KEEP YOUR HOME SECURE

STORY BY KYMBERLY DONOWSKI

WWhether coming to the lake or leaving after a great time on the water with family and friends, knowing your home and cyber footprint are safe affords a little more peace of mind. The key to enjoying lake time is knowing your home and information are secure. Recent advancements in technology and local internet service at the lake have led to the use of smart home systems; however, keeping that cyber presence secure is just as important as locking the front door on your way out. Introducing reliable internet at Lake Martin is a rainy day that has turned sunny. Although lack of connectivity once was a draw for coming to the lake, more vacationers and home owners are glad to see the laying of fiber cables around Lake Martin, and home security companies like Electronic Technology Group in Montgomery have found ways to use the internet to make lake life easier and safer. Thomas Williams of ETG said the better access to internet at the lake has made higher levels of security and usability possible. Smart home devices could make leaving your lake home for a day of boating – or until the next time you can escape to the lake – feel safer. There are helpful technological tools and applications available to keep your property safe and easy to control.

Smart panels have many possible functions and programmable routines. For example, installing a digital keypad could allow you to lock your doors through a custom smart panel.

Instead of giving the housekeeper, maintenance crew or friends using the house for the weekend a key, issue them a temporary code to enter into the keypad. This temporary code assures you

that no one can enter your home without your knowledge. Smart panels also automatically change the thermostat in preparation for your visit or close the shutters when inclement weather is on the horizon.

Cyber security for personal computers, mobile devices and smart televisions is imperative with present-day technological demands. Cyber security involves protecting all devices that access or use the internet. Without proper cyber protection, a hacker could gain access to in-home smart panels. Nearly every room in the house has access to the internet, so take simple steps to ensure you are fully protected while taking advantage of smart home control panels.

The simplest form of cyber protection includes makeing sure the software is updated on all devices. Technology companies understand and value keeping their products and customers safe from hacking. Most companies keep a trained team of computer technicians on staff to specifically test and enhance the security of their devices. Keeping all software updated is an easy first step to safer internet practices.

Changing the default password for your internet router is another step towards a more protected home. Hackers use programs that scan through possible letter and number combinations, so the longer and more random the password is, the safer. When creating a password, think about a random phrase of more than eight characters. The longer the sentence, the more substantial the security.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has found that even more important than special characters and capitation is the length of the password. Avoid using personal information in the password, such as a family member’s name, date of birth or home address. Information associated with you or your home could be easily guessed and would not make for a safe password. The use of personal information could be researched and found.

In addition, no two devices should have the same password. Each device should utilize a new and unique password. Having a long and random password is more important than changing it often.

Many internet-based platforms offer settings for secondary layers of protection called two-step verification. In addition to providing the correct password, a user must also provide a secondary code. This code might be in a text message, email, phone notification or, in a high level of security application, a secondary app. Some emailing systems utilize a secondary app that requires a finger print or randomized code as the second verification form.Two-step verification settings offer an excellent added layer of protection; however, be sure all backup emails and phone numbers are up to date. If you forget your password, the backup number or email could be vital to reset your account. You don’t want to accidentally lock yourself out as you make these changes. Verifying an updated email and phone number could help if you find you’ve forgotten your newly devised long and random password.

Creating a separate network from the primary internet network or a guest network, is another way to keep devices safe from hacking software. Separating devices, such as thermostats, speakers and light fixtures on the guest network creates a barrier of protection from the main internet hub. If hackers broke into your internet, they would need to also hack into the second network that added a wall of protection. The difficulty of decoding a second network could deter hackers and keep you and your information safe.

Social media, at times, provides a false sense of reality and safety. Remember that what you post on social media is in the cyber cloud forever. Even after a post or picture has been deleted, the platform could have saved a copy in its cloud hub.

In addition, once posted, there is no telling who has seen the post and who has saved it. When posting or sharing pictures, be sure to share sentiments that family, friends and future employers would be proud to see.

In the same light, be leery of posting real-time location information for your safety. Refrain from posting pictures or statements that imply or prove you are not currently in your home. For example, if you want to share beautiful pictures of that Lake Martin sunset or your grandchild landing her first toeside roll, wait until you are back at the lake house to share them. This leaves social media without an accurate time and location stamp. You never know who is reading your messages, and offering strangers proof of your location could leave you exposed to break-in.

Although the internet allows the fast-paced world into your lake home, it also could potentially keep you and your family safe. Most programs offer options for monitoring device or screen time. Timers could provide control over the amount of time the internet can reach you. Feel free to put the internet on hold as you share ghost stories around the lakeside fire pit. Even on hold, your secure internet is working hard in the background to keep you safe.