Smart They Are, But How Safe Are Smart Homes?
Smart Homes. What are they and are they safe?
Smart Homes are defined as,
“a residence that has appliances, lighting, heating, air conditioning, TVs, computers, entertainment audio & video systems, security, and camera systems that are capable of communicating with one another and can be controlled remotely by a time schedule, from any room in the home, as well as remotely from any location in the world by phone or internet.”
Smart homes can be mind-blowing and genuinely quite helpful. Unfortunately, as helpful as they are to the user, they can be just as useful to a hacker if not adequately secured. With more than 45 million American households utilizing at least one smart speaker in their home, hacking into smart homes has become quite an easy target.
Why are hackers targeting smart homes?
- First off, they are easy targets!
- Through a study done by Ben-Gurion University, researchers found how simple and vulnerable some of these smart devices were and were able to compromise many within 30 minutes and some even with a simple google search!
- They want your data. This is where it gets really creepy!
- Hackers may just want to spy on you and your kids.
- They may be tracking your digital trails like where you go, when you leave and what time you get home.
- They could be attempting to gain access to your sensitive data within your network.
How do you keep your smart home safe? The answer is, your smart devices must be secured appropriately.
- Do not purchase used smart devices as malware may already exist on these devices.
- Once a new and reputable smart device is installed, change the default usernames and passwords.
- These default passwords can often be googled!
- Do not use the same passwords between multiple devices.
- Install and complete all security updates as these are patches for potential vulnerabilities.
- Secure the devices that are controlling these smart devices and if possible, put in place multi-factor authentication on these devices.
Don’t be naïve, you could be a victim, and nothing truly makes you bulletproof so give yourself the best odds and make sure your home and devices are secure! Contact our Pendello team of experts. They know technology, security and they are stimulating conversationalists! It is the IT Trifecta that you’ve been longing for and they’re eagerly awaiting your calls!
At Pendello Solutions, we turn technology hurdles into powerful assets. Our technology solutions fuel growth, productivity, and efficiency, through continuous innovation and strategic solutions, empowering your business beyond the imaginable. Contact us today to discover the Pendello Method.