In the techie world, we love acronyms.  We have a million of them!  One of the newest ones is IoT which stands for Internet of Things!  Equipment falling into the IoT category include those devices that allow us to control things in our homes or work areas from the outside.

Example:  from my phone, from anywhere in the world as long as I can get onto the Internet, I can control:  our alarm system; the thermostat; lights throughout the house; fans; and, individual cameras in various locations.  This is done because all the devices in our home that control those kinds of things are connected to the Internet. 

I love that this capability exists.  However, like almost anything on the Internet, a word of caution: make sure, if you purchase IoT equipment, that it is from a reputable company which takes security seriously.  Think about it – if a hacker can break into one of your IoT devices, he or she will probably be able to access all the other Wi-Fi-connected computing equipment in your home or office.  This might include your computers, printers and tablets.

Homeland Security has some very helpful information on keeping IoT devices secure.  Why not click on the button below and visit Homeland’s page?