Lured by the convenience and the extra functionality they enable, the current era has been adding more and more IoT devices to their homes. Now devices like network cameras, smart speakers, thermostat and more are connected to billions of home networks around the world. However, with so many users, there are not many who know how to keep their IoT devices secure.
To make things worst, IoT devices are now becoming the backbone of dangerous botnets, launching DDoS attacks on networks across the world. Other than this, there have been instances where the security flaw in IoT software has left millions of devices vulnerable to hijacking. Due to this, its leaving users and their homes vulnerable to a cyber-attack.
Hence, there are some simple things that even a beginner can follow, in order to protect their Internet of Things devices as per our experts.
Setting up a VPN server
The use of a Virtual Private Network or VPN is an excellent way to secure IoT devices. To implement this step, all you have to do is set up a home VPN server and use the network’s router or firewall to block the incoming access to the network’s IoT devices. Anytime in the future when a user wants to connect to their IoT devices from the outside the network, all they have to do is, use the VPN to create a secure communication pathway. By following this step, it preserves the remote access to the IoT devices while denying threat actors any access to the vulnerabilities of the device in use.
Adding a Firewall
On an average network in a lay man’s home, there is hardly anything that stands between the numerous connected devices and the internet, other than the modem which is provided by the ISP by default. These devices are not really known for their security and hence, the first step to securing the IoT device is to add a purpose-built firewall.
Building A Segregated Network
When compromised, the Internet of Things devices offers a convenient pathway for attackers into a user’s home network. Even with a firewall, the nature of the IoT devices keeps them in touch with the outside world without the user being aware of it – which means the devices are still vulnerable. In order to minimize the given risk, it is suggested to create a segregated network for the IoT devices. This will keep the IoT devices isolated from computers, tablets, and smartphones. If there is a flaw that is not guarded and which can be exploited, this saves the personal devices from being hacked into.
Until security takes center stage in the developments of the IoT space, deployment of these three simple solutions forms the basis of effective home IoT defenses. With these measures, most of the risks associated with today’s home IoT devices are rendered moot. Ensure these steps are followed to protect the IoT devices installed in smart homes against any kind of cyber-attacks and share the methods with others to increase awareness about it.
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