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10 things to do to keep hackers out of your home
Hackers are constantly scanning for vulnerable networks and personal devices to use for a wide range of cyber a acks. The recent distributed denial of service a ack on Domain Name Server provider, Dyn Inc., illustrated just how vulnerable home networks and smart devices are.
While home networks and smart devices provide numerous bene ts to consumers, they present some very real risks, most of which can be managed with some basic steps.
Just as people protect their work networks with so ware and passwords, consumers need to transfer these same online prac ces to
their homes to protect devices such as smart televisions, baby monitors, refrigerators, and thermostats from being hacked.
“Many devices are built for speed and ease of deployment,” explained Eric Cernak, Munich
Re U.S. cyber prac ces lead, “and a lot of
mes, especially with older devices, they are
launched with default codes, passwords, and
user names that aren’t changed, exposing your
IP addresses to the internet where hackers can nd them.”
The danger arises when hackers exploit some of these security aws and use them to breach home networks, computers, and smart and mobile devices.
“Once cyber criminals have access, they can steal personal and nancial informa on, hold computer les for ransom, and hijack anything from webcams and thermostats to smart TVs,” Cernak said.
And, with 80 percent of consumers using home networks, the risk of a cyber a ack is high.
It is possible a personal device could be commandeered by a hacker and the owner would never realize it. Unlike a computer, where you would no ce it was running slower or access to your email might be locked, it is more di cult to tell if someone is nosing around your refrigerator or accessing the baby monitor.