Why it is important to protect your home online
Gone are the days of just thinking about physical security for your home, locks, cameras, lighting, etc. Now we need to think about our online security to protect our families and finances.
Not only is the threat real with the increased use of computers, smartphones, and tablets, but now with more smart appliances, gadgets and solutions being used in the home, the risk increases. If a hacker can for example access your network through your Smart TV, then they could easily infect any device that is on the same network.
Smart home devices that we take for granted can all cause risk to our network and security. Recent research demonstrated a random selection of 3 devices that could be accessed, these included a baby video monitor that could be controlled by an attacker, a home security system controlled by a smartphone that could be fooled with a magnet, right through to a coffeemaker that exposed the homeowner’s password – who would have thought!?
Any device that you have in your home that is app-controlled could easily by the access point to your home by attackers. Therefore it is important to have protection in your home that will prevent your devices being used and putting your network and family at risk. In a second an attacker can get their hands on vital personal information but here are some starter steps for you to secure your home:-
In your router, disable your guest network. This will take away the ability for strangers to jump on your WiFi randomly.
Keeping the software up to date on your devices is helpful – check this regularly or opt for devices that will scan and update regularly for you – if not set some diary dates to do it yourself.
A key action is to change the default username and password on all your devices to something that it is specific to you and your family. When you buy a device you just do not know how secure they have made it so even if it is a device that is not an obvious choice, still change it.
If you can encrypt your files if you are backing them up on a personal network or at the least with a password-protected zip file – this will help to keep your personal information safe.
These are just some basic tips to consider with more to come.
If you need any help or advice on your Smart Home, it may be useful to contact one of our Approved Installer by using the search box on our homepage.
