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Your smart home is full of unlocked doors
The average home now has more than 20 connected things on it — TVs, heating, cameras, speakers, consoles, even the odd smart plug. Every one is a small door onto your network, and most were left unlocked by default. Here is how to quietly close them, in plain English. No jargon, no scare tactics.
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The three gaps worth fixing first
If you only do three things, do these.
- Change the default passwords on your router, cameras and any device still using the one it came with.
- Put your smart gadgets on a separate guest Wi-Fi, kept apart from your phones and laptops.
- Turn on two-step (two-factor) login and automatic updates wherever a device offers them.
Room by room, device by device
Your Wi-Fi router
It is the front door to everything else in your home. If it still uses the password printed on the sticker, that door is easy to walk through.
- Change the default admin password (the one for the router settings, not just the Wi-Fi).
- Rename your Wi-Fi so it does not give away the make and model of the router.
- Turn on automatic updates if your router offers them.
- Switch off 'remote management' unless you genuinely need it.
Set up a separate 'guest' Wi-Fi network and put all your smart gadgets on it, kept apart from your phones and laptops.
Your smart TV
A smart TV is a computer with a microphone and a camera on some models. It can track what you watch and, if left unpatched, be a way in.
- Install any waiting software updates.
- Turn off viewing tracking (often called ACR or 'interest-based advertising').
- Disable the microphone or camera when you are not using them.
- Sign out of any accounts you no longer use on the TV.
Update the TV's software today, then turn off viewing tracking in the privacy settings.
Your smart heating (Hive, Nest and similar)
Heating and energy systems are always on and always connected. A weak password on the app can hand someone control of your home's systems.
- Use a strong, unique password for the heating app — not one you use elsewhere.
- Turn on two-step (two-factor) login if the app offers it.
- Check who else has access to the account and remove anyone who should not.
- Keep the app updated.
Give the heating app its own strong password and switch on two-step login.
Voice assistants (Alexa, Google, Echo)
They are always listening for their wake word, and recordings are often stored. A shared account can expose more than you expect.
- Review and delete stored voice recordings in the app.
- Turn off 'save recordings' if you would rather it did not keep them.
- Use the mute button when you want real privacy.
- Check which other apps and 'skills' are connected.
Open the app, delete your saved recordings, and turn off recording history.
Smart cameras and video doorbells
A camera on a weak or default password can be viewed by strangers. These are among the most commonly hijacked home devices.
- Change the default password to a strong, unique one.
- Turn on two-step (two-factor) login.
- Keep the firmware updated.
- Check the sharing settings so only people you trust can view it.
Replace the default password with a strong one and switch on two-step login.
Games consoles and kids' devices
Consoles hold payment cards and personal details, and children's tablets and toys often connect straight to your network with little protection.
- Turn on family and parental controls.
- Add two-step login to the console account.
- Review purchase settings so a password is needed to buy.
- Update the device and remove old accounts you no longer use.
Switch on two-step login for the main console account and require a password for purchases.
Everything else (plugs, kettles, toys, trackers)
The cheapest smart gadgets are often the least secure. Many are never updated and quietly sit on your network for years.
- Change any default passwords the moment you set the device up.
- Put these on your guest Wi-Fi, away from your main devices.
- Remove or unplug gadgets you no longer use.
- Buy from brands that actually publish security updates.
Move your cheap smart gadgets onto the guest Wi-Fi so a weak one cannot reach your phones and laptops.
The same blind spots exist where you work
If it is this easy to overlook at home, imagine the charity, school or business where nobody's job is to check. The instinct that protects your family protects your team too — our free Safety Check gives you a personalised score and clear priorities in under five minutes.