Search results: smart home

Controlling our habitat with technology – how would you feel about a smart home?

20 Oct

At Soteria Cloud we like to keep up to date on cloud back up news as well as the latest developments in technology. While mobile phones, cloud computing and various other digital advancements seem to be making our lives easier, we simply cannot overlook one particular innovation; Smart homes!  We take a closer look at these systems and just how they could affect the notion of domestic bliss…

A smart home is the perfect illustration of how technology can change the way we live. In fact it can truly enhance our quality of life and if it’s designed properly and set up efficiently, your daily household chores and experience can be greatly simplified and enriched.

To set the scene; picture yourself arriving home from after a 3-day workshop. As you wearily cross the threshold the lights dim, the air conditioning is perfectly set and your favourite pre-recorded television program comes on, with your best track playing in the background. Horror of horrors though, the fridge is empty and the pantry is bare and although there is a recollection that your online shopping app notified you, you ignored it and now you are hungry. Not a concern when a link from the fridge dials the local takeaway, via your mobile, and dinner is served. Sound like heaven to you? If it does, wait until you learn what else a smart home can offer you!

Remote access from just about anywhere

Smart homes are exactly what the name implies, fully automated intelligent homes. There is barely a system or appliance on the market today that can’t in some way be linked to a central control panel or remote. In fact if you are replacing appliances and gadgets, you would be wise to check their accessibility to remote control!

What this means is that you can control everything from anywhere;  switch the lights off from the couch, change channels in the kitchen or close the curtains from the garden, you can quite literally control everything remotely, from your office or even when you are out of town or on holiday. Forgotten to turn the geyser off before leaving for the week? Not a concern when you have remote control access.

Home automation is a technological advancement that is taking both the business and residential property market by storm. While these systems used to be the coveted convenience of the rich and famous, newer models and better designs mean affordability to more people. Importantly, they can extend beyond the luxury of family benefits to making lives easier for others, such as caregivers and the elderly, helping us to save energy in our homes and businesses.

Seamless integration and features

So just what can a smart home or home automation offer you in terms of convenience and comfort? Here’s what the average system can do:

  • Lock and unlock doors via your smartphone or other electronic device.
  • Activate or deactivate the alarm system via the control panel, smartphone or other device.
  • Open and close the curtains in each room.
  • Set and monitor the temperature and ventilation.
  • Monitor the energy consumption of your appliances, systems and devices.
  • Control your entertainment systems. This includes televisions and music systems.
  • Control your lighting systems. This is ideal for security purposes when you are away.
  • Link all appliances and control them remotely – fridges, ovens, coffee machines and more. ·         Vehicle detection systems.
  • Plant and pet monitoring systems.

Of course those who invest in and install home automation systems must take security of the actual system into consideration. Accessing the controls via your smartphone demands greater smartphone security and it is essential to keep the user information and passwords for your system secure at all times.

Smart Home

The doorbell that rings your Smartphone if you’re not home

3 Feb

Have you heard of the Ring? And no, we aren’t talking about the horror movie. The ring we are talking about is anything but scary! This device brings latest tech advancements to the fore! Now you can install a wireless doorbell that not only rings your Smartphone when someone is at your door, it also allows video streaming so that you can see and have a conversation with whoever has decided to stop by! How does it work? With Wi-Fi of course!

Visitors in High Definition

The Ring is unlike any other doorbell to hit the market. Its fisheye lens allows for a clear all round view outside your front door, and with its noise cancellation abilities and HD video quality you can expect to have a crystal clear conversation with your visitors. What’s more is that the footage collected can be available for viewing at a later time too.

How does it work? When someone rings your doorbell, The Ring will connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network and send an alert to your Smartphone. On acceptance a live stream video is opened up and you can converse with the visitor via the microphone and vice versa. Does it work well at night? Yes it does! The doorbell has infrared LED’s which ensures great night vision capabilities.

It’s wireless of course which means that it operates effectively off a battery. You won’t need to worry about charging it often – once a year should do the trick. If you would prefer to never have to worry about charging your battery, simply connect the system to your existing doorbell’s wiring. It’s that simple.

At Soteria Cloud we think this tech advancement is well worth the money! Let us know if you think that one of these doorbells is a good idea and whether you believe that your home will be safer with it installed.

To discover more tech advancements and learn more about our security packages and backup options, get in touch with us at Soteria Cloud today.

Securing yourself and the family against home automation hacks

6 May

Home automation hacking is a dream come true for opportunistic criminals the world over. It’s a criminal’s lucky day when they can view CCTV footage of your home, lock and unlock your doors, deactivate the alarm, and even take a leisurely browse through your private information on your connected devices.

