The camera, the lock, the speaker: all shipped with settings that suit the maker, not you. Nine fixes take one evening, and fix 9 is one the FBI put in writing.
Ring has required a second code since February 2020 and Nest requires 2-step verification, but accounts made earlier can still be running without it. Check yours.
The FBI's guidance is specific: 16 to 64 characters, unique to each device, never reused, and turn password hints off. A shared password links every gadget you own.
Patches only help once installed. Turn on automatic updates in the router and camera apps, then apply anything already waiting before you move on to the next fix.
Cheap bulbs and plugs get the least security attention of anything you own. Put them on the guest network so a compromised one cannot see your laptop or phone.
Remote administration lets the settings page be reached from the open internet. The FBI's advice: sign in, disable remote management, save, then reboot the router.
Most camera apps let you black out part of the frame. Mask the neighbour's window and the pavement, and keep indoor cameras out of bedrooms and bathrooms entirely.
Since March 2025 every Echo request is processed in Amazon's cloud, with no local-only option left. What you still control is storage: pick Don't Save Recordings.
Old housemates, an ex, the installer, a smart-home app you tried once: shared access outlives all of them. Open the home's member list and remove what you don't recognise.
The FBI warned in May 2025 that end-of-life routers are being turned into criminal proxies. The malware needs no password. If the maker stopped patching, replace it.
None of this costs anything. Two-factor, unique passwords and a closed router door stop the attacks that actually reach homes, rather than the ones that make headlines.