Security concerns when connecting devices to your home wifi

[mac_in_tosh]

Take for instance a wireless surveillance camera. The setup involves connecting it to your home wifi network i.e. giving it the password. Can that be exploited by an unscrupulous company to somehow monitor your internet activity, read things on your computer, etc.? Is there something one can do to check on the integrity of the connection or prevent any such unauthorized surveillance? Thanks.

 

[Pumbaa]

Take for instance a wireless surveillance camera. The setup involves connecting it to your home wifi network i.e. giving it the password. Can that be exploited by an unscrupulous company to somehow monitor your internet activity, read things on your computer, etc.?

Without going into details, yes, if a bad actor has a device they control on your network they could absolutely do that.

Generally speaking I wouldn’t worry so much about unscrupulous companies intentionally spying on you that way as I would about incompetent companies allowing third parties to exploit their devices.

For example:

New wave of data-destroying ransomware attacks hits QNAP NAS devices

DeadBolt has already infected thousands of QNAP storage devices this year.

arstechnica.com

Is there something one can do to check on the integrity of the connection or prevent any such unauthorized surveillance? Thanks.

I’m a tad extreme and run multiple separate networks for different categories of networked devices; they can’t see or communicate with other things unless allowed to by both firewall and routing rules. More hassle than it’s worth, truth be told, but it is a hobby.

Stick to reputable manufacturers. Keep software and firmware updated. Never reuse passwords (your wi-fi password should only be used to connect to your wi-fi and not to log on to your computer etc.).

 

[Hrafn]

I think of bigger concern is companies like Amazon acquiring iRobot, and using that information to sell you more things.

But, I love my Roomba.

 

[Herdfan]

Just what I do, but I have a separate email address for things like this. Only things like cameras and thermostats and lighting control are on that email. So the chances of someone even knowing it exists is small. None of my door locks connect to the internet and probably never will. I do have a coded one on the garage door, but it is a dumb lock that just has a manually programmed code.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

I’m a tad extreme and run multiple separate networks for different categories of networked devices; they can’t see or communicate with other things unless allowed to by both firewall and routing rules. More hassle than it’s worth, truth be told, but it is a hobby.

I have FIOS in my house. I also have an Apple Extreme Basestation that I can connect to it by ethernet cable. If I use the FIOS for my main wifi and connect the cameras to the Apple router - and only use it for that purpose - would that provide protection of my main wifi against a bad actor that has control of the Apple wifi ?

 

[Pumbaa]

I have FIOS in my house. I also have an Apple Extreme Basestation that I can connect to it by ethernet cable. If I use the FIOS for my main wifi and connect the cameras to the Apple router - and only use it for that purpose - would that provide protection of my main wifi against a bad actor that has control of the Apple wifi ?

It depends on how everything is connected. If the Airport Extreme is wired to your internal network it wouldn’t add any protection at all.

Check if your FIOS-thingie has a guest wi-fi option.

However: If you don’t trust the maker, don’t use their cameras.

 

[mac_in_tosh]

It depends on how everything is connected. If the Airport Extreme is wired to your internal network it wouldn’t add any protection at all.

Check if your FIOS-thingie has a guest wi-fi option.

However: If you don’t trust the maker, don’t use their cameras.

The camera instructions say it can't be connected to a guest network.

It's not anything specific to this camera company, just a general concern.