A scary thought isn’t it!

Smart home – Smart security

If you have a smart home, then you’re undoubtedly well ensconced in the joys of home automation. It’s nice having the home do all those trivial time-consuming tasks you just couldn’t be bothered it. Your system can turn on the lights, draw the curtains, adjust the lighting, play your favourite music… Chances are, you can’t remember what life was like before you got your home automated.

But in order to appreciate the luxuries of automation, smart home security and encryption needs to be set in place to protect the home, yourself and the family against home automation attacks.

There’s always a price to pay for convenience and for some homeowners, that price has been their possessions. Gone are the days when home invasions were the latest thing to be on the lookout for. Now your home can be invaded with a click of a button, and you probably won’t even be there to protect your valuable assets.

Tips to protect you from home automation hacks

Your safety, data privacy, and peace of mind are at stake if you don’t have the correct security mechanisms in place. Avoid becoming a victim of home automation hacks with these security tips:

1. Do your homework before buying a system. Read reviews and find a reputable and ethical home automation company to work with.
2. Set a strong, encrypted password and change it from time to time.
3. Invest in a secure router that’s known for its security features. Make sure that you change the default password when you set it up.
4. Never use public Wi-Fi access to remotely connect to your smart home system. Rather use your mobile data or access the home automation system via the providers secure, encrypted website.
5. Update your router firmware and home automation software regularly.
6. Check your CCTV camera logs regularly. It’s important to note any IP addresses that you don’t recognise on your logs. This could be a sign that you have been hacked.
7. Change the default port settings of your cameras as most home automation systems use the same port. Don’t make it easy for hackers!
8. Carefully choose the positions of your cameras. It’s not a good idea to have cameras pointed inside bedrooms or similar privacy-vulnerable areas.
9. Go incognito! Set your wireless router to hide the network from automatic searches. Hackers will need to know the name of your network to search for it.
10. Make encryption a top priority. The home automation provider should be able to tell you if the signals for videos and controls are encrypted or not.

Protect your home and family

If you haven’t already done it, it’s time to secure your home against home automation hacks. Use the 10 tips above to step up your security level immediately, and always back up your data just in case the worst does happen – which it won’t, if you are smart about securing your home!

Latest Tech! Are South Africans Really Secure In Their Connected Homes?

10 Apr

With smart homes already an integral part of many South African lifestyles, the question regarding security risks begs to be answered. If your home features a smart television, smart fridge, devices, a game station and various other internet connected devices, could your home security be at risk? Quite simply – it certainly could be. In fact, it already is, if you haven’t thought about it until now! (more…)

Internet Connected Homes Open to Hackers

2 Feb

Smart Devices Could be Putting Your Security at Risk

At Soteria Cloud we are often concerned with just how little concern our clients take in their digital security. While secure and encrypted online backups are one way to protect your personal data and information, there are other security risks at play. Let’s take the smart home for example. Smart homes are those that are controlled by means of connected smart devices. While our various “smart” devices add an invaluable amount of convenience to our lives, we must also consider the security risks that they pose too. Are manufacturers taking the relevant steps to ensure that smart devices such as baby monitors, mobile phones, kitchen gadgets and similar, don’t put your personal safety at risk?

The Internet of Things, which is a concept that supports a network of devices all able to connect to each other, has continued a steady trajectory from it’s early innovations and looks set to generate over $1,2 billion in 2016. Unfortunately, along with the convenience of connectivity across multiple devices comes the risk of personal and critical data being more easily accessed by unscrupulous parties.

What exactly does this mean?

Put simply, as more and more appliances, gadgets and devices are being manufactured with sensors and computers control our businesses, the risk of ensuing chaos from hackers is infinitely increased.

According to Gartner, a market forecaster, over 6 billion connected devices will be introduced to our lives and the world, during the course of 2016! Some of these connected devices were showcased at the January 2016 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas.

Industry professionals have indicated that all these connected devices could fall prey more easily to criminals. The more skilled the hacker, the more chaos they can cause with a variety of gadgets and devices. All it takes is a tech savvy individual to hack into your device settings, monitor them and figure out when you are on holiday and away from the property or business. This could lead to burglaries. Personal details can also be hacked via your smart device while it is connected to your computer – and we all know what that means: identity theft and fraud risks.

Where does the security risk really originate from?

In many instances, the manufacturer can be responsible for the lack of security. Some of the weaknesses in the security of these connected products lies in their “easy to set up” features, the use of default passwords (often ‘admin’) which many users neglect to change, and of course the fact that consumers can log into and access their devices and systems via insecure web portals.

