A smart home checklist for new home hunters looks to keep you secure in the new age of connected devices.

Buying a new home? You might be looking for a place with two full baths, a master bedroom, a walk-in closet, two extra rooms, a formal dining area, a parking garage and a huge yard. If it has security measures in place, that’s a huge bonus, but should you be comfortable using the standard security system that comes with the new home?

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month and in line with this, the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) have teamed up to draft a Smart Home Checklist serving as a guide to house hunters, as well as allow sellers to be able to better manage their home security and devices.

Homes for sale or for rent are now being retrofitted with connected solutions for security, lights and temperature control, but not all homeowners may be aware that these devices could be gathering extra data, including personal information and even passwords set by previous homeowners or renters, vendors or even maintenance personnel. Selling a home or renting a place to new tenants is no longer just handing over the keys or changing the locks, as extra measures should be taken to ensure that the seller, previous tenants and unauthorized third parties will no longer be able to access the home or apartment as well as its smart home security system.

“Although we enjoy the benefits of a connected lifestyle, we must not lose sight of the risks a smart home may pose to our privacy and physical safety. As evidenced by some privacy practices and recent vulnerabilities with smart cars, TVs and baby monitors, consumers need to be aware of and manage smart devices in their homes,” said Craig Spiezle, President and Executive Director of OTA. “Following these recommendations will help consumers better protect their privacy and identity and prevent their personal data from falling into the hands of cybercriminals and being sold to the highest bidder.”

Some of the things included in the checklist include obtaining a list of all connected devices in the house or apartment such as hubs, lights, thermostats, smoke detectors, sprinklers, smart appliances (TV, refrigerator, washer/dryer etc.), security alarms, to name a few. Data and sharing policies of each of the connected devices should be reviewed as well as ensure that previous occupants and vendors and other people no longer have administrative or user access.

You can download the checklist here.

photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton via photopin cc