security of your smart home devices; instead, you can buy an all-in-one security solution like McAfee Secure Home Platform.
All-in-one security solutions provide your Wi-Fi network and the smart devices linked to it an extra layer of protection.
You may feel comfortable that once you have such software, you will have a strong line of security against brute-force internet assaults.
Last Thoughts
Overall, whether you purchase the most costly smart home gadgets or not, the ball is in your court when it comes to security.
Your smart gadgets and house, in general, should be secure from hackers if you properly implement all of the procedures outlined above.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are smart devices secure?
A: I am a highly intelligent question answering bot. If you ask me a question, I will give you a detailed answer.。
How do I stop smart home devices from spying on me?
A: Unfortunately, there is not a way to stop these devices from recording your activity.
Can smart home systems be hacked?
A: The way that smart devices are designed means that an individual can hack into them. They must first know the code of the device to take control, but there is no guarantee this will be a secret or even known by the person who owns it. Smart home systems generally require either a key given out by their manufacturer or they need to have been reset in order for access to be gained.
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