Your network and computer might be safe from cybercriminals, all thanks to your robust security and mighty strong passwords. But what about your IoT passwords? Most of the time, people don’t bother changing the password of these devices, which makes them susceptible to miscreants.
Beyond that, no other measures are taken to protect the information. In a study conducted, only 33% of the people changed the password of their IoT devices. This means two-thirds of the population is actually at risk when it comes to cyber-crimes.
Many people still use “12345” or ”admin” as their password, as these are mostly the password set by the manufacturer themselves. These can be the weakest link in your network, which leaves your computer at risk of malware and cyberattacks.
On top of that, the survey also revealed that only 36% of the people changed the password on the internet routers. To add more to your worries, only 20% added VPN to their routers. The public remains largely ignorant about these things and only 20% of the people considered the security aspect of their IoT while buying them.
Cybercriminals have been taking advantage of these fail points and it is the common people that are the first victims. IP addresses being leaked and sensitive information is available on the internet are just some of the things that are happening daily now. The Carna Botnet targeted people with default passwords on their IoT devices and was able to gather a large number of IPv4 addresses.
Here are a few ways one can protect themselves from such attacks
Change the passwords
If you have never changed the password of your IoT devices, you should change them as soon as possible. Change the password to a strong one and use either a password generator or one of the many password managers available online.
Update the Devices
In most cases, your IoT devices will get automatic updates over the internet, but if that is not the case, update them to the latest firmware. Software updates take care of problems that might have been plaguing the system earlier on. They are vital for a foolproof plan against cybercriminals.
VPN
It essentially encrypts your data so that no one can have access to it. Many IoT devices have very poor encryption themselves, but a VPN takes care of the problem and also buffs up the security.
What is a VPN?
VPN not only makes your cyber security beefier than ever, but it encrypts your data so that it is not easily available to anyone. This means it acts like a protector between the traffic and the man in the middle attacks by cybercriminals.
You can also use a VPN to access content that might not be available in your country. For example, many people use VPN to change the location of their Netflix accounts to access international content. It is a safe and easy way to view what you want.
A few things to consider when getting a VPN service
Server Spread
You should have access to a few thousand servers to select from, to say the least. If the VPN service does not have enough servers, then you can run into problems like not being able to secure your IoT devices.
Privacy Features
VPN is a great way of securing yourself, but it should also have features like an Internet kill switch, multi-logins, and a dedicated IP address for you. On top of this, it should also have things like split tunneling, no-logging policy, double VPN, and IP leak protection.
This way you can make sure that your network is safe and secure to use, no matter what the case may be. This is a step that everyone should take seriously. You can save yourself a lot of trouble in the future with just a few simple steps.
Compatibility
Your VPN should be compatible with the network and environment you are using. It should be cross-platform and must be available on major platforms like Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, gaming consoles, and others.
A VPN that is compatible with most platforms will safeguard all your devices straight away and you won’t have to depend on different VPNs.
Whether you use mobile phones, laptops, PCs, gaming consoles or any other device that can be connected to the Internet is necessary to take care of security issues. VPN is like umbrella security that buffs up the security of the weak spots so that you are safe, even if you are targeted.