26 April 2023

Research pick: Cleaning up smart home security - "Security in smart home environment: issues, challenges, and countermeasures – a survey"

A study in the International Journal of Security and Networks highlights some of the risks associated with the security of smart homes as the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand. The work emphasises the need for increased vigilance in the field of home automation.

The Internet of Things (IoT) generally refers to the growing network of physical objects or devices that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that allow them to connect and communicate with other devices and systems over the Internet. This definition might encompass industrial and infrastructure systems as well as domestic equipment. Indeed, the IoT embeds smart home devices such as thermostats and smart lighting, domestic appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines, smart TVs and sound systems as well as locks and security devices such as cameras, sensors and alarms. It also carries with it all the computers tablets, smartphones, wearables, and weather sensors, that are all connected to the smart home’s network.

This interconnectivity opens up huge possibilities for improving our quality of life through automation of mundane and repetitive processes. However, as with any technology, it is always open to abuse.

A team from Egypt and Yemen suggests that smart homes using IoT technology can be vulnerable to security threats. Redhwan M.A. Saad of Ibb University in Yemen and Cairo University, Egypt working with Khaled A.M. Al Soufy (Ibb) and Samir I. Shaheen (Cairo) hope to identify and unravel the complexities and vulnerabilities to provide a clearer picture of the impact the IoT might have on the overall security of a smart home.

The team has examined the latest technologies and security solutions in this environment, as well as discussing current security measures to counter malicious attacks by third parties. The findings offer invaluable insights into the challenges posed by security, authentication, and confidentiality in the smart home. The next step, the team says, will be to develop an integrated security infrastructure with an improved mitigation mechanism for smart home networks.

Saad, R.M.A., Al Soufy, K.A.M. and Shaheen, S.I. (2023) ‘Security in smart home environment: issues, challenges, and countermeasures – a survey’, Int. J. Security and Networks, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp.1–9.

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