Ensuring security in the connected home

by Ogi Brkic, VP of Marketing and Business Development, Elliptic Technologies - ECN Mag, Jun. 11, 2015 – 

If you recently visited one of the many consumer trade shows, it was hard to miss the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices targeting home automation. Anything from simple temperature sensors and wirelessly controlled power outlets to complex home gateways are the future of the intelligent connected home. Add to that a plan by all major appliance manufacturers to include connectivity capabilities into their product line and you are left with a very complex ecosystem of devices. Simply connecting all of these devices will be a challenge, not to mention ensuring their interoperability, and more importantly, establishing trust.

There are numerous connectivity standards that will be used to connect devices in the intelligent home: Bluetooth (LE), WiFi, Zigbee, Zwave, etc. Most of these connectivity standards have specified cryptographic algorithms and protocols to protect the communication channel. However, protecting the communication link does not establish trust between devices, it simply encrypts the connections between a node and its access point or hub. In order to build trust, these devices need to authenticate to one another. Today, the industry is at its infancy as it relates to IoT standards. Multiple alliances (AllJoin, Thread, Home Kit, etc.) will drive their own implementations of authentication protocols before standards bodies such as IEEE and IETF publish common standards that ensure device interoperability and ease of use. In the meantime, IoT products need flexible designs able to react to new, undiscovered threats and to adapt to new protocols.

Security plays a critical role in the market adoption of the IoT. It?s easy to imagine a scenario in which an intruder uses a connected appliance to gain control of someone?s smart home or access to their personal information. Whatever the application, security must be addressed from the initial design and remain the core component of the system. This is essential in the deployment of these devices and the promise behind the intelligent connected home.

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