Smart devices went from the stuff of science fiction through something only the super-rich could afford to become common in ordinary people's homes. While it's neat and futuristic to be able to adjust your room temperature with a tap or get notified when the laundry's done, owning smart home devices comes with risks. Here's how to turn your smart home into a cybersecurity fortress!
Consider Your Smart Home Ecosystem
The first thing you should do, even before smartening up your home, is to consider which devices and brands to go with. More gadgets lead to a more interconnected experience and broaden your attack surface. Start with a few essential devices first and expand gradually.
You'll also want to pay attention to the type and brand of device you buy. For example, gadgets that connect through the ZigBee and Z-Wave protocols are more likely to suffer connection issues while being easier to target. Moreover, it’s always a good idea to spend a bit extra on an established brand that guarantees quality work and long-term support.
Segment Your Wi-Fi
Most smart devices aren’t hackers’ primary targets, although they have been used as part of a botnet [WU1] before. Rather, their basic hardware and security are easy to circumvent, potentially allowing access to other devices sharing the same wireless network.
Segmenting your Wi-Fi is an effective means of stopping such attempts. To do so, access your router's settings and create a guest network to connect your smart devices separately. These devices can operate normally inside this self-contained system but don't communicate with or endanger your laptop, smartphone, etc.
Strengthen Your Passwords
Weak and duplicate passwords are a severe risk to your smart home. Exposing one yourself accidentally or a single data breach may become enough to compromise your entire system if cybercriminals target all your other accounts using credential stuffing. Ensure your router, Wi-Fi, and all accounts tied to your smart gadgets have complex and unique passwords. You’ll want to opt for a password manager of the best quality for optimum efficiency.
Password managers protect smart home accounts by generating and securing unique passwords for each. If you access a device from an app or browser, the passwords are automatically filled in, and you only need to remember a master password to interact with them.
Add an Extra Security Layer with MFA
Unique passwords keep incidents from spreading, but they still leave an affected account vulnerable to intrusion. Multi-factor authentication addresses this by requiring you to provide another one-time code whenever you log in from a new device. Each such attempt also triggers a notification, giving you time to address the issue. MFA comes standard with advanced password managers.
Encrypt Network Traffic with a VPN
Used carelessly, smart devices can provide hackers and snoops with a wealth of information on your habits and activities. For example, someone could exploit a hole in your Wi-Fi’s security or use a man-in-the-middle attack to intercept the data your smart TV is sharing and accessing online.
Your best bet is to install a virtual private network on your router and protect your Wi-Fi connection from its source. That way, devices like your smart TV access the internet through an encrypted tunnel that neither ISPs nor bad actors can use to track you or access your devices. VPNs for smart TVs are useful since they can bypass geo-restrictions and let you enjoy a broader catalog of shows and streaming services.
Keep Everything Updated
Neglecting updates is a surefire way to leave smart devices vulnerable to old exploits. Most devices should update automatically as long as they connect to the internet. Even so, double-check that all are running the latest firmware and software updates and initiate them manually if needed. Additionally, stop using old smart gadgets that no longer receive updates.
