Smart home devices are great, aren’t they? I mean, just a few years back, who would’ve thought that you could come back to a home where the lighting and temperature match your vibe and a warm cup of coffee awaits you, all without you having to say a word.
There’s just one problem, though: smart home devices are a major gateway for cybercriminals, facing an average of 29 attempted attacks a day. By taking control of these devices, cybercriminals could either surveil, gain access to your home, or use your information for ransom or identity theft.
On the bright side, there are steps you can take to prevent that, and in this article, I’ll explore both sides of the coin. Let’s dive into why smart home devices require cybersecurity measures, along with some easy and budget-friendly steps you can take to implement them.
Why are Smart Home Devices Vulnerable to Cyberattacks?
We often overlook certain aspects, each of which leads to an increased threat of cyberattacks to your smart home devices. This section explores some of the most significant ones you should be aware of.
Weak Passwords and Authentication Measures
Most smart home devices have very weak authentication measures since they are more focused on convenience and functionality, compared to security (ironic as that sounds). To make matters worse, their default credentials (many of which we rarely change) are also weak, leading to an easily accessible entry point.
Weak Built-in Privacy Protection
Smart home devices thrive on your data, and they’re collecting it each second you’re using them. That’s what allows them to automate and personalize settings to your preferences. This data includes a lot of sensitive information about various parts of your lives. However, most smart home devices may not prioritize protecting this information through encryption, turning it into a sitting duck for cybercriminals.
Weak Internet Security Protocols
Since most smart home devices require the internet, the security measures your internet service provider offers also play a huge role in protecting your smart home device network, in addition to your online activities. The problem is that we connect every device we own to our internet without a worry in the world.
What we don’t realize is that a weak internet connection could mean game on for hackers. A lack of these measures can lead to all the data that’s shared among smart home devices being intercepted by nefarious third parties to exploit.
That about covers the reasons, and if I were you, I’d be scrambling for a solution. Luckily, I’ve got some tried-and-tested ones that are easier to implement and more budget-friendly than you think. Let’s explore.
How to Protect Your Smart Home Devices in 3 Easy Steps
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. All you have to do is choose, change, and check. Maybe the context below might help you understand what I’m talking about.
Choose a Reliable Internet Provider
A strong foundation can act as your strongest line of defense, and since the internet supports the functions of smart home devices, you want a service that’s highly secure. To spare you the hassle of searching through a literal ocean of services, let me recommend Cox internet. They have a huge range of advanced security functionalities, such as:
- Blocking malware, phishing attempts, and unauthorized access to devices
- Real-time alerts to notify you of potential network threats and suspicious activity
- WPA2/WPA3 encryption protocols to secure wireless traffic
- Allowing network segmentation, such as creating guest networks for visitors
The guest network feature can be particularly useful since it creates a separate network that you can keep your smart home devices connected to. That way, even if a hacker somehow manages to reach them, they are limited to that network, keeping your crucial devices safe and free of tampering.
Change Internet and Smart Home Device Passwords
Your internet’s default settings also have the same effect as those of your smart home devices. You want to change both of these to something personalized that only you and your family members can recall easily, because you don’t want to be logged out yourself over and over, do you? I wouldn’t recommend changing it every now and then; instead, after three months.
Check for Regular Software and Hardware Updates
Updates are how your smart home devices and internet service provider introduce new performance-related features in the underlying technologies and hardware that include security-related ones. Most of these updates install automatically, so you don’t really have to do much here other than check that they are installed. If they aren’t, you might want to either install them manually or reach out to the respective customer service teams to discuss the issue.
Protecting Smart Home Devices – Protecting Everything
There’s no denying that smart home devices are gradually going to be a part of every corner of our homes, offering us unmatched power to personalize and control our homes as we see fit.
However, with great power comes great responsibility (thanks, Uncle Ben), especially to those that matter most, your family. By implementing the cybersecurity measures above, you can protect them from anyone who means harm.
