Whenever we are going to install IoT devices in our home, we must take into account certain factors to make the most of its resources and also not to compromise our security and privacy at any time. As we know, this type of equipment is all those devices that we have in our home and that have Internet access. There are more and more available and for different purposes. However, this can also cause problems. We are going to talk about it in this article. We will explain everything necessary to install IoT devices in our home.
Big rise of IoT devices
First of all we want to mention the great increase in IoT devices in our homes. As we know, the Internet of Things is present in a wide range of functionalities and tools of our day to day. We can mention televisions with network access, light bulbs, video players … There is a wide range of products.
In recent years we have seen how the number has been growing. However, if we look to the short-term future, the estimates indicate that it will grow exponentially . Each time we will have more devices connected to the network in our homes. More intelligent equipment that will have access to the network and that, in one way or another, will help us in our day to day.
However, it must be borne in mind that we must always maintain safety and proper functioning. We cannot make mistakes that may affect us.
How to safely install IoT devices
Security is a very important factor that must be present whenever we are going to install IoT devices in our homes. In this way we can prevent potential intruders from accessing the network or taking advantage of existing vulnerabilities.
Change factory credentials
Something basic that we must apply when safely installing IoT devices is to change the credentials that come from the factory. This is very important to avoid security problems. Many hackers or malicious software will try to attack the credentials that come from the factory, since this way they can be more successful.
All the settings that we can change from the factory, the better. This includes device names, for example. In this way we will avoid that it is easy for a possible attacker to achieve his goal.
Using strong passwords
Of course, strong passwords must be used to prevent them from accessing IoT devices. This means that they will have to contain letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols. All this at random.
It is important that we apply this to all the devices that we have. It is also important that we do not use the same password on several devices, since in the event of a problem a domino effect could appear.
Update the device
Before starting to use any IoT device, it is important to make sure that you are using the latest firmware version . Sometimes vulnerabilities arise and that can put our security at risk.
Normally it is the manufacturers themselves who release patches and security updates. On the one hand we are going to improve the performance of the equipment with these updates, but we can also avoid possible security problems.
Do not install unofficial plugins
An important tip is not to install unofficial plugins. It is true that many IoT devices can have additional tools that offer us a wide range of possibilities. However, keep in mind that we may be installing software that has been maliciously modified.
Review permissions
We must also review the permissions that device has. Do you have access to other equipment in our home or to our accounts? It is interesting that we take a look at this and do not give more permissions than are really necessary.
Connect it to secure networks
Finally, something fundamental is that we connect to secure networks . It is very possible that our IoT devices are connected to network amplifiers that we have at home. This means that we must also implement security measures not only in the router, but in any amplifier we have. This way we will always keep security safe.
