4 Tips To Secure Your Smart Home

Do you use smart devices to manage things within your home? It’s easier than ever to control everything from your doorbell to thermostat to speakers with smart devices that connect to your WiFi and are managed using an app. However, some devices may not be the most secure. And by connecting to the internet, you can open yourself up to some security risks. Here are four tips on how to keep your smart home a secure home.

1. Secure your home network. If your home WiFi is not secure, private information or personal data on the network could be accessible, such as your account logins. One suggestion is to isolate your smart home network by creating a guest WiFi network to use for all of your connected devices. This keeps your private information secure since it is separate. Setting up a guest WiFi account is quick and easy using the Blackfoot Connect app! You can also add a security plan to protect your wireless router. Learn more about Blackfoot’s protected WiFi »
2. Do your device research. Before you buy a smart device, make sure you’re buying from a reputable vendor and that you have adequate information about its security protection. Check the device’s privacy policy to understand what personal data is collected and what they intend to do with the data. As added security, when it comes to connecting devices to your smartphone, make sure you only grant permission when it’s necessary. And if you don’t intend to use voice activation on your device, turn off access to your microphone.
3. Use strong and unique passwords. Make sure your computers, tablets and smartphones are password-protected. Change the default password provided with any device, and don’t use the same password for every account. A strong password is at least eight characters long and uses a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Here are a few tips to create a strong password »
4. Use security tools and keep them current. Use firewalls and security software on your computer or devices to avoid viruses or malware. It’s also important to keep an eye on these tools to run updates which apply security patches and keep your software current. Need help? We offer fully-supported web security and anti-virus to help protect you against the latest online threats with our Tech Home plans.