Smart Home Security: What to Check on Your TV, Smart Plugs and NAS First

You probably know when your laptop last asked to restart. Can you say the same about the smart plug behind the bookcase?

A report on home networks puts that little device in the same conversation as the family television and the box that holds your backups.

Overview

A smart home report with a useful distinction

The 2026 Bitdefender and NETGEAR IoT report counted how often known vulnerabilities were observed across a sample of protected home networks.

Televisions, smart plugs, and network-attached storage, or NAS, together accounted for roughly two-thirds of those observations by device family.

That isn’t a count of households that were hacked. The same device can appear in more than one observation, and the report does not represent every home.

Which device deserves attention first?

Start with what would happen if a device stopped working or somebody gained access. A box that stores your only photo archive deserves attention before a spare lamp.

Then ask whether the manufacturer still delivers security updates for that exact model. A product can work perfectly while its software is no longer supported.

Finally, check whether you need it connected. Some televisions can be used as displays without internet access, but a remote control feature may depend on it.

A useful order for the first walk around the house

• Router: Find its model, update controls, and whoever manages it.
• Storage: Check your separate backup and whether remote access is really necessary.
• Television: Check support and whether you depend on any built-in online features.
• Plugs: Identify what each one controls before disconnecting it or changing the setup.

You don’t have to replace everything. An update, a less exposed setting, or taking an unnecessary device offline may be enough.

What Those Big Numbers Actually Count

Observations are not unique victims

The report summary says it sampled events from about 10.4 million protected routers from January through September 2026.

The three leading categories accounted for many recorded matches with known weaknesses. The figures don’t show that every television or smart plug has the same problem.

Nor do they tell you which device in your home is most exposed. A supported plug with current software can be a lower priority than unsupported storage.

Use the report to decide which neglected devices to check. Use the manufacturer’s notice and your own setup to decide what to do with each one.

Network activity can be a warning without being a break-in

The report counted large volumes of automated probing. A device being checked from outside the network doesn’t prove anybody entered it.

That matters if your router app shows a scary total. First find out what the alert actually recorded, which device it concerns, and whether access was blocked.

An unfamiliar device in the connected-device list is a different observation. It could be a phone using a private address or a device you haven’t named yet.

Work through your own equipment before assuming an intruder. If something still cannot be identified, use the router provider’s official guidance for securing the network.

Privacy settings solve a different problem

A privacy setting can limit a feature’s use of data. It doesn’t patch a security flaw or restore vendor support.

Similarly, a new software version doesn’t necessarily turn off an optional data-sharing feature. That choice belongs in a separate review.

Think about your TV in both ways. You might want to stop viewing recognition, but you still need to decide whether the device should stay online.

The security decision comes first when an unsupported device holds sensitive files or provides access you no longer need.

Check the Device That Has the Most to Lose

NAS: Start with a backup you can actually restore

A NAS is a storage device connected to your home network. For many people it holds more than photos: tax files, work records, and laptop backups.

Another folder on the same NAS is not a separate backup. If that device is lost or compromised, both folders can be affected.

Find the backup stored elsewhere and try restoring a harmless file to a different location. Seeing a green status icon isn’t the same as opening a restored file.

Before installing a major update, read the manufacturer’s instructions. Some upgrades can take time or require services to stop, so choose a suitable window.

Review whether the NAS is accessible when you’re away from home. If no one uses that feature, ask the owner to disable it through the supported controls.

If a service is essential, don’t remove access until you’ve checked the consequences. A small business may need to plan the change around its normal work.

Smart plugs: Identify the appliance before touching the schedule

Give each plug a useful name. The name should tell you what it powers rather than simply showing the model number three times in the same app.

Find the exact model on its label or in the manufacturer app. A nearly identical model name may lead you to the wrong update or manual.

Check whether security updates are available and how they’re applied. Some devices do this automatically; others need attention through the official app.

If an unsupported plug powers only a lamp, removing it may be simpler than keeping it connected. Check the schedule and household routine first.

If somebody depends on that plug for an essential routine, don’t assume a factory reset is a harmless test. Arrange a safe alternative before changing it.

Also consider the account associated with the plugs. Remove access for a previous resident through the official controls rather than merely changing the device name.

Television: Don’t keep it online for a feature nobody uses

Find the exact model and software version in Settings. Use the manufacturer’s site or the TV’s update control to check what is available.

If you watch through a console, antenna, or external streamer, try using the television without its own internet connection. Confirm that picture and sound still work.

Built-in streaming, casting, or a mobile remote may stop working. Test the features your household actually relies on instead of assuming they’ll still be available.

If you reconnect for an update, follow the maker’s instructions and check your network settings afterward. Decide whether the TV needs to remain connected.

An external streamer has its own updates and accounts. A television that is offline doesn’t keep the attached streaming box current.

