A smart plug costs less than a dinner and gets updates for a year, if at all. Meanwhile it sits on the same network as your work laptop and your network drive — and that, rather than the plug itself, is the problem.
What is at stake with each device
| Device | What it gives away |
|---|---|
| Camera and video doorbell | High — a stranger sees and hears what happens at home |
| Smart speaker | Medium — access to query history and linked services |
| Robot vacuum | Medium — a floor plan of the flat, sometimes a camera |
| Smart bulb | Low — harmless in itself |
| Smart lock | High — physical access to the flat |
| Television | Medium — streaming service accounts |
What to do at setup
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Change the factory password
Lists of default passwords by model are published openly. This is the single most important step and the one most often skipped.
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Put the device on the guest network
Then an infected plug cannot reach your laptop. Ten minutes of setup — how exactly.
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Switch off remote access if you do not use it
Many devices are reachable from the internet by default. If you only control it from home, that is a door for nothing.
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Check for updates
At setup and twice a year afterwards. If the manufacturer has abandoned the model, treat it as having an expiry date.
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Use a unique password on the linked account
The manufacturer's account holds control of every device you own from them; a breach of it is worse than a breach of any single gadget.
Before buying
Router settings that affect every device at once are in home network security.