How to Secure your IoT Devices

IoT devices provide ample benefits to organizations and people all around the world. They help you enhance productivity in your regular life, save energy costs, keep us comfortable, and are very efficient altogether. However, plenty of risks and security challenges are also there with the Internet of Things devices. These devices access all of your information and can be a problem for you if they get hacked.

The threat related to them are increasing from time to time, and it is essential for you to protect your IoT devices perfectly. Here are the best few tips for you to secure your IoT devices:

1. Use strong passwords

Passwords are the gateway to access everything related to your IoT devices. Most of the IoT devices users keep the same password for all of their devices, which is not a wise decision. The hackers can provide harm to all your devices at once if they break the password of any of your device. Hence, the best solution is to use a different and strong password with an ideal combination of letters, and a symbol in each device. If you find it hard to manage different password, you can get a dedicated password manager for you from the internet.

2. Regularly update firmware

Not only you concerned about the security of devices. Even the IoT devices providers offer patches from time to time to target potential threats. don’t Don’t avoid it whenever new update is there for your device or you will regret it later. Though the update will not be available in all IoT devices, and it depends on the type of IoT device you are using. Also, you must download and install the recent firmware from the official website – if the auto-updates is not there – instead of a random site from Google search.

3. Use a separate network

If your networks are segmented, it will be hard for the hackers to get access to your device. But if you don’t use a different network, the cybercriminals can even access your primary device and steal sensitive data like your bank details. So, it will be best for you to set up multiple networks on routers for using various wireless devices.

4. Disable UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)

IoT devices that use UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) are easily accessible. This protocol allows anyone to access the device and even slow down the response time of routers. It is not entirely useless but best for you to keep it off for enhanced security of your IoT devices.

5. Consider IoT security before purchasing any IoT device

You might find IoT devices that cost less in price and seem suitable for use. Don’t fall for them as they are not secure and not good for you. Check whether the device that you are going to buy comes with the built-in PKI managed services or compliant with TLS/SSL and encryption standards,  before buying.

In this way, you can keep all your IoT devices protected all the time!

Devin Smith is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technology industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Devin has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.

Source:-https://officeproduct2019.com/how-to-secure-your-iot-devices/