About "Smart" Devices

In today's digital age, just about anything can be networked. Everything from home appliances, AI personal assistants, thermostats, lights, TV's, printers, etc.. fall into the category of ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). Here are a few cyber-security questions to consider when researching such devices:

9/25/20241 min read

a cell phone is connected to a light switch
a cell phone is connected to a light switch

Here are a few cyber-security questions to consider when purchasing "Smart" devices:

  • Does the device need access to the internet or only your local area network?

  • If it does communicate to the internet: why, and is the traffic encrypted?

  • when performing a firmware upgrade, does that upgrade happen via secure / encrypted channels?

Depending on the manufacturer, it can be difficult to find the above information prior to purchase. For this reason, it is highly recommended that all IoT devices be placed on their own isolated network within your home or business. Along with segregating the IoT devices from the rest of your network, it is also highly recommended that you configure them with a very secure password, and update their firmware frequently.