How to Safeguard Your Home and Internet of Things – Some Tips from Industry Professionals

  • Change your default password as soon as you get the device.
  • Edit your system settings so that your devices and gadgets can only be accessed from your private or secure network.

At Soteria Cloud, as much as we support the emergence of The Internet of Things and simply love that smart homes are becoming a part of our current times, we do advise that you take a few extra steps to ensure that your home and personal data is kept safe and secure – you won’t regret it!

Surprisingly Hackable IoT Devices

31 Mar

If you are currently deeply enfolded in the convenience of connected IoT (Internet of Things) devices in the home, you’re possibly not prone to thinking about considering the risks that they can pose.

Just as the IT infrastructure in your office can be hacked, so to can your home IoT devices be attacked by the very same cybercriminals. Your high tech, connected vacuum cleaner or baby monitor, your smart window dressings or home security system, these smart devices can all be used to steal your personal information or even spy on you via the embedded device cameras.

At the RSA Conference this year, a variety of surprisingly hackable IoT devices were thrown into the spotlight, making more than just a few of the onlookers a bit uncomfortable.  And yes, you guessed it; a baby monitor and vacuum cleaner made the list!

Why are connected IoT Devices so Hackable?

The risk starts when a device connects to your network. All networks have vulnerabilities and it just takes a clever cybercriminal to hack into your device and use it for all manner of evils. Your device could start listening to you and capture this information for a criminal. The camera can be used to determine whether or not you are in the home or even see where you hide precious items. You could even find that your entire network gets jammed up and a hacker demands a sum of money to return your life (and devices) back to normal. The options are aplenty!

Which IoT Devices are the Most Hackable?

When you think of IoT, it’s likely that your mind immediately goes to your internet-powered devices such as your laptop, mobile phone, tablet and similar, but the reality is that IoT is so much more than just these devices. Below are a handful of IoT devices you might never consider could be used to hack into your personal information.

  • Car remote – it can be hacked, jammed, cloned, and used to steal your car;
  • A built-in vehicle GPS system – this can unlock your car, locate your car, and even drive your car;
  • CCTV cameras – can be used to gather sensitive info in offices and homes such as passwords on computer accounts and the PIN for the alarm system;
  • Wireless printers – hackers can get access to all documents printed and scanned on the device;
  • Smart televisions – built-in cameras can be used to spy on the home and linked accounts can be accessed;
  • Smart fridges – can be used to gather data on family emails via the linked device camera.

But what does this all mean? The list above contains so many items that most of us take for granted. Inter-connected devices that simplify our lives. Does it mean that we have to disconnect all our convenient smart home devices and revert back to a DIY era or the “stone age” again? No, it certainly doesn’t. What it means is that you have to be safe while using these devices.

How to ensure that your IoT devices are safe

Instead of retiring your IoT devices prematurely, start working on having a more aware and cautious approach to using your connected devices. Here are a few things that you can implement to ensure that your IoT devices are providing you with the conveniences they promise, without the threats and risks.

  • Regularly update your devices to the latest version of software.
  • Install security patches and fixes as soon as they are released.
  • Research the various security risks that each of your connected devices presents (Google is great for this).
  • Make sure that your network username and password are secure and different from any other passwords. Be sure to change them often.
  • Don’t keep sensitive data stored on any connected devices. If you have info and data you would like to save, back it up to the cloud.

As a responsible IoT device owner, there is every reason to believe that you can avoid the risks associated with such convenience. You know what they say though…the cost of IoT convenience is your privacy!

Top Trending Tech from CES 2020

14 Jan

The 2020 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) took place in Las Vegas from the 7th to the 10th of January 2020. With over 17 000 people visiting the show, spanning across exhibitors, media, and industry attendees, it was easy to overlook the highlights. There was just so much to take in!

To summarise the top trending tech at CES 2020 we collated all the reviews, feedback and published articles to find out just where the spotlight was shining.

A City of the Future with no Human Drivers

Toyota revealed a surprising exhibit of a “prototype city of the future”. The company plans to create this city in Japan, near Mount Fuji, on a 175-acre plot of land. Here you will find a real city, with real people and an experimental laboratory where future technologies will be worked on including self-driving vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells. Toyota also plans to have robots and smart homes as the norm in this future city. None of the residents of Toyota’s conceptualised city will drive cars. Instead, Toyota plans to provide self-driven vehicles and other forms of sustainable transport. Certainly worth following!

