Smart homes have become a ubiquitous part of modern living. It doesn’t even seem unusual anymore to tell your refrigerator to add milk to the digital grocery list.

Smart homes offer unparalleled convenience and efficiency. You can control your lights and thermostat with a smartphone app. And have a virtual assistant like Alexa at your beck and call. But as we embrace the convenience, it’s essential to consider the potential risks. As well as take proactive steps to ensure that your smart home doesn’t turn against you.

Recent headlines have shed light on the vulnerabilities of smart home technology. Such as the story in the New York Post’s article titled “Locked Out & Hacked: When Smart Homes Turn on Owners”.

The article describes smart home nightmares. Including the new owner of a smart home that unexpectedly got locked in. The prior owner had left preprogrammed settings. Suddenly at 11:30 p.m., the home told him it was time to go to bed and locked every door in the house.

Another technology victim was a woman terrorised by lights and sounds at home. Her ex-partner was maliciously manipulating the smart technology.

As homes get smarter, how can you avoid a similar experience? We’ll explore some key strategies to protect your home and your privacy.