Table of Contents
Just like your computer, phone, and other electronic devices, your Smart TV is susceptible to viruses. In fact, a recent study showed that one in four Smart TVs have at least one virus on them! If you’re not sure how to protect your TV from viruses, don’t worry – we’re here to help. In this blog post, we will discuss the dangers of Smart TV viruses and how you can protect your device.
What is a smart TV and what are the benefits of owning one?
Smart TVs are television sets that have built-in internet capabilities and offer a range of additional features, such as the ability to stream online content, access social networking apps, and more. While these features are certainly beneficial, they also come with a few risks. One of the biggest dangers of owning a Smart TV is the risk of virus infections.
Just like your computer, phone, and other electronic devices, your Smart TV is susceptible to viruses. In fact, a recent study showed that one in four Smart TVs have at least one virus on them! If you’re not sure how to protect your TV from viruses, don’t worry,
How do you know if your TV is smart or not?
There are a few different ways to tell if your TV is smart. One way is to look at the model number of your TV. Most smart TVs will have the word “smart” in the model name. Another way to tell if your TV is smart is to see if it has built-in internet capabilities. If your TV can connect to the internet, chances are it’s a smart TV.
So, now that you know that your smart TV is vulnerable to viruses, what can you do to protect it?
There are a few different things you can do to protect your smart TV from viruses. One of the best things you can do is install a reliable antivirus program. Antivirus programs can detect and remove viruses, protecting your TV from infection. Another thing you can do is keep your TV up-to-date with the latest security patches. Security patches are released by manufacturers to fix vulnerabilities in their products. By keeping your TV up-to-date, you can help protect it against the latest threats.
Do you need Roku if you have Smart TV? Easiest explanation
Can a smart TV get a virus?
Yes, a smart TV can get a virus and other bad software. Most of us don’t know that our smart home devices can get viruses and malware just like our phones and computers. In 2019, it was said that two different brands of smart TVs had been infected by malware and viruses.
Malware and TV viruses are not common. Rather, they are a strange thing that doesn’t happen very often because it’s hard to make a virus that works on a TV.
There are a few features that are built into every TV that make it hard for malware writers to make viruses that can infect a TV.
First of all, TV operating systems are made so that they can only be read. That means that the TV doesn’t write code into the chip systems that smart TVs are built on. The TV’s operating system is the only thing that can read the code on those chips and make the TV work. This means that a malware writer would have to completely rewrite the code that the TV runs on to create an environment where malware could take hold and do what it’s designed to do, which is usually to copy itself or to use up resources.
Smart TVs are also made so that firmware updates are digitally signed. The digital signature is what lets the firmware update happen. Malware isn’t written with a digital signature, so if it were put on your TV’s memory, it would pretty much just be ignored. In other words, it would stay inactive and not run, and the next time the TV’s firmware was updated, it would be taken out along with the code that was being replaced.
Lastly, even if malware does manage to get into your smart TV and run, it can’t get too much. Only the TV’s configuration files and settings are vulnerable, so malware might be able to cause a voltage overload, but it would be very hard to do so, so malware writers probably won’t take the time to make a piece of malware that can do that for little to no gain.
How to protect your Smart TV from viruses and Malware
Even if it seems hard to get a virus on your smart TV, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. In fact, many smart TV brands have security flaws that make them vulnerable to remote hacking. This lets hackers take control of the TV and even install viruses or malware.
Even if you are worried about viruses, malware, or hacking, you can still protect your smart TV by taking the following steps:
- If your TV’s settings menu has a built-in virus scan option that you can run, scan your TV regularly.
- Do not plug in USB sticks that have been hacked into your smart TV.
- Update the firmware, apps, and devices that are connected to your TV. Hackers and people who make malware take advantage of bugs in older firmware and apps, but updates include security patches that can stop this.
- Smart TVs connect to the Internet, so make sure your home network is safe. Having an antivirus and firewall on your router is a good way to stop hackers or malware from getting into your smart TV. You can also make the router password hard to guess, keep the firmware up to date, turn off remote management, connect the TV to a guest network, or set up a separate network for it.
- Don’t use the smart TV’s built-in browser to surf the web. Most don’t have the safety features you need to keep you safe. If you have to go online, stay away from sketchy sites that are likely to have malware on them, and don’t download apps from sites that your TV manufacturer hasn’t approved.
