Making sure that your IoT device is secure should be the first step when introducing the device into your home. Without security measures in place, your IoT device could be opening another channel for hackers to invade your personal life.

All smart devices have an access point that can let attackers in. Devices come with microphones that can clue attackers into your conversations, smart appliances can get hacked to overheat and even smart lightbulbs can offer a way into your home.

Soon enough, the whole home will be connected. Yes, it’s definitely a cause for alarm if you are not aware and careful. So, how do you make sure that you better understand your devices?

One way to better understand your device’s security is to check and see if any of your IoT smart devices are on this scorecard list from researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The scores showcase how secure consumer-grade IoT devices are based on their studies.

The scorecard rates 45 smart devices on a scale from 0-100%. The researchers graded how the devices communicate and connect to mobile devices, cloud servers and to a wireless network.

Other key findings from the research:

• Security ranged depending on manufacturers
• Smaller, lesser-known manufacturers were more secure than larger companies
• Consumer-grade IoT devices sacrifice security to make devices easier for consumers to install themselves
• Devices announcing themselves on a network can attract attackers
• Regular software updates and patches are mandatory, but shouldn’t be left up to the consumer to automatically know and deal with

Unfortunately, as homes get more and more connected, keeping devices secure is going to be a major hurdle going forward. However, the first step to staying safe and keeping your home closed off from hackers is awareness.

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The Optim Smart WiFi Solution is a cloud-based Wi-Fi management solution for Service Providers and their End Users. Optim allows you to optimize your WiFi by providing a holistic view into the WiFi home network – automatically detecting weak WiFi signals and other underperforming network devices.

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• Check bandwidth usage for each specific device
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• Parental Controls by User or Device

Does your Service Provider have Optim? Learn More about the Advanced Tools available for your Internet Service Provider.