No Preaching It’s one of those things many of use know about but fail to actually do - paying attention to how we create and use passwords. As many more of us are now working from home, either permanently or temporarily because of the current health crisis, I think it is worthwhile to revisit this issue. Let me get one thing out of the way - I don’t care what you do about your passwords. No preaching here - no judgement. If you don’t reset default passwords, or use the same password everywhere, create simple to guess passwords, or write them on yellow sticky notes that you leave on top of each piece of equipment or computer, that’s on you. Having to deal with almost 1000 passwords (including my own and my clients) I am well aware of the frustration in dealing with a large number of them. If you’re happy with your current method or solutions, no problem. If you find yourself tired of watching YouTube, chatting in Slack or Facebook, and want to do something productive with extra “down time”, now might be a good time to invest a few hours in trying out some password management solutions and upping your security game. Quick Review - The Problem With Passwords Computer power has grown immensely. It is now takes very little time to guess passwords using straightforward methods. Computer software can quickly run through a dictionary of common passwords like “password”, “letmein”, all the curse words, etc. Algorithms can brute force run through …
Security
Best DIY Security Systems for 2020?
DIY Burglar Alarms Have Arrived During the past year, do-it-yourself burglar alarms finally matured to become a cost effective and reliable alternative to traditional security systems. First pioneered by smaller brands such as SimpliSafe, many other companies have jumped into the fray to grab our disposable income. Security is one of the few smart home product categories where consumers want the products and don’t need to be convinced. Keeping our loved ones and personal property safe is a basic human need. We don’t need to be sold on the benefits. Most of the new capability in smart home automation for lighting, shades, music, and entertainment falls squarely into the “nice to have” rather than the “must have” category - even today. That’s probably why there are more security and alarm products from companies you have never heard of vying for attention. Even the traditional (or untraditional) telephone, cable, and satellite companies are trying to get into the game. It’s not a mature market so product choices, technology, and capabilities are rapidly changing. There’s a lot of newfangled junk out there, so I want to give you my thoughts and narrow the field. What’s An Alarm System? This is not so straightforward a question. You can buy all kinds of standalone little gadgets that do one or two things and call themselves an alarm system, personal protection product, or surveillance gear. Here’s my take on what it takes to be considered a …
A FOMO Guide To Video DoorBells
“In Any Moment Of Decision, The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Nothing” Theodore Roosevelt was on the right track. Today we call it analysis paralysis. It may not be the most critical part of my smart home, but choosing the right video doorbell has been one of the more difficult decisions for me. There are several good products and many many other ones to choose from. The challenge for me has been finding the product that meets all of my criteria 100 per cent. In a previous newsletter about smart home upgrades called Out With The Old; In With The New, I listed the criteria I use to help me choose between the “hero” and “zero”. If you would like to read or re-read the issue, I’ve posted it to my website blog here. The problem for me is that I have not been able to find a product that meets all my criteria. If a product is great in one area, it falls down in another that is equally important. What to do? My first reaction was “Expletive deleted, don’t get anything”. That’s the easy way out. The truth is, why should I deprive my household the enjoyment of using a video doorbell just because no single product is perfect? Smart Home FOMO I’m sure many of you face the same dilemma. There is something that you want, but it is not perfect. Should you proceed now, or hold off hoping that something better will come along in the future. In the online social world they call this FOMO - fear of missing out. Let me assure you this is …
Is Your Smart Home Safe?
Look Past The Obvious I know there is a lot of general advice about security that is available. Hopefully you know some of the basics about avoiding viruses and malware on your computer and not replying to that Nigerian prince looking for your help to move millions of dollars that are “stuck” in an account overseas. Besides the login to your email, your computer, and your online bank accounts or other financial transactions, when you have a smart home there are many other security risks to consider. Why Smart Home Security Is Unique Home automation involves a lot of moving parts. Unlike general purpose computing where you are probably spending most of your time using email, surfing the web, or interacting on social networks with a few apps, a smart home is much more complicated under the hood. Common smart home devices such as thermostats, lighting systems, and entertainment systems actually consists of much more than the actual hardware you have purchased and plug in. Every smart home device is part of a larger environment that may include hubs, controllers, gateways, and/or remote access systems. Each of these components has its’ own security considerations. Whether included free of charge or an optional paid subscription, many smart home device operate with an ongoing service. The device may “phone home” to a centralized Internet server for basic operation or may communicate with the server periodically to verify logins, serial numbers, or …
Did You Leave The Backdoor Open?
