How Secure Is Your Smart Home?

Connected home networks present numerous cyber security risks as vulnerable connected devices could compromise the security of your privacy and safety of your data

- Marthesh Nagendra

Cyber-attacks are on the rise and are becoming highly sophisticated. With the fast proliferation of smart home devices, end users are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to potential security breaches. In just a few clicks, one could unwittingly download malware to a smart device, falling prey to a hacker's malicious intent.

TVs and entertainment systems, smart speakers, lights, cameras, outlets, thermostats, home appliances, security alarms, locks, doorbells, these are all products that have added 'connectivity' to their list of features over the past few years. Using WiFi to become accessible over the internet for a whole host of features, each of a these products could become a potential entry to your home network.

The lack of sufficient protection when setting up an 'Internet of Things' device coupled with not keeping up with current updates from the manufacturer are two of the primary reasons why hackers are able to gain access to loT devices. It does not require much time or a very sophisticated method to accomplish this either. For example, a digital video recorder with factory configurations that are public is a sure target, discoverable by the bad guys in minutes.