It’s not difficult to understand the popularity of smart devices since they automate tasks, provide perfect convenience, and, on top of it all, can be controlled remotely. You can manage household tasks with simple voice commands or via smartphone applications.
There are many different ways in which they can help. Smart thermostats allow you to save energy; using cameras and locks provides enhanced security; and having an appliance such as a robot vacuum ensures that your home will always be clean and that messes are addressed as soon as they form.
These devices optimize energy based on your habits and presence, reducing the amount you pay on your utility bills, without compromising on comfort and the quality of the services you get. In fact, they are perfectly tailored to your unique experience at all times.
However, just like any other digital system, device, or feature, there’s a downside to them as well: they can be hacked. Many cybercriminals are specifically targeting these devices because they can provide direct access to large amounts of data.
Common vulnerabilities
Most vulnerabilities stem from the use of weak default passwords and a lack of adequate security updates. While most people understand that they need to protect their computers, smartphones, and tablets, they’re often less inclined to extend the same treatment to their smart home devices.
The reason for that is simple: the majority simply cannot believe that it will be their gadgets that will be targeted, mistakenly considering that hackers won’t be interested in them. However, many attackers will most likely try to gain access to the data stored there and will try to exploit known security gaps to achieve their goals.
Connecting devices to public or unsecured Wi-Fi, as well as unsegmented networks (architectures that lack VLAN or firewalls and which allow all connected systems to communicate freely), is a huge risk factor as well because it lets hackers move from one compromised device to the next, which may just end up being yours.
Even tiny devices such as smart lightbulbs can be used as a gateway into the larger home network, from where hackers can pivot to targets that are far more valuable, like laptops or phones. The fact that personal information such as ID or bank credentials could be accessed through a mere lightbulb may sound like a stretch, but it’s not as unlikely as you may believe.
Sometimes attackers will go as far as to disable the security systems holding smart doors in place in order to facilitate physical burglaries. Since the devices store information regarding your personal preferences, habits, and schedules to deliver personalized services, you can expect that an unauthorized party accessing this information can lead to social engineering attacks that are wider in their scope.
By gaining control of microphones, smart cameras, and even baby monitors, hackers have the potential and possibility to spy on everyone in your home as well, which can inform them of the times you’re not at home so that they can plan a break-in. Eavesdropping on information you may be sharing during conversations can help them gain access to your bank account or other personal information.
Recent incidents show how connected appliances can expose unexpected vulnerabilities. In one case highlighted by Popular Science, a developer experimenting with controlling his robot vacuum using a gaming controller accidentally gained access to nearly 7,000 internet-connected devices worldwide.
The vulnerability originated from a backend cloud configuration issue that allowed authentication tokens from one device to interact with others on the same network infrastructure. As a result, the researcher could view live camera feeds, access microphone data, and generate maps of homes where the vacuums were operating.
Although the issue was responsibly disclosed and later patched, the incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the Internet of Things (IoT). As more household devices collect environmental data and communicate with cloud platforms, even routine appliances have become targets for security researchers and attackers.
Protecting your home
Protecting these devices and ensuring they’re safe from attacks at all times essentially means you get to keep your entire home safe. Moreover, it allows you to keep your family secure. So, what can you realistically do so that things are in order?
The first step is protecting your router. More often than not, it serves as the unwilling gateway into your home. Changing the SSID and making the password more complex are the key aspects you must always consider. Using the “Guest Network” feature is also crucial as it allows you to isolate all smart devices from your primary network.
It is the main network that attackers typically want access to since it holds sensitive data such as financial records. Many IoT devices don’t have the same level of built-in protection in the first place, so it’s better to keep them away from the larger network altogether.
If you do this and a hacker manages to gain access through a smart device, they’ll hit a wall because they’ll have nowhere else to go from there. Don’t grant the devices too many permissions either. When connecting a new gadget to the network, you’ll most likely want to skip through the part about the permissions and personal data so that you can set it up faster.
However, making sure that the settings are established with privacy in mind should be your top priority. Disable any unnecessary features and make sure that data collection and sharing are kept to a minimum. Firmware upgrades should be installed every time since they include vital security patches that help you deal with vulnerabilities. You can have a dedicated email address for these devices as well, so that the possibility of phishing is kept at a minimum. Even if a smart gadget is compromised, the rest of your digital life will still be protected.
Apart from the strong passwords, two-factor or multi-factor authentication should be activated as well. If a password ends up stolen, the hackers will still be unable to gain access to the rest of the network, and you always get to regain control of your devices. Any unused features that you’ve never utilized and don’t plan on utilizing in the foreseeable future need to be turned off, especially if they’re related to voice control, remote access, or Bluetooth, as these features directly expand the potential attack surface.
The bottom line
The last thing you should do is remember to check the admin panel on your router every now and then. Seeing which devices are connected will tell you right away if something is wrong. Disable remote management but keep the firewall active when you travel. If you need to dispose of all devices, always do a factory reset first. And, of course, never share your passwords with anyone.
While these devices offer plenty of advantages, they need to be treated the same way as all other digital tools, with particular attention paid to their security.
(Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash)
