How to Secure Your Smart Home: Your Questions Answered

A smart home is a home that has internet-connected appliances that can be controlled remotely via smartphone or computer. These appliances can be thermostats, lightbulbs, security cameras, ceiling fans—you name it, there’s probably a smart version of it. And the list is growing rapidly. These smart home devices are joining others around the world in what is known as the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is a network of more than eight billion connected devices.

If you’re new to the smart home life or you’re just worried about protecting your devices from hackers, read these common questions and tips on how to secure the smart technology in your home.

What are the benefits of a smart home?

The benefits of all that connectivity are customization and convenience. Smart technology allows your appliances to do things that their “dumb” equivalents simply can’t do:

• Smart lightbulbs allow you to customize the color of your lighting, as well as how bright or dim it is, from a simple smartphone app. You can turn the lights on and off, change their color, and set timers on the fly, regardless of where you are.
  
  

• A smart thermostat can learn your temperature preferences and automatically adjust itself so that your home remains as comfortable as possible while using the least amount of energy. And, again, they can be adjusted from anywhere via a smartphone app.
  
  

• A smart camera can record high-resolution video and upload it automatically to the Cloud. It can also alert you if motion is detected and allow you to remotely monitor the footage and communicate with any person who may be in the room.
  
  

Why do I need to protect it?

Of course, all this awesome technology comes with a drawback—any device that is connected to the internet is a potential avenue of attack for a smart cybercriminal. These devices operate by connecting to the internet through your home Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, as we know too well at this point, devices connected to Wi-Fi are vulnerable to hacking. That goes for your laptop, your smartphone, and yes, your smart door locks and security system.

What are the threats?

One would think, with all the major data breaches and news about cybercrime in the last several years, that security would be a top priority for manufacturers of any connected devices, especially personal ones like smart home devices. The reality is that security is often an afterthought for the manufacturers of smart home tech. These devices may have vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit.

A hacker could gain access to your home network through a vulnerability in your smart thermostat or door lock. That access could let them infect every device connected to your network with malware or even take control of the devices themselves. Even security cameras can be hacked if they aren’t properly protected and then used to stake out your home for a future burglary, allowing the hackers to learn when you come and go.

Additionally, someone having access to your network without your knowledge puts you at risk for identity theft. If a hacker can crack into one device and then use that network access to get into your smartphone or computer, the results can be disastrous. Identity theft (or ID theft) is much more common than many realize—you don’t want to leave anything to chance.

What can I do to protect my smart home?

So, what can you do? Should you just shun all smart home devices? Of course not. But some security best practices should be put into place. Some security measures come from the manufacturer through updates to your device, but other measures are completely up to you to take care of.

Here are some steps you can take to safeguard your smart home and prevent ID theft:

1. Use strong passwords. It is never a good idea to use the default password on any device, and changing it to something unique should be one of the first things you do. Use a strong password with a mix of numbers, symbols, and letters, and avoid using the same password on more than one device or service if possible.
   
   

2. Protect your Wi-Fi. Good network security practices don’t require a degree in computer science—anyone can do these. First, you’ll want to make sure your router’s admin account is secured with a strong password. The procedure varies between models, but the manual for your router should offer instructions. Second, make sure the network is set to use strong encryption. WPA2 encryption is best. Check first to see if your router is new enough to support it. If it doesn’t, consider upgrading your router.
   
   

3. Update your devices. Keep your wireless router, computer, smartphone, and any other smart devices updated. Yes, it can be annoying to update your devices, but there’s a reason companies put out these updates in the first place, and that reason is usually security. If the device’s manufacturer has discovered a security hole, you can bet hackers have discovered it, too. Not updating the device leaves that hole wide open. If your devices don’t offer security updates, you may want to consider replacing them for ones that do.
   
   

4. Consider identity theft protection. As an added layer of protection, it may not be a bad idea to invest in an identity theft protection service. These services offer monitoring of your credit reports and Social Security number and alert you when suspicious activity is detected. Generally, you should check on these things yourself periodically, but these services can help streamline the process by having someone else do it for you.
   
   

In today’s world of constant networking and new technologies, it’s important to protect yourself. These tips should get you off to a great start, but don’t stop here. It’s important to stay vigilant and adapt to changing technology.