Start before the purchase

Julie Haney, a NIST computer scientist, published seven tips for people who use smart home devices. The first step comes before buying: plan what you need the device to do, and check how the manufacturer handles security updates and privacy settings. Haney also recommends enabling available authentication, avoiding reused passwords and turning off features you do not use. Her list is written for households rather than security specialists.

Maintain the devices after setup

The remaining tips focus on upkeep. Review privacy settings instead of accepting defaults, keep automatic updates enabled, and place smart devices on a separate network from computers that hold sensitive files. Haney presents the list as practical risk reduction rather than a guarantee of safety. The advice is aimed at ordinary households that may not have technical support.