Make Your Smart Home Fun with a Backdoor! Adding a backdoor to your smart home can be fun. Who said a smart home has to only be a serious automation and control system? You’re the one building it (and paying for it), so why not have some fun at the same time? What Is A Backdoor? The dictionary defines a backdoor as “the door or entrance at the back of a building”. Yes, every home (and even some larger apartments or condos) has a back door, but I’m not talking about that. If you look up the same definition in a computer or security reference you’ll find it says something like “a feature or defect of a computer system that allows surreptitious unauthorized access to data”. That’s a little closer, but still not what I have in mind - You’re not a cyber criminal and you’re not breaking into your own home, after all. I’m thinking of undocumented or non-intuitive features or settings. Think of it more like those secret passage ways built into castles and haunted houses that make it easier to move between rooms. My concept of a smart home back door is very simple - add commands or options to your smart home that are not for anyone else, only for use by yourself. These extra options don’t have to be hidden or secret; they are added for your own benefit and can hide in plain sight. It’s like the ultimate personal customization. Tame your smart home to do your bidding regardless of what anyone else (spouse, children, parents, visitors, …
DIY Security Cameras Technical Guide
Choosing the best security camera system to buy is not easy. Although you can purchase very high quality cameras for affordable prices there are many different kinds of cameras making it much more difficult to know what to buy. Since I’ve gone through the process of buying, testing, and installing a lot of products, I’m going to describe the capabilities and features that i think are important and provide some guidance on how to navigate through the confusion so you can make the best choice for yourself. I want to apologize in advance for the length of this write-up. This is a complicated subject and it is difficult to provide useful information without getting into some of the specifics. This is not meant to be the ultimate reference for the technology and products, so it isn’t an exhaustive “deep dive” but hopefully you will find this more useful than the superficial overview typically published online. I’m not going to recommend specific models or brands as my choices continue to change and evolve as the products change. I will describe below the features, functions, and important considerations when choosing digital security cameras so you can make your own informed decision based on your unique requirements, budget, and personal preference. Resolution Modern security cameras are based on a solid state image sensor. These are specialized computer chips that are photosensitive - they convert light to a series of electrical …
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions (Disable UPnP on your home network)
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), a feature of most home networks, is bad, and should be turned off. If you know what UPnP is, understand why it is very dangerous to allow it to be used, and have already disabled it your home network, your parent’s home network, and your non-techie friend’s home network, then stop reading, grab your favorite beverage and relax. Everyone else: If you have any interest in keeping your home network secure, especially your home automation devices, stop everything and read this through to the end. You can skip over the techie or boring parts, but please read enough to understand the risks, the simple things you can do to be safe, and tell your friends. Network Security Doesn’t Have to Be Obtuse Unfortunately we read a lot about network security problems and the risk of home computer networks without any specific actionable advice. The writer or blogger will alarm us with stories of woe - criminals stealing identities, hackers remotely controlling baby cams, or stealing huge amounts of data from our computers. After spreading this fear, the writer merely offers prosaic formulaic advice - don’t write your password on a sticky stuck to your computer screen; use complicated passwords that aren’t easily guessed; keep a backup of all your data, etc. If they don’t offer simplistic advice, they often go the other way - telling us how complicated and confusing computers and networks have become and that we must consult an expensive …
Are You Getting The Right Tech Support for Your Smart Home?
Who you gonna call? When something goes wrong with your Smart Home, who are you going call? If you’re like most of us, you are probably spoiled by the reliability of modern computers, smartphones, and tablets. When we have a problem, assistance is only a phone call away or a quick trip to the Genius Bar at the nearest mall. I can still remember the days when turning on a PC was the high tech equivalent of Russian Roulette - will it turn on? Will it boot up? Will it get stuck somewhere before the final system prompt is on the screen? Thankfully those days are behind us. The reliability of computers and electronics has improved greatly. In the rare case where something doesn’t work, the low prices often make it cheaper to simply throw it away and buy a new gadget instead of having it repaired. (That may partially explain why many of the neighborhood pc repair shops have closed up.) When it comes to your Smart Home, we are not so lucky. With so many new gadgets, systems, and companies, tech support can still be a real issue. In fact, getting proper support for your home automation system requires your attention before your purchase any products or hire a professional to help. Here’s a few tips to guide you to avoid many common pitfalls. At Your Service When choosing products for your Smart Home, look carefully at the support policies. How do you contact them? Can you call them on the telephone and speak to a live person? If you are only allowed to contact them …
Are You On Krack? (Don’t Panic: Two Simple Steps To Protect Your Home Wi-Fi Network)
Danger, Will Robinson! Within the last week, the tech media has been obsessed with spreading fear about a new and potentially very dangerous attack against all Wi-Fi networks. The so-called “Krack attack” is certainly something you should be aware of, but it is not the doomsday end-of-the-world scenario bloggers and news reporters would have you believe. What is Krack? Security researchers (you know, those university guys with the pocket protectors) have found a theoretical flaw in how Wi-Fi routers handle encryption - the process of scrambling everything that is transmitted between each device on a Wi-Fi network and the Wi-Fi router/gateway that connects to the Internet. They have proven, in the lab, the flaw exists and can be used to break into a Wi-Fi network by forcing it to disable all the encryption. So far, no actual attacks of real networks have been detected, but this is considered likely at some point soon. Don’t Worry, Be Happy Here’s the most important thing - the attacker/vandal/criminal must be physically within range of your Wi-Fi radio signal. For a typical house, the Wi-Fi is mostly inside with only a weaker signal detectable outside for about 5 to 50 feet from your walls. This means an attacker has to be physically inside your house or very close - like sitting in a strange looking car or van parked right outside your door. Unlike most of the other security problems that have been reported in the past few years, they must be …
“Secrets” to Saving Money When Buying Home Security Cameras
Looking for a deal or to save money on adding a home security camera system? Home security is often the #1 goal for a smart home retro-fit or upgrade. There are a huge number of IP security cameras available for sale and the differences between the products can be confusing. With hundreds of brands and models, it can be hard to choose. My “secrets” to saving money when buying security cameras: There are only a few actual manufacturers of the image sensors and video chips and most of the cameras all use the same chip. So you won’t find a big difference in video quality between a lot of the products. If you aren’t stuck on brand names, you can save a lot of money. Brands spend money on advertising and promotion and pass along those costs to you as higher prices. “No name” products can be a lot cheaper because they don’t spend on advertising and PR. The biggest difference is usually in the software (the web interface, the smartphone app, & the cloud services). Since the software only works with a specific brand of camera, you can usually download the app for free before you buy the camera. (Some features won’t work, but you can get a good idea of the overall quality this way very quickly). The real cost isn’t the purchase price - it is the on-going monthly fees for “cloud storage” of the video footage. Shop around and pay close attention to the details. The smaller/unknown brands often have free or low-cost monthly charges. Costs also depend upon how many …