Five Ways to Protect Your Privacy When Using Smart Home Technology
We may not be living in a Jetsons -like future with robot maids and flying cars, but we do have the technology to transform our standard homes into futuristic smart homes . There are some very good reasons for this, including greater control over your environment, increased automation of repetitive tasks, and even improved security.
But smart homes—and the devices that make them up—have one huge downside: privacy. Smart home devices work by providing access over a network, and as a result, every smart device in your home, from the lock on your door to the light bulbs in your fixtures, is a potential weak point in your fight for privacy. And it’s not just that hackers are out to steal your bank details – often the manufacturers of these smart devices are the worst offenders, collecting every scrap of data you leave lying around so they can sell your data to someone else.
However, having a smart home without the privacy nightmare is not impossible. You just need to take a few preventative steps.
Think twice
First, it should be said: the easiest way to avoid privacy issues in a smart home is to not have a smart home at all. There’s no way to guarantee that your smart devices won’t undermine your privacy no matter what you do, so the simplest solution is to simply keep your home quiet.
A less radical approach is to think about what smart features you really need. Instead of simply installing every device available, focus on smart features that will truly benefit you and your family. For example, would light bulbs that change hue and temperature throughout the day really make a difference in your life? If the answer is not yes, you can limit your privacy by simply not installing smart bulbs.
Shop Smart
If you decide that there are smart devices that you can really benefit from, the next step is to be careful about the specific devices you buy. This involves doing research to choose the best options for each category, and also means you shouldn’t skimp and buy crappy devices at fake prices. Sure, these cheap products can do most of the work for you (for a while), but they will undoubtedly be the worst option from a privacy and security perspective. (The low cost is likely subsidized by the amount of data you hand over to these companies.) If you’re concerned about your personal data being scattered all over the world, be okay with paying a little more.
For example, if you’re looking for a new smart vacuum cleaner, you might want to check out our buying guide to see options based on personal testing. If you’re looking for smart light bulbs, check out PCMag’s buying guide on sister site Lifehacker .
Protect everything
A smart home consists of two components – devices and network. Make sure both are as secure as possible:
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Change your router settings : Don’t leave the factory default SSID (Wi-Fi network name) or default password (and use a strong password ). Next, install strong encryption—WPA3 if you can, WPA2 if that’s your only option (but if you have privacy concerns, your best bet is to upgrade to a router that supports WPA3 ).
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Separate networks. Your router almost certainly allows you to create a “guest” network , separate from your main network. Use this option for your smart devices – this will allow them to work as expected, but since they won’t be connected to the same network as, say, your laptop or phone, there will be less chance of privacy breaches.
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Separate passwords and 2FA. Each smart device is likely controlled by some kind of application, and each may have its own password and security settings. Don’t use the same password for each one, and be sure to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) if available. This creates additional barriers to access to your devices, but will help keep your data safe.
Check your settings
Even if your network is tight as a drum, each specific device you install has its own settings, and many of those settings have to do with your privacy. You should familiarize yourself with each device’s settings—look for phrases around “data” (a surprisingly vague term that can mean anything) and “personalization,” especially in the context of advertising. Setting the most restrictive option will help protect your privacy as much as possible.
For example, if you have a Google Nest smart speaker , you can access your privacy settings through the Google Home app. Go to Settings > Privacy > Your Data in the Assistant , then select Personalized Ads and turn off the setting. While you’re there, you can also turn off audio recordings , a setting that allows Google to save what you say on your devices.
It’s also worth wandering through the settings. Let’s say you have an Ecobee smart thermostat that makes your home smart in terms of climate control. There is one feature that may catch your attention: Smart Home/Away. It keeps track of whether you’re at home or not, changing the temperature accordingly, but it requires tracking your phone’s location to work. If you don’t want to be tracked, it’s a good idea to tap Settings > eco+ menu and make sure it’s turned off.
You should take a similar approach to the features each device offers: if you don’t need them, turn them off if you can. For example, if your device can accept voice commands, but you’d rather not yell at inanimate objects around the house, it’s best to simply turn off the feature. This way, you won’t have to worry about accidentally leaking personal information since your device is patiently listening to everything you say .
Keep the news updated
Hackers are constantly exploring the security limitations of smart devices and finding innovative ways to gain access and control. Reputable manufacturers will work to update the software and firmware of these devices to keep them secure, but receiving these updates is not always automatic.
If your smart home device is set to receive automatic updates, we recommend allowing this. But you should still check regularly to see if it’s actually up to date, and check for firmware updates while you’re at it, which sometimes involves more than just downloading. The more you stay up to date with updates, the better your privacy will be.
Updates will vary by device, but you’ll likely be able to find them in your smart device app (or hub app). Some will update automatically—for example, if you have an August Home smart lock on your front door, you’ll occasionally receive a notification that a firmware update is available when your phone connects to the lock via Bluetooth. You have the option to delay the upgrade by walking away, but you should always do so right away. (This will only take a few minutes.)
Sometimes you will have to push these devices to update. If you have multiple Amazon Echo devices in your home, you can trigger a software update by simply asking them to check: you just have to say “Alexa, update your software” or something similar. Otherwise, you can look in the settings for update options. For example, if you have Blink Outdoor cameras set up for home security, you can go to each camera’s section in the Blink app, select Settings , and scroll down until you see Update Firmware .
Physical Security
Finally, let’s not make the basic mistake of assuming that all security is digital. If you want your smart devices to protect your secrets, make sure they are physically inaccessible. This primarily applies to any smart devices installed outside the home (or that can be accessed from the outside in any way), but it is possible that an intruder could gain access to the inside of your home to tamper with your devices, so be mindful of their physical security any time you let someone you don’t know and trust into your home.
And don’t forget that your phone or tablet is the portal to control all of your smart home features and privacy settings, so physically accessing it could give someone access to all your personal information. Always protect this device with a secure PIN or biometric security feature.