They can even hack your doorbell
COMPUTERS will be the main target for most online hackers. But homes also have ‘smart’ gadgets – ranging from phones through to doorbells and energy meters – that online criminals can hack.
Most of these are linked to each other via wi-fi signals shared from an internet hub sitting inside the home. This internet signal should be secure – as shown by a padlock logo beside the wi-fi signal on your computer. This means it can only be accessed using a password.
If the padlock logo is not shown, contact your internet provider and ask for one. Tankard says: ‘If a criminal knows your password, most smart gadgets can be hacked. This means they could spy through your doorbell and reconfigure a personal assistant device to cause disruption or steal vital data. Cyber attackers might even be able to cut off your power supply.’
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of the Government Communications Headquarters intelligence service (GCHQ), says hard-to-crack passwords are vital.
It says: ‘Make a strong password by stringing three random words together.’
You could also use a password manager – a software app that allows you to store passwords for different online accounts in one place.
A master password gains access to them. Providers such as Dashlane, Keeper and Bitwarden charge around £30 a year.