Many homes on the market advertise that they are "smart." The options for upgrading to a smart home are only expanding, and it’s easy to see why people are investing in homes with the technology. Not only ease of use and convenience, but a smart home has been shown to save energy for most homeowners—paying the owners back for their initial investment. They also can make our increasingly busy lives simpler by removing those nagging ‘did-I-lock-the-front-door’ worries.
But with new opportunities to tap into the convenience of wireless technology come opportunities for cybercriminals. How does a smart home leave you open to cybercrime, and how can you stop it? There are ways you can stay safe and still add the convenience of smart tech in the home.
What can be hacked
Basically, anything with an Internet connection has the potential to be hacked. Your email spam filters work every day to catch emails from scammers, some of which could have come from household appliances. In 2014, the security company Proofpoint found a cyber attacker had hijacked devices, including televisions, multimedia centers, and a refrigerator, to send out 750,000 spam messages—a quarter of them from devices other than computers, tablets, or phones.
Your home’s wifi router might be the most vulnerable, connecting into everything else in your home. If you never changed the default username and password provided with the router, it could be susceptible to remote access by whoever has that information. Hackers have been able to tap into smart TVs, baby monitors, and security cameras with the potential to spy on homeowners. Garage doors, thermostats, and even smart toilets can be left open to remote manipulation.
In 2017, a vulnerability in nearly a million home devices by LG smartThinQ was discovered by security researchers, who found a potential pathway into appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, and robotic vacuums. LG worked with researchers and created a software patch to fix the vulnerability, highlighting the importance of ensuring apps are always updated to the newest versions.
New smart home security systems have a smartphone app to make it possible for you to access your system remotely, but that also leaves them vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals, leaving the possibility for deactivation. Door cameras, smart locks, and other security devices need special attention, as do smart hub devices like Alexa or Google Assistant, which are always listening in, waiting for your question or request. Convenient, yes, but it also leaves your home open to potential privacy invasion. Knowing how to at least disable the microphone is important, but ensuring their security is vital.
As the interconnectedness of our devices – the Internet of Things (IoT) – continues to grow, with more than 20 billion devices in use anticipated by 2020, the importance of ensuring their security also continues to grow.
How it happens
Hackers break into our devices in a number of ways, including stealing our personal information like passwords. Watch out for suspicious emails, or “phishing,” that tricks users into providing sensitive information. Cybercriminals are good at making their messages look legitimate, making people believe they’re coming from trusted companies.
Malicious attacks can often break through weak wifi protection, offering hijackers access to any device linked to it. Software can help hackers break your wifi encryption, and can also allow sneaking in through spoofing, using your device’s automatic connections to previously used networks and instead routing them to one the cybercriminal provides. Your wifi network also can be hacked through wardriving, where hackers drive round to locate weak wireless local area networks.
How to stop it
Luckily, there are plenty of ways that consumers of smart home devices can protect themselves against malicious attacks and opportunists.
Be careful where you buy: Know the company you’re purchasing from. Reputable manufacturers have teams dedicated to cybersecurity and can address vulnerabilities with software and application updates regularly shared with consumers. Used items and those from unfamiliar companies can be delivered to you already infected with malware.
Know what you have: It’s easy to get excited about the latest technology and install the newest items in your home, but it’s important to keep a close inventory of each device that’s connected to your Internet of Things. Don’t forget small speakers and cameras, baby monitors, gaming consoles, etc. Disconnect items that don’t always need to be on wifi.
Secure your router: Review the devices that show they’re connected to your wifi to ensure you’re familiar with each one—make sure there aren’t any logged on that don’t belong there. Change passwords and the username on your wifi router because default usernames and passwords may be available online.
Change passwords on devices: Protect each of your smart devices by changing default passwords. Also periodically change your smartphone password because you control your smart devices through it, providing another pathway of vulnerability.
Change the default ID, too: Internet-ready devices come with a manufacturer default ID name that can pop up on wifi, giving hackers a clue that there might be a doorway to get through. Not changing the original ID might tip off criminals that you haven’t changed the passwords, either.
Use multifactor authentication: Use a security key like a text code when logging in, or even set biometric methods like a thumbprint for an added measure of security. That makes is much harder for cybercriminals to break through.
Update, update, update: Always check for important security updates for your wifi router, your home security system, and even your smart Crock-Pot. Smart home devices don’t usually update automatically, so be sure to mark your calendar to regularly open smart device apps and check for updates. This goes for your wifi router, too.
Use security software: Install professional security software on the devices you use to control your smart home items – phones, tablets, laptops – and choose protection that thwarts threats like malware, ransomware, and spyware.
Split the network: Separating your networks offers an additional level of security, keeping the chance of a system-wide hack lower. Having separate connections for your main computer and another for smart devices can cut down on the chances of a system-wide hack. Some routers allow for multiple wifi networks, or they can be split with a virtual local area network (VLAN).
Put up a firewall: There are firewalls specifically for IoT devices that can filter traffic and allow it only from certain IP addresses, which cuts off any would-be hackers before they get started.
Remember that smart home devices are intended to work to your benefit and convenience. They can save energy while making your life much easier. Taking a few extra steps to keep them secure will help ensure that these helpful, money-saving devices don’t end up causing you extra headaches instead.
