Strategies for Common IoT Devices

Strategies for Common IoT Devices

While almost anything in a home could be part of the Internet of Things, certain devices and types of devices are more common in American households. Refuge shares a very helpful review of different IoT devices that can be found in the home and different safety strategies for each device. Some of the most common device safety strategies have been collected here. Click on the + to learn more about strategies for each common IoT device:

Smart Locks

Google Home Hub

Nest

Smart TVs

Alexa & Amazon Echo

Smart Locks

A smart lock’s basic function is to allow you to lock and unlock your door via an app. They can monitor access to your home and send notifications to the owner of the smart lock about when people arrive at and leave the home. If compromised by someone else without your agreement they can be used to see, track and monitor what you are doing.

• Check whether the door on which the smart lock is installed is strong and secure, as the smart lock could be by-passed with brute force.
• If the lock supports “Guest Access” check who has guest access. If there are any people, accounts, or devices you don’t recognize, consider removing them if this feels safe. You may also want to consider resetting the lock.
• If the lock supports key cards, PINs or fingerprints -- you may want to disable all of these or change the PINs if other individuals have had access to your smart lock previously.
• Install and check for updates to the hardware and software regularly.
• Ensure your WiFi is strong and secure. Continue this virtual tour to learn more about how to best secure your wireless systems.

• Check who “owns” the account on the smart lock app on your phone. If it is not you, or you only have a guest account, consider resetting the lock completely.
• Check whether the account or system you use to access the smart lock has a strong password.
• Make sure the phone you use to access the smart lock is also secure (use a passcode; ensure no-one else has access to the Apple or Google account that backs up your phone’s data).

Google Home Hub

• Don’t link Google accounts which hold sensitive information about you, such as your banking information, to your Google Home Hub. Instead, consider creating a separate Google account just for your home devices.
• When not using voice activation to interact with your Google Home Hub, consider muting the microphone on your Nest speakers as someone with access to the device could remotely activate the microphone to listen in on your conversations.
• If you are concerned someone in your home might use your Google Home Hub to monitor you because they have access to the account, consider disabling personal results. Personal results are things like calendar appointments or shopping lists. Nest devices are programmed to only recognize your voice for personalized results, but are not always foolproof.
• Turn off your Nest devices while you are away. The Nest system doesn’t have an off button, so unplug the devices you won’t need while you’re gone.
• Turn off your internet connection to Nest when not in use.
• Ensure your WiFi is strong and secure. Continue this virtual tour to learn more about securing your wireless systems.
• Install software updates as this ensures all the security features of the device are up-to-date and more difficult to override.

The Google Home Hub is the virtual assistant that powers a range of smart home devices by Google, called Nest devices (see above). The Google Home Hub that is set up in your home can be accessed remotely from a connected device such as a phone or laptop. This means that if someone has access to your Google Home Hub, they could monitor what you are doing in your home remotely, or even make changes to your devices to abuse you.

• Your Google Home Hub account will store your voice requests you make via your smart devices by default. You can delete transcripts of voice requests and disable this feature in your Google account on the ‘my activity’ page.
• Check whether Google is automatically storing your data, such as your location history. If someone were to gain access to your account, they could view this data and find out a lot of information on where you have been and what you have been doing, so consider disabling this feature. You can turn this feature off in your Google account settings.

Smart Televisions

• It’s advisable not to share the login details for the main account for the TV as these could be used to make changes to the TV or to activate the cameras or microphones on the TV. Always follow strict sign-in criteria to keep your TV's user accounts and in-app profiles safe and secure.

• Consider creating secondary user profiles, which have their own sign-in information and user restrictions.
• Ensure you update your TV’s software, hardware and app software regularly as this ensures all the security features of the device are up-to-date and more difficult to override. The procedure for installing system updates on your TV varies depending on the model and manufacturer, so consult your user guide if you need more details. If you're given the option, make sure auto-update options are turned on.
• Use an antivirus for your smart TV as it can be infected with malware or viruses just like your other smart devices.
• Consider covering your camera when you’re not using it. Some TVs link to other smart devices, such as phones and tablets. If someone has access to the TV account, they could activate the camera to broadcast an image of the room, without you knowing.
• Consider disabling your TV’s microphone when you’re not using it as it could also be activated remotely, allowing someone to listen in on your conversations.

