Competent home security companies are supposed to be able to prevent break-ins or home invasions of any kind, even digital. Unfortunately, not all home security systems are created equal.
Top Class Actions, a consumer news website that concentrates on providing factual company information, reported last year that many ADT customers had begun receiving around $50 from an ADT security hacking class action lawsuit.
ADT's Home Security Hacking Lawsuit
An article that appeared in Forbes magazine made the comment that with a simple software defined radio (SDR) hackers can detect when doors are opened and closed.
A $10 radio allows hackers to infiltrate ADT security systems, compromising the so called "peace of mind" the service offers, a federal class action suit alleges.
The complaint filed by Dale Baker says the residential and small business customers of ADT Security Services are far less safe that ADT leads them to believe.
Customers sign a three year agreement when they purchase equipment that relies on "unencrypted and unauthenticated" wireless signals. Bakers says hackers can exploit these flaws to disable the system, cause false alarms to go off and even use the system's own cameras to spy on people.
The lawsuit points to an article in Forbes magazine that a simple software defined radio (SDR) allows hackers to detect when doors are opened and closed.
With a more complicated SDR they can manipulate the system, according the the complaint. Baker's home security system was allegedly hacked twice, both times triggering an alarm that let to the police being called.
Baker contends that ADT knows that its systems are vulnerable to intrusion. The class action suit seeks an injunction requiring ADT to change its marketing materials and use encrypted signals in its security systems.
The lawsuit has since been settled for $16 million dollars. ADT customers who contracted ADT between November 13, 2009 and August 15, 2016 are elligible for around $45 from the class action lawsuit settlement agreement.
Can Your Home Security System Be Hacked?
Yes, it can be hacked. And if you haven't actively taken measures to prevent it from happening, then you're a likely target for hackers. Even the best, most high-tech home security systems have vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit.
Fortunately, the best home security companies monitor your system and have set up your home security in a way that makes hacking your system not worth the effort for a budget hacker.
How to Prevent Your Home Security from Getting Hacked
Hackers aren't the super-genius villains we've come to know from Hollywood — they don't just target national banks and government systems. Today's hackers are targeting you and me and they're doing it for a low price.
According to Business Insider, a hacker could be hired for less than $200 to perform most jobs, including hacking into social media accounts, email acocunts, or even a cheap home security system.
So what's to stop hackers from virtually breaking into your home, viewing your camera footage, or monitoring your door's lock status? A good, quality home security company will have anti-hacker personnel and monitoring centers to help you combat the ongoing threat of hackers.
This protection against hackers is one reason why professional monitoring and professional installation of home security systems is so important. But what else can you do to prevent your home security system from hackers?
First, here are some things to keep in mind when protecting your home from hackers: Most wireless cameras are hacked in the first place because they are found on a list of unsecured IP cameras. Your home security cameras are placed on lists such as this because of default passwords or a lack of passwords. Long story short, update your passwords and then update them every few months.
So what can I do to keep my IP cameras from being hacked?
- Purchase Advanced Encryption Security Cameras: Some home security companies take encryption and cyber-attack protection to another level. Vivint and Guardian Proteciton are both trustworthy companies whose products can stand the scrutiny of for-hire hackers. The best individual security cameras with advanced encryption are Blue by ADT (ADT has stepped up its game since the lawsuit), Wyze Pan Cam, or the Frontpoint Slimline Doorbell Camera. There are many quality cameras out there, but you should make sure the camera you go with has SSL encryption, WPA2-AES encryption, and is SSL-TLS enabled.
- Create a Unique Username and Password Once the System is Set Up: This one is very simple, so you'd think more home security customers would know this, but most home security cameras are targetted by hackers because they don't have strong passwords (many home security users will leave the system with the default username and password; this is not recommended).
- Update the Security Firmware on Your Cameras
- Switch Your Default Port to a Non-Standard Port: Because hackers generally target the default port, it would be wise to switch to a non-standard port, which will make it more difficult for hackers to even find your camera, let alone hack into it. You can manually change this port setting on your home security camera.
