Why this matters
Cameras, speakers, thermostats, and TVs all live on the same network as your laptops and phones — and most shipped with a default password and old firmware. This self-assessment walks the house and finds what is exposed.
Step by step
- List every connected device in the home, including the ones you forgot were online.
- Check each device for default or shared passwords and change them.
- Update firmware everywhere — enable automatic updates where offered.
- Move smart-home devices onto a guest or IoT network, separate from your computers.
- Disable remote access and UPnP on anything that does not genuinely need it.
BlackCloak tips
The device you cannot update is the device to replace. If a camera or hub has not received firmware in over a year, treat it as a liability, not a convenience.