Are smart home devices a security risk?
Short answer
They can be, mostly because some receive few security updates and ship with weak defaults. Buy from manufacturers that publish a support period, change default passwords, update firmware, and put smart devices on a separate guest network so a compromised device cannot reach your laptop.
The details
Turn off features you do not use, such as remote access or always-on microphones, and remove devices that the manufacturer no longer supports.
Sources
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