But it’s also important, of course, to feel safe, particularly at home. Unprotected smart home devices can become the target of attackers who may steal and misuse our data. We’re not just talking about payment and health data, but also video recordings or access to the home. To protect against this, we should take various precautions. Whenever I buy a smart home device or appliance, I always make sure that it carries the appropriate security label. It indicates the product’s security level, thus telling me how effectively my data can be protected. It took a few years for manufacturers and government to agree on a standardized and, most importantly, informative label. But now we have clear regulations as well as inspection authorities that check compliance with the security guidelines.
What makes a device well-secured? First of all, it contains a so-called hardware-based security chip that is almost impossible to outwit thanks to its integrated security functions, encryption and authentication technology. That way, the data is protected as if it were in a safe. I also make sure that my data is collected in a format that’s as anonymized as possible, so that no one can trace it back to me personally even if there’s a data leak. Sometimes this isn’t possible, however. Just think of the health data that’s being transmitted to the doctor. That’s why such data is sent on specially secured communication channels.
Reputable manufacturers are also transparent. I can always find out where my data goes and who can process it – like the doctor, for example. I can also request deletion of my data at any time. Nevertheless, it must be clear to us all that if we want to live in a connected home, we cannot have absolute data security. I personally have decided to accept this risk due to the benefits for me and my mother.