Be Smart about your Smart Home's Network

The Age of Technology is still growing rapidly, and more then ever the Smart Home epidemic has become increasingly popular. In fact, the time has come where home appliances, security systems and other home features are smart by default. And any time you have something in your home connected to the internet, you want to be certain that you’re practicing smart security habits. Below is a list of safety factors to consider not only for yourself but also for when you’re looking for the right smart home provider.

Secure network: Most smart devices need to be connected, so be sure your Wi-Fi network has strong encryption in place. You also want to disable guest logins on the router that hosts your automation “brain”. If you have an older router, or even a standard router purchased from your typical Internet service provider, you might want to consider upgrading it. Advanced routers will have more modern security tools and allow for better coverage throughout the home to eliminate “dead spots”. It’s also a good idea to create two separate networks: one for general internet use and one for your smart home devices. Although, to make this effective, give both of them obscure names with separate passwords.

Keep up to date: It’s also important to update everything regularly, whether it is your firmware on your router or on your smart appliance. Schedule regular updates, or where possible, consider enabling automatic updating.

Firewall: If you create a sophisticated home, you should have a sophisticated firewall to protect it. Although most routers already have decent firewalls, you might consider installing a separate device or computer that runs its own open source firewall operating system.

Remote management: If you are not using remote Internet management for a device, then disable it. The fewer remote access points you have, the better. But if you do frequently use remote management for your home, then be sure you have a secure connection. Use encryption with all connection points. Additionally, consider using a virtual private network (VPN).

Passwords: When it comes to the internet, weak passwords are still one of the top causes of security breaches. Each one of your devices that connects to the network needs to have some type of authentication. Be sure to follow basic strong password practices. This means using mixed letters and numbers, a variety of upper and lower case letters, and non-dictionary words.

Not only are these wise safety habits for you as a homeowner, but it’s a good idea to use these as discussion points when talking to your smart home installer. Smart homes can open up a whole new world of convenience in our hectic lives, so be sure to do proper due diligence to feel confident that it is done correctly.

If you have any questions regarding your homes network and its security, contact us today.