Do You Need To Be Concerned About Smart Home Hacking In St. Paul?

In many ways, smart devices like surveillance systems and video doorbells have boosted our home security. We are able to get updates if someone comes up our front porch, and we may even have footage delivered to us when questionable activity is detected. Having devices we can interact with via the internet warns us of potential threats instantaneously. But there is one chief drawback. The simple access that keeps us connected is also creating a pathway for online invasions.

Although you don’t have to lose sleep worrying about smart home hacking in St. Paul, you ought to be cognizant of the risk involved and take action to avoid it.

How To Protect Yourself From Smart Home Hacking

It’s amazing how the internet has changed our daily lives as all types of products are accessible online, including your security sensors, smart flat screens, and even your oven. The drawback is that this produces more opportunities for cyber criminals to break into your network. Even so, you don’t need to eschew wireless home defense systems or other smart components. Instead, consider these recommendations and do what you can to keep prowlers off your network.

• Use hard-to-crack passwords: This is a necessity for any account, including your home’s wireless network. Use lower and upper casing and a mix of letters, numbers, and acceptable special characters. Stay away from dates of birth, full words, or other things hackers might easily guess. A password generator will supply you with something absolutely random and a password management tool may assist you in tracking your various accounts and passwords.
  
  
  
• Avoid default settings: When hooking up that new router, chances are it will come with a standard password to get you started. Change it. Hackers are likely to know these default settings as well. Configuring your private network and new router properly from day one will go a long way to keeping you secure.
  
  
  
• Consider more than one network: Why put your smart oven, your security sensors, and the laptop you use for work on a single network? Many routers will let you set up a distinct guest network. Make use of it and protect important information found on your laptop, desktop, and phone.
  
  
  
• Add protection with a firewall: Firewalls aren’t merely for businesses. They might also be used on private network. Firewalls are able to keep an eye on your network’s traffic and stop suspect activity. You might opt for a router with a built-in firewall.
  
  
  
• Utilize the most up-to-date encryption options and security protocols: If you have a newer router, you will likely have the chance to incorporate WPA3, the current wireless security protocol. If that’s not available, WPA2 with AES encryption will be sufficient. You need to find home security components that use 128-bit or higher.
  
  
  
• Make sure firmware and software is up-to-date: Keep your operating systems up to date for all equipment, which includes your connected video cameras. In some cases, these updates will patch vulnerabilities and tighten up your network’s security.

Be Wary of Lower Quality Smart Home Devices In St. Paul

One of the perks of working with a reputable brand like ADT is having the peace of mind that security devices are consistently being monitored to check for vulnerabilities. Other lesser-known brands may not act in the same fashion. Getting your video cameras, smart thermostat, video doorbell, and additional items from a lone supplier like ADT is a wise choice. And getting all of your equipment hooked up at the same time will go a long way to ensuring seamless implementation, security, and performance. It’s also good to know that ADT Command, your centralized touchscreen, employs two-way encryption when interacting with your connected devices.

Customize Your Own St. Paul Home Defense Package

Since you now have a greater understanding on how to keep your home network secure, it’s time to begin designing your own home security in St. Paul. The security professionals at Secure24 Alarm Systems are ready to find the ideal package for your home. Dial (651) 300-3764 or fill out the form to get started.