Smart Home Devices and IoT Security

Smart home devices are a part of the Internet of Things (IoT) and, due to being connected to the internet, have potential security risks.

12:54 07 November 2017

The security of these devices must be monitored and any holes filled.  

 

We can automate many things within the household, from using NEST to monitor energy use and control the timing of thermostat temperatures, to SmartThings Mobile which communicates with SmartThings Hub to control smart devices.

 

With the vast and quick expansion of the IoT it is a concern for security experts as to whether or nor safety measures will suffice.

 

With a view to creating better security measures for the IoT, the Atlantic Council has produced a report  with the aim of creating more effective security measures for smart homes. This includes data being used only with informed consent.  There would also be security measures considered during the design process.

 

In the meantime, there are steps you can take to improve your smart home security.  For example choosing strong, unpredictable passwords and changing these regularly.  Also, ensuring software is kept up to date and any data regularly backed up.

 

Businesses could take steps to protect customers by installing a web application firewall.  This will filter incoming traffic and make it possible to pinpoint and address attacks

 

It is of benefit to users for the business to be open and honest about any security breached which could pose a threat to the customers.  This will allow the users to take their own measures to protect their own devices and data.

 

If we all take measures to improve our internet security, we can better avoid possible attacks.