Google adds Nest products to Advanced Protection Program to improve security

Ben Schoon | Jun 1 2020 - 10:51 am PT

Google’s Nest products can act as the central point of your home’s security and, now, they’re getting an upgrade. In a blog post today, Google has announced that Nest products are now eligible for the Advanced Protection Program.

Google’s Advanced Protection Program is designed to give an extra layer of security to anyone who is at “high risk” of being targeted online. This includes business leaders, those involved in politics, and journalists too. Advanced Protection affects many of Google’s products from Gmail to Chrome to Android and, now, that includes Nest.

Previously, the Advanced Protection Program completely blocked Nest from being used with a Google account.

Apparently, adding support for the Advanced Protection Program was a “top request” from Nest users. That’s probably thanks in part to the increasingly large target that smart home products have become for those with malicious intent. Over the past few years, Nest hasn’t been immune to security issues such as reused passwords. Other measures, such as mandating two-factor authentication, have beefed up Nest’s security, but this latest move helps even further.

Today we’re announcing one of the top requests we’ve received: to bring the Advanced Protection Program to Nest. Now people can seamlessly use their Google Accounts with both Advanced Protection and Google Nest devices — previously, a user could use their Google Account on only one of these at a time.

Google does warn, though, that some of the enhanced security that comes from the Advanced Protection Program could be undercut if a Nest user shares the “home” with other users that lack that level of protection. A support page on the topic reads:

Yes, Nest works with Google Accounts, including accounts that are enrolled in the Advanced Protection Program. To help you manage all your Google Nest and Google Home devices, you can migrate your Nest Account to a Google Account.

To help keep your Google Nest and Google Home devices secure, follow these tips:

Only add home members you trust. Keep in mind that:

Any home member can access devices, media services, addresses, and home activity.

Home members can add new devices to your home.

Home members can add or remove other home members, including you. Any time a member is added to your home, all home members will get an email notification.

If your Google Account is enrolled in Advanced Protection, we strongly recommend that all home members enroll in Advanced Protection. That way, all home members are equally protected against unauthorized access to their Google Account and home devices or services.