6 Ways to Protect Your Smart Home From Hackers

Make your smart home more secure with these tips.

Because smart home devices rely on wireless connections to function, they are exposed to remote attacks by default. This is why smart homes have become hacking targets in recent years. So, how are smart homes hacked, and how can you protect your own smart home from being exploited by malicious actors?

Smart homes are hacked using a number of vectors and methods, including:

Your smart home devices are likely connected to your home's Wi-Fi network, but these connections can be exploited by hackers in order to access your smart devices. If your router's firmware is outdated, or you have no password protection on your network, a cybercriminal may be able to infiltrate your home Wi-Fi, and then other connected devices.

Additionally, a lack of software updates can also make your smart tech vulnerable to hacks. Your smart devices rely on software to function, and this software can often be updated on a fairly regular basis. Software updates provide new features, patch bugs, and iron out other kinks that may be impeding a program's performance.

Software updates also patch software vulnerabilities. These are code discrepancies that can make software programs easier to exploit and hack. Software vulnerabilities are very common and are a favorite hacking vector among cybercriminals. By avoiding updates, a number of dangerous software vulnerabilities can remain on your smart devices for months, or even years, leaving an open door to hackers.

Lastly, smart devices that haven't been equipped with adequate security features can also be more easily exploited by bad actors. Poor encryption, a lack of authentication barriers, and other pitfalls can contribute to making your smart tech vulnerable, which is why it's important to buy from highly reputable brands.

Now we know how smart homes are commonly hacked, let's get into how you can protect your home from malicious actors.

It's tempting to connect your smart tech to just about any other devices you can think of, simply to boost convenience in your domestic life. But it's these countless connections that increase the likelihood of hacks.

Say your smart speaker is connected to your phone, laptop, tablet, and smart TV. While this can make it easier to conduct different actions in different parts of your home, it also gives hackers multiple avenues to choose from if they want to infiltrate your smart home via a wireless connection.

Geofencing is a great smart home feature that allows you to control your devices based on your proximity to your residence. Geofencing determines your location, either by your smartphone or smartwatch, and then conducts a ser of routines based on whether you're leaving your home or returning to it.

For instance, you can use geofencing to ensure that your front door's smart lock will only deactivate when you are in proximity to it. This way, if you're out and about, a hacker will have a harder time exploiting your smart lock in order to access your home.

On the other hand, you could program your smart devices to power down in your absence via geofencing. If your devices are completely inactive, they'll generally be tougher to hack remotely.

Of course, geofencing isn't an all-in-one smart home security solution. Your devices can still be hacked even with geofencing features in place, but placing parameters on your smart tech using geofencing can limit a hacker's ability to successfully abuse your devices.

Authentication should always be used in your smart home, as it prevents unauthorized persons from accessing your devices.

Authentication methods can range from simple passwords, to two-factor authentication, or even passkeys. Whatever option you prefer, it's paramount that you use it on your smart home devices.

A vulnerable Wi-Fi network is a key hacking vector for cybercriminals, and this is why it's important to secure your home network as much as you can.

You can secure your Wi-Fi network in a number of ways, including:

By taking these measures, you can ensure that hackers don't have an easy time infiltrating your network. In fact, hackers will often look for weaker networks to exploit, so keeping things as secure as possible may make your smart home an undesirable target from the get-go.

Putting off software updates can spell trouble for your smart home, namely due to security vulnerabilities.

You should also update your device firmware as often as possible. Firmware is a form of permanent software that is used to control hardware components.

Firmware doesn't need to be updated as much as software. But these occasional updates can help iron out issues and ensure that your device's hardware components are operating to the best of their ability.

This is especially the case for your Wi-Fi router, as routers often stand at the center of smart home hacks. Every five years or so, make an effort to update your router's firmware above all else.

You may want to opt for a lesser-known and lesser-reviewed smart product in order to save a little money. This is completely reasonable, but it's also crucial to be wary of what "knock-off" devices you purchase.

This is because cheaper products can sometimes be designed less effectively, and may lack important security features so that the manufacturer can stick to a tighter production budget.

What's more, certain smart devices may come with malware pre-installed. Some scam sites will sell customers infected products so that personal data can be stolen once the device is active and in use.

While you may think a hacker would never target a smart home, there's a lot of personal information that can be stolen through this kind of attack. So, in order to keep your devices and your data safe, consider the tips above to steer clear of smart home hackers.

Katie has been writing about tech-based topics for two years, with a specific interest in cybersecurity, AI, and cryptocurrency. Katie has covered a variety of topics during her time at MUO, including crypto explainers, cybersecurity guides, VPN reviews, recent hacks, and software tutorials. With a passion for emerging tech, Katie is also excited to see what new devices and digital platforms the coming years will bring.