{"id":320724,"date":"2025-11-07T16:53:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T21:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?p=113960"},"modified":"2025-11-07T16:53:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T21:53:07","slug":"keep-your-smart-home-secure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/home\/smart-home\/keep-your-smart-home-secure\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Smart Home Secure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Chances are, you\u2019ve seen some hair-raising news stories over the past few years about hackers gaining access to smart home devices, using baby monitors and security cameras to spy on users and sometimes even communicate with them. Nest has drawn the most headlines for these types of stories \u2014 see exhibits A<\/a>, B<\/a>, and C<\/a> \u2014 but that\u2019s mostly because it’s the most popular manufacturer out there. Competitors like SimpliSafe<\/a> and Ring<\/a> certainly haven\u2019t been immune, either. Today\u2019s bigger picture is that automated attacks continuously probe consumer IoT (especially routers and cameras) at massive scale, and Mirai-family botnets still conscript vulnerable devices for DDoS and proxy abuse (Cloudflare DDoS insights<\/a>; ENISA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research suggests that these aren\u2019t just sensationalist news stories. There\u2019s no single global registry that tracks \u201csmart home breaches,\u201d so the best indicators come from network and threat telemetry. On residential and communications service provider networks, IoT devices now constitute the largest share of infected endpoints observed, reflecting their outsized role in home compromises (Nokia Threat Intelligence<\/a>). Large-scale sensors also register hundreds of millions of annual attack attempts targeting consumer IoT, primarily brute-force logins and web-interface exploits against routers and IP cameras\/DVRs (Kaspersky Securelist<\/a>), while EU assessments continue to list IoT botnets among prominent risks (ENISA Threat Landscape<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that baseline protections are improving and are increasingly enforced by law or labeling: the UK\u2019s PSTI regime has been in force since April 29, 2024 (banning universal default passwords, mandating vulnerability disclosure, and requiring update support transparency), the EU\u2019s radio equipment cybersecurity requirements apply from August 1, 2025, and the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark labeling program is rolling out to signal baseline security to buyers (UK PSTI Act guidance<\/a>; EU RED cybersecurity requirements<\/a>; FCC Cyber Trust Mark<\/a>). Follow the precautions below and you can use smart home devices with far greater confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Mom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Why Would Someone Want to Hack Into Your Smart Devices?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no single reason why these attacks occur. Criminal groups continue to assemble DDoS and proxy botnets from vulnerable IoT and home routers, while opportunists and state-backed actors exploit weak credentials and unpatched firmware. Telemetry in 2025 shows record network-layer DDoS activity driven largely by Mirai-variant botnets that conscript cameras, routers, and other connected devices (Cloudflare Q3 2025<\/a>). Motivations range from flooding targets offline to monetizing residential IP space for anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the creepiest stories usually grab the headlines, most attackers aren\u2019t fixated on you personally. Your devices\u2014especially your router\u2014are attractive because they offer uptime, bandwidth, and a foothold to mask criminal activity or to pivot to other endpoints on your network. Compromised home routers and cameras are routinely used as DDoS nodes or residential proxies and can weaken any network segmentation you\u2019ve set up (Cloudflare<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your device can be used to launch DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks, mine cryptocurrency, act as a proxy, and hide malicious traffic behind your home IP. Mirai-style botnets persist because many legacy devices still expose default\/weak credentials or run end-of-life firmware, and attackers automate scanning to enroll them. Recent reports highlight multi-terabit-per-second peaks and continued dominance of IoT-sourced botnets (Cloudflare<\/a>; ENISA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, while most<\/em> compromises use your device for botnets or proxying, your accounts and personal data can be at risk when cloud portals or mobile apps are weak, or when attackers pivot from one compromised device to another. EU rules coming into effect place explicit requirements on authentication and protection of personal data in connected products, aiming to reduce these avenues over time (EU RED<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Your Connected Devices Get Hacked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most common way to gain access to smart devices isn\u2019t really a \u201chack\u201d at all: