Take a look through your home. How many networked devices do you see? Smart TVs, smart heaters or intelligent alarm systems have long been known roommates and make our lives easier. Just turn on the air conditioning on the go or take a look on vacation in the house, sounds so more than tempting. Especially since we are one of the Canadian Alarm Companies already spend at least few hours a day with our Internet-enabled devices and see them on vacation for at least a good hour, as our latest Unplugging Survey has shown. But beware! With every networked device, the risk of becoming the target of hackers increases.
Many large companies had to believe this recently, but data and identities of general people are also a lucrative business for hackers, as the ever-growing number of ransomware shows. Once you are not paying attention, all your holiday pictures and important documents are encrypted and can only be saved against huge sums of money. A horror scenario! Therefore, it is better to secure all smart home devices and data right from the start.
With these six tips you can crack the door in the face of hackers and enjoy your smart home carefree:
1. The right password is half the battle
The password is one of your first and most important protective walls! So do not make it too easy for hackers by choosing default logins like “12345” or names of children or pets. For example, to better remember complex passwords, you can use password managers or even better, put directly on multi-factor authentication. The extra security level keeps access to the devices even with password theft!
2. Always install updates immediately
We all know them: Pop-Up messages informing us that there is an update for software or system. Even if you seem annoying at first glance, because they need time to install, these updates are real lifesavers! They not only bring better performance or new features but also close old security holes or provide more effective protection against current malware. So take the few minutes for updates or have them done automatically.
3. Three networks are better than one
The more devices in a system, the greater the chance that one of them will be hacked and all others will be infected. Share your home networks best: guest Wi-Fi, private Wi-Fi, and your own invisible network for home IoT devices. Thus, in the worst case, the refrigerator can not attack the private laptop and paralyze the whole system.
4. Connect only to the encrypted pages
Whether on the move or at home, data connections should always be protected by encryption. You can not leave your front door wide open so that everyone can come in and look around as they please. Whether a page is encrypted is indicated by the abbreviation https: // or by the lock symbol in the URL display.
5. Remember privacy
Do you know how much and what data your smart home devices collect and store? Somewhere on a manufacturer’s computer can be stored with a lot of information about them: when you are at home or what other devices you own. Inform yourself in advance how the devices and manufacturers handle your data. Privacy should not be neglected for the sake of comfort.
6. The best camera does not protect the window
No matter how smart the technology you install, manual security remains the most important protection for your home. Because not only hackers want their belongings and a networked home is a real treasure trove for burglars who can take several high-quality gadgets. So, not only take care of the digital protection of your Smart Home but also rely on secure locks, burglar-resistant windows and reinforced doors.
ConclusionEquipped with these tips, you can sit back and relax on your sofa, switch on the Smart TV while turning up the air-conditioning and have ice cream in the kitchen – all by smartphone, of course. And the hackers are unsuccessful in the dark cellar.