Securing Your Internet Of Things (IOT)

Thanks to the ever advancing technology, almost everything considered ‘smart’ in the house or office supports Wi-Fi connectivity. This means you never have to connect them to your computer or even smartphone to access or use these devices. The fact that these IOT connect to the internet through your Wi-Fi router makes them vulnerable to unauthorized access or manipulation. Due to this reason, it’s advisable to secure your devices by creating a secure network for them. This is particularly possible if your Wi-Fi router supports guest network, as well as virtual networks.

Most devices used in the house, e.g. video cameras, enable users to access them remotely through inbound connections/ports. While this helps homeowners access video feeds from home with ease, this exposes other devices connected to the network/ router.  To be safe, consider turning off UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) on your IOTs and the router as well. Never take chances when connecting your devices to the internet; someone could be waiting for a loophole to your house/life.

Make it a habit of updating your devices’ firmware every once in a while. Although it may seem time-consuming, these firmware updates help patch ambiguities that may have your devices exposed. If possible, take some time to enable automatic updates from verified sources. This could save you lots of time and frustration in the long run. Just as you would change batteries in smoke detectors, doing this can make the difference between getting hacked and securing your devices.

Always give preference to smart devices that do not need cloud connectivity to work. IoTs that use cloud connectivity are usually less secure as their activity can be sniffed.  While some devices necessarily need this service, some of the most basic devices in your house may not need such a feature. Only invest in items that only require your home network, and rarely need the internet to work. Aside from this, consider turning the feature off when not needed.

Smart TVs and home theater systems are the in thing today. Almost everyone wants a device that can access the internet whenever they want to. Nonetheless, only enable internet connectivity on these devices only when you need to. It watching broadcast TV, disconnect it from the web to eliminate unnecessary online connection. You could also have the TV/system connected to your Wi-Fi router but not to the internet.

Do not use your devices to connect to your work network. If you need to, ask the IT department for permission and help.  This is because malicious individuals or hackers could use your device as a backdoor to the network, which can be a significant security risk to the company.  Attackers may use the foothold to conduct unauthorized surveillance or even steal confidential company data. The role of big data can show us more about this trend, check out this blog from Capita IT Resourcing.

These are just a few of the many ways you can keep your internet of things protected from hackers and virus attacks. Be sure to look out for more ways to keep your devices safe, as this is the only way to stay ahead of the game. Never let a slight mistake cost you money or even your life while you could have prevented it.