You probably have a few safeguards in place to secure these devices, which will help cut down on potential compromises. But are you safeguarding all of the devices that you need to?
Security risks of Fire TV
These trackers collect information about everything from your viewing habits to preferences. It’s done for several reasons. It can help your Fire TV more easily recommend shows for you to watch, or that data about your viewing habits can be sold and reported to third parties for a fee. Your Fire TV isn’t just watching your viewing habits, either. According to the report, Fire TV trackers also gather data on unique identifiers like device serial numbers and IDs, Wi-Fi network names and MAC addresses, which are unique identifiers. These trackers also help dictate what personalized, targeted ads you’re going to see when you flip on the TV and stream a show. Just like Facebook and Instagram targeted ads, Fire TV aims to collect enough data that they’re showing you ads you may actually be interested in. None of this is ideal. Being tracked by your streaming device isn’t just annoying — it’s also intrusive. It doesn’t have to happen, though. You can stop your Fire TV from monitoring you by changing a few settings. Data collection isn’t the only issue to be aware of. As we mentioned above, hacking is also a risk when using Fire TV. There have been some recent cybersecurity attacks on streaming platforms, like the attack on Pluto TV. That attack led to a massive data leak that contained private information from millions of users. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s dangerous. Hackers can make a huge profit off selling your personal information on the Dark Web. In turn, anyone who wants to buy personal information from these types of leaks can get it for about $2,000 on the Dark Web. Tap or click here to see how much your accounts and data can sell for. If this happens to your Fire TV, there’s a ton of information at risk. Not only is your personal information up for grabs from your account, but so are the recordings that occurred when you used Alexa to find shows or apps on your Fire TV. These are just a couple of the potential issues you face when using Fire TV. Luckily, there are some quick fixes you can make by changing your settings in your account, including:
1. Delete your Wi-Fi password saved by your Fire TV
You don’t want your Wi-Fi password saved by Fire TV in the cloud. It leaves your network open to hackers if they get into your account.
2. Stop your Fire TV from snooping on your data
To keep your Fire TV from monitoring your data and usage habits:
Open the Settings menu on your Fire TV Stick or Fire TVClick Preferences > Privacy SettingsToggle off the Device Usage Data and Collect App Usage DataReturn to the previous screenClick Data Monitoring and then Turn Off Data Monitoring
3. Enable two-step verification for a more secure account
To enable Two-Step Verification:
Click here to open Two-Step Verification SettingsFollow the on-screen instructions
4. Stop Fire TV from tracking your app usage
On your Fire TV device, choose Settings > Preferences > Privacy SettingsChoose Collect App and Over-the-Air Usage DataTap Turn Off
5. Stop advertisers on Fire TV from tracking you
On your Fire TV device, choose Settings > Preferences > Privacy SettingsTo reset your advertising ID, which will wipe clean any information advertisers have on you right now, you’ll: Highlight the Your Advertising ID setting and then press the Select button on your Fire TV remoteTo turn off ad tracking completely: Highlight the Interest-Based Ads setting and then press the Select button to turn the setting to Off
That’s it. You’re Fire TV is now secure and you can confidently stream until your heart desires.
