3 Ways to Protect Your Smart Home Devices from Cyber Hackers
Smart homes bring tremendous upgrades to our convenience and efficiency at home – but new research reveals that the very devices designed to make life easier could also be putting our privacy at risk.
As homes become increasingly connected, vulnerabilities are growing faster than many homeowners realise. Recent reports show billions of cyber attacks happened just last year, and as our smart devices are so connected, every weak password in a home setup is an opportunity for hackers to access the entire smart home ecosystem.
How Hackers Could Be Targeting Your Smart Home Devices
Cybersecurity experts are warning that smart home attacks are accelerating. From TVs and printers to thermostats and wearables, each new device in your home adds another potential entry point – something we’ve previously explored when reporting on why robot vacuums are digital back doors for hackers.
A recent report from PlanetVPN highlighted a newly disclosed vulnerability, dubbed React2Shell, which can affect millions of connected home devices worldwide. Within days of being made public in December, security researchers observed hacker groups from North Korea and China actively exploiting the flaw, often long before manufacturers could roll out fixes.
At the same time, a recent report by Bitdefender and Netgear, which analyzed 58 million smart home devices across the US, Australia, and Europe, found 4.6 billion vulnerabilities and noticed 13.6 billion attacks in the first 10 months of last year.
IoT Analytics forecasts that the number of connected home devices will reach 21.1 billion this year, with double-digit growth expected to continue.
According to Konstantin Levinzon, co-founder of PlanetVPN, smart homes are becoming an increasingly attractive target. ‘When people think about cybersecurity, they often take care of their smartphones and forget about the rest,’ Konstantin says. ‘However, other devices connected to homes often have weaker security than our smartphones or laptops, making them a more lucrative target for cybercriminals.’
Once inside, the damage can be extensive – from stolen personal data and leaked private footage to full network takeovers.
Mike Halbouni, security camera and telecommunications expert at PoyntGuard, explains how easily one weak link can compromise an entire system: ‘Smart homes are smart ecosystems – if one device in that ecosystem is insecure or compromised, then the entire network can be exposed.’
With smart home trends showing a rise in passive technology, working in the background as it adapts to our behavior, understanding key tech security principles has never been more important – especially as, one day, AI humanoid robots could do our housework.
1. Strengthen Your Passwords
Weak or reused passwords remain one of the most common ways hackers gain access to home networks.
‘Hackers typically gain access to your network through weak passwords, outdated firmware, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, or poorly configured routers,’ says Mike Halbouni. ‘Once a single device on a personal home network is compromised, it can absolutely be used as a gateway to access other connected devices.’
That’s particularly concerning given how many households now rely on interconnected smart home must-haves, from lighting to improving indoor air quality.
Every device should have a unique, strong password, and default logins should always be changed during setup – and this includes your Wi-Fi router, along with any newer smart home gadgets that promise airtight privacy protection.
Eddy Abou-Nehme, owner and director of operations at RevNet Ottawa, recommends enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible, ‘This adds an extra step, such as a code sent to your phone, which makes it much harder for someone to access your accounts even if they have your password.’
Using a password manager like the one on your phone can make it easier to maintain unique passwords across every device without relying on memory. Or, to really keep things off-grid, write them down in a notebook, like this A5 Notebook at Etsy that can be personalized.
A5 Hardback Note Book With Lined Sheets
If you want to be extra careful, write down your passwords in your own notebook, which can never be accessed by hackers. Plus, it’s a great way to keep track of your decluttering checklist or gardening checklist.
2. Turn Off Features You Don’t Use
Voice activation, remote access, cameras, and always-on internet connectivity can all act as open doors if left unsecured, especially as smart appliances expand into areas like smart kitchen technology.
And what’s more, these features are often enabled out of the box.
Amanda Seider Gentchev, VP of Commercialization & Engagement for Allstate Identity Protection, advises minimizing exposure wherever possible, ‘Turn off features you don’t use, like cameras, voice activation, or even internet connectivity. This closes a door that could be unlocked by hackers.’
When you consider the growing popularity of using voice assistants at home, with reports that more than half of all internet users in the US will use voice assistants in 2026, knowing which features to select will protect you against unnecessarily and unknowingly sharing private conversations with hackers.
Even popular devices like the best robot vacuums can pose risks if remote access or cloud features aren’t properly secured. If a device doesn’t need to be smart, perhaps reconsider whether it needs to be connected to the internet at all.
3. Keep All Devices Updated
You may think that software updates just bring in new features, but they’re also introducing essential security upgrades to your device.
‘Keep all devices updated,’ says Eddy Abou-Nehme, adding, ‘These updates often fix known security weaknesses that hackers actively look for.’ This applies to routers, cameras, doorbells, phones, and just about any appliance that connects to the internet.
If you’ve invested in home security in 2026, this is especially important. The best video doorbells record your voice, film your face, and monitor every person coming in and out of your house. This information could be disastrous if leaked.
When improving your home security, look for cameras with local storage, not cloud-based. The eufy E340 Video Doorbell, for example, stores clips on its own hard drive, that neither eufy nor hackers can view without direct access.
Mike Coogan, chief information security officer at Brinks Home, also stresses the importance of configuration, ‘The biggest threat to consumers from smart home devices is default configurations. Be sure to update software to the latest version – just like a computer.’
For devices that unavoidably rely on cloud storage, making sure the latest software is installed will make sure your device has the most up-to-date security protection.
Next, learn the best security measures for a house and how to protect your porch.
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