How to keep your home devices from being compromised

by Anthony, Founder at EquipmentArea.com

There are now a lot of home device trends on how one can improve one’s home and make it more convenient and accessible. With the latest and continuous advancement in technology, staying at home has never been this good. Over the years, big television sets have become thinner, and the phones with antenna have evolved to become smartphones.

There are increasing innovative ideas and efforts being done nowadays to make your home smarter. A fully-equipped smart home can give you the ability to control your lighting and even your TV and refrigerator using your smartphone.

While your home is safe, there are still risks that these smart devices can be compromised or hacked.

Fortunately, there are ways for you to prevent this from happening. Here are some safety tips on how you can make your home devices more secure than they are currently and prevent them from being compromised in the future.

Check Your Every Device’s Settings

Once you have a network of smart devices, it is important that you know each one of them thoroughly and understands what they are capable of. You should not set up your smart home gear and simply forget it afterward.

Take some time to go to all its settings and understand what each feature can do.

If a particular device doesn’t require access to the web, you can opt to disable its connection if possible. If your device requires a password so you can access it, it’s better to use a unique password instead of the one you are using for your entire smart home network.

Also, always replace the default password or the password that was set by the manufacturer on your devices.

Since smart home devices offer convenience, most of them are simple and easy to configure so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to work through.

Make Sure Your Smartphone is Secure

Smart home appliances usually lead to having an automation system.

It means that you can manage your appliances and devices through your smartphone, which now acts as your home’s universal remote control. As such, having an unsecured smartphone will compromise your smart appliances at home.

Therefore, it is essential to ensure the security of your smartphone. You can increase your phone’s security in many ways. Besides keeping it locked when not in use, you can protect it with a passcode. You can also opt for facial recognition and touch ID for added verification.

If you doubt that your smartphone’s security is compromised, reset your smart home network password immediately.

Only Use Secure and Protected Devices

There are many reasons why you should upgrade to a smart home. It’s easy and convenient. There are various home devices and appliances you can include to your smart home network. It can be your refrigerator, coffee maker, air conditioning, lighting systems, thermostats, television, vacuum cleaners, and many others.

Still, you have to make sure that you choose the right devices for your home. It is important that you only choose smart devices that meet a particular safety and security standard. It starts with your devices, and if they aren’t as safe and secure as they should be, they are easy targets for hackers.

Fortunately, most of the known and established brands for smart home appliances and devices follow such security in transmission protocols. When buying smart devices, a cheap one might not be the best option since its lack of proper security protocol can give you greater risk to cyber threats.

Avoid Accessing Your Smart Home Network Using an Open Wi-Fi

One of the selling points of having a smart home is its convenience. It allows you to access your devices and smart appliances remotely, managing them seamlessly and with utmost ease.

Since you have to connect to the Internet or a network, you have to be aware of the risks that it entails. As such, you should always avoid connecting into an open network or public Wi-Fi when you need to access your smart home network.

This kind of network doesn’t give you the greatest security protocols. It simply means that connecting to open Wi-Fi makes your smartphone, as well as your devices, at high risk from hackers to go into and interfere with your home network.

Some hackers even set up fake open Wi-Fi. When you connect to this network, they can intercept any given transmission, which allows them things such as viewing data that you are receiving or sending to your smart devices. According to Norton’s, a cybersecurity company, risks in connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi include making your personal information public.

Set a Strong Password for Your Smart Home Network

A Wi-Fi hub or a router connects the smart devices and appliances at your home to the home network. Therefore, it is essential that you protect your Wi-Fi by having a strong password.

You can set up a Wi-Fi password that is at least 12 characters long, and you can also make it as unique from all of your other passwords. Naming your Wi-Fi can also help in making it more secure. Do not name it as it belongs to your house, which can make it an open target.

Having a secured Wi-Fi means a minimal risk that your devices can be intercepted and compromised.

Invest in Good Security Software

Based on the 2017 ISTR that was published by Symantec, it only takes at least two minutes for your devices to be compromised when connected to the Internet. Having a secure Wi-Fi is great. However, it’s not perfect, which means it can’t protect you from all kinds of malware that can intercept and infect your computer system or phone.

It is why having good security software can help, which can protect, not all smart devices, but the most important ones in your home network such as your computer and smartphone.

However, when you are using home security software, it is necessary that you update it to the latest version immediately whenever you are notified that there is a new one.

Seek Out and Update Your Gadgets

Aside from your security network, updating your gadgets can help make your home devices more secure. You have to do this manually since most smart devices cannot go and update themselves like other iOS and Windows gadgets. Some of your devices might not even need to be directly connected to the Internet to do such a thing.

It would be helpful if you regularly check your devices for any available updates. The best place you can start looking for updates is at the device manufacturer’s website.

Conclusion

Sticking to the popular and industry best smart home devices pays off when it comes to choosing smart gears for your home. However, it is always essential that you still put a great effort to keep them safe and secure at all times to avoid unwanted access.

About the Author

How to keep your home devices from being compromisedI am Anthony, and I love to improve my home surroundings with little home improvement projects from time to time. I share my tips and experience in managing garage, home and improve your health at Equipment Area.

March 19, 2019

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