Are Smart Homes Safe in 2020?

Are smart homes safe? Are smart homes easy to hack? I hear these questions a lot, and want to address the pros and cons of smart home security systems, all in one place.

With technology making huge advancements on the daily, people are slowly turning towards the convenience and ease of smart home devices for managing different aspects of their lives.

Initially, the remote control introduced plenty of accessibility at the click of a button. But this was limited to televisions, air conditioners, and garage doors. Now, with the spread of the internet and mind-boggling home automation technologies, everything in your house can be controlled by your phone through a combination of apps and the good old world wide web.

Everyone has the same question when they start out – how can something be easy to connect to, but also be safe? Are smart homes actually safe? If you stick with me to the end of this article, I’m going to show you why having a smart home is actually safer.

Safety Benefits of Having a Smart Home

Smart homes have become a significant movement these days, and for a good reason. They present a huge number of perks for the homeowner. Many smart homeowners have found greater ease of use and less anxiety compared to traditional lock-and-key homes. Here’s an outline of some of the most beneficial safety advantages smart homes can offer:

An Integrated Security System

Being highly integrated, the security systems in smart homes allow a watchful eye over your home from any country in the world. You can remain relaxed while on trips abroad or out of your city with the use of security cameras. Install sensors to tell you where an intrusion has happened. A motion sensor can be set up to alert you to a possible intrusion before it’s even happened. And all for relatively cheap. But the best best part is that you can monitor all of this through your phone anywhere in the world.

Smart Smoke Detection

An cornerstone of home safety that plays a massive role in all home security systems is the smoke alarm. Smart smoke alarms serve the same function as traditional one, but also allow you to remotely monitor your house and detect the source of the smoke or fire. Smart smoke alarms can be practical because you can turn them off from your smartphone. No more waving a jacket around when you burn a casserole! A great alternative/additive to smoke alarms is smart carbon monoxide detectors. These do essentially the same thing as the smart smoke alarms, but are also triggered by CO. As such, they allow you to localize where this debilitating gas is coming from, and plan the best route out.

Hi-Tech Door Locks

Having door locks you can control from your phone or through a pass-code is easily one of the most convenient parts of our smart home. There are smart options with just keypads or just deadbolts, but we chose an option with both. With smart locks, you never have to worry about forgetting or losing your door key. The lock’s passwords can easily be changed, saving you the headache of going through a locksmith. Also, guest passwords can be given out and conveniently changed later on. But one of the best features for us is the ability to remotely check if the door is locked. Gone are the days of getting half way to work before turning around to check the lock….

Check out our current favorite smart lock at Amazon here.

Water Leak Sensors

For home automation vets, this one seems like an obvious first place to start your smart home safety. But this may be a novel idea for those just starting out. You can install water leak sensors around your house if you think your pipes or water drainage system is prone to leaking. Water leak sensors are especially advantageous for anyone who has had their hot water tank leak. Such sensors allow for easy repair because the sensors can detect the source of the leak and alert you before catastrophe strikes.

Greater Efficiency + Greater Safety

A mostly hidden benefit of smart homes is that they are energy efficient. The automation of your appliances around the house can allow your smart home to ensure that there is less strain placed on non-renewable energy resources. Your smart home saves on energy by automatically turning off a light when a room is empty, adjusting the thermostat according to the time of the day, and turning off an electrical socket when it is not in use. But the devices used for efficiency can also play a role in smart home safety. Think: Ever had to go back home because you (or your spouse) can’t remember turning off the curling iron? A simple smart plug can fix this problem for under $10.

Debunking Myths About Smart Home Safety

While the benefits of making your house a smart home seem ideal, there are many doubts people have when undertaking such a task. Many of these doubts, however, are the product of popular myths which can be exacerbated by the media. But it is helpful to understand why these are simply myths that need to be debunked. Here are some of the most common ones.

