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Smart home hacking fears: What’s real and what’s hype

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Smart home hacking fears: What’s real and what’s hype

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News of more than 120,000 Korean home cameras being hacked recently can shake your confidence in connected devices. Stories like that make you picture cybercriminals breaking into homes with high-tech gadgets and spying on families through smart cams. That reaction is natural. But most of these headlines leave out important context that can help you breathe a little easier.

First, smart home hacking is rare. Most incidents stem from weak passwords or from someone you already know, rather than from a stranger with advanced tools. Today’s smart home brands push out updates to block intrusion attempts, including patches for new AI-related vulnerabilities that often make headlines.

Let’s break down what actually puts a smart home at risk and what you can do to stay safe.

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SMART HOME DEVICE MAKER EXPOSES 2.7 BILLION RECORDS IN HUGE DATA BREACH

Smart home hacking headlines can look scary, but most threats come from weak passwords rather than targeted attacks. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why criminals are not circling your house with hacking gear

Many people imagine cybercriminals driving around neighborhoods with scanners that look for vulnerable devices. In reality, Wi-Fi ranges and technical limits make that nearly impossible. Even high-profile hacks of casinos and large companies do not translate to criminals trying to breach residential smart locks for petty theft.

Burglars still choose low-tech methods. They look for unlocked doors or easy entry points. They avoid complicated hacking tools because the payoff is too small to justify the work.

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So how do smart homes get hacked? Here are the real attack paths and how they work.

Common ways smart homes get attacked

Smart homes face a handful of digital threats, but most come from broad automated attacks rather than someone targeting your house.

1) Automated online attacks

Bots constantly scan the internet for weak passwords and outdated logins. These brute force attacks throw billions of guesses at connected accounts. When one works, the device becomes part of a botnet used for future attacks. That doesn’t mean someone is targeting your home on purpose. Bots search for anything they can breach. A strong password stops them.

2) Phishing attempts

Some phishing emails impersonate smart home brands. Clicking a fake link or sharing login details can open the door for criminals to reach your network. Even a general phishing attack can expose your Wi-Fi info and lead to broader access.

3) Data breaches from IoT companies

Hackers often go after company servers, not individual homes. These breaches may expose account details or stored camera footage kept in the cloud. Criminals may sell that data to others who might try to use it. It rarely leads to direct smart home hacking, but it still puts your accounts at risk.

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4) Attacks on device communications

Early IoT devices had vulnerabilities that allowed criminals to intercept the data they sent and received. (IoT stands for Internet of Things and includes everyday connected gadgets like smart plugs, smart thermostats or Wi-Fi cameras.) Modern products now use stronger encryption, making these attacks extremely rare in the real world.

5) Bluetooth malware

Bluetooth issues still pop up from time to time, but most modern smart home devices use stronger security than older models. When a new flaw is discovered, companies usually release fast patches, which is why it’s important to keep your apps and gadgets updated. Today, these Bluetooth risks rarely lead to real smart home problems.

ADT HACKED: IS YOUR HOME SECURITY SYSTEM REALLY SECURE?

Who actually tries to hack smart homes

When hacking happens, it usually involves someone with some level of access already. In many cases, no technical hack occurs at all.

Simple steps like stronger Wi-Fi security and regular updates go a long way toward protecting connected devices. ( Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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A relation or acquaintance

Exes, former roommates or relatives often know login info. They may try to spy or cause trouble. Update all passwords if you suspect this.

Untrustworthy employees

There have been cases where employees at security companies snooped through camera feeds. This isn’t remote hacking. It’s a misuse of internal access.

Data thieves

They steal account lists and login details to sell. Others may buy those lists and try to log in using exposed credentials.

Blackmail scammers

Some send fake messages claiming they hacked your cameras and threaten you. Most of these scams rely on lies because they have no access at all.

Foreign governments

Some banned foreign manufacturers pose surveillance risks. The FCC maintains a list of companies that cannot sell security tech in the U.S. Always check that list before buying unfamiliar brands.

