Smart devices have become the trend, with the possibilities expanding from phones to watches and cooking appliances. With these devices, you can have your entire home connected. You won't have to worry about leaving the stove light on or turning off the lights in rooms. An app on your phone can handle it.   

Most people assume that these devices translate to fewer security risks. However, the reality is that the reverse might just be the case. Without the proper knowledge, your smart devices can expose you to more security risks than you can imagine.

Possible Security Risks from Smart Devices

Research has shown that innovative home technologies are not exactly as smart as they may seem. These devices have loopholes that you must understand so you can protect yourself well. Some of the possible security issues that smart devices may cause include:

• Easy Hacking

Cybercrime is on the rise, and one of the newest avenues of harvesting people's private data is through smart devices. A hacker can find sensitive information about you or your family from your smart devices and use it against you. You can mitigate this risk by ensuring you don’t connect apps with personal information to your smart home network. Your calendar, emails, work apps should be kept separate.

• Home Break-in

Beyond what can be done online, smart devices can also make it easier for a thief to break into your home. Unknown loopholes in smart locks and cameras can make it easy to disable, and access is gained into your home. Smart security systems can also be penetrated such that you won't even notice the tampering. You can reduce these risks by having a backup system that isn't smart to pick up any abnormalities.

• Location Tracking

Everybody likes having privacy, even when you have nothing to hide. But smart devices can make your privacy less so if you’re not careful. It has been found that your location can be tracked through smart devices like your speaker when you click on a malicious link. This hack can reveal your location down to your street number. Therefore, you should avoid dubious links on your smart devices or use a second network for smart home devices.

• Virtual Eavesdropping

That feeling of the walls having ears might be more than just a feeling. With your intelligent devices, hackers can eavesdrop on you and learn vital information. Your digital voice assistants can record your voice once it is on, and hackers can harvest these recordings without your permission. You can minimize this risk by periodically deleting stored recordings and keeping smart devices off when not in use.

• Third-Party Issues

 Your security can also be affected by the third-party mobile apps you use to operate your smart devices, which may be insecure. Some allow for group permissions for different functions instead of asking for permission for each, making compromise easier for hackers. You can mitigate this risk by only using authorized apps for your smart devices.

In conclusion, smart devices can be a significant security risk to your home and privacy. However, since the benefits are also undeniable, it might be unrealistic to stop using them altogether.

But you can reduce the security risk by following appropriate security procedures. Ensure that you update your software regularly, use multi-factor authentication, and only buy from reputable organizations.