You’ve probably heard on the news how hackers use people’s devices to access their personal information. You probably even heard about the teenager who used her smart fridge to tweet to her friends when her parents confiscated her smartphone. Even if many people doubted the fridge did it, LG, the manufacturer confirmed their smart devices come with social media capabilities.
Your house is packed with smart devices connected to the internet and offer a mean to connect online using equipment that isn’t traditionally associated with this function. For example, you can now use your smart TV for more than watching your favourite drama series. You can connect it to the Wi-Fi network, play online games, and navigate between streaming services and post on social media. It has the same functions a smartphone or laptop would have when it comes to entertainment. But sadly, the benefits of smart TV technology also come with some security risks. Any internet-connected device can track your search history and make you a target of cybercriminals. Tech providers have included these capabilities on smart devices to allow them to serve personalised content and ads, but the average hacker can cross the security walls and hack into the information. What can you do to protect your privacy when you use a smart TV?
Check if the TV you want to purchase has a microphone or camera
If you want to buy your first smart TV you should first check if the manufacturer integrated a microphone or camera in the set. Do you want the TV to watch and listen to you? It’s best to be the other way around. It’s recommended to opt for a smart TV that doesn’t include these functions because it stops hackers from protruding into your life.
Supposing you have already purchased a device that includes a microphone or camera you can disable them. But you’ll need to dig out the information because the provider may not include a guideline in the instructions it provides with the device. Google the particular model and other users may provide feedback on how to do it.
Get a VPN
Because smart TVs include more functions than regular television sets, you can stream music, play video content, and view pictures. By installing a VPN service, you prevent third parties from accessing your personal information. Also, it allows you to access geo-censored streaming platforms because most of them need a little enhancement to provide you with the best streaming experience.
Set a personalised password for your Wi-Fi network
Weak passwords is the top factor that leads to internet network break-ins. When a hacker can easily access your Wi-Fi network, they can break into all your smart devices. So, the first step to guard your information and privacy is to set strong passwords on all your devices and for the wi-Fi network. Avoid the password from the list of the most stolen ones and change it periodically.
Above are some tips to help you stay safe when using smart technology, do you have other recommendations?
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