The Importance of Cybersecurity in Your Smart Home
Adding smart home technology to your home is a wonderful way to increase both your comfort and your security. However, there are hazards to putting this technology to work in your space. Once your devices are interconnected, there is a risk that hackers will gain access to your information, including real-time feeds from cameras.
What is a Smart Home?
A smart home is defined as a residence that uses devices connected to the internet to monitor and control environmental tools, such as heating and lighting. With the right system and phone app, you can check and adjust the temperature in your home, turn lights on and off, and even your security alarm.
To use this technology to control the environment of your home, you will need a smart home hub. All information is routed through the hub. Amazon Echo and Google Home are popular smart home hubs.
Information to and through the smart home hub can be controlled via voice activation. Manual control through a smartphone app is also an option. With a voice activated receiver, you can control many aspects of your home simply by speaking to the system.
Smart home technology can be hard-wired or wireless. Depending on your budget, you can make a large investment in an expansive hard-wired system or start with a simple wireless system. Both can be at risk for hacking if the proper protections are not taken.
Proximity locks are an extremely useful example of smart home technologies. With the right tools on your phone, your front door and even your garage door will open as you approach it. Should you need to enter your home at speed, you can adjust the lock controls to relock the door once you enter the space. In your hands, these controls can add greatly to your personal security.
In the hands of a hacker, these controls could be used to the detriment of your person and your possessions. Worse, a hacker would have access to camera feeds that would tell them who is home and who is not. A hacker might be able to shut down your home security system before a malicious action.
What is Cybersecurity and How Does It Play a Role in Smart Homes
Cybersecurity refers to the protection of your cyber data. The need for a cybersecure smart home becomes even more important if you have cameras inside and outside your home. For example, you may have a camera on your porch to let you know when deliveries occur, when your children get home from school or when you get a knock at the door.
If your smart home system is not secure and is hacked, then the hacker can view the camera feed. They may also be able to control when your lights come on and off, whether your AC is one or off, and the temperature of your refrigerator.
Even if a hacker is not interested in gaining direct access to your home or your person, they can engage in malicious behavior. They can also gain access to your most personal space by reviewing the cameras. For example, if your children are alone in your home for a time after school, hackers will know when they arrive and how long it is before an adult gets home.
The Importance of Cybersecurity In Your Smart Home
To gain access to your smart home controls, a hacker needs to hack into your router. Sadly, this may not even require a password. Once all your smart home technology is run through the router, any of the connected devices can be impacted by the hacker.
Even if no changes are made to the controls of your thermostat, refrigerator and lights, the hacker will have access to your camera feed. The risk to your security and comfort cannot be overstated.
However, there is a way to protect your router with encryption. Installing a VPN, or virtual private network, on your hotspot will add a layer of encryption to your smart home data. You can also add a VPN to your smartphone or tablet control tool to further guard your privacy and comfort. Such protections may also help you smooth out hazards that come from bugs in various smart home systems. As the technology expands and is corrected, your early security measures will increase the value of your smart home system.
Guarding your safety, comfort and privacy from hackers is still possible once you add smart home technologies. It is crucial to take this preliminary step before you are hacked to avoid a loss of data and control.
Written by Taylor McKnight, Author for Meritalk