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December 05, 2022

Do You Need To Worry About Smart Home Hacking?

In various ways, smart devices like surveillance equipment and video doorbells have made our lives more secure. We can receive notifications whenever someone walks up to our front steps, and we can have video clips delivered to us when questionable movements are detected. Having components we may communicate with through the internet advises us to potential threats instantaneously. But there is one chief downside. The quick access that benefits us is also opening a door hackers.

Even though you don’t have to get yourself in a panic worrying about smart home hacking, you need to be aware of the risk involved and take action to circumvent it.

How To Prevent Smart Home Hacking

It would appear that practically everything is linked to the internet nowadays - home security devices, TVs, and even your everday appliances like ovens and coffee makers. This also creates more opportunities for virtual villains to invade your network. Even so, you don’t need to eschew wireless home defense systems or other smart appliances. Alternatively, follow these recommendations and do what you can to keep prowlers away from your network.


  • Create hard-to-guess passwords: This is a necessity for every account, including your home’s wireless network. Use uppercase and lowercase and a blend of numbers, letters, and special characters. Don’t use dates of birth, full words, or other things hackers may easily determine. A password generator will provide something absolutely random and password management software can help you track your various accounts and passwords.


  • Change default settings: When you first unbox a new router, it’s likely to come with a preprogrammed password to facilitate the setup. Change it. Hackers will know these default passwords as well. Configuring your private network and new router properly from day one is critical in maintaining your security.


  • Set up more than one network: Why have your smart fridge, your home security components, and the laptop you use for work on a single network? Many routers allow you to initiate a different guest network. Take advantage of it and shield important material found on your laptop, desktop, and phone.


  • Add protection with a firewall: Firewalls aren’t merely for businesses. They may also be used on personal network. Firewalls can pay close attention to what’s happening on your network and thwart questionable activity. You could start with a router including an incorporated firewall.


  • Use the latest encryption settings and security protocols: If you’re using a recently manufactured router, you will likely have the ability to incorporate WPA3, the latest wireless security protocol. If not, WPA2 with AES encryption is still a good choice. You should install home security devices that protect with 128-bit or higher.


  • Ensure firmware and software is updated: Keep your firmware and software up to date for all devices, and that includes your connected surveillance units. Frequently, these updates will address known issues and tighten up your security.
 

Be Wary of Shoddy Smart Home Components

One of the perks of working with a respected name like ADT is having the peace of mind that security devices are regularly being examined to ensure there are no flaws hackers could take advantage of. Other knock-off options might not be quite as diligent. Buying your video cameras, smart thermostat, video doorbell, and additional items from a single supplier like ADT is a wise choice. And deciding to have all of your systems connected at the same time will go a long way to ensuring proper implementation, security, and performance. It’s also worthwhile to point out that ADT Command, your centralized touchscreen, utilizes two-way encryption when interacting with your smart equipment.

Design Your Own Wireless Home Security Package

Now that you have a greater understanding on how to keep your home network safe from cyber criminals, it’s time to start on your own home defense system. The security specialists at Secure 24 Alarm Systems are ready to create the perfect package for your property. Contact us at (833) 205-9194 or submit the form to get started.