On the Risk Exposure of Smart Home Automation Systems

Achieving security in Internet of Things environments has been identified as one of the top barriers for realizing the vision of smart, energy-efficient homes and buildings. In this context, understanding the risks related to the use and potential misuse of information about customers, partners, and end-users, as well as, forming methods for integrating security-enhancing measures in the design is not straightforward and thus requires substantial investigation. A risk analysis applied on a smart home automation system developed in a research project involving leading industrial actors has been conducted. The results indicate that with the implementation of standard security features, new as well as, current risks can be minimized to acceptable levels albeit that the most serious risks, i.e., those derived from the human factor, need more careful consideration, as they are inherently complex in nature.