KEY POINTS
- It is projected that there will be 30 billion internet connected devices worldwide by 2025!
- The Broadband Forum estimates that the smart home market is set to surpass $157 billion in value by 2023!
- According to research conducted by Kaspersky, there were 1.5 billion attacks on smart devices in the first half of 2021!
In this day and age, we as a society are more connected now than ever. Our smart phones, watches, and even TVs can communicate with individuals on the other side of the world with ease. Cars are getting so high-tech, that they can even diagnose themselves and pre-order parts! During the fourth and final week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we will take a look at three tips you can use to secure your internet connected devices.
- Smart Devices Need Security Too!
Most of us understand why traditional devices, such as, laptops, desktops, and tablets require security tools to protect us from malicious threats online yet completely throw security out the window when it comes to setting up smart watches, home security systems, and other internet connected devices. As a whole, we need to make cybersecurity a priority when purchasing a connected device. When setting up a new device, pay particular attention to the security and privacy settings as these settings are typically overlooked. Misconfigurations can lead to your device becoming compromised by an attacker, or information being accidentally posted on the web. Once your device is properly configured, remember to review how information is stored on your device, and if it is secured via encryption in transit (over the internet) or at rest (on the device itself). It is also important to actively manage location services to avoid unwittingly exposing your location. - Disable WiFi and Bluetooth when Idle
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but when WiFi and or Bluetooth is enabled, you and your activity can be tracked. It is recommended that individuals turn off WiFi and Bluetooth if they do not need it for a given activity. The last thing you want to do is reveal sensitive and dangerous information while going for a jog. - Change your devices default password
Many internet connected devices have a default password which is used to initially set the device up. These password are widely known and are publicly listed. The purpose of the default password is to make it easy for device owners to setup their device and or to provide them with an easy way to access the device if it’s restored to it’s factory settings. Because of those reasons, the default password is not complex by design. This means that device owners need to update the default password of their device after it is set up to avoid hackers from simply accessing the device with the default credentials.
You can significantly improve your security posture by implementing the above three tips when setting up and or using a smart device. We hope that our last several posts have helped to keep you safe and secure this Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Have any questions about internet connected devices (often referred to as IoT or Internet of Things devices)? Contact us and we’ll be glad to answer your questions. Make sure to subscribe to our mailing list to stay up-to-date with our latest security tips and tricks.
Additional Resources