Your smart home is a futuristic marvel. But when camera bugs let our neighbors spy on us, unpatched video doorbells leave us vulnerable, robot vacuums are hacked to shout obscenities, and entire security systems are compromised by a smart plug, it’s understandable if you have reservations about connecting your house to the internet.
There’s no need to avoid the benefits of smart home devices entirely, though. The trick is to understand the risks and take advantage of available security features. Whether you have a full network of smart kitchen appliances or a single voice assistant, follow these steps to ensure no one messes with your stuff.
1. Consider What You Actually Need
Before rushing to buy a smart speaker, thermostat, or video doorbell, assess your comfort level when it comes to balancing convenience with security and privacy. A security camera might offer protection, but are you okay with footage being uploaded to the company’s remote servers? A voice assistant like Alexa never sleeps, always listening for your commands. Is that creepy or a perk? Figure out what you need from a smart home, and where privacy trumps convenience for you.
2. Secure Your Wi-Fi Network
Out of the box, most routers use a model-specific SSID and either a random password or something generic, like “admin,” making it easy for hackers to access your home Wi-Fi and poke around your connected smart home devices. Keep in mind that these manufacturer-supplied credentials can be found online for anyone to use, so the first thing to do is secure your network with a strong password.
How you do that varies by device, but the basics are the same; here’s how to get started. Those using a mesh system will be able to manage security options from a mobile app. If your router allows it, think about changing the SSID, which is just the name of your Wi-Fi network (e.g. PCMag_Home). While you’re there, make sure you’re using the highest security protocol. While older devices will top out at WPA2, newer routers have the superior WPA3 standard.
(Credit: PCMag / Netgear)
3. Update the Firmware
Firmware is the low-level software that powers your router and Internet of Things gadgets. You can access your router’s firmware, or log in through the associated app, to change the password (which should be different from the Wi-Fi password) and configure various settings.
Companies also roll out bug fixes and new features for their connected devices, and many automatically refresh over Wi-Fi. Registering your smart device with the manufacturer may help ensure your devices get these updates. However, there are many others that require owners to manually update for the latest goodies and security patches. Don’t ignore these; running older firmware can leave your device vulnerable to hackers looking to exploit unpatched flaws.
Configure your device to automatically upgrade—if you’re willing to accept the potential risk involving automatic downloads from third-party servers. Otherwise, your best bet is to set a reminder to regularly check for improvements. Amazon, Arlo, Google, Ring, Wyze, and others provide details on how to check and update your firmware.
4. Replace Outdated Routers
Chances are, you probably bought a new phone or laptop in the last few years. But what about your router? Has it been gathering dust on a shelf for far too long? If your internet performance is not yet suffering, the security of your connected devices almost certainly is. An aging router means aging security protocols—and an easier access point for bad actors.
If you need a new router, the newest home internet standard is Wi-Fi 7. Take a look at our roundups of the best wireless routers, gaming routers, and mesh networks.
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5. Manage Your Account Passwords
With the Wi-Fi network secured, it’s time to protect the individual devices and services that connect to it. Many smart devices are controlled through a mobile app, and you’ll need to set up an account with each one. Using the same password for everything is convenient, but it’s a security nightmare. If one of those accounts is breached and the password exposed, hackers potentially have the keys to all the other accounts on which you used that password.
Instead, create a unique password you can remember but others won’t guess. You may want to use a random password generator (or make your own for extra security) to produce hard-to-guess codes and a password manager to remember them all for you.
6. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication
Strong passwords are one thing, but you can take it a step further by enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) on supported services. So, even if a hacker gets their hands on your password, they won’t be able to log into the account without another form of authentication. Many smart home devices support MFA, including Amazon Echo, Arlo, Google Nest, and Ring.
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Head over to the security settings for the accounts you wish to protect and get started by connecting the service to an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy (SMS-based authentication is an option too, though it’s generally viewed as less secure). Now, when you log in, those accounts will require your password, plus a second form of authentication—like the six-digit code generated by your authenticator of choice.
7. Split Up the Network
Got your smart fridge and your laptop on the same Wi-Fi networks? That’s a bad idea, according to the FBI, which urges people to “Keep your most private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other [Internet of Things] devices.” After all, hackers aren’t interested in whether you’re running low on Greek yogurt; the unsecured refrigerator is an access point for breaking into your wireless network to steal data from your laptop or phone.
Prevent this by putting your smart home equipment on a separate network band. Most routers should have 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to use (some even have a third 6GHz band). You can even set up the router’s guest network. This frees up bandwidth for browsing and streaming, while separating IoT devices from personal data. If you do get hacked, the malware infecting your less secure smart home devices is unlikely to make the jump over to the main network.
(Credit: PCMag / Netgear)
8. Monitor Your Network
If you’re still concerned about network security, you can manually monitor who is on your Wi-Fi. The program Wireless Network Watcher, for instance, shows every device connected through your router, so you can crosscheck them against owned gadgets. For extra protection against network vulnerabilities, you can also invest in a comprehensive security suite as a buffer against whatever a bad actor may try to inject into your home network.
However, there are also contraptions that monitor your network for vulnerabilities: Firewalla sells products that allow you to see and manage all network devices and their actions. We gave the Firewalla Purple our Editors’ Choice honors, though the company makes a few other options as well.
PCMag Editors’ Choice Firewalla Purple (Credit: PCMag)
About Our Expert
Jason Cohen
Senior Editor, Help & How To
Experience
As PCMag’s editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
I believe tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more how to content delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the tips and tricks newsletter that I curate twice a week.
My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I’m a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.
Whenever I have a second to myself, I’m probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.
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