Are You Vulnerable to Hackers?
Technology is making our homes smarter every day. We can unlock the door for the child who forgot their key. We can start cooking dinner before we get home. Our doorbell camera told us when our package arrived at the front door. Smart homes have been a big help in our daily routines. With many of these conveniences, are there also risks? Yes, these wireless devices that we have networking inside our home are opportunities for cybercriminals.
Smart Device Security
When we purchase our new smart device, how quickly do we set it up? Usually, excitement has us clicking the boxes and agreeing to almost everything just to speed up the startup process. Most consumers have a trusting spirit towards the selling company and do not take the time with the small print. Cybercriminals are counting on this lax attitude. Our laptops and cellphones usually update with software that protects hacking, but many of our devices in the home do not.
Tips for Keeping Yourself Safe
We don’t want to give up our nifty smart gadgets, so how can we make sure the device we have brought in to our home is not passing on sensitive information to cyberspace spies? Personal privacy can become an open book. Safety protocol must be a priority. Even though it is convenient and fun to have all these controllable devices, eliminate the ones that may not be necessary. For the ones you keep, here is what you might do:
- When the smart item is installed, make sure you change the default password. It should be something unusual, not guessable.
- Read each box thoroughly before you agree to it.
- Try to have automatic updates when possible.
- Keep track of all the Wi-Fi devices that are on your router.
- Restrict access to these devices in your private rooms, such as bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Turn off features that are for data collecting, voice, or facial recognition on Smart TVs.
Minimize Your Risk of Hacking
About a third of the nation’s consumers purchased or installed a smart home item last year. The novelty of these items is for their convenience and usefulness. Unfortunately, we have to recognize each “smart” item as a possible security risk. The way we can minimize this risk is to protect the privacy of your family rather than eliminate the product. Implement the above suggestions for a start. Implement any additional security alerts you may find to keep your devices hidden. As we all make our homes smarter, it is only a matter of time before our privacy is challenged.
Smart Home technology is only going to grow. They will become part of our daily lives. The best kind of security we can have is to be in control of the risks. Be prepared, be smart. This will help you build a defense. Be aware of what you are purchasing and what it could be capable of in the hands of a cyberhacker. Our smart products will make our lives easier, and we will get the most benefits from it when we stay on top of the dangers by being smarter than our smart home.
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