Dubai: Home owners and tenants in Dubai know that a robust home security system can offer them peace of mind, especially when they travel for long periods of time.The Dubai Police offers a 24/7 smart home security service, but often, people prefer setting up their camera systems on their own.Just buying a couple of indoor and outdoor cameras online and hooking it up to your Wi-Fi may not be enough, however. Without proper security measures, they can potentially be hacked, leaving your home vulnerable to serious privacy and security concerns.Digital Dubai, which manages the city’s integrated digital strategy, and the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), the official government body in Dubai that’s responsible for regulating, supervising, and licensing the private security sector, have come together to caution residents about the best way to keep their home security system safe.Based on their advice, here are five steps you can take to ensure your home security cameras are protected, even as they work to protect you. 1. Choose a reliable and secure camera systemThere are plenty of high-res, smart camera systems available for purchase in the UAE, which are well-suited for villas and apartments.But just as important as the type of camera system you buy, is understanding the rules and regulations around what can be filmed and what should not be.Imran Khan, legal consultant at I K Lawyers, explained: “For a private home, the basic principle should be that cameras are used for legitimate security purposes and positioned so that they do not unnecessarily intrude into another person's private life or private premises.”He broke down how to use security cameras inside the home, and outside, within your villa’s premises:Inside the home: SIRA's technical specifications state that cameras should be visible and that hidden/covert cameras require SIRA approval. Khan added: “Cameras may generally be used for security purposes in areas where the homeowner has the right to install them, but particular care should be taken with areas where people have a heightened expectation of privacy.”Outside the home: Cameras can be directed towards the property's entrances, gates, driveway and other areas necessary to protect the property. Khan said: “However, the camera should not be deliberately positioned to monitor a neighbour's home, bedroom, balcony, garden or other private area. SIRA's 2025 manual expressly states that external cameras installed on a roof must not have a monitoring range extending beyond the boundaries of the relevant facility unless SIRA approval is obtained.”There is also an important distinction concerning audio recording. Khan said: “SIRA's technical specifications state that cameras fitted with audio-recording capability are prohibited unless permission is obtained from SIRA.”2. Deal with a company licensed by SIRAThere are several benefits to using licenced technicians to install your home security system, according to SIRA. Getting a home security system installed by licenced professionals can help ensure correct placement, a reliable set-up, and even integration with emergency services.Correct calibration can also help you reduce false alarms, as poor sensor alignment or incorrect wiring can create accidental triggers, for instance, by pets walking around your home.Moreover, licenced technicians can create secure, hardwired connections for your home security system, that may be more difficult to tamper than if you were using standard Wi-Fi.You can find a full list of authorised security system providers and companies on SIRA’s website: sira.gov.ae/en/companies.3. Use a strong and unique password, and change it periodicallyUsing an easy-to-guess password is like locking the door, but leaving the key in the lock. In 2025, the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France, came under fire for this very issue – a high-profile jewellery heist was possible in the museum, because intruders easily figured out the museum’s password: ‘LOUVRE’.A weak password in a home security system can put the entire home at risk, since it can allow intruders to view live feeds, disable cameras, delete footage and interfere with alarms.Shahbaz Khan, a Canadian systems administrator, shared advice on how to choose a strong password: “Forget short, complex strings you’ll instantly forget. Go for a passphrase. Pick four or five totally random words strung together – something like purple-cabin-waffle-running – and mix in some numbers and symbols to get it over 15 characters long. Stay away from obvious things, like pet names or birthdates, and never reuse a password you use somewhere else.”If you’d rather not put in too much effort in coming up with your own complex password, there are digital tools you can use to do so. Khan said: “Using a password manager makes this [process] much easier. Also, turn on two-factor authentication right out of the box, so nobody can log in without that secondary prompt.”4. Keep the camera system and its software updated continuouslyIf you want to ensure your home security system’s devices are working reliably, and protecting your cameras from cyber threats, it’s vital to ensure its software is regularly updated.Software updates include security patches that fix weak spots in the system. They also repair any software bugs that can cause motion sensors or cameras to trigger unnecessary alerts.Khan explained why software updates are vital for a healthy home security system: “Manufacturers constantly find security holes in their code, and updates are how they patch those weak spots. Hackers run automated scripts to scan the web for devices running old software with known flaws. If you don't update your camera's firmware, you're leaving an open lock on the door. Keeping it updated shuts down those known entry points before anyone can exploit them.”5. Disconnect from the internet when remote monitoring is not neededThe premise for this advice by SIRA, is simple: By disconnecting your home security system from the internet, you’re protecting your privacy and blocking the risk of remote hacking.This is a great option, if you’re not planning on travelling or being away from your home for long durations, and don’t really require remote access.Without internet access, your security system’s video and data stay inside your home, instead of going to the security company’s cloud servers. Hackers will not be able to access your camera feeds, audio or control panels through the web.Khan added that disconnecting from the internet “cuts off the digital front door entirely. Most attacks happen remotely over the internet through cloud breaches or brute-force hacks. If your camera system is offline or strictly locked to a local network when you don't need to watch it from your phone, there’s no web path for an outsider to reach it. If they can’t connect to the device over the internet, they simply can’t hack in.”Moreover, in case of any power outages, your security system will still be able to work.
