How to Secure Your Smart Home: 7 Steps

• August 21 2024

How to Secure Your Smart Home: 7 Steps

We live in interesting times. Smart devices are everywhere. They have made life more pleasurable for everyone. The Internet of Things (IoT) has changed the way we live and function daily by connecting the devices we use. They are all over in our homes. In fact, they are now in almost every room of an average house. From Bluetooth speakers to smart TVs, smart gym equipment for home use smart fridges and smart multi-functional kitchen tools to smart home security systems and lighting, you find home users engaging with them in countless ways. The benefits of a connected home are endless and getting better day by day. But wait – does a connected home make life a breeze, or does it come with a downside? We explore in this blog and provide an easy guide on how to secure your smart home.

How Smart Home Works

A smart home is a household with several modern devices that may be connected to the internet. They contain tiny in-built computers that may be controlled remotely. These devices may be as small as an air fryer in your kitchen to one as large as a central cooling system. These devices require internet protocol to link up and operate, and this makes them different from the earlier traditional remotes that we have used for many years. They are all interconnected through a hub that may be your smartphone or home network router.

Also, unlike your traditional remote, each of these devices is capable of storing personal information on an individual’s usage, preferences, and habits, and this effectively turns each of them into a potential privacy risk. Collectively, this information stored either on the device or the network exposes your entire smart home to potential security risks. Plus, each new device that you keep adding increases this risk even more.

So, what do we do? Let’s take a look at the security risks and how to make our smart home secure.

Understanding Smart Home Security Threats and Risks

The smart connected home may produce several types of home security threats and risks:

Unauthorised access

Individual devices are not always secure. In a bid to capture market share with first-mover advantage, many devices are simply rushed to the market without security being adequately addressed. The user manual provided may not carry enough information on how to address privacy concerns or give adequate information on how secure the device is.  Baby monitors and security cameras have been hacked. Many IoT specialists believe that you should not be worrying about “what happens” if your smart home is compromised but rather, what to do “when it happens” because there are umpteen easy ways to hack and most devices provide little protection. Criminals can get easy access to see inside the house if your home security system is hacked.

Security cameras in a smart home are just the beginning. If you are using a control mower, smart sprinkler, and other outdoor devices remotely with smartphone apps, you are vulnerable too. Although these gadgets are meant to make consumers’ lives more convenient, outdoor devices with embedded computers are likely to be at the greatest risk of attack.

Outdoor devices like wireless doorbells, garage door openers, and smart sprinklers are more exposed to risks because they may be easily accessible to someone driving by a computer or Wi-Fi transmitter. Outdoor smart devices may be used as entry points, allowing hackers to access the entire smart home network.

Data privacy concerns

Any data that is retained in your home network could be accessible to an intruder. A cybercriminal may track your usage patterns for various devices in your home to see when you're away from home, for example. A recent study in the US outlined multiple privacy concerns with a popular virtual assistant, ranging from misleading privacy policies to allowing third parties to change the code of their programs once they had received approval from the device’s parent company.

If your home network is controlled from your main internet account, remember, that it's not simply data from your IoT devices that could be at risk. Any vulnerability could compromise your vital private information, including emails, your social media accounts and even your bank accounts.

To prevent any stranger from spying on your network, it is important to keep checking how your gadgets store your data. If the device’s system stores your personal information and remains connected to the main home network, there is every chance that a breach of any one device on the network could reveal your data to a hacker.

Physical security risks

As a user, you may be controlling your connected home through a smartphone, which makes it a very valuable database for any criminal waiting to hack into your life. It is a high risk if your phone is hacked, or stolen, or if someone manages to eavesdrop on your connection.

Also read: Disaster Recovery Strategies – Why They Matter So Much to Any Business

Best Practices for Securing Your Smart Home

It becomes imperative to ensure your home network security isn't compromised by a single vulnerable IoT device. While you do not have to be a cyber sleuth to secure your smart home, it is important to ensure the following doable points: 

1. Keep your Wi-Fi network secure

Most Wi-Fi routers that we use in homes are either not secured or use a default password such as “admin”. This makes it easy for hackers to poke and pry and access devices that are connected to your router. To prevent cybercriminals from snooping on your network and the gadgets that are attached to it, you should secure your Wi-Fi network with a strong password. 

2. All account and device passwords should be strong and unique

A password or passphrase that is long, complex, and unique will certainly discourage attempts to break into your accounts. Try creating a string that is at least 12 characters long, contains a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers, and is unique to each account.

3. Keep updating your devices regularly

Remain on top of software updates from your device manufacturer. Available updates are not always advertised. So, it is a good idea to take time out to visit the manufacturer’s website regularly. Make sure to update mobile apps that pair with your IoT device. It’s better to adjust your settings to turn on automatic software updates, so you are always provided with the latest security patches.  

4. Monitor and secure your network

Your router is the central hub that connects all the devices in your home. Make sure it remains secure. Change the default password and name of your router and ensure that your network name does not give away your address to prevent hackers from tracking it down. Then check that your router is using an encryption method, like WPA2. It will keep your communications secure.

Why not consider setting up a “guest network” for your IoT devices? This is a second network on your router that keeps your computers and smartphones separate from IoT devices. So, just in case a device is compromised, a hacker still cannot get all the valuable information saved on your computers. Check your router’s manual for instructions on how to set up a guest network or seek help from your service provider but keep the vital information on passwords etc. private to yourself.

5. Install comprehensive security software

You may opt to employ the help of a security solution that provides smart security for your home network. By automatically protecting your connected devices through the router, you can feel confident that you have a strong line of defence against cybercriminals and any online threats.

6. Research before buying

Take time out to do your research before you invest in a smart device. Check if the gadget you plan to purchase is from a reputable and established manufacturer. Are there any records of the company’s previous data breaches, or do they carry an excellent reputation for providing secure products? Make a note of the information your IoT device collects, how vendors use this information and what they release to other users or third parties. 

It is important to understand what control you have over your privacy and information usage. If an IoT device allows you to opt out of having your information collected or lets you access and delete the data it does collect, that is an encouraging sign.  

7. Enable multi-factor authentication

In addition to the password/username combo, multi-factor authentication requires that users confirm a collection of things to verify their identity such as a retina or fingerprint scan. This can effectively prevent a cybercriminal from using credential-stuffing tactics (wherein they use email and password combinations to hack into online profiles) to access your network or account if your login details were exposed during a data breach.

It is time to Secure Your Smart Home for Peace of Mind

Every Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, and by extension, every single connection in your home using a wireless connection is exposing your smart home to hacking. It is important to keep this in mind. This will help you be better aware of the risks associated with your smart home devices, and help you be more equipped to combat them. While you enjoy the comforts and benefits of a smart home, remember, that a secure home is the smartest home you could have!