An unsecured smart home device is an easy entry point into your home network. From here, hackers can launch attacks and steal your data from within your network. The consequences are devastating, but you can secure your smart home devices before they’re breached.
Change the Manufacturer’s Default Usernames and Passwords
Most smart home devices have a default password when you purchase them. Default passwords are simple and easy to remember, allowing users to access administrator accounts when setting up the device. However, many of us forget to change these default passwords, making our networks vulnerable to cyberattacks. It’s important to change default passwords to something strong, secure, and unique. When picking a password, you can use tools like Omni Calculator to check the password’s strength.
Some threats, like brute force attacks and rainbow table attacks, can crack passwords in seconds. So, to add an extra layer of protection, you can set up multifactor authentication (MFA) for your device. The best multifactor authenticator apps can help keep your device secure.
Use Biometric Authentication
Smart home devices like smart home alarm systems, smart locks (especially for restricted areas in your home), or smart devices containing sensitive financial information will benefit from biometric authentication.
Instead of passwords that can be cracked or forgotten, biometric authentication uses a person’s biological traits like fingerprints, voice, or facial recognition to control access. Biometric characteristics are hard to fake and are unique to individuals, so they’re a more secure alternative to traditional identity verification methods.
Use a Guest Network for Smart Home Devices And Limit Access to Your Device
Segregating smart home devices can enhance your network security by isolating them from the main network. If your smart home device gets compromised, segmentation can make it harder for hackers to access your other devices. This limits the damage in case of an intrusion. PCs, laptops, phones, and other devices that hold your vital data can be safely connected to your main network. A guest network can keep smart home devices with less robust security features separate.
You need to limit and control who gets access to your smart devices. Using the principle of least privilege (POLP), limiting access to a few people or controlling access for some people, like limiting what they can do to the bare minimum (or only to what they need and no more), reduces your network’s attack surface.
Disable or Turn Off Device Features That You Don’t Use
Turning off features like video, audio, Bluetooth, geolocation, and other features you don’t often use limits the data the device collects and stores. It also reduces the attack surface that hackers can exploit. Turning off your Bluetooth, for instance, reduces your risk of being targeted for various Bluetooth attacks like Bluesnarf, BlueSmack DoS, or Blue Dump hacks.
You should enable the device’s lock screen to prevent unauthorized access to your device. Shorten the lock time to automatically lock when the device is untouched for a few minutes. Instead of a passcode, use a pattern lock, which may be harder to guess. To add another layer of security, reduce the number of attempts permitted so data thieves will be limited to only a few guesses.
Enable Automatic Software and Firmware Updates
Devices not designed with automatic updates need to be manually checked regularly. Patches and updates are designed to address security vulnerabilities, and installing them as soon as they’re available reduces your risk of getting targeted. Make sure you download updates or patches from the official manufacturer’s websites. Illegitimate updates from unofficial websites can carry malware, spyware, or adware.
