You invested in a security system to keep your home and the people you love safe and secure. The peace of mind of knowing there’s a layer of protection between what you value most and the external things that may threaten them is invaluable. But how secure is your home security system, really?
Most people don’t think about securing their home security systems. This oversight can leave you just as vulnerable as not having one at all. Understanding the ways criminals may try to work around your security measures will help you ensure your home is truly safe.
Can Home Security Systems Be Hacked?
Home security systems are not invulnerable to targeted attacks. Savvy criminals are always looking for ways to get in and out of home undetected, including means of disarming alarms and cameras. Hacking is one possible way they can do this.
How are home security systems hacked? Most often, it’s indirect: criminals may use malware or jammers to disrupt the wifi connections of wireless systems, or attack vulnerable cords and cables for wired systems.
Why? It’s all about speed: criminals want to get in and out as fast as possible, so they don’t have time for trying to break through the complicated encryptions of a sophisticated security system. Preprogrammed malware attacks and jamming devices are quick, easy, and don’t require much effort to use.
How to Protect Your Home Security System
While home security systems can be hacked by savvy criminals, there are steps you can take to prevent it.
- Make Sure Your System is Up to Date. Older security systems may still work just fine, but they are actually more vulnerable to attacks. Just like your computers, phones, and other devices need regular updates, keeping your home security system updated is important to their effectiveness and safety.
Software updates add additional protections against malware, viruses, and other attacks that may leave your home vulnerable. Likewise, updating your hardware – the cameras, sensors, and monitors that make up your system – helps to keep you protected against criminal attacks.
- Protect Your Wifi. Is your home’s wifi public? Is it password protected? How often do you update that password? These are important questions for protecting all of your wifi-connected devices, not just your home security systems. Public wifi with no password protection is the easiest for wrongdoers to gain access to for nefarious means.
However, just having password protection on your home’s wifi may not be enough. Some modems come with a pre-set password you may not change for convenience purposes. This can be a major risk as criminals can get access to these passwords, negating the security they provide. Instead, you should change these passwords regularly and not easily guessable, like a birthday, anniversary, or your address.
- Make Sure Your Home Security System Has Anti-Hacking Defenses.
The vulnerabilities of home security systems to cyberattacks isn’t a new phenomenon. Most providers like ADT have taken measures to ensure their products not only provide the highest quality home monitoring solutions but also have protective measures in place to keep them safe against attacks. This includes things like anti-jamming protocols which kick in after a jamming attempt, forcing attackers out and alerting authorities.
The Risks Don’t Negate the Benefits
While hacking risks can’t be fully ruled out, they don’t negate the protection and peace of mind having a home security system provides. The reality is, most burglars and opportunistic criminals don’t have the knowledge or tools to successfully disengage a home security system. The time it takes to stake a residence, determine what kind of system is in place, then devise a way to jam or disarm them is too high a risk for no guaranteed reward. Their primary goal is to get in and out quickly, so the risk of failing and triggering a response from authorities is rarely one they’re willing to take.
Plus, cybersecurity implemented within home security systems is ever-evolving. More tech savvy criminals are forced to constantly scramble for new ways to attack as new defenses are put into place. That’s why home invaders are more likely to target residences with no security system in place than take a chance with a protected property.
ADT and TruHome Alarm: Home Security You Can Trust
TruHome Alarm is South Florida’s #1 authorized dealer for ADT home security solutions. As the nation’s leading provider in home monitoring systems, ADT knows the importance of being able to trust your security system will stand against all threats, not just breaking and entering.
Our advanced systems have built-in cyberdefenses to guard against harmful viruses, spyware, and other malware that could leave you and your loved ones vulnerable. Continuous monitoring by a team of ADT security experts also means any and all attempts to hack your home security systems can be stopped in their tracks.
TruHome Alarm is an authorized ADT partner because we believe they offer the best home security solutions on the market. With over 30 years of home security expertise, we only trust ADT in our own homes, and so we strive to give you and your family that same confidence and peace of mind. Our partnership also means we’re able to offer these industry-leading products and services at an affordable price.
Give your family the home security they deserve. Contact TruHome Alarm today for a free consultation.