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Smart home devices that can raise concerns

Some everyday gadgets create small but real entry points for trouble, especially when their settings or security features get overlooked.

Smart fridges

They often arrive with default passwords that owners forget to change. Older models may use outdated IoT protocols with weaker protections. Many do not get frequent security updates.

Wi-Fi baby monitors

Wi-Fi offers convenience but also adds risk. Weak routers and poor passwords can allow strangers to access a feed. Closed network monitors avoid Wi-Fi risks but still face basic signal interception attempts.

Smart bulbs

During setup, some bulbs broadcast an open temporary network. If a criminal joins at the exact right moment, they could reach the rest of your devices. These cases are rare but possible in theory.

Smart speakers

Voice ordering can be exploited by curious kids or guests. Set a purchase PIN so no one can order items with simple voice commands.

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Steps to stay safe in your smart home

Strong habits and a few simple tools can block the most common threats that target connected homes.

1) Use strong passwords

Choose long, complex passwords for your Wi-Fi router and smart home apps. A password manager makes this simple. Consider using a password manager, which securely stores and generates complex passwords, reducing the risk of password reuse.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com

2) Turn on two-factor authentication

Brands like Ring and Blink already use it. Add two-factor authentication (2FA) to every account that supports it.

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3) Use a reputable data removal service

Removing your personal details from data broker sites helps prevent criminals from using leaked or scraped information to access your accounts or identify your home.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

4) Add strong antivirus software on phones and computers

Strong antivirus protection blocks malware that could expose login details or give criminals a path into the devices that manage your smart home. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

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Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

Choosing brands with clear privacy practices and local storage options helps keep your home and data in your control. (CyberGuy.com)

5) Choose brands with strong encryption

Pick smart home products from companies that explain how they protect your data and use modern encryption to lock down your footage and account details. Look for brands that publish clear security policies, offer regular updates and show how they keep your information private.

6) Store sensitive footage locally

Pick security cameras that let you save video directly to an SD card or a home hub, rather than uploading it to the cloud. This keeps your recordings under your control (and helps protect them if a company server is breached). Many cameras from trusted lines support local storage, so you do not have to rely on a company server.

7) Keep devices updated

Install firmware updates quickly. Enable automatic updates when possible. Replace older gadgets that no longer receive patches.

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8) Secure your Wi-Fi

Your router is the front door to your smart home, so lock it down with a few simple tweaks. Use WPA3 encryption if your router supports it, rename the default network, and install firmware updates to patch security holes. For a full step-by-step guide on tightening your home network, check out our instructions in “How to set up a home network like a pro.”

Kurt’s key takeaways

Smart homes feel intimidating when scary headlines surface. But when you look at real-world data, you see far fewer risks than the stories suggest. Most attacks rely on weak passwords, poor router settings or old devices. With the right habits, your smart home can stay both convenient and secure.

What smart home risk concerns you most, and what part of your setup makes you nervous? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

Technology

Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

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Here’s your first look at Kratos in Amazon’s God of War show

Amazon has slowly been teasing out casting details for its live-action adaptation of God of War, and now we have our first look at the show. It’s a single image but a notable one showing protagonist Kratos and his son Atreus. The characters are played by Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson, respectively, and they look relatively close to their video game counterparts.

There aren’t a lot of other details about the show just yet, but this is Amazon’s official description:

The God of War series storyline follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human.

That sounds a lot like the recent soft reboot of the franchise, which started with 2018’s God of War and continued through Ragnarök in 2022. For the Amazon series, Ronald D. Moore, best-known for his work on For All Mankind and Battlestar Galactica, will serve as showrunner. The rest of the cast includes: Mandy Patinkin (Odin), Ed Skrein (Baldur), Max Parker (Heimdall), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Thor), Teresa Palmer (Sif), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Jeff Gulka (Sindri), and Danny Woodburn (Brok).

While production is underway on the God of War series, there’s no word on when it might start streaming.