Malware isn’t very likely to get into a smart TV, but it’s not completely safe either. If you think it might be infected or already is, you can do a hard reset to put everything back to the way it was when it was made.
There are a few things you can do to protect the smart TV.
There are a few things you can do to protect your smart TV if you’re worried that someone could hack it or put malware on it.
If the manufacturer gives you scans, run them often on your TV. For example, Samsung has a virus scan built in that you can run at any time from the menu on your TV. If you have a different brand of smart TV, look in the settings menu to see if there is a virus scan option.
Protect the network at home. Smart TVs need to be connected to the internet. If your home network is protected by a firewall and an antivirus program on your router, your smart TV is less likely to get infected with malware or be taken over by a hacker.
Keep the software on your TV and any streaming devices that you connect to it up to date. This is also true of the apps on your smart TV. Most exploits happen with older firmware and apps that have been around long enough for hackers and people who make malware to look at the code carefully. Also, both firmware updates and application updates usually include security patches. So, a good way to avoid being targeted by an exploit is to keep your systems and apps up to date.
Use safe ways to surf the web. If your smart TV has a built-in browser, don’t go to sketchy sites that might have malware on them. Also, don’t download apps from sites that your TV manufacturer hasn’t approved. If you stick to safe sites and the manufacturer’s app store, you won’t download anything dangerous by accident.
The chances that malware will get into your Smart TV are very low. But it is possible. If you think it has, you can get rid of the virus by doing one important thing. You should do a hard reset on your Smart TV. You’ll lose all the information and apps you’ve saved on the TV, but you’ll also set everything back to factory defaults, which is essentially a time when the malware wasn’t on your system.
Tips for staying safe online when using a smart TV
There are a few things you can do to stay safe online when using a smart TV.
- First, update the firmware, apps, and devices that are connected to your TV regularly. This will help patch any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers or malware.
- Second, don’t use the smart TV’s built-in browser to surf the web. Most don’t have the safety features you need to keep you safe. If you have to go online, stay away from sketchy sites that are likely to have malware on them, and don’t download apps from sites that your TV manufacturer hasn’t approved.
- Finally, if you think your smart TV might be infected with malware or already is, you can do a hard reset to put everything back to the way it was when it was made.
By following these tips, you can help protect your smart TV from being hacked or infected with malware.
FAQs
Do Smart TVs have virus protection?
That could be a problem if you have an old smart TV with old Android TV software that hasn’t been patched. But we don’t think you need antivirus software, since you can’t even use it on most TVs. Just disconnect your TV from your Wi-Fi and use a Roku or similar streaming device instead.
Can my phone give my TV a virus?
Can a virus get into a smart TV? Smart TVs can be infected with malware just like any other device that connects to the internet. … Also, smart TVs have operating systems, just like computers and smartphones. Most of the time, this OS is either WebOS or Android.
What do I do if my Android TV has a virus?
Since there is no app made to run on Android TVs, users have to sideload any antivirus app APK to their smart TVs.
- Get a good antivirus app from a source you can trust.
- Use a thumb drive to move it to the TV and install it.
- Once the app is set up, run it and click the “Scan” button to start the process.
How can I tell if my smart TV is infected with a virus?
It’s very easy to do, and you can see how below:
- First, use your remote to get to the settings menu on your Samsung TV, then go to “General.”
- Click on “System Manager.” Samsung.
- Go to the “Smart Security” option in the “System Manager” menu. Samsung.
- Samsung. Select and hit “Scan.“
- So, that’s all!
Can someone break into a smart TV?
Your smart TV that is connected to the internet can get into your private life. If hackers get in, they can change the settings on your TV and even control it. A smart and skilled hacker can listen in on your conversations with the help of built-in cameras and microphones.
Can someone break into my Samsung TV?
A recent investigation by Consumer Reports found that hackers could take control of millions of Samsung TVs by taking advantage of easy-to-find security flaws. These risks include letting hackers change the TV channel, turn up the volume, play unwanted YouTube videos, or disconnect the TV from its Wi-Fi connection.
Conclusion
Smart TVs are susceptible to viruses, and there is a good chance that your television has at least one virus on it. If you have a smart TV, it is important to protect it from viruses by using antivirus software and making sure that the software is up-to-date. You should also be careful about what websites you visit and what apps you download onto your TV.
