5 Tips to keep your smart home hack-freeSmart home adoption is on the rise globally, and while affordability and infrastructure have prevented rapid uptake in South Africa, this is beginning to change. Source: pixabay.com As products that are more inexpensive enter, the market and connectivity improve, smart home adoption is increasing and consumers will need to consider security and protection against hacks. Matthew Louw, corporate marketing supervisor at LG Electronics South Africa, explains that the primary concern is automated cyber-attacks. “These are the same sort of threats that people experience on personal computers – cryptocurrency mining, compromising of user passwords and data, and ransomware viruses,” he says. “Just as you would take action to protect your computer, so too it’s important to protect your smart home.”
“South Africans are only just starting to realise this now. For example, LG’s ThinQ connectivity software on our appliances connects to the user’s mobile device via the app, and this allows you to do things like turning on the air-conditioner or the washing machine before you get home. You can talk to your fridge or request a specific video or series on your TV. As South Africa continues to embrace this tech, you will be able to control lights and door access, and eventually, not too long from now, you’ll benefit from the AI technology LG already offers so that the products learn your preferences and adapt accordingly. It’s a whole new smart world coming our way.” |