This is the California real estate update for March 9. Hello this is Mary West and this segment is sponsored by Group 1 Real Estate.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that 45% of respondents in a survey owned smart-home technology or plan to this year. This includes security cameras, lights, and appliances that connect to the Internet. All of which are vulnerable to being hacked.

Hackers can engage in mild pranks to disabling alarms in order to break-in.

Security experts offer these precautions.

Protect your home with malware, multifactor authentication, and updated software. To reduce the risk of hacking across devices, never keep your devices on the same network as your main computer.

Finally, be sure to change the password often on your devices and WiFi network.

Thank you for listening and for a transcript, please visit Group1RealEstate.com. This is Mary West with the California Real Estate Update by Group 1 Real Estate.