A modern home in Singapore can easily have more connected devices than people. There is the Wi-Fi router, a doorbell or indoor camera, a smart TV, a robot vacuum, smart plugs and speakers, all talking to the internet around the clock. Each one is useful, and each one is also a small computer that can be found, probed and taken over if it is left unprotected. Smart home security is about making sure the network that ties them together stays in your hands.
Why smart devices are an easy target
Most connected gadgets are installed once and then forgotten. Default passwords stay unchanged, firmware updates are skipped and nobody checks which devices are actually on the network. Attackers scan the internet for exactly these weaknesses. A compromised camera can expose live footage of your living room, while a hijacked router can redirect every device in the house to fake websites. Because these devices rarely have screens or antivirus of their own, the protection has to come from the network and the devices you do control.
The risk also grows with every gadget you add. A home with two devices is easy to keep track of, but a home with twenty is not, especially when visitors, children and smart appliances all join the same Wi-Fi. Knowing exactly what is connected, and being told when that changes, is the starting point for keeping the whole network safe.
Device by device
Routers
The router is the front door of the home network, so its security affects everything behind it. Weak Wi-Fi settings or an outdated configuration can let outsiders in. A home network protection tool that checks your Wi-Fi for vulnerabilities tells you what to fix before someone takes advantage of it. For full coverage, a VPN can also run on the router itself, which protects every device on the home Wi-Fi, including smart home gadgets that cannot run an app.
Connected cameras
Indoor cameras and video doorbells record the most private parts of home life. The biggest risks are unknown devices joining the network and unauthorized connections reaching the camera from outside. Private and uninterrupted browsing tools stop unauthorized connections to home devices, and alerts about new devices give you an early warning that something is not right.
Smart TVs and streaming boxes
Smart TVs collect viewing data and run apps from many developers. They sit on the same network as laptops and phones, so a weak link here can become a path to more valuable devices. Keeping the network monitored and the computers on it protected stops that path from opening.
The features that do the work
These are the parts of a premium security plan that matter most for a connected home.
- Smart Home Protection checks your home Wi-Fi for vulnerabilities and notifies you if a new device tries to connect to your network.
- Anti-Hacking prevents unauthorized access to and hijacking of your computer, with a firewall, anti-ransomware and cryptojacking protection built in.
- Antivirus provides multi-layered protection against viruses and malware, including fileless attacks and rootkits, on the computers and phones that control your smart devices.
- 24/7 Remote IT Support gives premium customers round-the-clock help with security issues, which is useful when a device behaves strangely and you are not sure why.
- Premium brings all of these together for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, alongside an unlimited VPN, identity protection and a free year of parental controls.
Habits that keep a smart home safe
- Change the default password on the router and every camera the day you install them.
- Turn on new-device alerts so you know the moment something unfamiliar joins your Wi-Fi.
- Run the Wi-Fi vulnerability check after any change to your router settings.
- Install firmware updates for cameras and TVs when they are offered.
- Keep security software active on every phone and laptop that controls your smart devices.
None of these steps take long, and together with network monitoring they remove most of the easy openings attackers look for.
Closing Thoughts
A smart home should make life easier, not create a new set of worries. With the router checked for weaknesses, alerts for unfamiliar devices and secure smart devices controlled from protected phones and computers, your cameras, TVs and gadgets can keep doing their jobs without opening a door to strangers.
Protect your connected home with the Premium plan from Kaspersky, which includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Bookmark 2MinuteRead for the next time a gadget question comes up at home.