Internet of Things is referred to as IoT. It refers to any additional “smart device” that connects to the internet. Everything from your streaming stick to your smart refrigerator can be an IoT device in your home. Alexa voice assistants and smart baby monitors are examples of IoT.
There are increasingly more internet-connected devices in homes. Over the past ten years, it has exponentially increased. A little reflection and we realize how many we use personally, thermostats to Alexa! Nowadays, a typical home has 10.37 internet-connected devices. Over half of those are made up of PCs and mobile devices, with IoT devices making up the remainder.
Over the past couple of years, there has also been another change. The rise in remote and hybrid work has put technology on the fast track. The pandemic led to a significant change in how we work, upending the conventional office paradigm. Several years later and we are still finding balance between working remote and onsite, with many leaning to remaining remote.
Today, many businesses all over the world have made working remotely the norm. The security of all those IoT devices has come under closer scrutiny as a result of this. They currently share a Wi-Fi network with devices and data used for business. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to calculate the potential security risk in shared Wi-Fi.
Here are two ominous figures that highlight the problem with IoT security:
- IoT cyberattacks increased 135% during the first six months of 2021 compared to the previous year.
- IoT devices are thought to be involved in more than 25% of cyberattacks against businesses.
IoT devices are used by hackers to access computers and smartphones.
Any other device on a network is at risk from smart devices. Usually, they are simpler to breach. As a result, hackers will use them as a way in to more delicate equipment.
The shopping list that is saved in your smart refrigerator might not be important to a criminal. But finding out what other devices are connected to the same network, will make it an easy breach into the IoT device.
Sharing and permissions, which are frequently present on home networks, can then be used by the hacker. They can use these to access your mobile or work computer. These gadgets have access to sensitive information and important data.
Why are Internet of Things (IoT) devices less secure than laptops and smartphones?
Here are some of the causes:
- Antivirus and anti-malware features are typically absent.
- IoT device users frequently don’t perform routine updates.
- They have simple interfaces that can conceal a device breach.
- The default username and password for a device are frequently left unchanged.
- IoT devices are easier to hack when their settings are shared.
- IoT should be on a separate Wi-Fi network to increase security.
A guest network for all IoT devices is just smart!
Almost all “modern” routers will be able to create a “guest network”, which is a second Wi-Fi network. When you connect to Wi-Fi, this appears as a different Wi-Fi that a device can use to access the internet.
You can increase security by connecting all of your IoT devices to a different network.
By destroying that bridge, you prevent hackers from moving from one IoT device to another on the same network. Those that contain sensitive information, for instance (computers and mobile devices).
In actuality, a hacker cannot see everything if you separate those two (IoT devices and sensitive-information devices). They won’t be able to tell you have a PC or smartphone if they hack one of your smart devices. They are on the other network, which explains why.
Utilizing this layer of security is crucial.
It can be beneficial whether you work from home or use your computer for banking and budgeting at home. Access to online banking or personal information can typically be found on all PCs and smartphones.
The procedures for separating your IoT devices are listed below.
(Note: We’d be happy to handle all of these steps for you if you’d prefer to have this done by us.) www.pctronics.us
Step 1: Log into the router.
Step 2: Go to Wi-Fi settings, where you can set up a guest network. Each router will handle this differently, so you might need to consult an online help page.
Step 3: Configure the guest network in accordance with the router’s instructions. Use a strong password, please.
Step 4: Change the network’s current password. This prevents IoT devices from connecting to it on their own.
Step 5: Join the new guest network with all of your home’s IoT devices.
Step 6: Re-join the existing network with your sensitive devices (computers, smartphones). Apply the fresh password.
Make sure to connect any new devices you add to your home network to the correct network as you do so. As a result, the security layer remains functional.
One more piece of advice:
- Avoid giving your Wi-Fi networks descriptive names. The term “IoT network” as well as your name, address, and router model name fall under this category.
It’s best to use names that won’t reveal sensitive information to hackers that they can exploit.
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