From Voice Assistants to Smart Thermostats: Protecting Your Data in the IoT Era

Technology has found a way to connect everything from smart fridges to light switches.

IoT stands for the Internet of Things, which are everyday household devices. They come with sensors and connectivity features that can collect data and exchange it over the Internet. While it may seem like a harmless feature to be able to connect and access your devices, it comes at the cost of your data being exposed.

Weak security measures and the ability to collect extensive data make IoT devices a considerable risk to your privacy.

With this in mind, let’s examine how IoT devices pose a risk to data privacy and how it can be protected.

Identify Risks

One of the biggest risks of IoT is its ability to collect and process user data. User location, health information, and device usage are processed and collected, often without the user’s consent. This makes it a prime target for advertisers or other third-party users.

Data is collected daily, which generates large amounts of potentially sensitive data. If not properly protected, inadequate storage of this data can lead to unauthorized access by potentially malicious people. All these factors can make it difficult to remove your digital footprints from the Internet to preserve your privacy.

Data brokers can collect your information and then sell it to third-party advertisers. This is where data removal tools come in. They are important tools for protecting your privacy. They remove your information from public and private databases.

IoT devices usually have weak security protocols. Default passwords and improper encryption make them prime targets for hackers' cyber attacks. If one device is compromised, it has the potential to jeopardize an entire network and put personal information in danger.

While IBM states that a core benefit of IoT is improved efficiency, outdated software can make it vulnerable for hackers to access it remotely to monitor users, interfere with device settings, or, in the worst-case scenario, launch DDoS attacks on a household.

An IoT device can be a huge security risk, which makes user privacy a concern. Erasing unnecessary info online can protect you and ensure these devices can operate how they are supposed to, without outside interference and with little danger to the user.

Best Practices

The aforementioned risks can be dangerous to anyone, which is why it is important to know how to ensure your privacy. A strong password is the obvious first choice.

Anyone with time on their hands can guess a simple password, so a complex, unique password goes a long way in protecting yourself. Connecting your smart device properly is also a good way of ensuring privacy.

Two-factor authentication is also a good way to add a new layer of security. Enable it wherever possible. Using devices that allow encryption is also a good idea, as it masks your data and protects sensitive information from others.

Firmware can be updated, and it is generally recommended that automatic updates be enabled to get the latest security patches. Just to be safe, manually checking for updates is advised. Some devices may no longer support automatic updates, so checking for one yourself helps.

Users may often get the wrong impression when allowing services to collect their data. Accessing privacy settings and adjusting them to limit data sharing is a good way to protect your information. Most services can opt out of data collection entirely, and selecting this can ensure your privacy is secure.

Privacy laws exist in most countries, so every user has a legal basis for protecting their privacy. In addition, contacting privacy advocacy groups helps to spread awareness of data privacy and promotes better laws that benefit the consumer.

The Bottom Line

IoT technology is now widely integrated, from the average home to a large business, but security is still the main concern. Since these devices are prone to security breaches, regular efforts are made to protect data, which adds another layer of security.

When talking about IoT devices, it is important to note that these devices collect a large amount of data, often on outdated firmware and without the newest security patches. If these devices are not managed regularly, they pose a risk where the data is exposed to being collected, processed, and then sold to data brokers or any third-party platform.

To avoid these risks, look into regularly updating your software, setting strong passwords, and adjusting privacy settings.

It is important to take time to learn about some potential risks of the devices you are using. This way, you can make better decisions and not worry about data safety.