If you’ve added smart lights, a voice assistant, or a connected thermostat to your home, you’re not alone—but you may not realize how exposed those devices can make you. IoT cyberthreats have surged 70-fold over the past decade, and a recent study found that 76% of IoT gadgets communicate over unencrypted channels, leaving your personal data potentially visible to anyone who knows where to look.

4 related posts

Primary Threats: Individual devices insecure · Key Vulnerabilities Source: Fortinet IoT report · Protection Advice: Multi-factor authentication · Wi-Fi Risk Source: NIST/CISA guidance · Hacking Examples: Smart speakers, locks

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • IoT devices rushed to market lack security (Kaspersky Blog)
  • Wi-Fi without secure connection poses main danger (NIST)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact hack frequency per device type
  • Real-world breach statistics beyond reported cases
3Timeline signal
  • NIST guidelines for smart speakers released December 2025 (NIST)
  • Executive Order 14144 issued January 16, 2025 (Federal Register)
4What’s next

The table below summarizes the core security findings across authoritative sources.

Fact Detail
Main Threats Insecure individual devices
Expert Source Kaspersky Resource Center
Wi-Fi Danger Unsecured private connections
MFA Recommendation Essential for smart speakers

Are smart homes a security risk?

A connected home presents several types of security threats that most consumers never see coming. Weak passwords and factory settings on smart devices allow hackers to hijack them, leading to pranks like shutting down washing machines or spying via baby monitors. Once a device is compromised, attackers can use it for DDoS attacks—infected surveillance cameras were famously weaponized in the Mirai botnet attack that took down major websites in 2016.

The reality

Smart devices share lots of data with vendors regularly, including TVs identifying watched content and washing machines collecting usage data. This constant data flow is rarely encrypted, creating entry points for attackers.

Common security threats in connected homes

  • Weak or default credentials that are never changed by users
  • Outdated firmware that manufacturers stop supporting
  • Unencrypted local and cloud communications
  • Overly broad permissions granted to companion apps
  • Lack of secure boot mechanisms in cheaper devices

Real-world examples from experts

Security researchers have documented numerous incidents where smart home devices were exploited. Baby monitors and security cameras have been hacked for spying purposes. Compromised routers can intercept and alter internet connections for all connected devices. The NSA’s Best Practices for Securing Your Home Network, published in February 2023, outlines how attackers chain these vulnerabilities together.

What to watch

89% of IoT owners have security concerns including network infection, ransomware, spying, and bricking—but most never take basic precautions until after a breach.

The implication: Convenience often comes at the cost of security hygiene, and the industry has been slow to demand better defaults from manufacturers.

What are the vulnerabilities of smart home devices?

Individual smart home devices carry specific weaknesses that attackers actively probe. The Fortinet IoT threat report, analyzed by Kaspersky, highlights several critical vulnerability categories that define the attack surface of modern connected homes.

IoT-specific weaknesses

  • Unpatched firmware: Manufacturers often abandon older devices, leaving known vulnerabilities unfixed
  • Weak authentication: Many devices rely on simple username/password combinations that are never changed
  • Insecure cloud backends: Data transmitted to vendor servers frequently lacks proper encryption
  • No network segmentation: A single compromised device can expose the entire home network
  • Weak radio protocols: Zigbee and Z-Wave implementations sometimes have implementation flaws

Devices rushed to market

JSOF discovered 19 zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022 in the TCP/IP library used by millions of IoT devices—vulnerabilities that went unpatched for months or years on end. An AV-Test study found stark differences between secure and insecure systems: Gigaset Elements, RWE Smart Home, and QIVICON were well-defended, while iComfort and XAVAX MAX! were remotely exploitable, and tapHome lacked encryption entirely.

The catch

76% of IoT gadgets communicate over unencrypted channels per Zscaler report. When encryption is present, it can often be bypassed—as seen with iConnect—making the appearance of security worse than having no encryption at all.

The pattern: Cheaper devices consistently lack even basic security measures, and consumers have no reliable way to assess security quality before purchase.

Can smart home devices be hacked?

Smart home tech inside your home is less secure than most people assume. Connecting devices introduces cyber security risks that compound with each new gadget added to the network. The short answer is yes—smart home devices can be hacked, and they are hacked regularly.

Examples of smart home hacks

  • Baby monitors: Attackers accessed cameras to spy on families and speak through the device
  • Smart locks: Bypassed via radio replay attacks or firmware extraction
  • Voice assistants: Exploited through acoustic commands or compromised accounts
  • Surveillance cameras: Feed hijacked and livestreamed on dark web forums
  • Smart TVs: Data harvested and used for targeted surveillance

Devices most at risk

Devices with persistent network connectivity and minimal security updates face the highest risk. Smart speakers, security cameras, and network-connected thermostats top the list because they run continuously, often have microphones or cameras, and rely on cloud services that can be compromised. An AV-Test security study found that some systems were fundamentally insecure, with tapHome lacking encryption entirely and iComfort remotely exploitable.