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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300,000 Chrome users hit by fake AI extensions

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Your web browser may feel like a safe place, especially when you install helpful tools that promise to make your life easier. But security researchers have uncovered a dangerous campaign in which more than 300,000 people installed Chrome extensions pretending to be artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Instead of helping, these fake tools secretly collect sensitive information like your emails, passwords and browsing activity.

They used familiar names like ChatGPT, Gemini and AI Assistant. If you use Chrome and have installed any AI-related extension, your personal information may already be exposed. Even worse, some of these malicious extensions are still available today, putting more people at risk without their knowing.

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More than 300,000 Chrome users installed fake AI extensions that secretly harvested sensitive data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What you need to know about fake AI extensions

Security researchers at browser security company LayerX discovered a large campaign involving 30 malicious Chrome extensions disguised as AI-powered assistants (via BleepingComputer). Together, these extensions were installed more than 300,000 times by unsuspecting users.

Some of the most popular extensions included names like AI Sidebar with 70,000 users, AI Assistant with 60,000 users, ChatGPT Translate with 30,000 users, and Google Gemini with 10,000 users. Another extension called Gemini AI Sidebar had 80,000 users before it was removed.

These extensions were distributed through the official Chrome Web Store, which made them appear legitimate and trustworthy. Even more concerning, researchers found that many of these extensions were connected to the same malicious server, showing they were part of a coordinated effort.

While some extensions have since been removed, others remain available. This means new users could still unknowingly install them and expose their personal data. Here’s the list of the affected extensions:

  • AI Assistant
  • Llama
  • Gemini AI Sidebar
  • AI Sidebar
  • ChatGPT Sidebar
  • Grok
  • Asking ChatGPT
  • ChatGBT
  • Chat Bot GPT
  • Grok Chatbot
  • Chat With Gemini
  • XAI
  • Google Gemini
  • Ask Gemini
  • AI Letter Generator
  • AI Message Generator
  • AI Translator
  • AI For Translation
  • AI Cover Letter Generator
  • AI Image Generator ChatGPT
  • Ai Wallpaper Generator
  • Ai Picture Generator
  • DeepSeek Download
  • AI Email Writer
  • Email Generator AI
  • DeepSeek Chat
  • ChatGPT Picture Generator
  • ChatGPT Translate
  • AI GPT
  • ChatGPT Translation
  • ChatGPT for Gmail

FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

These malicious tools were listed in the official Chrome Web Store, making them appear legitimate and trustworthy. (LayerX)

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How the fake AI Chrome extension attack works

These fake extensions pretend to offer helpful AI features, such as translating text, summarizing emails, or acting as an AI assistant. But behind the scenes, they quietly monitor what you are doing online.

Once installed, the extension gains permission to view and interact with the websites you visit. This allows it to read the contents of web pages, including login screens where you enter your username and password.

In some cases, the extensions specifically targeted Gmail. They could read your email messages directly from your browser, including emails you received and even drafts you were still writing. This means attackers could access private conversations, financial information and sensitive personal details.

The extensions then sent this information to servers controlled by the attackers. Because they loaded content remotely, the attackers could change their behavior at any time without needing to update the extension.

Some versions could also activate voice features through your browser. This could potentially capture spoken conversations near your device and send transcripts back to the attackers.

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If you installed one of these extensions, attackers may already have access to extremely sensitive information. This includes your email content, login credentials, browsing habits and possibly even voice recordings.

We reached out to Google for comment, and a spokesperson told CyberGuy that the company “can confirm that the extensions from this report have all been removed from the Google Web Store.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the extensions could read emails, capture passwords, monitor browsing activity and send the data to attacker-controlled servers. (Bildquelle/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 ways you can protect yourself from malicious Chrome extensions

If you have ever installed an AI-related Chrome extension, taking a few simple precautions now can help protect your accounts and prevent further damage.

