A Guide to Securing Your Smart Homes in 2023
It’s the year 2023, and you ought to have at least one smart home device connected to your home. It could be a virtual assistant, a smart thermostat, a smart lock, or even a smart security system in place.
Even though smart homes are one of the most useful technologies but we cannot overlook the fact that it is all connected over the internet. This means you need to be careful and vigilant about keeping your home and internet secure. Even your slight negligence can cause a breach.
Nevertheless, securing your smart home is not very difficult, if you are aware of the process, you can secure it quite easily. In this article, we have elaborated on quick tips that you need to apply immediately to secure your smart home network system.
Continue reading this piece to find out important, yet easy-to-implement tips for securing your smart homes in 2023.
1. Regularly Change Your Internet Password
People often do not regularly change their internet password, and in some cases, they do not change even the default password at all. This is a rookie mistake. One of the most common ways that hackers gain access to smart home devices is by using default usernames and passwords, not only on your internet connection but also on your smart devices.
Therefore, you must immediately change the default password for all your smart home devices, and keep changing it frequently. It might sound like a hassle, but it is a rather quick task and a quite critical one as well.
Never let go of the advice to choose a strong password. Do not go in with easy phrases that may include your personal information.
2. Create Separate a Network For Your Smart Devices
Creating a separate network for your smart devices is more beneficial than you may think.
A separate network for your smart home devices isolates them from your other devices in your house. This can prevent hackers from accessing your other devices if they manage to breach your smart home network.
Creating a separate network is not hard. For instance, if by any chance you are an AT&T user, you have the ease of instantly accessing the internet service provider’s mobile application and instantly creating a separate network for the devices you wish on grouping separately. It is just another additional perk alongside the cost-efficient AT&T Internet prices.
3. Do A Thorough Research Before You Buy A Smart Device
Thorough research before a purchase never harmed someone. Hence, before purchasing a new smart home device, research its security features and vulnerabilities.
It is best to choose devices from reputable manufacturers that have a good track record for security, with useful features.
4. Monitoring Your Devices Is Important
Keep an eye on your devices for any unusual behavior or activity, at least now and then. Check your device’s logs and settings regularly to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that no unauthorized access attempts have been made.
5. Turn On the Features You Need
Many smart home devices come with features that you may not use or need. If you don’t need a certain feature, instantly disable it to reduce your device’s attack surface.
This way you can stay vigilant of the activity more clearly and only use what you need.
6. Software Updates Need To Be Installed
You must regularly update the firmware and software for all your smart home devices. This can help patch any security vulnerabilities that have been discovered since you purchased the device.
Nevertheless, the latest devices do come with the feature of auto-updates and you just need to make sure that the setting is enabled. This way, you only have to check every once in a while if there is any pending update and speed up the process if needed.
Closing Thoughts
Now is the right time to turn your home into a smart one if you haven’t already, but you also need to ensure that it stays secure. In a bigger picture, smart homes are the future and it is best to turn to them now. So, don’t shy away from the home ideas and just implement the above-mentioned tips to securing the smart home system and enjoy the ease of controlling everything in your home with a click.
It is all for our comfort and convenience, so why not make the most of it?