The trade-off

For homeowners, the calculus is clear: each connected device adds convenience but also adds an attack surface. The question isn’t whether your devices can be hacked—it’s whether you’ve made it easy enough that hackers will bother.

The implication: Outdated software on IoT devices is easily exploited by hackers, and most consumers don’t even know their device firmware is years out of date.

What privacy risks are associated with smart home devices?

Beyond financial theft, smart home devices pose significant privacy risks that most users never consider. The digital harms of smart home devices extend from invasive data collection to permanent surveillance profiles that follow users across contexts.

Data collection concerns

  • Always-on microphones: Devices like smart speakers continuously listen for wake words, creating potential for accidental recordings
  • Usage pattern analysis: Vendors track when lights are on, when doors are unlocked, and when occupants are home
  • Third-party data sharing: Many companion apps sell anonymized usage data to advertisers
  • Voiceprint storage: Audio samples used for authentication are stored on vendor servers indefinitely
  • Children’s data exposure: Connected toys and monitors collect data on minors without meaningful consent

The digital harms review

Smart devices share lots of data with vendors regularly, including TVs identifying watched content and washing machines collecting usage data. This information can be subpoenaed in litigation, shared with insurance companies, or breached in hacks that expose millions of user profiles. NIST released guidelines in December 2025 specifically addressing smart speaker security in home health care, recognizing that these devices increasingly manage sensitive personal information.

Why this matters

The NSA recommends muting microphones and covering cameras on smart devices when not in use—not because the features are inherently dangerous, but because the alternative is trusting manufacturers, hackers, and government agencies with unmonitored access to your home.

What this means: The privacy risks aren’t hypothetical—they’re built into the business model of consumer IoT, where data collection funds below-cost hardware.

How safe is your smart home?

Securing your smart home requires understanding that security is a process, not a product. The good news is that basic precautions dramatically reduce risk. The NSA’s Best Practices for Securing Your Home Network, published in February 2023, provides the foundation for a defense-in-depth approach.

Home security tips

  • Change default passwords immediately upon setup
  • Enable multi-factor authentication wherever available
  • Keep firmware updated—enable automatic updates when possible
  • Disable features you don’t use (cameras, microphones on devices without active needs)
  • Create a separate network for IoT devices from your primary computing devices
  • Regularly audit connected devices and remove those no longer in use

Securing Wi-Fi and devices

CISA recommends network segmentation using firewalls to protect medical devices from home network compromises—a practice that applies equally to consumer smart homes. Kaspersky advises installing router-level protection to block hackers from IoT devices, blocking open ports, brute-force attacks, malware downloads, and unsafe passwords on routers.

The upshot

For smart speakers, multi-factor authentication is imperative according to security experts. Without MFA enabled, a compromised email account can grant attackers full control over every connected device in your home.

What this means: Router-level protection intercepts threats before they reach individual devices, making it the most cost-effective security upgrade most homeowners can make. For example, the ${Apple Watch SE First Generation} can be a great option for those looking for a balance of features and affordability. Apple Watch SE First Generation

Bottom line: Smart home security risks are real and growing—but they’re also manageable. For homeowners: enable MFA, segment your network, and patch aggressively. For renters and apartment dwellers: portable security tools and careful vendor selection matter more than hardware choices.

Upsides and Downsides of Smart Home Security

Upsides

  • Automation improves daily convenience for millions of users
  • Remote monitoring helps families with elderly relatives or young children
  • Energy savings from smart thermostats reduce utility costs
  • Professional security systems integrate with smart devices for monitoring
  • Security research increasingly identifies and discloses vulnerabilities

Downsides

  • Each device expands the attack surface of your home network
  • Manufacturer support lifecycles are often short—devices become insecure when abandoned
  • Data collection is intrinsic to the business model
  • Security complexity increases with each new device added
  • Consumer security expertise rarely matches the threat landscape

How to Secure Your Smart Home: Step by Step

Protecting a smart home requires layered defenses that address devices, networks, and user habits. Here’s a practical approach based on guidance from CISA, NSA, and cybersecurity experts.