What to Do if Your Smart Devices Haven’t Been Checked in Months

1. List the connected equipment. Use the router or device apps to identify what you recognize and label unfamiliar entries before taking action.
2. Write down exact models. Include software versions when available and look up support through the manufacturer’s website.
3. Find and test a separate backup. Do this before making changes to a storage device with important files.
4. Update supported equipment. Follow the instructions for each model and verify the new version after the update.
5. Review remote access you no longer need. Use the official router or device controls. Keep a record so you can explain what you changed.
6. Disconnect or replace unsupported equipment that needs internet access. Start where the impact would be greatest, especially a device holding private files.
7. Investigate actual signs of misuse separately. Keep the alert or log, check affected accounts, and use trusted support rather than a number in a pop-up.

If the router was supplied by your internet provider

The router may receive updates from the provider. Check its official app or ask what software version should be on your exact model.

Do not swap in instructions for another router because the interface looks similar. Changing settings can interrupt service or disconnect devices that someone depends on.

Ask whether the provider can explain its alert and name the affected device. A single screenshot without its time or context may not be enough.

When you change a Wi-Fi password, expect devices to need reconnecting. List them first so you don’t forget a device that only checks in occasionally.

If a new owner inherited equipment from a previous home

Review who can still control it. A shared app account or old invitation can outlive the person who originally configured the device.

Follow the manufacturer’s transfer or reset procedure where appropriate. A reset can remove the old setup, so save anything you need beforehand.

If a device belongs to a landlord or employer, ask before changing it. Don’t erase somebody else’s configuration to prove a point about privacy.

Put devices back into service one at a time. Check whether the account name, access list, and software version match the setup you expect.

What to Ask Before Buying Another Connected Device

The UK’s smart-device guidance links to advice on using connected devices safely. Start by checking the support available for the specific model.

Ask how long security updates will be provided and where that commitment is published. “Automatic updates” tells you how, not for how long.

Check what still works if the vendor closes an online service or if you decide to stop using it. A basic local control can be valuable.

Check whether one account must control all the features. Separate access for family members can be easier to remove later than one password everyone shares.

Ask whether the device can report the installed version or update history. A number you can verify is more useful than a vague message that everything is fine.

For storage, ask how you can get files back without the original box. Plan the backup before relying on the new device as the main copy.

If an older appliance works without internet access, you don’t have to replace it simply because an updated smart version is advertised.

Before disposing of equipment, remove it from linked accounts and follow the vendor’s instructions for erasing it. The network and account changes are separate.

Choose a network setup you can maintain

Some routers offer a guest or device network. Check whether it keeps devices apart from your main computers and whether it still supports what you need.

A television may not need to see a storage box. But casting from a phone can stop working if the phone and television can’t find each other.

Test separation with one nonessential device first. If anything breaks, you can restore that device’s connection without moving the whole household back at once.

Don’t assume that moving a device to a different network replaces its security updates. Those are complementary choices, especially when a device still needs internet access.

Use the router owner’s documented settings rather than changing an option whose effect you don’t understand. Ask the provider for a supported setup if needed.

Make a simple maintenance record

Write the exact model beside its job and the last time you checked it. The sticker on the device can be more reliable than an app nickname.

Note who has the account and where the manual lives, not the actual password. Keep the record somewhere trusted members of the household can find it.

If an update fails, record what the device reported before unplugging it. Interrupting an installation can cause a different problem from the one you were solving.

Check the latest successful backup before removing an old NAS from service. Verify that someone else can locate important files if you’re not there.

When you replace the router or storage, keep the older device disconnected until you decide whether it still has a purpose. Don’t leave both serving the same role.

Set a review date for devices you keep online but rarely touch. That turns a vague plan to check them into a manageable job.

When a vendor announces the end of support, add that date to the record so you can plan a replacement before you need one urgently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the report find that two-thirds of all smart homes were hacked?

No. The figure refers to vulnerability observations in device categories. It isn’t a count of unique devices, homes, or successful attacks.

Which home device should I update first?

Start with the router and anything that stores important files or provides remote access. Then work through less consequential devices based on support and need.

Can I keep an unsupported television as an offline display?

Often you can, depending on the model and features you use. Disconnect its network connections and test your ordinary HDMI or antenna inputs.

Is a NAS backup on a second folder enough?

No. Both folders depend on the same device. Keep a separate backup and test that you can restore a file from it.

Do I have to replace every old smart plug?

No. Check support, what it powers, and whether it needs connectivity. Unplugging an unnecessary device may be simpler than buying another one.

Does a router alert prove someone broke into my devices?

Not by itself. Read what the alert records, the affected device, and whether anything was blocked. Seek help if you see signs of actual misuse.

The Bottom Line

Check your router and storage first, then review the smart devices you rarely update. Keep supported equipment current and take unnecessary, unsupported devices off the network.

If an alert shows unfamiliar access rather than a blocked probe, preserve the details and get help through the provider. Don’t let a scary total decide for you.