Our houses are full of smart gadgets. We can turn the radio on, turn the lights off, adjust our central heating, keep an eye on our children and see who’s at the front door all with the touch of a screen.
These gadgets certainly make life easier for us but many people are unaware of the security risks that come along with these products.
With our homes more connected than ever, more opportunities for hackers are arising.
Smart devices connect to our home WiFi and once cybercriminals hack into that, they have access to every one of your smart devices too. This allows hackers to exploit your privacy, potentially accessing home security footage and personal details.
The more smart devices you have, the more appealing your network is to hackers.
But don’t worry, taking simple precautions can help.
Here’s 3 tips for keeping your smart home safe:
1. Two-Factor Authentication
One key step you can take to protect your smart home is to set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) across all your devices. This method requires you to provide a second form of verification, e.g. a temporary code sent to your mobile, in addition to your password.
2FA adds an extra layer of security and is a must for smart devices. Without your physical device, hackers can’t gain unauthorised access to your accounts with only your password.
2. Strong Passwords
Another vital safety component is ensuring you have strong, unique passwords across your smart device accounts and WiFi.
Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess like birthdays, names or sequences such as ‘abcd’ or ‘1234’. It’s also recommended that you don’t use the same password across multiple devices too.
Read more on our essential tips for password security here.
3. Keep Devices Updates
Our last tip is to keep all your devices’ systems updated. If security systems become compromised, companies use system updates to patch these flaws. If you can, set the updates as automatic so you don’t forget.
As smart devices only become more prevalent in our homes, we must keep security at the forefront of our minds and take the necessary action to protect ourselves.