Thinking about diving into a Smart Home, are you? Well, you’d better be ready to harden your home against evildoers and those deadbolts aren’t going to help at all, no matter how smart they are. To help homeowners make more informed decisions, and in support of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have partnered this October to create a Smart Home Checklist that offers guidance to help home buyers, renters and sellers as they try manage the privacy and security of their smart homes and devices.
Homeowners and renters have to realize that Smart Home devices come with security risks, like any connected technology. These devices can collect personal information and might have unpatched vulnerabilities or improper passwords. It’s great that homeowners are getting more and more invested in the connected lifestyle, but they need to be aware of the potential privacy and security risks.
“As smart technology becomes more prevalent in our homes, it’s important that we all take precautions to protect our data and privacy,” said Chris Polychron, President, NAR. “The Online Trust Alliance’s Smart Home Checklist takes a common-sense approach to protecting sensitive information and offers sound advice for anyone who uses smart technology in their day-to-day lives.”
For starters, the NAR and OTA recommend that, not unlike turning over all keys and remote controls, home buyers and renters should make sure that sellers, previous tenants and unauthorized third parties don’t have access to critical systems and devices.
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“Although we enjoy the benefits of a connected lifestyle, we must not lose sight of the risks a smart home may pose to our privacy and physical safety. As evidenced by some privacy practices and recent vulnerabilities with smart cars, TVs and baby monitors, consumers need to be aware of and manage smart devices in their homes,” said Craig Spiezle, President and Executive Director, OTA. “Following these recommendations will help consumers better protect their privacy and identity and prevent their personal data from falling into the hands of cybercriminals and being sold to the highest bidder.”
Following this checklist, the two groups said, will make big strides toward a safer connected living experience.
The Smart Home Checklist Prior to Occupancy
Review privacy and data sharing policies of all devices and services.
Obtain confirmation from previous occupants and vendors they no longer have administrative or user access.
Submit change of ownership and contact information to device manufacturers and service providers (email addresses, cell phone numbers, etc.) to ensure you receive security updates and related notifications to maximize your security and privacy.
Review devices’ warranty and support policies. Occupants should consider disabling devices or specific features that are no longer supported by a vendor.
Review the configuration settings for remote access, encryption and update cycles and adjust where needed.
Reset privacy and data sharing settings to reflect your preferences. For example – data collection and sharing, camera and microphone settings and other device functions.
Review home Internet routers and devices to ensure they support the latest security protocols and standards and disable older insecure protocols.
Update and modify all system passwords and user names upon taking possession of your new home or rental unit. Where possible create unique passwords and usernames for administrative accounts.
Run updates and contact manufacturers to confirm devices are patched with the latest software and firmware.
Reset access and guest codes for gates and garage door openers.
Disable connectivity for devices no longer supported by the manufacturer or replace these devices.
Review the privacy practices of the connected devices including data collection and sharing with third parties and reset permissions as appropriate.
Sleep well, now.
Edited by
Kyle Piscioniere
