5 Security Issues to Consider When Building Your Smart Home

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. Our lives seem to revolve around the Internet, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re trying to connect as many aspects of our lives as possible to the web. This appears to be the case with the recent surge of products designed to turn our homes into smart homes.

The concept is simple: if we connect everything in our home to the Internet, from appliances and lighting systems to door locks and climate control, we can control them all remotely, making our lives easier.

Smart homes have generated interest from some big companies such as Google and Apple, and the smart home market is expected to reach over $70 billion by 2018. But with all the possibilities that smart homes present, many people are expressing genuine concern about how these automated living spaces can actually be provided. These are issues that you should definitely consider as you prepare to transform your home. in an interconnected domain.

1. Hacking connected thermostats

One of the most popular items used in a smart home is the smart thermostat. Nest, which was recently acquired by Google, makes devices that help control the temperature of your home. Smart thermostats pose a major security concern in terms of how easily hackers can gain access.

A recent demo showed one expert cracking a Nest thermostat in just 15 seconds. At first glance, you might think that a hacked thermostat might not be such a big deal, but the device collects information about you and everyone who lives in the house. Smart thermostats like the Nest know when someone is home, what their schedules are, when they are awake and asleep, and what temperature they prefer.

2. Who is actually watching your Smart TV?

Smart TVs are certainly a handy device, but if hackers get access to it, you could be in for a whole world of trouble. Many smart TVs come with a camera. Cyber ​​attackers who hack into your device can then use this camera to spy on you and your family, even if you don’t have a TV. Due to the general lack of security standards, some hackers may even block you completely and ask you to pay some kind of ransom in order to gain access to it again.

3. Compromised security systems

Here is one area that almost needs no explanation. Many smart home users connect their security systems to the Internet. to enable control from the smartphone app. These systems can include garage door openers, door locks, security cameras, and more.

Hackers gaining access to these systems can cause obvious problems. Imagine that some anonymous attacker has determined whether your front door is locked when you go on vacation, or if a hacker has been able to open your garage door in the middle of the night. For many smart homes, all a hacker needs to do is break into a relatively insecure home network to gain access to these critical systems.

4. Eavesdropping on communication systems

Home communication systems can include everything from video conferencing devices to computers and printers. With these devices, people can communicate with other gadgets and other people outside their home. Many hackers can steal valuable information through passive attacks or attacks that gain unauthorized access without actually changing any data or code.

This may include wiretapping, monitoring email messages, and watching how people interact with their devices.

5. Changing lighting systems

Hackers who gain access to smart home lighting systems can not only control the home’s lights turning on and off, but also have access to the home’s electricity. From there, hackers can mess with the amount of energy a home consumes, resulting in an astronomical electricity bill for the homeowner. Cyber ​​attackers may not get much use out of this for themselves, but simple controls and pranks like this are all too common.

Smart Homes often seen as the wave of the future, but the spread of technology should always be accompanied by a word of caution. People who implement smart home technology need to be aware of some of the biggest security concerns associated not only with their appliances, but also with the central control center for these gadgets: the smartphone.