Plant-Based Foods

A vegan lifestyle with plant-based foods has become a way of life for many, both globally and here in South Africa. With this in mind, an innovative ‘non-tech’ exhibitor – Impossible Pork, a creation of Impossible Foods, caught the eye of attendees to the show. The company, which focuses on the reduction of global greenhouse gases and the sustainable feeding of millions, has already brought products such as the Impossible Burger to the market. Now with Impossible Pork, food lovers can enjoy the very same appearance, taste, and texture of pork with the knowledge that it is plant-based…and therefore far better for the environment and of course, one’s own health. Impossible Pork’s presence at the show for the second year running only proves that the tech world is accepting food innovation as a respected and valuable part of the industry.

Less Techy Tech

Thinking about or discussing the latest tech advancements usually brings to mind avant-garde type devices, bright screens, and flashing lights – and other weird and wonderful gadgets. Three companies exhibiting at CES were toning tech down to make it look more natural.

Mui Lab presented smart displays that blended in instead of standing out. In fact, some of the tech displays simply looked like regular everyday items.

UltraSense and Sentons showcased a range of metal, wood and plastic casings with touch interfaces, similar to a smartphone. Both companies displayed a variety of items with one showing how future phones could take photos simply by being squeezed, how volume could be controlled by a simple finger slide and so forth.

The ScanWatch

This year’s CES saw new health tracking and wearable tech make its way to the front of the queue. One particular device that caught the eye of many was the ScanWatch, which does so much more than any other health tacking watch currently on the market. The ScanWatch can pick up on sleep apnoea, and even run electro-cardiagrams and photoplethysmography tests to ensure that a user’s heart rate is optimal.

Calorie Tracking GoBe3

Another health app that had a wow-factor was the GoBe3, which has the unique ability to detect just how many calories someone has consumed as well as determine stress levels. It does this by doing skin readings much the same as a lie detector test does.

The OrCam Read device, to help people with Dyslexia

OrCam, is a company specialising in artificial intelligence. At CES 2020, the company had a gadget called the OrCam Read on show. This handheld device will help people with reading problems and dyslexia to read a word or block of text more effectively. The user simply points the device at a chunk of text and hit submit. The laser beam then highlights the selected text and starts to read it out loud. The company also plans to take reading a step further with the introduction of another device called MyEye 2. The device clips on to the side of a pair of spectacles and when the user points at text, the device senses it and reads the relevant content. The user can stop the reading by holding their hand up in a “stop gesture”.

Take Away

This year’s CES was nothing short of impressive. Those who got to witness the show first hand were privileged to get a sneak preview of what the future has to offer us. We’re certainly looking forward to it!

Keeping you in touch with the top tech gadgets in 2019

17 Sep

New tech is exciting – there’s no denying that. While there seems to be a new tech frenzy and influx every year (it seems like every few minutes actually!) it can be hard to keep up with the top tech gadgets to hit the market.

Want to know what’s the latest in summary for 2019 so far? We let you in on our top picks in each category:

Smart Home Gadgets

  • Samsung SmartThings Wi-Fi Smart Plug

So just how smart can a plug be? Well, this plug can be plugged into any normal outlet to provide unlimited virtual control. This means that you can turn the non-smart and even older appliances and accessories in your home into smart devices, just by using the SmartThings plug.

  •  Nooie Cam

If security is important to you, but you don’t have the money to invest in a smart home security system, worry not, the Nooie Cam has you covered. This is a 360-degree motion-tracking camera. The Nooie Cam does so much more than just sit in the room and record in a straight line. It will notify you if it detects motion and will follow the movement in real-time while recording. You can also connect with the cam remotely to control the camera if you need to pan the room. You know, when you just want to have a quick squizz at what’s going on!

Tech Life Hacks

  • Bose Frames Rondo Audio Sunglasses

Chances are, you already have a pair of trendy sunglasses or two, but do yours play music? Now you can take your favourite music with you on the move with the Bose retro sunglasses. These glasses are designed for sun and sound, with tiny speakers placed in the arms of the sunglasses. You can control your tracks with the push of a button.

  • Pocketalk Language Translator

Ever been lost in translation with an interesting stranger? Now you don’t have to be. The Pocketalk Translator allows people to have a two-way conversation in real-time. It’s a compact device that fits in your pocket and can translate 74 languages with ease. The built-in language data also means that you don’t need Wi-Fi to use the device. The microphone quality and noise cancellation mean that you can speak normally – as in, you don’t need to speak loudly and slowly!

Luxury Tech

  • Naim Uniti Atom All-in-One Wireless Music Player

Ever wanted all of your music in one place? Stupid question, right! The wireless Naim Uniti Atom allows high resolution streaming for just about every streaming sources, including AirPlay, Spotify, and TIDAL.

