By As developments in technology allow for a more smarter and more efficient home, it’s still important that you learn how to keep your devices safe and secure.
This modern era paved way for the advent of technology, with people inventing gadgets such as the touchscreen refrigerator, the doorbell camera, fitness watches, and even sensors that track your sleep.
This has extended to the entire household, even allowing you to take care of your home while away, which can be done via your smartphone. It’s amazing in terms of general convenience because the thing with human brains is that we tend to forget the simplest of things, such as forgetting to lock the door or turning the heater off. With this kind of development, however, you must keep in mind that the threat develops along with advancement.
According to research, the threat of a security breach is real in these smart homes. There are automated attacks ready to strike any time, as they would with personal computers. Threats often include denial-of-service, gains for cryptocurrency mining, and stealing user passwords. Luckily, there are steps to take to keep your smart home protected. Here is a list of things to consider:
Keep everything updated:
You, of course, have developed a habit of keeping your smartphones and computers updated, but tend to overlook this habit for smart home devices. Remember to update these regularly, as with any gadget linked to an account on the internet can be a constant target for fraud and botnets. These are typical causes of denial-of-service problems.
Doublecheck your passwords:
Nowadays, there are apps that keep your passwords safe for you, as well as generate strong and complex ones that cannot be cracked or hacked. It is highly suggested to keep such password managers, such as LastPass or 1Password. These services make use of alphanumeric passcodes, arranges them for you, and stores them across different platforms. This is particularly helpful when you use your smartphone to log into these devices. Your home devices usually arrive with a factory-set username and password, so make sure to always change this.
Make sure to secure your network:
While it’s not the most convenient when setting up your smart home, consider setting up a separate WiFi network specifically for your home devices, which can include even your smart speakers and smart lights, along with other things you wish to link. This move will ensure that network traffic will only be diverted to the home automation, completely separate from your mobiles and computers. In the event of an attack, lines that contain your personal information, such as banking details, email information, and even your personal statement writing service account, will be kept safe.
Don’t forget to do your homework:
Your smart home is a relatively new category of technology and gadgets, so keep that in mind whenever you shop for upgrades. Don’t just purchase anything you see on sale, as you have no idea what kind of vulnerabilities it may have. It may only be on its first stage of development, making it an easy target. The company that manufactured it may not be offering software updates as often, which can also be a threat. Before checking out that cart, see what the rest of the world has to say about it. Examine Amazon and Best Buy customer reviews, and scour for the product name and read everything you need to know about it. Sticking to the well-known brands and retailers is the best option, though, as the company behind those will likely have resources to invest in necessary updates.
Look up to the EULA:
We are all guilty of skipping this part, but it’s highly important that we practice reading it from now on: review the terms you’re signing before logging in to a new device. Most of the time, though, you will not have much control over what you’re agreeing to because of all the jargon included, so turn to the internet and look at what other people are saying. Chances are, someone has already researched where your data is heading.
Mute something if you have to:
If you’re going to install a digital assistant like Google Home or Amazon Echo, you’re connecting your other devices to a speaker with a microphone, constantly listening to your commands. Of course, it cannot be argued that a hands-free household is majorly convenient, but it may not be as comfortable when you think about the risks you may be exposed to. It is vital to stick to well-known brands instead, like Amazon, Apple, Google and Anker Eufy. All these companies come with physical mute buttons, which will come in handy. Do try to avoid third-party versions of these, since the brands behind these devices may not be consistently updated. If you’re still uneasy about a certain device that’s connected, then plug it in only when necessary.
Smart Home Control | Image: Tom’s Guide
Having a smart home is seemingly going to be the future of most households, but in the end, new technology must be greeted with caution.
More than convenience, the security of your smart home must be your first priority. It will rely on how heavily you’ve researched and how much planning you’ve done before setting up any devices.
Although the idea of switching over to a smart home can be scary, it can provide numerous benefits for homeowners. Smart home technologies have far-reaching benefits for owners who can reduce their energy consumption quickly and gain massive savings in the long-term.
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