Smart tech is taking over our lives one device at a time and nowhere is that more prevalent than in the home. Smart home tech comes in many different shapes, sizes, colors and completes many different tasks. In fact, there are smart home devices that are meant to help keep you safer in your own home. The question is, how safe is that smart home tech, to begin with? One of the few things that are slowing down the growth of smart home tech and its popularity is that very same question. People are rightfully concerned with the amount of security these devices can actually offer. It doesn’t help that many people hear or read stories in the new about smart tech failing.
If you’re asking yourself is smart home tech safe? Then you’re asking the right questions and finding the answer is easier than ever.
Is Smart Home Tech Safe?
Asking if the smart home tech is safe is a good place to start if you’re considering building a smart home of your very own. There have been many different examples of how smart tech has failed us like when hackers take down Netflix or Hulu or when hackers steal credit card info by hacking into a computer or smartphone. One of the first major incidents we experienced when it came to smart home tech failing our sense of security was when the smart baby monitors and security cameras got hacked in 2014. Hackers were able to see the things people were doing in the privacy of their own homes. Still, when asking is smart home tech safe, the easy answer is yes, smart home tech is safe, it’s a little more complicated than that. In fact, how safe your smart home tech really is will depend on you, the user above most everything else.
How to Secure a Smart Home
One of the most important things you can do to block hackers from getting into your smart home without you knowing is through the router. Think of the router as a digital doorway that is always open and the only way to close it is to unplug completely. If you don’t want to unplug, then the next best thing is to place a bouncer at the door. When you get a new router, you should always, always, always change the password to something only you know. That password will be the bouncer to your smart home front door that is always open. There are routers that are available from your local tech store that will allow you to have a guest password that allows for limited access to the internet and that’s the password you should give to friends and family who visit. Once your router is secure, you’re more than halfway to the end of the fight.
Is Smart Home Tech Safe? | More Than Wifi
Smart home tech often operates on a separate hub like Philips Hue, those hubs are connected to the internet but not in the way you way think. In fact, it’s important to make sure you consistently update the software of your devices. Those updates will help you make sure you’re protected from new hacks, holes in the system, or bugs that may have made their way into the network. If you stay on top of updating your devices through the apps they come with you will add yet another level of protection to your smart home.
Is Smart Home Tech Safe? | Check the Settings
Every tech device comes with settings that you can ultimately use to help add layers of protection. Some tech devices claim to be devices that you can just set and forget or plug and play. Well, make sure you play with the settings first. Always look for security settings of a new device and customize them. While saving many different passwords seems difficult, it is recommended to use different passwords for everything. Another layer of protection is customizing the security features and changing your passwords every few months. If there are options for two-step or even three step verifications, set those up. This will make it very difficult to get into smart devices and may even alert you when someone is trying to login to your system or devices.
Is Smart Home Tech Safe? | Name Brands
Tech is one of the many different products that fall into the category of “you get what you pay for.” If staying secure is one of your biggest concerns, name brands are important. Big names like LG, Samsung, Philips are your best options. While these companies are not invulnerable to hacks, they will work to clean things up and make their products safe to use. If a hole in their system or product is found, you can rest assured knowing they will fix it as soon as possible. However, if you end up buying a cheaper product with a name you’ve never heard of, looking for a deal, you may find that their tech department isn’t very apt.