Secure your smart home from hackers with these 5 essential tips! Learn how to protect your devices, network, and privacy.
Have you ever watched a movie where a smart home is being hacked? Or maybe read a thread about someone’s house that was targeted and compromised? This is one of the top concerns for clients, how secure is a smart home? What risks are the risks involved.
With a lot of misinformation out there, it is hard not to be worried. However, while we may not be able to demystify most of the information, we can provide you with practical solutions and information to help you feel more secure in your home. To do this, we will first need to answer a few questions, what is a smart home, how can it be hacked and what can I do to prevent such attacks?
What is a smart home?
A smart home is a system in which devices, appliances with internet access can all be controlled remotely if within the same network.
What makes smart homes different, is that the devices can store information, like daily routines, preferences all which are done and stored on a central hub. This could be your phone or home network.
How can smart homes be hacked?
To begin, the myths. Hackers are not in a white tinted van going round neighbourhoods trying to MI13 your house. Hacking takes time and most of the time is a trial-and-error method. Most hackers just like traditional thieves will want quick returns and fortunately residentials are not at the top of their lists.
While there have been cases of smart home breaching, the numbers are extremely low. That said,that doesn’t mean we do not take a few precautions to protect ourselves just in case someone wants to hack us.
The easiest way to get into your system is through your devices. With the competition in the tech world to produce devices, security tend to be more of an afterthought. This is where choosing brands from reputable companies that prioritize security is important.
Fries and coffee?
With technology allowing you to do more on your phone such as turn on the air fryer or your coffee machine, our dependency on remote and voice control is also increasing. Granted, a hacker will not hack your coffee machine to see how many cups of espresso you took today, they will and can use it as the first point of entry. To prevent this, ensure you take adequate steps to protect your devices and network.
Read the fine print
What is frequent is big tech or company data breaches. Building on what we discussed earlier, hackers want easy access to mass data and that is why these companies tend to be targets. While their primary goal might be this mass data, even information specific to your smart home can be at risk. It will not hurt to read on what data the company will collect, how they plan to use it and security measures they have in place to protect it in case of a breach.
Good old phishing
Phishing has been here for a while and seems it is not going anywhere soon. A simple way hackers get your information, is to send you phishing emails and messages pretending to be your security or service provider. So, before you give them your login in information, just remember your passwords and pins are private. That is why we always recommend you change them from the default ones that were set up during installation.
5 Steps That Can Greatly Improve Your Smart Home Security
1. Protect Your Wi-Fi Network
Your Wi-Fi network needs to be secured as it is the gateway to all your devices. Here is how to protect your network:
- Create a unique combination password, you can use Password managers to help you create one.
- Enable Wi-Fi Protected Access commonly known as WPA2. This works by adding an encryption key on top of the password to all the devices in your network.
- Disable Wifi protected setup if not in use, as it can be a security risk.
2. If possible, enable Two – Factor authentication
Fortunately, many smart home brands now enable two-factor authentication (2FA) by default. However, if your brand does not include this security feature by default, setting it yourself is a simple process that usually takes only a few minutes.
2FA works by sending a second verification code to your phone on top of your password when logging into your network. This little extra step ensures that your home is safe even in the event of your password being co promised.
3. Separate your network
With more appliances being integrated into our smart homes, using the same password and network increases your vulnerability to security threats. A good practise is to have your network split between your appliances like fridges, coffee makers are the best way for hackers to access your network and other smart home devices. Ensure the password you use is different, unique and stored properly.
4. Use Reputable Smart Home Brands
With the consumer market rapidly changing and growing, companies need to churn out new devices and technology to attract new clients and retain old ones. This unfortunately means that security tends to be a secondary though for some brands. Always choose well established brands that invest and priorities security. A simple google search and user platforms like reddit are a great place to start. If you still need more information, search for reputable smart home automation companies in your area, ask for their qualifications and experiences. Your safety and peace of mind comes first!
Here at Safe & Sound, we offer free consultations for new clients. We’ll work with you to understand your vision and recommend the perfect smart home solutions to fit your needs and lifestyle.
5. Schedule Regular Maintenance
Smart home systems, like all other technologies, require frequent maintaining to function optimally.
Promptly install software updates. Software updates frequently contain security fixes that resolve vulnerabilities. Make a habit of installing updates for your smart home devices as soon as they become available. If you’re not sure where to begin, contact the company who installed it for you. They could assist with retraining, and do a thorough maintenance on your security devices and smart home devices
By following these tips, you can significantly enhance your smart home security and create a safe and secure living environment. Remember, smart home security is an ongoing process. Stay informed about the latest threats and best practices to keep your smart home protected.