attackers reuse stolen passwords in credential-stuffing campaigns against device portals and mobile apps. Breach investigations show the human element and stolen credentials remain major drivers of compromises, so adding a second factor or passkeys materially reduces risk (Verizon DBIR 2024<\/a>; Verizon DBIR 2025<\/a>; Mandiant M\u2011Trends<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also fairly easy for attackers to get in using factory-set usernames and passwords. Many legacy devices still ship with or retain universal defaults that are trivial to find, and these are banned in some markets today. In the UK, vendors must not use universal default passwords and must disclose how long they\u2019ll provide security updates\u2014good news for buyers, but older devices remain exposed (UK PSTI<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other cases, the problem is upstream with vendor clouds, APIs, or slow patching. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical to choose brands that prioritize security baselines: unique per-device credentials, automatic updates, published support periods, and clear vulnerability disclosure channels\u2014principles reflected in international baselines and programs (ETSI EN 303 645<\/a>; EU RED<\/a>; U.S. Cyber Trust Mark<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Hands<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

How to Protect Yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all that said, the best way to get hackers out of your home is to never let them in in the first place. Regulatory baselines now help, but your choices and settings matter most: pick products with strong defaults and published update policies, keep firmware current, use unique passwords with MFA\/passkeys, and harden your router\/Wi\u2011Fi. Prefer devices that support on\u2011device processing and end\u2011to\u2011end encrypted options to minimize cloud exposure (PSTI<\/a>; Apple Home\/HSV<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stick to established brands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s best to stick to names you recognize when it comes to smart devices\u2014and verify concrete security practices: no universal default passwords, automatic updates, a published minimum support period, and a way to report vulnerabilities. These are now mandated in the UK and increasingly reflected in global schemes and standards (UK PSTI<\/a>; ETSI EN 303 645<\/a>; U.S. Cyber Trust Mark<\/a>). For video products, look for on\u2011device AI and end\u2011to\u2011end encrypted or local\u2011only options (e.g., Apple\u2019s HomeKit Secure Video analyzes motion on a home hub and stores recordings with E2E encryption; Google\u2019s Nest Cam with Floodlight Pro adds on\u2011device 3D Motion using radar to reduce false alerts) (Apple HSV<\/a>; Nest Floodlight Pro<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While companies like Nest and Nokia aren\u2019t invulnerable to hacks, you can be confident that they\u2019ll move quickly if a flaw is exposed. These companies also have thorough security measures like two-factor authentication that eliminate the most common points of access. To see the products we feel confident in, check out our reviews of home security systems<\/a>, home security cameras<\/a>, and smart hubs<\/a>. If you prefer DIY systems with professional monitoring, major options publish clear plan details\u2014SimpliSafe\u2019s Fast Protect plan includes live video verification to reduce false dispatch, Ring Protect Pro includes cellular backup for alarms, Abode offers month\u2011to\u2011month pro monitoring, and ADT Self Setup pairs Nest gear with ADT monitoring (SimpliSafe plans<\/a>; Ring Protect<\/a>; abode Pro<\/a>; ADT Self Setup<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Update the device\u2019s software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Regular software updates are among the most effective defenses. Attackers scan for devices running old firmware with known flaws, then use widely available tools to exploit them. Turn on automatic updates wherever possible and replace unsupported\/EOL devices, especially routers and cameras (ENISA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you purchase a smart device from a well-established brand, it should periodically provide software updates to address security issues. Many products update automatically once enabled. In the UK, vendors must disclose their minimum support period, making it easier to avoid products that won\u2019t be patched long-term; EU requirements applying from August 1, 2025 further raise the bar for secure updates and authentication (PSTI<\/a>; EU RED<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a unique password<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because many takeovers start with reused or default credentials, it\u2019s essential that every device and account use unique, strong credentials\u2014ideally moving to passkeys where supported. Credential stuffing and password reuse remain common on consumer IoT portals, but unique passwords plus MFA\/passkeys defeat most automated attempts (DBIR<\/a>; CISA on phishing\u2011resistant MFA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n