Smart Home Devices Can Significantly Hurt Yor Privacy
Smart devices are undoubtedly handy and can make our everyday life a lot simpler and more convenient. But, they also come with certain drawbacks, some of which can be very serious. Recent research has shown that millions of smart devices are vulnerable to hacking exploits. Here are some of the most common smart home devices that could be putting your privacy at risk.
How do Smart Device Breaches Happen?
Finding a weak-point in your network is often where most hackers begin when trying to take over your home network. There are close to a dozen entry points in an average smart home through which hackers can gain access to your valuable information. The more smart devices there are in your home, the more options the attacker will have to find the weakest link. Here are just a couple of the most vulnerable smart devices you might have connected to your smart network:
- Smart Thermostats – Installing a smart thermostat is a smart way to save money and environmentally-friendly practice. However, if breached, it can provide the hacker with a lot of useful information, including data they can use to assess usage patterns to break in when you’re not at home.
- Smart Lights – Much like the previous type of smart devices, smart lights can also be used as a network entry point for an online attack and be exploited to aid in a physical attack.
- Smart Doorbells – Smart doorbells are surprisingly one of the most unsecured devices you can install in your home. There have been numerous cases of smart doorbell problems, most notably pertaining to the device’s vulnerability to hacking.
4 Tips How to Secure your Smart Devices
It’s no secret that smart devices are a potential privacy and security threat, but there are certain things you can do to minimize the risk of breaches. Keep in mind that, barring the last tip, all of these are inconvenient, as they require you to change up your routine and frequency of use. That said, here are the best ways to secure your smart devices:
Don’t Keep Your Devices on the Same Network
A simple but very effective way of securing your smart home devices is to keep them on separate networks. For example, keep your phone, laptop, and PC on a more private network so that no one can access them even if one of your smart home devices gets breached. There’s no reason to keep your fridge, washing machine, or smart toilet on the same network for you to take advantage of their smart features.
Change the Default Nicknames
If you leave the default Wi-Fi name of each device you use, hackers will know which devices to target for the easiest breach. By changing up all of your devices’ names, you’ll make it harder for malevolent users to aim for devices with the weakest security features. This isn’t a sophisticated security method, but it can still act as an effective first line of defense for deterring hackers.
Minimize Smart Home Device Usage
Using smart devices can make your life more convenient, but do you really need them for every aspect of your house? A smart lock or doorbell may look like an impressive gimmick, but most of the time, it’s not worth the potential headaches it cause you. We’re not here to tell you which smart devices to use and which not to. But, it’s always worth keeping in mind that maintaining a minimal digital footprint can significantly help protect you from many of today’s privacy dangers.
Secure your Network with a VPN Today
If you want to ensure a safer home network but don’t want to change how many smart devices you use every day, the best way to go about it is to install a VPN. At ZoogVPN, we offer you a VPN that’s easy to set up and comes with apps for all major desktop and mobile devices. You can even install it on your router to protect all of your smart devices at once. Sign up today or try out our service for free and create a safe network for all of your IoT and smart devices.
Yaroslav S.CEO at ZoogVPN. Yaroslav is a versatile manager with extensive customer support experience. His historical background and a deep passion for philosophy perfectly complete a real desire to create meaningful content and tech products.
