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Adding Smart Devices
to Your Home Securely
These devices make our lives easier. But, they come with a host of growing concerns as convenience is prioritized over privacy. Smart devices often have lax security making them an easy target.
Secure Your Smart Devices
Our homes are now a hotbed of connected devices from virtual assistants to connected thermostats to smart doorbells to fridges that never run out of milk. These intelligent products share a mission to make our lives easier. However, smart devices come with a host of growing concerns as convenience is prioritized over privacy.
Smart devices often have lax security and come with a default password as standard or no password at all, which makes them an easy target for cybercriminals. There are also growing concerns related to the data that these connected devices are constantly gathering, including voice-activated assistants. Connected TVs are increasingly popular; however, they track what you and your family watch to recommend other shows and movies and allow brands to make more money with targeted ads. Businesses are profiting by exploiting the data gleaned from what you and your kids are watching to serve up products that they think you will be interested in.
IDShield Protection
Features Include
- Dark web surveillance
- Unlimited consulting with fraud experts
- Quarterly credit score tracker
- Support with credit report disputes
- Scan your social media for unwanted images and posts
- Watch your financial accounts for unwanted activity
Take Action Before Connecting Devices
Consumers need to be aware of the potential pitfalls with connected devices. This was brought to the forefront with the recent hacking of a Ring camera. While this is an extreme example resulting from password reuse, it shows how easily a smart device can transform from a useful tool to a horrifying threat. As the number of smart devices is poised to continue its rapid growth, you need to put the foundations in place to stop the exploitation of your family’s information and privacy.
Prioritize Passwords
As we shift our lives online, we must protect our privacy and reputation by securing our personal, financial, and medical information. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong, we need to take an active role, assess possible threats and protect our digital identity. We want to help you take control of your digital life so that you understand where the pitfalls lie and how you can protect yourself and your family.
Mute Microphones
With the explosion in intelligent speakers, many homes now have multiple devices offering help from the familiar voices of Alexa, Siri and Google. However, these products are continually watching and listening to us. So, make sure that you turn the microphones off when they are not in use. Adopt the approach that you can’t be too careful.
Review Privacy Settings
In response to the growing concerns around privacy with smart devices, many of the major manufacturers, including Apple, Amazon, and Google, are providing enhanced privacy controls. Make sure to check the privacy settings with every device and opt-out of data tracking and ads. Also, make sure to regularly check that the settings don’t default back to sharing your data.
By following these steps, you can stop both cybercriminals and organizations from invading your home’s privacy and infiltrating your information. IDShield can help you take back control, allowing you and your family to enjoy your smart home’s many benefits without worrying about the privacy implications of intelligent devices.
