Five Steps to Protect Your Digital Home

More and more home devices—like thermostats, door locks, coffee machines, and smoke alarms—are now connected to the Internet. This connectivity allows us to control these devices from our smartphones, regardless of where we are, providing convenience, safety, and cost savings. While these technological advancements are exciting and innovative, they also introduce new security risks that we must be mindful of.

1. Secure your Wi-Fi network.
   Your home's wireless router is the primary entrance for cybercriminals to access all your connected devices. Secure your Wi-Fi network by changing the factory-set default password and username.
2. Enable strong authentication.
   Always enable strong authentication for an extra layer of security beyond your password, available on most major email, social media, and financial accounts. Strong authentication, such as multi-factor authentication using a one-time code sent to a mobile device, helps verify that only authorized users can access an online account.
3. Keep a clean machine.
   Keep your software up to date and install updates for apps and your device's operating system as soon as they are available. Keeping your software up to date helps prevent attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities.
4. Know your apps.
   Review and understand the details of an app before downloading and installing it. Ensure the vendor or creator of the app is reputable. Be aware that apps may request access to your location and personal information.
5. Consider what you share.
   Limit the amount of personal information you share online. Avoid widely publishing your full name, phone number, address, school, or work location, and other sensitive information. Disable geo-tagging features that let people online know where you are. Limit your online social networks to people you know in real life and set your privacy preferences to the strictest settings.