The latest smart LG TV brings the value of Artificial Intelligence into the home. With a Smart Brain a& Intelligent Processor, you can control the television simply by talking to it.  4K Cinema HDR and Dobly Atmos Cinematic Sound ensure that you will be totally blown away by this smart TV.

Word of Warning

Along with the latest tech advancements and gadgets comes the real threat of data breaches, hacks and various other cyber-crimes. Remember that the moment you connect a device to your Wi-Fi, you put yourself at risk. Make sure that you have the correct security risks in place to protect your sensitive information and of course, your home.

Our Smart Conclusion

With so many gadgets to choose from, this was just a shortlist of our favourites in 2019. With Q4 just around the corner and 2020 hot on its heels, we can but wonder what the new year will have in store for us!

Leveraging disruptive technology to better our world

24 Jul

Who says disruptive technologies have to be used individually? What about pairing them up to enjoy a plethora of benefits?

There are 3 technologies that can be leveraged to make the world a better place for all. These three technologies are:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Virtual Reality (VR)
  • Internet of Things (IoT)

How can these technologies be leveraged?

Well, if you think of how IoT works, it makes things a little simpler to understand. The technology is designed on an “if this, then that” model. AI requires data in order to function and that’s exactly what IoT generates. VR can sweeten the deal by providing immersive visuals of the data which creates an enhanced experience for the user. Put all of this together and you have a system that provides exceptional benefits!

IoT, VR and AI Preps Cyclists for the Tour de France

A great and on topic example of how IoT, VR and AI can be used together for the greater good can be seen in the preparation of cyclists for this year’s Tour de France. While each technology individually could provide a degree of benefits to cyclists, when used together, the result is phenomenal.

Prior to the race, cameras are used to film the route. VR is then used to expose cyclists to the route and allow them to race it, virtually of course. Together, AI, VR, and IoT allows the cyclists to prepare themselves for racing in different weather conditions and GPS data collected provides information on the bike. When you think about it, it’s all quite impressive!

It’s not just the TdeF cyclists who benefit from dispruptive technology

These 3 disruptive technologies can be leveraged in many industries to assist with design, maintenance and logistics, and all 3 of the technologies are used in our homes. Think how smart home systems can control everything from the temperature of the home to the entertainment presented in each room and the amount of light you let in.

Industries that really want to leverage the benefits of latest tech will find that using these 3 technologies together will present the best possible outcomes.

Of course, there’s the safety and security of data to consider during the process and we strongly recommend that if you plan to use technology to boost your business success and home comforts, that you do so responsibly and take security seriously.

Secure Yourself and your Business from Security Risks Set to Capture 2017 by Storm

14 Feb

Without a shadow of any doubt, the Internet of Things (IoT) has more than ‘connected’ us, and indisputably more than many of us ever thought possible. It has also brought a myriad of risks into our midst too.

All things considered, it’s quite a scary concept that with smart home technology you can use the IoT to control just about anything from turning on your oven to controlling your air conditioning system, from just about anywhere. At risk of repeating ourselves though, one of the biggest threats in the advancement of these technologies is that of your privacy.

Currently there are approximately 6.4 million IoT connected devices and by 2021, that figure is expected to jump up to over 20 million. The stats are astounding and it makes one realise that every time you use a connected electronic device, there are risks you should be aware of and ready for.

Some of the biggest security risks to be aware of this year include:

Ransomware – this is a program that cyber criminals can buy on the dark web. It’s used to hold people’s personal information ransom. How do you know if you have been a victim of ransomware? You might open your images or another document / file on your computer only to find that they are “corrupt” or missing. You will then receive a warning advising you to pay a ransom in order to have the information returned. Ransomware attacks have increased over 600% in the last year, so it goes without saying that it’s something that you need to protect yourself against.

Internet enabled toys – nearly all modern toys can connect to a network in some way or another. Children and parent’s information and privacy are at risk with these types of toys, which are hard to secure. In some instances, even the webcam on laptops and computers have been used to record information and conversations.

Unencrypted data stored in the cloud – if you are going to make use of cloud services, make sure that the data you stored will actually be encrypted. Unencrypted data is data that’s begging to be hacked. At Soteria Cloud we ensure that all of your data stored with us is encrypted, for your piece of mind.

Phishing – one would think that with phishing raising its head several years ago already, that people would be wiser to phishing attacks. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. People still click on links that they are unsure of and soon their system and personal data is at risk.

While these are the top risks that we believe you need to be aware of in 2017, they certainly aren’t the only ones. For more security tips and advice and to learn more about our online encrypted data backup services, contact us or check out our packages today.