How to make sure your Nest camera is secure from hackers

💡 Need to know

• Stop recycling passwords: Using the same password for your Google Account and other sites makes your cameras vulnerable. Use a password manager to keep your logins unique and complex.
• Turn on 2-Step Verification: This is your strongest defense. Even if a hacker steals your password, they can't access your live feeds without the security prompt sent to your phone.
• Lock down your Wi-Fi: Your cameras are only as secure as your router. Change your network's default name and password to keep digital intruders out of your smart home.
• You don't have to go it alone: Need help securing your smart home or troubleshooting a Wi-Fi issue? Reach out to an Asurion Expert for help locking down your connected devices.

Your Google Nest® cameras protect your home—from your porch to your children's room. But if your account security is weak, hackers can hijack these smart devices to spy on your family, or use connected vulnerabilities to target your personal information and compromise your router. (Curious about your router's safety? Here is how to secure your home Wi-Fi network).

Don't worry, though—a few simple security measures can keep your cameras, your loved ones, and your data safe. We'll walk you through them.

Protect your passwords

We've all done it—using the same easy-to-remember password for multiple accounts. But password reuse leaves you extremely vulnerable. If hackers steal your login from a breached online shopping site, for instance, they can use it to log right into the Google Account linked to your Nest devices. From there, they gain access to your live camera feeds, as well as the personal and financial information tied to your account.

The solution: Create a strong password that is unique and complex by using a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Worried you'll lose track of so many new codes? A password manager can help you remember them—and generate new ones.

Turn on Two-Step Verification

Like all Google® products, your Nest camera provides an essential extra layer of protection if your password ever falls into the wrong hands. It's called 2-Step Verification (also known as two-factor authentication), and it stops hackers in their tracks. Even if they have your password, this feature forces an extra step—usually tapping a prompt on your smartphone or entering a secure, one-time code—to confirm your identity before granting access.

Here is how to set it up:

1. Open your Google Account through a Google app or by visiting myaccount.google.com.
2. Select the Security tab from the navigation menu.
3. Scroll down to the "How you sign in to Google" section and tap 2-Step Verification > Get started.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the setup process.

(Want to learn more about how this tech keeps you safe? Read our guide on what two-factor authentication is and how to use it.)

Secure your home Wi-Fi network

Because your Nest cameras rely on the internet to stream video and send alerts, keeping your individual devices safe isn't quite enough—you have to protect your wireless network as well. The fastest way to boost your router's defense is to change the default network name (SSID) and password it came with.

Default credentials are often publicly known or incredibly easy for hackers to guess, giving them a free pass onto your network. Make sure your new Wi-Fi name and password are completely unique and don't include easily searchable personal information, like your name, address, or birth date.

Ready to lock down your connection? Check out our complete guide on how to secure your home Wi-Fi network.