Can Smart locks be hacked?

When it comes to your home, your locks are everything! They’re the things that keep your home safe, and without them, your home is vulnerable to anyone that wants to attack it! Although traditional locks were pretty great, and a lot of people still use them, we have to agree that smart locks have definitely made things a lot more convenient! But when it comes to technology, there’s always a little worry in the back of all our minds, “How hackable is it?”, smart locks are no different. 

Since there’s a lot on the line with locks and you want them to always function to their full capability, it wouldn’t really be best if they were hacked, and sadly, a lot of smart locks can be hacked! 

In this post, we’re going to be going over some of the most common ways smart locks can be hacked! So you know what to watch out for with yours! 

1. Accessing Plain Text Passwords
   
   Since there are so many different smart locks available in the market, a lot of people end up going for the cheapest option they can find as long as it gets the job done. But just like it’s not a good idea to cheap out on traditional locks when it comes to your main door locks, it’s also not a good idea to spend less on smart locks for your main door! Most cheaper locks don’t use encrypted passwords, which means that anyone that has access to the database, or a hacker that gains access to the database can easily get your password and use it! They’d be able to get in and out of the house without a problem and you won’t even know it!

A good way to not fall victim to this type of hack is by making sure you’re buying locks that do encrypt the passwords. This info should be available on the box, or the company’s website! These locks may be slightly more expensive, but they’re safer, so it’s worth spending a little extra on.

2. Sending a Virus to the Lock
   
   The thing that makes smart locks “smart”, is that you have a lot of control over them through your phone! Now, smart locks didn’t always get controlled through phones, especially not android phones! As different companies expanded and brought android to the mix, they also opened up the opportunity for hackers to get into those APK files and send a virus to your lock from the phone! That gives them control of the smart locks and they can do whatever they want with them!
   
   That way, they can easily get into your home without ever needing your password at all! Always make sure you’re getting your smart locks from a reputable company that offers 2-factor authentication to keep it safe from viruses and hacks!
   
3. Fuzzing
   
   One of the craziest ways smart locks can be hacked is by simply overloading them. You might think this can’t be done because all you can really tell a smart lock to do is open and close, but that’s all the hackers really need. They can easily send lots of different data permutations to the lock over and over again to the point that they figure out the tiny vulnerabilities in the lock itself. Even if there’s only one weak point, they can use that to overload the system until it simply breaks! Giving them control over the entire lock, and they can use it as they please!
   
   The only way to make sure you don’t fall for a hack like fuzzing, or any other type of smart lock hack is to make sure you’re buying the right one. If you can’t figure out what “the right one” might mean for you,  just contact Locksmith Alabaster Alabama, or a recommended locksmith in your general area to help you find the one for you!