BGR Urges Keeping 5 Smart Devices Offline to Cut Hacking Risk and Wi-Fi Strain
Updated
Updated · Boy Genius Report · Jul 14
BGR Urges Keeping 5 Smart Devices Offline to Cut Hacking Risk and Wi-Fi Strain
3 articles · Updated · Boy Genius Report · Jul 14
Summary
Five device categories—smart locks, hybrid security cameras, smart TVs, lighting systems and local smart hubs—can often be blocked from the internet without losing core functions, BGR said.
Bluetooth, Zigbee and other local protocols let those devices keep working while reducing attack surfaces, cloud-data exposure and the Wi-Fi congestion caused by always-on connections.
Smart locks and cameras were highlighted as security priorities: offline locks reduce remote tampering risk, while cameras with cellular links or local microSD storage can avoid cloud footage privacy concerns.
Smart TVs, lighting and hubs can also stay useful offline through screen mirroring, local bulb controls and hub-based automation, making internet independence a broader smart-home design choice.