1. Smart Homes Are Easy to Hack

This is by far the most popular myth. And it has been accelerated due to some recent events in the news. Remember the reports of a “hacker” speaking through a baby monitor? Unfortunately, at the root of these events you will always find human error. For the baby-cam incident: The people had not changed the default password on their router; were not using 2 -factor -authentication; and had reused passwords for their other accounts multiple times. The exact password wasn’t revealed, but they said it had about the same level of security as “1111”.

Such errors are pretty easy to avoid. (Note: see below to learn how to maximize your smart home safety). Actually “hacking” a smart home device near-impossible because of the advanced encryption utilized by such devices. Not to mention, think about how easy it is for a thief to just kick in your back door. So a would-be thief would either have to 1) have the coding skill set to to crack military-grade (WPA 2 or 3) encryption, get close enough to your house to connect to the devices while they are being set up, and spend enough time implementing the code without being noticed; or 2) grab a rock and smash a window. 10/10 thieves will opt for #2. And if you have a multi-purpse sensor, you’ll know exactly when and where that window was smashed).

2. You Need to Be Super Tech-Savvy to Run a Smart Home Security System

Nowadays, this is a complete fallacy. Pretty much all of the big-name smart home security companies engender convenience. In fact, having an automated security system is a great first step to making your home more user-friendly. It may take a bit of getting used to, but these systems integrate effortlessly with devices you already use, and will make your security system easier to understand in the long run. My advice is to approach it like you would approach a new smartphone. New features to learn equals new features to use.

3. Smart Home Safety Devices Are Expensive

This is yet another popular myth I hear quite often. Installing a smart home security system in your house is very affordable, and most plans are actually cheaper than traditional security plans. The most popular home security systems do not require long-term contracts, and they make it a lot easier if you have to move. You can extend your home security system by simply purchasing a new device, instead of upgrading your entire plan. Or you can use it as a one-time investment if your willing to forgo monitoring – keeping all of your devices storing their recorded data locally.

4. “I want a technician to set up my system, so I have to go with a traditional security system.”

While it’s true that to it’s hard to actually get a tech from a specific company to come to your house, that doesn’t mean your stuck having to set up everything yourself. Maybe you feel uncomfortable about setting up something as important as your family’s security system. Or maybe you just don’t have the time to do it yourself. Though they all come with good instructions, there are valid reasons why you might not want to set up a system by yourself. The good news is that you don’t have to.

With the growing demand for smart home technology, more and more handymen (and handywomen) are educating themselves on how to set up and fix smart tech. Go ahead and do a quick google search of handymen in your area. Chances are, most of them will list “smart home device installation” in their skill set. Additionally, all the major smart home security companies provide warranties on their products, making it easier for you to get a device fixed. But also keep in mind that this stuff is exceedingly easy and cheap to replace. So if you feel your smart home devices have become outdated, you can buy new devices and install them with the same settings from your previous devices.

5. There’s No Privacy In a Smart Home

So here’s the thing with this one: You get to choose how much privacy you want. My simple rule is that cameras always point outside my house – never inside. Lots of people choose even less privacy, utilizing things such as nanny cams or hallway cameras. That’s not a “wrong” way to do things, that’s just how they chose to set up their system. (Pro Tip: If you buy less expensive “indoor” rated cameras and have them located just inside your window, pointing out, you can save yourself the extra money you would have spent buying cameras rated for “outdoor” conditions.) There are also some simple steps you can take to mitigate any potential privacy breaches, including buying your devices from legitimate sellers who come out with regular updates. You can even go a step further and avoid devices that make videos and audios, if you so choose.

How to Keep Your Smart Home Secure

There are a few simple tips and tricks that you can use to ensure that your home remains secure from so-called “hackers” and other such threats. The following are some tips you can use to ensure your smart home remains secure. Some of these tips should be used more frequently than others, and some are one time investments that pay off for years.

