Built for convenience
Most smart devices are designed around ease of setup. Security settings are minimal, and often not exposed to the owner at all.
Home/Connected Device Security
Smart home and IoT
Security for devices that came with none.
Cameras, speakers, TVs, printers, plugs and appliances all connect to the internet. Very few of them can be secured individually — so protection is applied to the network they share.
The problem
Convenience shipped faster than security did.
The average home now runs dozens of connected devices from dozens of manufacturers, on wildly different update schedules.
Rarely updated
Many devices receive few updates after release, and some receive none. The device keeps working, which is exactly why nobody notices.
Always connected
They talk to the internet continuously by design, which means their network activity is worth watching.
What gets covered
Everything that joins the network.
Coverage follows the connection rather than an installed application, so the list is simply whatever is connected.
Cameras and doorbells
Continuously connected, frequently exposed, rarely configurable.
TVs and streaming
Smart televisions, streaming boxes and media players.
Speakers and assistants
Voice assistants and connected audio equipment.
Printers and scanners
Often the oldest connected device in the house.
Lights and plugs
Small devices in large numbers, each one a network participant.
Thermostats and appliances
Heating, white goods and building controls.
Phones and tablets
Personal devices moving on and off the network all day.
Computers and consoles
Laptops, desktops, games consoles and network storage.
The approach
Cover the road, not every vehicle on it.
Trying to secure each device individually is a losing game: different manufacturers, different interfaces, different update policies, and plenty of devices with no settings at all.
Applying protection at the network level covers all of them at once. Traffic to and from every connected device passes the same boundary, is measured against the same policy, and is recorded the same way.
- Nothing to installDevices are covered by being connected to the protected network.
- Outbound activity mattersUnusual connections from a device can be acted on, not just connections towards it.
- Separation where supportedSmart devices can be kept in their own zone, away from personal computers and files.
Monitoring
A device that starts behaving differently is worth noticing.
Connected devices are creatures of habit. A camera talks to its manufacturer's service; a thermostat checks in on a schedule. Activity that does not fit the pattern is exactly the kind of thing continuous monitoring is for.
Policy actions are recorded so they can be reviewed later, which matters when the device in question cannot tell you anything about itself.
Configuration note
Monitoring detail and available separation options depend on your router, plan and service configuration.
FAQ
Connected device questions.
Why do smart devices need separate attention?
Because most of them cannot be secured individually. They ship with limited settings, are rarely updated, and often connect out to the internet continuously. Protecting the network they share is the practical route to covering them.
Do I need to install anything on each device?
No. Protection is applied to the network connection, so a device is covered by being connected. That is the only workable approach for equipment with no app, no screen and no security settings.
Which devices count as connected devices?
Anything that joins your network: computers, phones, tablets, TVs and streaming boxes, games consoles, cameras, doorbells, speakers, printers, plugs, lights, thermostats, appliances and network storage.
Can smart devices be kept away from my computers?
Where your equipment supports it, yes. Putting cameras, speakers and appliances in their own zone lets them reach the internet without reaching the devices holding your personal files. Available separation depends on your router and service configuration.
What if a device starts behaving unusually?
Outbound activity is measured against policy, so connections that do not fit the expected pattern can be acted on and recorded for review. What is visible depends on your plan and configuration.
Does this slow down smart-home devices?
Everyday use is designed to feel normal. Actual performance depends on your connection, your router and the configuration in place.
Next step
Cover the devices that cannot cover themselves.
Tell us roughly what is connected in your home and we will explain what network-level protection would cover.