A security system at home is a very comforting notion, and it makes you feel safe and secure by letting you actively monitor your house and its surroundings. Unfortunately, along with the many benefits a security system offers, it has an equal number of disadvantages. Quite often, news headlines report security systems being hacked by strangers looking to profit in any way from the situation. While you cannot fully protect any device that’s connected to the internet from being hacked, there are several preventive measures that can be taken to protect your home.
Firstly, let’s talk about how exactly your security system can be hacked. There are two ways this can be done; locally and remotely.
To access a camera locally, the hacker needs to be in the compound of your property or within the range of the network your security system is connected to. Here, they can jam your network and access your system with the password they have already obtained, or by tricking it using their own tools.
A far more likely occurrence, however, would be remote hacking. Even if your security system is top-of-the-line, using the same password for multiple accounts puts your privacy at risk. If the credentials of one account is compromised on the internet, the holder of that data will also have access to your security system. This is why it’s vital to have different passwords for everything.
Now that we know how your data can be compromised, here’s how to prevent your system from being hacked.
Preventive Measures for Your Security System:
There are some basic measures such as smart password setting, ignoring suspicious emails and the like that are very fundamental and important for your privacy. These measures include:
- Using equipment from reputable manufacturers: Do not skimp on the quality of your security system to economize. Use products that are high-level and have end-to-end encryption. Investing in your safety is never a loss, and in the long run, better-quality equipment will last much longer. You can even set up a security system by yourself if you find the installation costs too hefty. Check out this guide to installing your own DIY home security system.
- Set up WPA2 security on your router and use complex usernames and passwords with special characters so that they are hard to guess. Too many people make the mistake of using simple passwords such as “123456” or “password”. Instead, try to be as unique as possible and change the passwords regularly.
- Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if you access your security cameras and footage remotely and regularly. Doing this will ensure that you connect to your system through an encrypted connection each time, which makes it impenetrable and virtually invisible.
Even with all these measures, it's possible that a hacker has slipped past your system and has access to your data. Here are some signs to watch out for so that you are alerted and can take measures against it:
Signs That You Have Been Hacked:
- Most security systems allow you to monitor simple things such as login entries, password changes and other such suspicious activity and will often note you of the same. If you have a notification that an unknown person has logged into your system, change your password immediately.
- If your security cameras have strange activity, such as moving or panning in and out without any instructions from you, it could mean that a third party has accessed it. This adds to why storage of CCTV footage is vital, as you can check if there have been multiple incidents of a suspicious activity or if it is an isolated incident.
- If you share access with your family or friends, keep separate usernames and passwords for them so that you can remove or turn off their access when you want to. This will ensure that access does not end up in the wrong hands.
Now if you think you’ve been hacked already or suspect that somebody is attempting to hack into your system, unplug your security system from its main power source immediately. After changing your passwords on your security account, your router and any other possibly connected accounts, contact your local law enforcement as well as the manufacturer of your system so that they can take further action.
