Before the Super Bowl is one of the best times to buy a big-screen TV, but most of the TVs on the market are Smart TVs, which can be vulnerable to hackers if they’re not secured. In this article, we will show you how to make it harder for hackers to gain access to your Smart TV.
Smart TVs are now popular in electronics stores, and if you’re buying one to watch the big game, you need to be smart about keeping your data safe. We use Smart TVs to shop, play video games, and watch our favorite shows on a streaming service, but because they are connected to the internet, hackers can find a way to sneak in. If you’re watching your Smart TV and applications are changing, somebody may be into your device.
Joseph Martinez, an information systems security professor with Milwaukee Area Technical College, says that nobody is too small to be a target. Hackers get control of our Smart TVs by coming in through the Wi-Fi because people don’t realize they need to protect it, giving hackers easy access to your financial data. With credit card information being on the device or connected to an account that you can access from that device, people’s banking accounts are being hacked and compromised.
Moreover, if your Smart TV has a built-in camera, cyber criminals can spy on you. The FBI even warned consumers about this threat during the holidays. The camera and microphone can be turned on remotely through the web browser itself. The FBI recommends putting a piece of black tape over the camera eye if you can’t turn off the camera.
So, what can you do to protect your Smart TV from hackers? First, turn off your TV when you’re not using it. Install a firewall if you don’t have one and download an anti-virus app. Use a non-dictionary password for your Wi-Fi, including upper and lower case letters and special characters. You’ll be surprised how many people in Wisconsin still use passwords like “Packers”!
To make it even harder for hackers, you can change some of the data assigned to your Smart TV, such as your IP address. You can find that and other specific security tips on our TMJ4 Facebook page.
In conclusion, Smart TVs are convenient but come with security risks. By following these tips, you can make it harder for hackers to gain access to your Smart TV and protect your financial data and privacy.