For Christmas, we wish for secure IoT (Internet of Things) gifts

The Christmas season has arrived again and with it the struggle to get hold of the best gifts (mostly at the last minute) for our loved ones. Well, fear not! You can search through the categories on our site for some more interesting ideas. And if you're worried about how to properly ensure your cyber security when buying these devices, we've put together a practical guide to help.

2021 was another stellar year for the development of smart devices, all kinds of exciting inventions — from smart forks, a shower head with a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, a smart pet food dispenser , a smart diaper monitor and what not.

What some overlook is securing your IoT devices.

It's no secret that despite all the advantages of smart home products, they are also prone to hacking. The reason for this is that many IoT devices come with default settings and passwords that are easy for some cybercriminals to guess. To reduce the risk of becoming a victim of IoT device hacking, it is imperative that you change this password to one that is strong and secure. Our recommendation is to use a variety of upper and lower case letters, numbers, symbols, and make sure that the password cannot be linked to any of your personal information, such as your children's names.

As with the device password, it's also important to understand the entity's default settings and change them when appropriate. For example, the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) feature helps IoT gadgets discover and connect to other network devices. However, this setting also serves as a gateway for hackers to infiltrate your devices and network.

Finally, you'll need to make sure your software is up-to-date to keep your devices secure and reduce the risk of a cyber attack. This can be done with relative ease as manufacturers are always releasing new patches for the latest vulnerabilities as and when they are discovered. However, you should make it a habit to check for updates regularly to avoid getting hacked.

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