If you are serious about creating a safe, smart home, there are a few key steps you should take. Proper configuration and security are essential - so let us dive into all the details we need to know!
Home Appliances: The Biggest Smart Home Risks
Home appliances connected to a network can result in numerous risks. Connecting our homes to the Internet introduces us to various hazards we must consider and be aware of.
- Modern devices like your smart television and smart washing machine regularly transfer data to their vendors. Your television can recognize the content you view, no matter its source, while vendors profit from monitoring their customers. Even low-tech appliances can collect and share information with the companies they belong to.
- Suppose your smart device is not secured with a strong password and its factory settings remain unchanged, featuring potential operating system vulnerabilities. In that case, it can make it easy for hackers to access the device. The repercussions vary from one device to another: a smart washing machine can be abruptly shut down during a wash cycle as a joke, while baby monitors can be misused for tracking or even scaring those living in the house. More egregious scenarios can occur if the smart home is connected—including blackouts and heating shutdowns.
- Malicious actors can hijack internet-connected smart devices, infecting them with code and using them to launch cyberattacks. These attacks can target computers on the home network and those connected to the broader Web. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have been known to originate solely from infected surveillance cameras, severely limiting or completely disrupting the owner's access to the Internet and even resulting in blacklisting.
- If the security measures put in place by the vendor are inadequate, confidential information originating from the device could be accessed and made publicly available. Unfortunately, footage collected by surveillance and peephole cameras is sometimes stored on cloud networks that lack robust protection - making them easy targets for prying eyes.
Fortunately, you can avoid these unpleasant experiences, as the risks can be significantly reduced.
Reject Tech Gluttony: Is a Smart Home Necessary?
Having a smart home that is not correctly set up can be a common occurrence. According to appliance vendor statistics, half of all IoT devices never connect to a network. The users keep using them in an old-fashioned manner without taking advantage of the new opportunities available through a mobile app or other modern privileges. However, even when these gadgets are left unused, they pose security threats. Examples include an unsecured Wi-Fi access point that can be readily accessed, or a Bluetooth connection that attempts to connect with nearby phones. This could lead to someone else assuming control over the device, such as a neighbor. To reduce these risks, the minimum required action is to take the time to read and understand the user manual, open the settings, and then switch off both the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Staying one step ahead of technology can be a challenging process. If a device keeps trying to connect to Wi-Fi after a power interruption, there is a way to keep it from doing so. Changing your home Wi-Fi password temporarily, connecting the misbehaving device, and then changing the password again will prevent any potential hacking attempts, as the device will not accept the invalid password. It is a small trick, but it does the job quite effectively.
Essential Tips
Regardless of how your smart home is set up, whether as a centralized system or with different devices that do not communicate, protecting it with basic security measures is essential.
- Ensure your Wi-Fi router is protected. Do not forget that the router is also a component of your smart home framework. We have prepared multiple extensive instructions to safeguard a home Wi-Fi system and configure a router correctly. One more matter to remember is that, often, vulnerabilities can be detected in the home router's firmware, meaning the set-once-and-forget approach will not work here. Therefore, you should inspect firmware updates regularly. High-quality routers allow you to install recent firmware versions directly from their web interface management panel. If yours does not offer this option, visit the vendor's website, or contact your internet service provider and follow the appropriate guide to install a more recent version of the firmware. Finally, ensure the ability to control your router from outside the home network is disabled in the settings. This functionality may be necessary for addressing technical issues, but it can easily give rise to cybersecurity threats if enabled unnecessarily.
- It is vital to be aware of any devices connected to your network. Utilizing a specialized app, like Kaspersky Premium, can make this task easy. This app will let you view all devices connected to the network, their vendors, and their security status when applicable. To ensure your network remains safe and secure, remove unfamiliar or unnecessary devices, such as refrigerators or even neighbors using your Wi-Fi without permission.
- When shopping for a tech gadget, evaluating the vendor's credibility is essential. Unfortunately, no company is immune from having issues; however, certain vendors are more reliable, as they swiftly respond to discovered vulnerabilities and promptly release updates. A recent survey by Kaspersky revealed that 34% of consumers think choosing a reputable seller guarantees a safe, smart home environment. While this will reduce potential risks, other precautionary measures must also be taken to ensure security.
Build Your Smart Home on a Reliable Wi-Fi Network
Keeping track of multiple smart devices can be a daunting task. Connecting each device to the Internet via Wi-Fi requires setting up individual passwords, firmware, and security for each device—and that gets even more complicated when you start using external integrations, such as Amazon Alexa or Apple HomeKit. To ensure your home setup is secure, it is important to keep track of all the details depending on the vendor and type of device. Here are our top tips to ensure your smart device security is current.
- Setting up a separate and secure Wi-Fi network for guests is an important security measure. Professionals refer to this process as "network segmentation," which ideally should involve splitting the home network into three parts—home computers, guest devices, and any smart home appliances. Unfortunately, many routers are not capable of achieving such sophistication. Yet, it is still recommended that two distinct segments be created—one for home devices and another for visitors—with differing passwords for each. It is also wise to tighten security settings in the guest segment by enabling options such as client isolation, bandwidth limits, etc. Doing this, it not only helps reduce risks associated with Internet of Things (IoT) devices but creates a virtual wall between your home computer and any connected video cameras that an intruder may have compromised. To make sure your appliances are connected appropriately and in the right segment, look through the router's web-based management interface, specifically at the Wi-Fi settings. Remember to confirm further if any appliances are connected via cables by checking other sections of the router's settings.
- To keep your devices secure, it is essential to create solid passwords. Access the settings for each device; this can be accomplished through an app or a web interface. Follow the user manual to set a lengthy, distinct password for each device-- never use the same one for multiple devices! To make managing your passwords more manageable, consider utilizing a password manager. Kaspersky Premium offers a built-in option while numerous stand-alone apps are available.
- To keep your devices running smoothly and up to date, update the firmware regularly through an app or web interface. Check each device to ensure they are properly equipped with the latest firmware. Doing so will ensure optimal performance.
- Understand the settings of your online service. Your device may operate in multiple modes, depending on how much information is being sent to the Internet. For example, a robotic vacuum cleaner might be able to transfer a complete map of your residence via the server, or it may be disallowed. Additionally, a video peephole could be set up to save all photos and videos of people at your doorframe that is detected through motion detection, or it may just show them when you press the button. To avoid excessive memory consumption on the vendor cloud storage, deactivate any unused functions. Do not provide something to your server that can be removed from sharing while not hindering its purpose.
- Stay up to date with the vendors of the IoT devices you use. It is possible that certain flaws, such as vulnerabilities, may be discovered, and users must then respond quickly by updating their firmware, enabling, or disabling features, resetting passwords, and removing cloud backups that are no longer needed. Vendors typically have a segment of their website dedicated to offering security tips. However, this documentation can be hard to understand and contains information regarding more devices than your own. To protect yourself and your device, it is best to check for updates occasionally and investigate if you find any concerning information.
How Centralized AI Could Revolutionize Your Smart Home
Ensuring the security of your smart home is much simpler when you own a centralized system with most devices managed by a hub. To protect yourself from potential dangers, the controller for your smart home must be carefully configured - utilizing a solid password, regularly updating firmware, and, if available, two-factor authentication.
To bolster security, limiting internet connection with the controller is best by restricting data sharing with any computers except for vendor servers and devices on the home network. This can be done through the router settings. Furthermore, if remote management of your smart home system is not a requirement, disconnecting the hub from the Internet entirely is an effective security solution. Doing so will not prevent all attacks but will safeguard against typical malicious attempts.
Talk to us today for more robust cybersecurity solutions.
