Worried About Hackers & Smart Home Devices? Here’s What You Can Do
Our Tips to Secure Your Home Automation System
The FBI recently released a statement warning shoppers about smart TVs’ vulnerability to hackers. It cautioned that a hacker could potentially access your unsecured TV, which grants them an easy entrance to your computer through the router. At the low end of risks, a hacker could change the channels of your TV remotely or turn on smart speakers. But in a worst-case scenario, they could turn on your bedroom TV’s camera and microphone and secretly stalk you—or find your financial information through your computer.
But there’s no need to throw away your smart devices in fear of hackers. There are plenty of ways to secure your home automation system to keep your Dallas, TX household safe from cybercrime. Continue reading to see what technology professionals can do to give you peace of mind.
SEE ALSO: 3 Essential Smart Home Control Upgrades You Need Now
Encrypt Your Router
If there’s one thing you should never do, it’s leave your wireless router open to the public. The router is connected to your laptops, phones, and smart home devices. Once one device is hacked, that means all of them can be. Wi-Fi is the entryway to your home network, and leaving it open is parallel to keeping your front door ajar all day. To be safe, use an encryption network upgrade like WPA2, and create a secure password. Avoid naming your router something associated with your house or address, like “5 Pleasant Street”, so that it’s more difficult for hackers to pinpoint your location. Lastly, never use the default name or password for any device.
Implement a Firewall
Your computer may use a firewall, but did you know your router can too? Many routers have a firewall that you can turn on, but for increased security, you can purchase hardware options that are placed between the modem and Wi-Fi access points. A firewall prevents malicious data from entering your network by monitoring incoming and outgoing network traffic. It then decides whether to allow or block traffic based on defined security rules, keeping your devices safe from harm.
At Texadia Systems, we use the cutting-edge Sophos XG Firewall for our clients. Sophos provides an intuitive web-based management console that exposes hidden risks, blocks unknown threats, and automatically responds to incidents. The Sophos Central cloud-management-platform offers one-click firmware updates, multi-device management tools, and data reports.
Keep Your Gadgets Up to Date
Our laptops and smartphones routinely remind us to upgrade their operating systems. Updates often add fun new features (like new emojis on a smartphone) and patches for security flaws. But did you know most internet-connected devices should be frequently updated too? Since the last version, the smart device’s manufacturer has probably been notified of software vulnerabilities and has a new program to patch up those holes. Apply upgrades to your IoT devices as often as possible to remove any security flaws.
Need help securing your network? Interested in a home automation system for your Dallas household? Call Texadia Systems at (214) 956-4820, chat with our staff below, or fill out our contact form here!
