I have touched on this in previous articles. Now that there are smart speakers with Alexa, Siri, and Google built in, I thought I’d give you some tips on how you can stay safe and secure.

It’s important to recognize that all of your smart devices need to go through some type of router before reaching your device. The router will then allow you to connect via a cable or Wi-Fi. however, Wi-Fi is easier and found on more devices. In either case, make sure your router has a strong password that you have created. Make sure you have the highest level of security for your Wi-Fi, such as WPA/WPA2. Also, if your router is more than 5 years old, you should consider replacing it with a new modern router. This will ensure that you are using the latest security hardware and software.

Smart speakers are appearing in homes around the world, they were the best sellers on Amazon this past holiday season. They are good at playing your favorite music and getting better all the time following your commands. They can control your alarm system and lock and unlock your front door. Before you allow Alexa, Siri, or Google to open your front door, ask yourself how secure they are. Can they differentiate your voice from the voice of a stranger? What if you were leaving your house and a stranger came to your front door and said “Unlock the door”? Would it unlock? Speech recognition is getting better every day, so test your device before you trust it.

Do smart TVs track what you watch? The answer is yes, they can. I have written another article explaining how they do this and more importantly how you can stop it.

Do you have cameras inside your house? Many of us do. Ask yourself if they are safe and how do I prevent some clever actor from getting hold of them. That could put you in a very embarrassing situation.

It is important to carefully research each new smart device you purchase to determine how it works and what data it collects about you. Then secure that device within your home network. If you are not sure about a particular device, disconnect it from your home network. Remember, most of the devices you have in your home need to go through your router, secure it!