There are several steps homeowners can take to help protect their smart home devices from hackers. Here’s some advice from security experts:
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• Always change the default password, which is the factory-issued password that allows a device to be accessed for initial setup.
• Choose a complicated password, like a string of unrelated words or numbers. Do not use information like birth dates that can easily be found online, and do not use passwords you have used elsewhere.
• Regularly update the software that runs on your devices.
• Monitor the Internet Protocol, or IP, addresses that are accessing your smart home devices. Each computer that accesses a device has a unique numerical label that should appear on the IP log.
• If the IP log is not readily available, contact the company that made the device and ask for it.
• If available, enable two-factor authentication on your device. Two-factor verification usually requires a code delivered through text message in addition to a username and password.
• Make sure your home router is also secured with a strong password and updated software.
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