Last Update: February 22, 2016

More and more gadgets for the home are connected to the Internet for additional functionality. Refrigerators to Thermostats to Door Locks, the list is never ending. Do not forget about Security.

A vulnerable webcam can give ANYONE on the Internet a view of your home. Secure these home gadgets as strongly as possible.

Wi-Fi Network Connection

Connect your Dropcam or Nest Smoke Detector to your Guest Wi-Fi Network whenever possible.  This network should be walled off from the normal network, preventing access to all your Computers.  Malicious devices could snoop on your network and quietly send information without your knowledge.

Even better is to have 3 Routers in a Y configuration. Put these devices on one of the Y routers.

Securing Wearable Technology Fitness Devices

Fitness trackers like the Fitbit, Vivosmart, Jawbone Up, Apple Watch, etc connect via Bluetooth.  Some devices use a fixed Bluetooth MAC address, allow criminals or law enforcement to identify you, wherever you go.

More secure fitness trackers like the Apple Watch protect users against tracking by switching the devices address every 10 minutes.

Look for updates from your fitness device’s website to address this issue. Garmin has issued updates to fix this issue.

Federal Trade Commission Makes Asus Improve Router Security

In February 2016, the Federal Trade Commission settled charges with Asus, over critical security flaws in its routers that put the home networks of hundreds of thousands of consumers at risk.

Finally!, the government is forcing these manufacturers to fix wireless routers that can be come huge security holes. This precedent should cause Internet of Things makers to also fix issues, or be subject to lawsuits.