Avoid foolish risks when considering smart home devices

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Smart home devices promise to make life easier, but the smarter they get the more they reveal unsettling risks – from hacking to privacy breaches – that could compromise safety.

Amazon-owned Ring got into trouble in 2023, when the FTC fined it US$5.8-million for allowing employees and contractors to access doorbell camera footage of subscribers – and for not doing more to prevent hackers from taking over their accounts. More recently, Apple agreed to pay US$95-million to settle a case that accused the company of eavesdropping on customers through its Siri intelligent assistant.

The class-action lawsuit alleged the company shared voice recordings with advertisers, in some cases recording customers before they even said the “Hey Siri” wake phrase.

While both companies denied any wrongdoing and said they follow the most stringent data privacy protocols, the cases illustrate the potential pitfalls of bringing intelligent and connected smart devices into the home. What makes a device smart in the first place can also erode what we once thought was an absolutely private home life.

Smart devices look even more worrisome through a cybersecurity lens. A recent investigation by Which?, the British consumer protection organization, highlights just how risky they can be. After investigators set up a fake smart home with an array of devices such as smart TVs, thermostats and security systems, they logged more than 12,000 hacking attempts in the first week alone.

While it sounds frightening, it doesn’t mean smart home devices should be avoided outright. Like any technology, they demand an eyes-wide-open, security-first mindset. Consider the following when remaking a once-’dumb’ home into something a little smarter:

1. Buy only from trusted vendors. That off-brand smart vacuum might be a screaming bargain, but it’s probably a lot less secure. Read the reviews and buy only from brands with trusted cyber safety records.
2. Lock the home network down. Hackers often break into networks using default administrative credentials. Use smart password protocol – complex and hard-to-guess, unique to each device, app, and service, and changed at regular intervals – and activate all available network security features, including encryption.
3. Install network security tools. Virtual private networks (VPN) can keep traffic – like camera footage and audio – away from prying eyes and ears, while security software can help monitor networks for threats.
4. Activate two- or multiple-factor authentication. Commonly known as 2FA or MFA, this security best practice requires anyone requesting access to use additional authentication methods, such as a fingerprint scan, facial recognition or a PIN. It’s like having a second lock on the door.
5. Deactivate certain features. If you have no plans on using features such as voice activation or remote access, then the safest thing to do is remove them from the equation.
6. Track and limit device permissions. All smart home devices ask for certain permissions when they are first installed. Pay particular attention to the types and locations of data they’re asking for, and dial back those permissions whenever possible.
7. Update regularly. Just as smartphones and apps require regular software updates, smart home devices need some software love, too. Updated code activates new features, fixes bugs, and improves performance and reliability. Perhaps most importantly, it stops hackers from taking advantage of known vulnerabilities.
8. Schedule regular audits. Home networks should be scanned every month or so to ensure everything is as it should be. Remove devices that are no longer needed – and watch for devices and services that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Smart home devices can easily make the average home a cozier, more convenient place. With a little attention paid to maximizing security, they can deliver all those benefits without exposing families to unnecessary cyber risk.