Tips and tricks: How to protect your smart devices

Chances are, you’ve got at least one smart device in your home right now. And even if you didn’t, with so many gadgets and appliances sporting Internet connectivity now-a-days, your home is bound to get smarter.

It’s great to be able to control our household devices with our voice or our smartphones. But many of the smart devices available today on the market have weak or no security features, so how do we protect our homes from cyberattacks?

We’ve put together a few basic tips and tricks that will help you keep your connected devices safe from hackers and privacy intruders. Watch the video or read further to learn about what you should do when buying a new smart device:

– Check whether the manufacturer issues regular software updates with security fixes and patches

– Change the default login and password for the device. And stay away from obvious word combinations that could be easily guessed by intruders. Passwords should be at least eight characters long, with both uppercase and lowercase characters. Using special characters is always a good idea if your device allows it.

– If possible, set up a separate home network just for your connected household devices. If your most precious personal files are stored on a computer using a separate network, a hacker won’t be able to access your private data even if one of your smart devices is compromised.

– Try to use an encrypted connection every time you remotely access your home network. Many smart gadgets broadcast information in plain text or use poor encryption. Using a VPN service, for example, creates an encrypted connection so your information remains private.

– Ideally, get Bitdefender BOX, a home network security solution that protects all your smart devices and allows you to manage their security. BOX is itself a smart device that does all the work necessary to secure your smart home, and also safeguards your mobile devices when you connect to other networks.

Always remember that the security of your smart devices should be just as important as the security of your laptop, desktop computer, or smartphone.