As digital locks are becoming popular, people tend to keep away from traditional locks and install digital locks for their home security systems. They are getting popular because of their convenience, such as unlocking and locking the door remotely using wifi or Bluetooth. Besides that, people can monitor them remotely too.
But before getting digital locks for your house, you may be hesitating because of the safety and whether they can be hacked. Unfortunately, as long as your device can work through the internet, there will be chances of your digital lock getting hacked. The threat is there. Researchers tend to make digital locks susceptible to hackers.
Although there is a risk, it doesn’t mean you should keep away from digital locks and stay on with your traditional locks. In this article, we will discuss how digital locks can be hacked and how to prevent them.
How Do Digital Locks Work?
Digital lock definitely helps in our daily life. It can be very convenient. They can be controlled through Bluetooth within a short distance. Also, it can be remotely controlled by connecting to a wireless network. You can download the apps onto your smartphone or computer and control them remotely.
By downloading the apps, you can receive notifications, such as if your lock is locked or unlocked. The log of these events can be kept.
Digital locks can be connected to a smart speaker, such as Amazon Echo Dot. It can control the lock by using simple voice commands through a voice assistant.
Ways Digital Locks Can Be Hacked
1. Password Hijacking Digital Locks
Password hijacking is a very common way for any device that uses a password. This usually happens when the hacker has your smartphone. Once they can access your device, they can hack into your cloud files.
If you’ve synced your smartphone with the digital lock and have files that contain your passcode, fingerprint, or voice recognition audio, it is easy for the hacker to hack it. If you don’t set a stronger password for your digital lock, hackers can guess it easily and hack your locks. Once the hacker hacks into your locks, they will have the power to control your door.
2. Digital Locks Manufacturer Flaws And Weaknesses
Over the years, there have been cases where some locks were accessed easily due to manufacturing oversights and flaws. These include storing customer passwords in easy-to-read text or failing to update their software. Without the proper protections, hackers can access your lock and enter your home.
Like most computer hardware, digital locks require regular updates. This is to fix minor bugs in the digital locks or add additional functions. If the software has any problem, it may affect the locks and be unusable. Your property will be left unsecured.
3. Voice Command Hack
It is very convenient to control your digital locks with voice commands. But this feature can be hacked easily. The digital locks that use voice commands will require a pin code when using smart assistants like Google or Alexa. But Z-Wave is an exception.
You can create a custom voice command without a code for locks that uses Z-wave. It is convenient but very insecure. Those who know the voice command will be able to unlock your locks without a code.
4. Wifi Breaching
Hackers can hack your digital locks by hacking into your house’s wifi. To hack your locks via wifi connection, they will need to access your account for the lock or smart hub. If the hackers get hold of your access details, they can gain access to your devices on your network that has your credentials.
Hackers can hack into a smart hub, but chances will be very low if you have a reputable smart hub and your software is updated.
5. Bluetooth Sniffing
Most digital locks have Bluetooth connectivity. This is rare, but hackers can still use a Bluetooth sniffer to access the lock. It is rare because hackers need very deep knowledge of the code. They will also need complex computer hardware for Bluetooth sniffing to get information.
You will have a limited range to connect Bluetooth to your device, so it will be more difficult for hackers to hack in as they need to be physically close.
Ways To Protect Your Digital Locks
1. Buy From Reputable Companies
Most of us will be looking for the best deals on things we buy. But do not ignore the quality of the locks. It concerns your house security.
You will get the products from a more reputable company. Some smaller manufacturers may not include proper security protocols to save costs.
2. Uses 2-Factor Authentication
2-factor authentication requires two verification forms to allow users to access the system. It will be more challenging for hackers to hack into the system.
For example, 2-factor authentication will need an additional password before granting permission.
3. Stronger Passwords
A strong password will need at least 16 characters in length. Any shorter password is more accessible for hackers to hack. A brute force attack is a common method that hackers use to crack passwords. Using this method, hackers will try different combinations of passwords and hope that one of the combinations will work.
4. Keep Software Updated
Ensure that your software and application for your digital locks are updated. Manufacturer updates their software to fix minor bugs and protect it from security threats.
Don’t forget to check if your software and application need to update manually. A regular update will help to protect your locks.
If you are getting digital locks for your home security, this article will help you how to prevent them from being hacked and have better security for your house.
