Smart home technology has begun to gain momentum during these harsh times. We live in a fast-paced society where we have so many things to do and so little time. We need to take care of ourselves, of our families and children, work, cook, go on a vacation, and so on. Smart homes are the solution busy people need.
Every device that needs electricity can be connected to Wi-Fi. This means that you can start or stop them with only one click on your smartphone. Smart devices automate all your mundane and boring tasks, giving you the time you need for other tasks or your hobbies.
But how do you make sure that your smart home is secure? Even though the domain of technology makes progress every day, online work and management are prone to hacking. A VPN like TrustZone can be a solution to a smart home, but why?
Here are five reasons we have identified why smart homes need a VPN.
You might think that hackers do not have any interest in hacking your coffee machine. But to understand the great risk posed by a smart home without a VPN, we need to highlight the benefits of a VPN.
It stands for Virtual Private Network and to put it simply, imagine a computer that is located in a specific place on the Earth (not your home or city, of course). All your smart devices in your home connect to this computer before transmitting data to your Wi-Fi router.
According to an essay writing service uk on security topics, there were so many cases of thieves that managed to connect to one small smart device people were using. And because they are interconnected, the hacker had access to everything people do online: shopping habits, online banking, and so on.
There are even cases of stolen cars because hackers managed to hack their operating software. A VPN protects you because it ensures that every data that is intercepted cannot be traced back to your physical location.
It is weird to think that you do not have privacy in your own home. And this might be the case of a smart home that does not have a VPN. Smart devices and technology extend to almost every aspect of our lives.
They collect information about your behavior and habits. Your smart TV knows that you want to watch the news every evening at ten, so it changes channels when the right hour comes. And the list of examples can continue.
Because smart devices are interconnected, if you hack one of them you gain access to all the data stored on all smart devices in your house. They can paint a very accurate profile of you which can be stolen if your smart house does not have a VPN.
When you buy smart devices and build a smart home, you put all your trust in the producer or manufacturer. After all, it wants to offer you a pleasant experience with their devices so that you will choose them for future buying. However, we all know that few people are reading the terms and conditions.
The thing is, every smart device collects information about you and your behavior to use it for the app and device optimization. This is okay, as you contribute to developing and improving some devices. But blindly trusting the producer is a mistake, especially in a world where data on consumer behaviors is so important.
Some of these companies sell this data to others and a VPN would help you protect it. Because remember, you only need to connect to one device to gain access to the others connected to the same network.
A smart home without a VPN is prone to hacks, we all know this. Besides accessing your devices and stealing your data, hackers can actually watch what you are doing if you have surveillance cameras in your home.
There are many cases of hackers that accessed baby surveillance cameras and were able to communicate with them. The same goes for the webcams of your laptop, smartphone, or computer.
One benefit of VPN many people overlook is the psychological comfort it gives to you. After you realize how prone to hacking your smart devices and home are, you might start feeling anxious and panicked. Knowing that someone can steal your data, money or car or watch and listen to you while you are at home is not a comforting thought at all.
A VPN protects you from hacking devices, especially because your network is on a computer in another part of the world. The hacker will not be able to know your real location and this is a comforting thought in the era when everything is possible.
Smart technology and the Internet of Things come with great benefits. The most important of all is that they help us save time. However, smart homes that do not have a VPN are prone to hacks, identity thefts, and surveillance. The hacker needs to access only your coffee machine to connect to other smart devices in your home.
Thankfully, a VPN protects you from hacking attacks and it does not let the hacker know your real location. This comes with huge benefits and also a psychological comfort you need.
Justin is a blogger from Leicester, England, UK. When not teaching his little students and rooting for Leicester FC, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing for uk essay writing service and essay writing website.