Step 1: Audit your current devices

  • List every connected device on your network, including devices you forgot about
  • Check manufacturer support status—has the device received updates in the past 6 months?
  • Identify devices with cameras or microphones that can be physically covered

Step 2: Secure your router

  • Change the default admin password and Wi-Fi password immediately
  • Enable WPA3 or WPA2-AES encryption—never use WEP
  • Create a separate SSID for IoT devices
  • Enable automatic firmware updates if your router supports them
  • Consider router-level security software like Kaspersky Smart Home Security

Step 3: Lock down individual devices

  • Change every default password to a unique, strong password
  • Enable MFA on any device or companion app that supports it
  • Review and revoke unnecessary permissions in companion apps
  • Disable universal plug-and-play (UPnP) on devices that don’t need it
  • Cover cameras and mute microphones when not actively in use

Step 4: Monitor and maintain

  • Set calendar reminders to check for firmware updates quarterly
  • Review connected device lists monthly and remove orphaned devices
  • Monitor router logs for unfamiliar devices or traffic patterns
  • Rotate Wi-Fi passwords at least annually
Key insight

White House M-25-04 requires federal agencies to align Zero Trust with NIST CSF 2.0 by end of FY 2025. While this applies to government systems, the underlying framework offers practical guidance for homeowners: assume breach, verify explicitly, use least privilege, and assume no implicit trust between devices.

What Experts Are Saying

“By implementing the mitigations we offer here, health care providers can reduce their security and privacy risks while providing valued services to their patients.”

— NIST (Standards Body) on Guidelines for Securing Smart Speakers in Home Health Care

“In the past five years, the number of IoT-related cyberthreats has increased by a factor of 70(!) and continues to grow.”

— Kaspersky (Cybersecurity Firm) on How to Protect Smart Home Devices

Bottom line: For homeowners, the calculus is clear: each connected device adds convenience but also adds an attack surface. The question isn’t whether your devices can be hacked—it’s whether you’ve made it easy enough that hackers will bother.

Confirmed vs. Unclear

Confirmed

  • IoT devices rushed to market lack security
  • Wi-Fi without secure connection poses main danger
  • 76% of IoT gadgets communicate over unencrypted channels
  • JSOF discovered 19 zero-day vulnerabilities in IoT TCP/IP library in 2022
  • Baby monitors and security cameras have been hacked for spying

What’s unclear

  • Exact hack frequency per device type
  • Real-world breach statistics beyond reported cases
  • Long-term efficacy of NIST guidelines post-implementation

The pattern: Most confirmed security issues relate to engineering shortcuts—weak passwords, no encryption, unpatched firmware. The unclear areas tend to involve quantification of harms, which suggests the industry has more work to do on transparency.

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Additional sources

kaspersky.com, kaspersky.com, media.defense.gov, kaspersky.com

Beyond device updates, implementing proven steps to secure home WiFi ensures your connected home stays protected from common network exploits and intrusions.

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Frequently asked questions

What device gets hacked the most?

Research suggests routers and webcams are among the most frequently targeted consumer IoT devices. This is because routers serve as the gateway to all connected devices, while webcams offer direct audio/video access. Smart speakers are also increasingly targeted due to their always-on microphones and integration with other smart home systems.

Which device cannot be hacked?

No device with network connectivity can be guaranteed unhackable. However, devices with air-gapped networks, no persistent storage, and no network connectivity are significantly harder to compromise. For practical purposes, the most secure IoT devices are those with strong manufacturer support, automatic security updates, and hardware-level security features like secure boot.

What is the main danger of connecting smart home devices to your private Wi-Fi without a secure connection?

An unsecured Wi-Fi connection allows attackers to intercept data between your devices and the internet, conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, inject malware, and potentially gain access to your entire home network. NIST identifies unsecured connections as a primary vector for compromising smart devices in home environments.

How safe are smart home devices?

Smart home device safety varies widely based on manufacturer, price point, and security practices. High-quality devices from established manufacturers with strong security teams tend to be safer. However, even secure devices become vulnerable when manufacturers stop providing security updates, which often happens within 2-3 years of purchase.

What is Smart Home and its advantages and disadvantages?

A smart home uses internet-connected devices to control lighting, climate, entertainment, security, and appliances. Advantages include convenience, energy efficiency, remote monitoring, and accessibility features. Disadvantages include security vulnerabilities, privacy concerns, vendor lock-in, and dependency on internet connectivity and manufacturer support.

Can a smart home be hacked?

Yes, smart homes can be and are hacked. Attackers exploit weak passwords, unpatched firmware, and insecure network configurations. While basic security precautions significantly reduce risk, no connected system is completely immune to attack. The key is layered defense: secure your router, enable MFA, keep devices updated, and minimize unnecessary network exposure.

For homeowners who value both convenience and security, the path forward is clear: treat your smart home network like a small business network. Assume that any device could be targeted, segment your network wherever possible, and stay current on security updates from your device manufacturers.