1. Get a Good Router, and Change the Default Username and Password

A good quality router from a reputable seller is the first thing you need to think about to ensure that your home connections remain secure. Once you have installed the router, you will have to change the default username and password, as such places are the first place trouble-makers look to gain access. Luckily, this is very easy to do. All the major router companies have instructions on how to get this done on their websites, but the gist of it is: open your go-to web browser and get to the router access page (you’ll type in the address bar something that looks like 192.168.0.1), log in with the default information you can find on the back of your router (unfortunately, most of them use “admin” as the default password), and then change your password as you would with anything else.

You can find out more about our experience with specific routers here.

2. Change Your Other Passwords, While You’re At It

Changing the passwords or locking codes of your devices on a semi-frequent basis is a great way to keep your information safe. If you have recently hosted guests, you should change your passwords once they leave. It is also crucial that you should not keep similar or easy to guess passwords on any of your devices. And above all – USE UNIQUE PASSWORDS. The device itself may not be crackable for your login info, but we’ve all heard of data breaches at major companies (think: Equifax, LinkedIn, Ashley Madison, Marriott International… the list goes on and on). You don’t want to give someone with access to one of your passwords the ability to login through all of your accounts. But how do you remember all of these unique passwords? Well that leads us to:

3. Use a Password Manager

These things are the best! Not only will a password manager will make your life so much easier, it can keep your smart home more secure by providing you with generated, randomized, unique, secure passwords. Everyone knows how annoying it can be when you forget your password. Or worse – you get locked out of your account from trying too many times. But a password manager allows you to have all your passwords stored in your phone or computer. This way you only have to remember one. You can also set it to use face ID or your fingerprint. Most of the major players in this field have an option where it can tell you when you have an old password that needs changing, or when you might be reusing a password. And best yet, most of them have a free option.

Ones that I’ve used and can recommend are LastPass and 1Password. Both have great autofill options so you don’t have to worry about typing in a long random string. And LastPass specifically has a very functional free plan.

4. Buy Your Devices from Reputable Brands

It may seem tempting to go with a cheap off-brand device, but do so at your own peril. You should buy your devices from brands that are reputable, registered, and authorized. Reputability of the brand will ensure that you get the safety features you need. These include frequent software updates, customer support, and advanced security features. Before purchasing a smart device, do your research and look for relevant reviews and recommendations. The good news is that even the industry leaders in smart home security can be budget friendly. For example, Ring has a great mix of low- and high-end products that you can get on a widely-varied budget. Here’s a link to their full selection.

5. Use a Voice Key Code if You Integrate Your Home with Voice Assistants

“Can’t a robber just tell Alexa to unlock my door and turn off my security system?” It’s a very valid question, and in reality, the answer is yes, and the answer is no. This comes back the idea of choices we brought up earlier. When setting up these security devices, you will be prompted to set up a voice key code – a type of audio password that allows the smart assistant to perform the desired function. Now, some people choose to disable this, in favor of added convenience. DO NOT DO THIS. If you do, the answer to the initial question will be a resounding yes. Setting up the devices that keep your home safe with a voice key code is an easy fix that will maybe add 2 seconds to your home entry process. Please make sure this feature is enabled for your security system.

6. Keep Your Devices Updated

You should keep your smart home devices and their software updated to prevent and block any would-be security breaches. Companies are continually updating their software to provide better safety features, and also to patch any known security issues. But you would be surprised how many people just never download their updates. A lot of devices will give you the option to auto-download updates, and I recommend you take that option (smart homes are here to make our lives easier, after all). If you have vital devices that require permission to update, or need you to push the updates manually, try setting a prompt in your favorite reminder app to do this every 3 months. Software updates are one of the easiest ways to ensure your smart home stays safe. And they’re also one of the most important.

So, Are Smart Homes Safe?

The truth is, smart homes can be as safe as you want them to be. No house is impenetrable to everything. But by using a few simple tips listed above, your house will be a lot safer than it was without the smart home devices. So to answer the question: Yes, smart homes are safe in 2020. Exactly how much of a fortress you want them to be is up to you!