Five Ways to Protect Your Smart Security Camera from Hackers

Last December, an 8-year-old girl was playing in her room when a voice started speaking to her through a Ring camera. “I’m Santa Claus,” the man’s voice said. “Don’t you want to be my best friend?”

This scenario is every parent’s nightmare, and she hasn’t been the only victim of smart security harassment. It’s becoming so common there was even a podcast devoted to this kind of hacking. And the more homeowners and renters turn to smart home security systems, the opportunities for hackers grow. Failing to take simple precautions when it comes to your privacy can cause a ripple effect – and may unknowingly endanger your family.

The good news is, your security system doesn’t have to put you or your loved ones at risk. Here are five tips to proactively protect yourself and your security systems:

1. Practice good password hygiene. Hackers are targeting people who reuse passwords; if your security system password is the same as the password used on a site that has experienced a data breach, then you are at risk. To prevent this, make sure you never use the same password for two sites. Change your passwords regularly and don’t store them on your computer unless it’s through a secure password manager, like LastPass. Make sure your passwords have upper- and lower-case letters, as well as numbers and symbols; if you’re not sure, use a secure password generator to help you come up with a secure password.
2. Enable two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is becoming more common now, not just with online financial platforms but with other sites as well. Most of the time, this isn’t a default setting; you have to opt in, which means that to login you won’t just need to input a password but will also need to provide a code sent to your email, cell phone or other device. Always, always say yes to this option if it’s available.
3. Purchase comprehensive identity protection. According to Newsweek, most Ring accounts were hacked using previously-exposed credentials. Make sure you’re alerted if your information has been compromised. Consider purchasing identity protection service from a trusted name, and check Better Business Bureau for ratings before you buy. Great monitoring companies don’t just provide great technologies to detect fraud, theft and hackings; they also help you prevent them, and they provide concierge-style service if your identity or systems have been compromised.
4. Delete your security footage. Since you can’t be sure whether your system has been hacked or not, you don’t know whether someone has access to footage of your home. It’s best to delete all of your old security footage, and put a reminder on your phone to regularly delete your footage in the future. If the footage isn’t stored in your account, then hackers can’t access it.
5. Update your software. With recent smart security system hackings in the media, technology companies are already proving new security updates to their products. There will likely be more in the new year. Check your updates monthly to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

Identity protection doesn’t just mean keeping your eye on your credit card charges anymore. As we move to more online and “smart” systems, protecting yourself means keeping watch over your home security networks, your medical records, your social security number, your credit reports, the deep and dark web, your children’s records and more.

The good news is, if you keep these simple tips in mind, you can keep a lot of your products and personal information safe.

Thomas F. Kelly is president and CEO of IDX, a Portland, Oregon-based provider of data breach and identity protection services, such as IDX Identity. He is a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and an expert in cyber security technologies.