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Protecting Your Smart Devices
Q. How safe is it to give smart gadgets the password to my Wi-Fi network? Should I be worried and what can I do?
A. As researchers have found vulnerabilities in internet-connected light bulbs, it is wise to be wary when connecting smart device to your home network. Wirelessly linked gadgets like security cameras, thermostats and baby monitors (usually called the Internet of Things) have been targets for intruders looking to invade or disrupt. A major cyberattack powered by compromised devices brought online traffic to a halt last fall, for example. A detailed post on the Heimdal Security blog can give you an idea of how intruders can abuse smart devices.
In many cases, weak security — on the network or the devices themselves — has left holes for hackers to climb through, but you can shore up your home defenses in a number of ways. For starters, make sure your home network router is using a strong password and not the default one it came with out of the box. Your router’s manufacturer should have instructions for changing the password.
You should also change any default passwords on your smart devices — and use different passwords for each one. Be sure to install any available firmware updates or security patches from the company that made the product.
The Department of Homeland Security recommends disabling the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) feature on the router and any devices as well. UPnP was intended to make connecting devices to a network easier, but it can also let malware through your firewall and onto your network. Your router and device manufacturer should also have instructions for turning off UPnP.
Several commercial security companies, including Sophos and Norton, suggest creating a separate network just for your smart devices to keep them isolated from the computers on your main network. Some routers allow you to create a second network for untrusted users, so check the manual for your model to see if this feature is included.
Networking hardware with enhanced security measures to protect connected devices are also starting to emerge as new defense systems for home users; the Norton Core and F-Secure’s Sense router are two such products on the way.
Personal Tech invites questions about computer-based technology to techtip@nytimes.com. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually.
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