That smart speaker you have at home where you always listen to music could be part of one of the most dangerous attacks that can be experiencedthe one aimed at IoT or connected devices.
It is very common that, after initially connecting and configuring a speaker, a screen, a light bulb or any other element of a connected home, we do not stop to think that many of these do not comply with basic security updates.
and one Unpatched vulnerability can be the first point of contact for a cybercriminalwhich could access issues so important for the privacy of a home, such as the camera or microphone.
The best advice always, in this case, is to opt for devices that have mechanical closure buttons – a tab, a button or something similar – to be able to turn off the camera and microphone at any time.
But also think very carefully about each person’s needs: if you don’t know if you are going to use that wonderful new smart speaker, it may not be necessary to buy it and increase the attack surface of your home.
If you have many connected devices, so you can protect them to prevent them from being candy for hackers.
In which cases to disable UPnP and manually configure port forwarding
put in risk a private network It is somewhat more plausible than it seems. A simple malicious file you downloaded could completely check your connection status, with relevant information about your endpoint.
In central connection devices, such as routers, there is a section that always makes it much easier to connect smart devices, called UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)so that everything works much faster in identification on the same network.
Now, this can also be a security risk, since in the event of a potential attack, the cybercriminal could take control of any connected device. From here, they can execute latent malware or make the terminal become part of a botnet.
Here you will have to think very carefully if UPnP is totally necessary for your homesince it performs automatic port forwarding – a kind of virtual connection that serves as an input with different protocols – and it may be better to disable it in some situations.
If you do not frequently use your IoT devices or you are not going to connect any new ones, it is best to go into the router settings and look for this option, if available.
To avoid further exposure, it is best to use what is known as port forwarding, that is, do everything manually. It is the safest option, although it may not be the most suitable for all users.
Simpler alternatives to protect IoT devices
If you don’t want to go through a lot of trouble manually configuring your entire network, the minimum is to activate a VPN directly on the router, to mask your connection from possible attacks. However, some models do not allow this to be done.
Each router configuration menu is a worldbut beyond the VPN it is advisable to configure a network for guests. In some newer models, you will find this option directly, which you can edit – like the main one – so that they have SSID, password and security protocol own.
Directly, if you have visitors, offer that WiFi network and connect all IoT devices here tooto segment networks and make a possible attack more difficult. It is not a foolproof technique, although it does offer additional protection.
In any case, a rule to follow is to change the default WiFi name (SSID) and password, in addition to choosing WPA3, the most secure protocol today.
Finally, it must be noted that some malware can remain silent for several months and wake up at the moment the cybercriminal wants to activate it. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain constant monitoring of your network.
The easiest way is to install an application like Fing, which allows you to check the devices connected to the network, with all the information about the connection status and the IP or MAC address.