Internet of things
Your coffee is ready when you wake up, there’s a message on your phone to say the washing is done and the thermostat knows when and how much to heat up your home. So many smart devices but do you know which information is held in the cloud? Or how easily this type of device can be hacked?
Be careful with wwwelcome devices.
What is the Internet of Things?
Devices that connect to the Internet to share or retrieve information are part of the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things is the network created when devices connect to each other via the Internet. This is a prime opportunity for malicious actors to collect or watch data. Not only hackers love smart devices: social media and big tech companies are using the Internet of Things to collect and resell information about you.
Our tips for safely handling IoT devices
Protect yourself and your privacy with these tips.
- Read the vendor's terms and conditions and privacy statement;
- Adjust the security and privacy settings of your devices to your own preferences;
- Change the word you use to activate a device. This will prevent anyone who happens to enter your home from controlling your devices;
- Protect the account with which you use the device with a second factor. This prevents anyone from accessing anything through your devices unwanted;
- Keep the software of devices up to date. Does a device not get software support (anymore)? Then the chance that the device can be hacked increases with the passage of time. Disconnect from the Internet permanently, or say goodbye to the device;
- Provide all devices with a strong and unique password;
- Is the device making recordings? Then regularly delete recordings that are no longer needed;
- Be careful what accounts you use to log into your device. If you always use a social media account, your data is likely to be sold on;
- Turn off features you don't use. For example, the camera on your television, or the microphone on your smart speakers. If these are permanently off, they cannot be used to monitor you.
- Don't link payment cards to accounts, or default to requiring an additional factor to place an order. This will prevent roommates, children or a casual visitor from placing unwanted orders in your name.