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1) Remove any suspicious or unused browser extensions

On a Windows PC or Mac, open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar. Review every extension listed. If you see anything unfamiliar, especially AI assistants you don’t remember installing, click “Remove” immediately. Malicious extensions depend on going unnoticed. Removing them stops further data collection and cuts off the attacker’s access to your information.

2) Change your passwords

If you installed any suspicious extension, assume your passwords may be compromised. Start by changing your email password first, since email controls access to most other accounts. Then update passwords for banking, shopping and social media accounts. This prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to break into your accounts.

3) Use a password manager to create and protect strong passwords

A password manager generates unique, complex passwords for each account and stores them securely. This prevents attackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is stolen. Password managers also alert you if your login credentials appear in known data breaches, helping you respond quickly and protect your identity. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com.

4) Install strong antivirus software and keep it active

Good antivirus software can detect malicious browser extensions, spyware, and other hidden threats. It scans your system for suspicious activity and blocks harmful programs before they can steal your information. This adds an important layer of protection that works continuously in the background to keep your device safe. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

5) Use an identity theft protection service

Identity theft protection services monitor your personal data, including email addresses, financial accounts, and Social Security numbers, for signs of misuse. If criminals try to open accounts or commit fraud using your information, you receive alerts quickly. Early detection allows you to act fast and limit financial and personal damage. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

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6) Keep your browser and computer fully updated

Software updates fix security vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Enable automatic updates for Chrome and your operating system so you always have the latest protections. These updates strengthen your defenses against malicious extensions and prevent attackers from taking advantage of known weaknesses.

7) Use a personal data removal service

Personal data removal services scan data broker websites that collect and sell your personal information. They help remove your data from these sites, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. Less exposed information means fewer opportunities for criminals to target you with scams, identity theft or phishing attacks.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Even tools designed to make your life easier can become tools for cybercriminals. Malicious extensions often hide behind trusted names and convincing features, making them difficult to spot. You can significantly reduce your risk by reviewing your browser extensions regularly, removing anything suspicious and using protective tools like password managers and strong antivirus software.

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Have you checked your browser extensions recently? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

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Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance

Less than 24 hours before the deadline in an ultimatum issued by the Pentagon, Anthropic has refused the Department of Defense’s demands for unrestricted access to its AI.

It’s the culmination of a dramatic exchange of public statements, social media posts, and behind-the-scenes negotiations, coming down to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desire to renegotiate all AI labs’ current contracts with the military. But Anthropic, so far, has refused to back down from its two current red lines: no mass surveillance of Americans, and no lethal autonomous weapons (or weapons with license to kill targets with no human oversight whatsoever). OpenAI and xAI had reportedly already agreed to the new terms, while Anthropic’s refusal had led to CEO Dario Amodei being summoned to the White House this week for a meeting with Hegseth himself, in which the Secretary reportedly issued an ultimatum to the CEO to back down by the end of business day on Friday or else.

In a statement late Thursday, Amodei wrote, “I believe deeply in the existential importance of using AI to defend the United States and other democracies, and to defeat our autocratic adversaries. Anthropic has therefore worked proactively to deploy our models to the Department of War and the intelligence community.”

He added that the company has “never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner” but that in a “narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values” — going on to specifically mention mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. (Amodei mentioned that “partial autonomous weapons … are vital to the defense of democracy” and that fully autonomous weapons may eventually “prove critical for our national defense,” but that “today, frontier AI systems are simply not reliable enough to power fully autonomous weapons.” He did not rule out Anthropic acquiescing to the military’s use of fully autonomous weapons in the future but mentioned that they were not ready now.)

The Pentagon had already reportedly asked major defense contractors to assess their dependence on Anthropic’s Claude, which could be seen as the first step to designating the company a “supply chain risk” – a public threat that the Pentagon had made recently (and a classification usually reserved for threats to national security). The Pentagon was also reportedly considering invoking the Defense Production Act to make Anthropic comply.

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Amodei wrote in his statement that the Pentagon’s “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” He also wrote that “should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.”

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