Having a smart home is a convenience that more households enjoy every year. Unfortunately, with that convenience comes brand new dangers. Nearly every smart home device is accessible from the internet. This is meant to provide you, the homeowner, the convenience of monitoring and controlling your home. However, it also opens new doors into your home for hackers. If you’re doubtful whether your smart home can actually be hacked, consider the fact that many smart homes have already been compromised. Protecting your smart home from hackers requires vigilant measures and a proactive approach. Below are essential tips to help you keep your smart home secure.
1. Ensure Regular Firmware Updates
One of the most crucial defenses against hackers is the programmers who work for the companies you purchase these devices from. When security flaws are identified, programmers work swiftly to fix them. The fixes are then sent out automatically to customer devices. However, not all consumer smart home devices offer firmware updates. Make sure to verify this before purchasing. You can also ensure the firmware is the latest by checking the device or app settings and comparing it to the latest firmware on the company website.
Most companies “push” firmware updates automatically so you don’t have to do anything. However, with other smart home devices, you need to manually update firmware using the device settings or the mobile app. Regularly updating firmware is essential as it patches security vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit. Ensure that your devices are configured to receive updates automatically if this option is available. This small step can make a significant difference in protecting your smart home.
2. Change the Device Default Password
One of the most common mistakes people make when buying smart home devices is that they set up the device and leave the default password unchanged. In the case of some devices, like the D-Link wireless camera, there isn’t even an admin password by default. This is the worst scenario because anyone with access to your home wireless network could easily connect to the camera and see what the camera sees.
Most smart home devices let you change the default admin password on the mobile app or the cloud-based interface. This is usually found in the settings area. Changing default passwords is a fundamental security measure because default credentials are often easy to guess or publicly available online. The first thing you should do when you buy a smart home device is change the default admin password. Also, use a unique password that you haven’t used on any other device. Combining letters, numbers, and special characters can enhance the strength of your passwords to provide an additional layer of security.
3. Secure Your Home Router
The most common path hackers take to access your smart home devices is through unsecured home routers. This means that your first line of defense is to fully secure your router so that hackers can’t use it. First, log in to your router as the administrator so that you can make these changes. Changing the default admin password to a unique one you don’t use anywhere else is imperative. Disable port forwarding to reduce potential entry points for hackers.
Enable the router firewall and set it to either medium or high to block unauthorized access attempts. Encrypt the Wi-Fi network with a strong password to prevent unauthorized users from connecting. Modern routers offer additional security features such as guest networks and MAC address filtering. Implementing these can further secure your network by segregating devices and allowing only authorized ones to connect.
4. Be Cautious With Third-Party Connections
As more smart home device manufacturers offer cloud-based solutions for accessing those devices from the web, the odds of a hacker getting access to your cloud account continue to increase. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use cloud-based interfaces to access your devices. But it does mean you should make sure those cloud accounts are locked down with a strong password. Unfortunately, a strong password isn’t enough if you share the password with potential hackers. You may not willingly do that, but by integrating that cloud account with third-party services, you increase the chances of that account getting hacked.
You can reduce this risk in several ways: limit third-party access to just a few services, only integrate with reputable services like IFTTT or Zapier, and if possible, add the integration from the smart device app and not the third-party website. Confirm the third-party service uses encryption for all transmissions to and from the service and your device. Remember that once you open up access to a third-party service, all a hacker needs to do is hack that service, and they’ll have access to your smart home device. When you enable access for third-party services, try and limit that access as much as possible. For example, only allowing access to motion detection rather than a Wi-Fi camera video feed is a good way to maintain your smart home security.
5. Secure Your Mobile Phone
If a hacker can’t access your home router or get access to your smart home devices through third-party cloud services, there’s one more point of weakness they can exploit. Your phone. Nearly every smart home manufacturer offers a mobile app to control or monitor those devices over your in-home wireless network. If a hacker can access your smartphone, they can access those smart home devices. There are easy ways to protect yourself from this line of attack.
Only install reputable mobile apps from Google Play. Don’t root your smartphone. Don’t use your phone to connect to public Wi-Fi networks. Install a reputable mobile antivirus app. When you use your phone to access your smart home devices, it’s more important than ever to consider its security. Regularly updating your phone software, using biometric authentication, and keeping a close watch on permissions granted to apps can significantly enhance your phone’s security and, by extension, your smart home devices.
6. Keep Critical Smart Home Devices Offline
A common method thieves use to break into homes is to first break into your car and steal the garage door opener. Then, once you leave for work, they use the garage door controller to open the garage and walk right into your home. These days, as more homeowners install front door smart locks and smart garage door openers, there are other ways for thieves to get in. If those smart devices are connected to a cloud-based account, hackers only need to hack your account to ultimately access your home.
This is why if you depend on any smart home device to protect your home’s physical security, it’s smarter to opt out of any cloud access at all. Buy home security smart home devices that only allow you to access them when you’re connected to your home’s wireless network. Better yet, buy ones that only communicate over Bluetooth and require a secure password for that direct access. Limiting access to these devices through only one path will dramatically improve your smart home security.
The Importance of Smart Home Security
Owning a smart home offers a level of convenience that more and more households are experiencing each year. However, with this convenience comes a set of new risks. Nearly every smart home device can be accessed through the internet, designed to let you monitor and control your home with ease. But this accessibility also presents new opportunities for hackers to breach your privacy and security. If you doubt the vulnerability of your smart home, consider that many have already fallen victim to cyber attacks.
Ensuring that your smart home remains secure from hackers is crucial and requires a diligent and proactive approach. You need to take vigilant measures to safeguard your devices and protect your home network. Start by securing your Wi-Fi network with a strong password and encryption. Regularly update all smart devices and apps to the latest firmware, which often contains essential security patches.
Furthermore, consider using multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security. Disabling features you don’t use, like remote access, also limits potential entry points for hackers. Use strong, unique passwords for every device and account associated with your smart home. Implementing these essential tips can significantly enhance the security of your smart home, ensuring that you enjoy its benefits without compromising on safety.