Smart TVs offer the user all the functions of a standard TV with added extras, installed from an app store. You can often install 3rd party apps (like Netflix or YouTube) access cloud-based music, or browse the internet. Smart TVs often (but not always) have built in mics and cameras. When Smart TVs have mics or cameras, they can be misused to monitor people in the home. When someone has access to your Smart TV they can also make changes on it that could be confusing or intimidating.

• Check that the accounts you’re accessing through the TV are secure. This means checking whether the email linked to your Smart TV is one you have access to; checking that untrusted people don’t have access to the accounts linked to the TV and that no-one knows or could guess the passwords for your linked accounts.
• Review your TV’s privacy settings – it’s easy to automatically ‘agree’ to the suggested privacy settings when setting up the TV, but you may want to consider what data the device has access to. It's not advisable to agree to your data being collected.
• Avoid inputting financial information into your TV’s apps.

Nest

Nest is a line of smart home products from Google. Devices you can use with your Nest account include smart speakers, thermostats, fire alarms, and more. If someone has access to your Nest account, they can control these devices and use them to frighten, harm or monitor you.

• If you use voice-controlled Nest devices, your account will store your voice requests by default. You can delete transcripts of voice requests and disable this feature in your Google account on the ‘my activity’ page.
• Check whether Google is automatically storing your data, such as your location history. If someone were to gain access to your account, they could view this data and find out a lot of information on where you have been and what you have been doing, so consider disabling this feature. You can turn this feature off in your Google account settings.
• Don’t link Google accounts which hold sensitive information about you, such as your banking information, to your Nest system. Instead, consider creating a separate Google account just for your Nest devices.

• When not using voice activation to interact with your Nest system, consider muting the microphone on your Nest speakers as someone with access to the device could remotely activate the microphone to listen in on your conversations.
• If you are concerned someone in your home might use your Nest system to monitor you because they have access to the account, consider disabling personal results. Personal results are things like calendar appointments or shopping lists. Nest devices are programmed to only recognize your voice for personalized results, but are not always fool proof.

• Turn off your Nest devices while you are away. The Nest system doesn’t have an off button, so unplug the devices you won’t need while you’re gone.
• Turn off your internet connection to Nest when not in use.
• Ensure your WiFi is strong and secure. Continue this virtual tour to learn more about securing your wireless systems.
• Install software updates as this ensures all the security features of the device are up-to-date and more difficult to override.

alexa & amazon echo

Alexa is a virtual assistant available on several Amazon smart home products. Alexa is capable of voice interaction, playing music, adding items to your shopping lists and more. Alexa controls Amazon Echo devices. Echo devices can come as a speaker or a device with a screen and a camera (such as the Echo Show) and are often linked to 3rd party services, such as Spotify or Audible accounts. This tech can also be misused to monitor what happens in your home as someone with admin access is able to listen to the audio picked up by the device’s microphone or view your home via the video features without you ever knowing. If another person has access to the device, they are also able to command the device to do things such as play music or send voice messages without consent.

• For your privacy, you can disable the mic by pressing the Echo’s top ‘Mute’ button when it isn’t in use. If you’re using an Echo Show you can disable the mic using the slider button. You’ll still be able to use the Echo using your Alexa Voice Remote – all you have done is disabled the microphone itself.
• Switch the Echo’s sound notification on to automatically alert you if your Echo is accidentally triggered, meaning it is recording audio.
• Disable your smartphone’s address book sharing feature, as someone with access to the Amazon device could use it to call or message people in your address book.
• Read third-party terms and conditions to understand what other apps your device pairs with and what apps may have access to the device.

• Amazon automatically stores all your Echo’s interactions to improve its performance and command accuracy. For extra privacy, regularly review and delete your activity through your Amazon account or opt out of recordings all together.
• Consider turning your Amazon Echo Show’s camera off.
• Use PIN protection or disable voice purchases to stop someone making unauthorized voice purchases.
• Install software updates as this ensures all the security features of the device are up-to-date and more difficult to override.

• Make sure your WiFi is secure to prevent visitors or others who have been on your network previously from accessing your Echo and Alexa devices. Continue this virtual tour to learn more about how to best secure your wireless systems.