Is Your Smart Home Device Spying on You? How to Make Sure Your Data is Safe
We are living in an era where convenience is king and nothing brings more convenience than the myriad of smart home devices now available to us.
They have undoubtedly revolutionized our day-to-day lives but as we continue to integrate them we have to consider the way that they infringe on our privacy.
Every smart device be it a speaker or camera is collecting data that builds a picture of who you are and how you live. Data is valuable and it is leaked, shared, and even brokered.
As more and more technology comes along to surveil us, understanding how to protect data becomes a real concern.
Today we’ll take you through some advice so that these devices remain the handy tools that you need them to be without being intrusive or risky.
The Potential Privacy Risks of Smart Devices
Over 60% of people own at least one smart device and while the benefits are advantageous you can’t overlook the fact that they are designed to collect data.
The data they gathered is meant to improve user experience, which gain is beneficial, but without restricting what they intercept, sensitive personal details are at risk.
To understand the risks, let’s walk through how these devices store and share the data collected and what you can do to protect your info.
Smart Device Collection & Sharing
Most devices are collecting data continuously, some collect more than others. Among the data captured are voice recordings, location information, and the patterns learned about your overall device usage.
Safeguarding yourself becomes difficult when a lot of this data is then trafficked to third parties.
Hacking Exploitation
With the right skillsets, others can hack into your smart home devices and even take total control of them remotely.
Essentially, this means that your data is vulnerable even if the device isn’t doing anything nefarious with your information itself.
Preventing unauthorized access is crucial if you have smart devices in your home. If not, you leave yourself exposed as the perfect target for cyberattacks.
Ways to Secure Your Smart Devices
With the risks outlined, you are probably wondering what you can do about it.
Fortunately, there are some strategic steps you can take that will help limit access to data from the device and ways to ensure that unauthorized parties can’t access your information.
Reducing the possibility of privacy breaches requires strengthing your devices defenses with a proactive approach.
The three tips below are essential to not only protect the device itself but also improve your overall cyber security.
- Check Default Settings
The standard settings that your device has when it is fresh out of the box are often tailored to the manufacturer’s advantage.
Ultimately, they want as much information as possible, so it is wise to review and tailor the default settings to suit your privacy needs.
Make sure you change any default passwords and usernames and review the permissions if you want to make hacking less likely.
- Keep Firmware Up-to-date
Cyberattacks become more sophisticated by the day, and manufacturers are constantly addressing vulnerabilities as they arise.
So, you need to make sure you update your firmware regularly to stay protected against the latest vulnerabilities that developers have identified.
- Impose Data Sharing Limits
To stay in control, it is always a good idea to customize what data is collected and shared in your settings menu.
Be sure to review it periodically, as sometimes they return to default following an update or change.
Advanced Smart Home Device Privacy Measures
The above steps should be considered the fundamentals, but you might want to go the extra mile for the truly privacy-conscious.
Below are some advanced measures to bolster your security and privacy practices which are especially helpful if you use multiple devices or handle any sensitive data.
- Use A Dedicated Network
Setting up a separate network can help isolate your smart device from your primary network. That way, should the worst happen and your smart device become compromised somehow, you aren’t at a total loss.
- Secure Your Connections
Make sure you are using encrypted connections to protect against data breaches and interception, such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Try A VPN
Smart-home set-ups with multiple devices on a single network can really benefit from the integration of a Virtual Private Network to protect them from external threats.
With a VPN encrypting your internet traffic it is far more difficult for device manufacturers to monitor your online habits and for hackers to get ahold of your information.
Red Flags to Watch For
Regardless of the precautions you take your device could still be spying on you unnecessarily or be compromised without your knowledge. To find out you need to be able to spot the tell-tale signs.
With early recognition, you can make sure your device runs smoothly, keep it safe from potential breaches, and prevent catastrophic fallout.
Here are two common warning signs to treat as red flags:
Odd Behavior
Anomalies such as activation without your input is an indication that something may not be right. If you camera starts all by itself then you could have a serious issue so stay vigilant and cautious.
Network Irregularities
If your device is sending data elsewhere without your say so then it will be using your network and hogging it, so make sure you monitor traffic patterns for any irregularities.
Conclusion
Despite their convenience, smart home devices come with the caveat of decreased privacy, and they are potential entry points for those who want your data for malicious purposes.
With the risks identified above and the tips provided, you should be well on your way to shutting down any espionage in your home at the hands of smart device manufacturers.
You must value your data as highly as a hacker would and put the right security measures in place. Ultimately, vigilance is what will really protect you so remember to stay proactive.
For peace of mind, put the strategies discussed into practice and stay educated to reap the rewards of these gadgets without sacrificing your privacy and security in your smart home.
