14 DAY TRIAL // After discussing a series of security measures for smart TVs, the FBI is back with more tips on how to prevent breaches, this time focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT).
The FBI says these recommendations should come in handy as the IoT device market is growing and more customers purchase smart devices during the holiday season, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, home security devices, refrigerators, robots, and pretty much anything else that falls into the IoT group.
FBI says it’s mandatory to change the default password because otherwise, any hacker should be able to connect to your devices once they figure out the IP address (which isn’t such a hard thing to do in the first place).
Keep an eye on mobile apps
Furthermore, the FBI says, you should try to keep IoT devices and computers on separate networks to prevent breaches that would allow hackers to get access to a specific device after breaking into another. This is something that happens every now on then, with hackers breaking into an unsecured device and then accessing the router through it.
The department also recommends to pay particular attention to companion apps that are aimed at Android and iOS to enhance the capabilities of IoT devices.
“Many connected devices are supported by mobile apps on your phone. These apps could be running in the background and using default permissions that you never realized you approved. Know what kind of personal information those apps are collecting and say “no” to privilege requests that don’t make sense,” the FBI explains.
And of course, you should install updates as soon as possible, with automatic updates, if available, being listed by the FBI as a recommended practice for software, hardware, and operating systems.
The FBI says that anyone who believes has been a victim of cyber fraud should contact them to look into the matter.