How To Protect Your Home from Smart Hackers
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer April Khan
How To Protect Your Home from Smart Hackers
Smart devices are an excellent investment for making life a little easier around the house and increasing your property's value. But as beneficial as smart devices are, they also put your family at risk if not managed effectively.
Smart devices are continuously collecting data from you and your family, and hackers are always on the hunt to obtain and abuse that data. To keep your family safe from cybercriminals and annoying hackers, we've compiled a list of five things you can do today to secure your devices better and, in turn, your home.
Secure Your Wi-Fi Network
The easiest way to access most of the smart devices in your home is through your Wi-Fi router. When you first purchase your router, it will have a username and password displayed on the back (some don’t contain a password at all). To make it harder for hackers to access your home, change this password and create a different username. Use a password that's difficult to guess: one that contains both uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers and symbols.
The best practice is to use a name that only you would know about when it comes to naming. Not your pet’s name, your name, or the make of your car. If you like Starbucks, the username could be FrothyLatte834. If you're an avid traveler, try JetSetGoldCoast7567 — if you don't post about your travels online. Hackers mine information from public social media profiles, so don't name your device after anything you post online. The same goes for your passwords.
Make Your Passwords Hard to Guess
It's tempting to create the same password for everything in your house, but cyber security companies like Kaspersky and McAfee warn against this. Once an unscrupulous hacker obtains one of your passwords, they will try it on every device. So, to make it difficult for a hacker to take over your smart home, create a separate password for everything. Use a password generator to create passwords that are hard to work out, then store them on a cloud program whose password you can remember. Depending on the setting, some password generators create a new password every day, every week, or every month.
Activate Two-Factor Authentication
Email providers like Gmail or Yahoo prompt users to create a two-factor authentication method to access their accounts in the future. Two-factor authentication uses a combination of passwords and codes to access your account. After typing in your password, the provider texts a code to authenticate your account. Should a hacker gain access to your password, they'll need a code that’s been sent to your phone — or a link to click — to verify their identity, or they won't gain access to your device.
Use Multiple Networks to Run Your Devices
Smart appliances require a Wi-Fi connection for complete functionality. Most people put all their devices on one network with the same passwords. If you do this, you significantly increase the chances of being hacked. Remember, a hacker isn’t always trying to take over your device. Most of them break into the device’s account to steal personal information.
Create a separate network on your Wi-Fi systems like "guest" or a name of your choosing. Then, split your devices up and run them through these different networks. Splitting them up like this will deter hackers and free up bandwidth for a quicker browsing experience.
Don’t Use Smart Plugs for Alarm Systems
Protect your most valuable assets — your family — by plugging your alarm system directly into your wall. If you plug your alarm into a smart plug, a hacker could disable the plug, in turn, disabling your alarm. The same goes for garage doors, telephone systems, and computers. These devices are vulnerable to hacking and stand between you and getting help in an emergency. So don't chance it; use a power saver plug for these devices and not a smart plug.
Choose Devices You Need
Do you need a smart bulb, a talking coffee maker, or an Alexa device in every room?
It can be so tempting to go out and purchase every smart gadget on the market but doing so increases your likelihood of being hacked. For this reason, you should stick to devices that are suitable for your family’s needs and stay away from the others.
Summary
You don’t have to be the latest victim of cybercrime. Find out where each device is storing your information. Ransomware attacks or data breaches could land your information in the wrong hands.
The key is to be aware of vulnerable entry points so that potential hackers can’t access your private information or violate your right to safety. Next, stay informed of the latest hacks and ask your Wi-Fi company for security upgrades. Lastly, and most importantly, update your software as often as your device prompts you. This way, you'll have the latest security patches. Installing these patches significantly reduces the risk of your home falling prey to hackers.
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