For many of us, there’s no doubting it: Home is where the heart is. There’s hardly any other place that’s so inviting to relax, kick back, and unwind. Thanks to rapid advances in technology in recent years, we’re now at a point where many everyday tasks can be automated. It’s all thanks to the latest devices in the smart home. The dream of great convenience and security in our own four walls is becoming more and more a reality. Read on to learn how smart home technology works, what you need to use it, and what the deal is with data protection. Also discover how Avira Free Security can help make your smart home more secure.
What does the term “smart home” mean?
A smart home is a collective term for all the technical devices and processes that improve your quality and standard of life at home. The aim is to make everyday life more convenient, securer, and simply “smarter”. To achieve this, in a smart home various devices and technical components are interconnected within a network. As a result, the system can start activities and processes on demand or when needed. Apps or voice commands are used to achieve this special form of technology-assisted living.
The history of the smart home stretches back to the 1970s. However, the development only really gained momentum in the 21st century. The reason for this lies in technological advancements and what is called the Internet of Things (IoT). The smart home finally broke through thanks to the increasing number of devices which communicate with each other in a network.
What are smart home devices?
When most people think of the smart home, they think of the traditional smart TV and the smartphone. Unsurprising really, given they already include “smart” in their name. But the smart home now includes a wider range of everyday devices than you might initially think. The most common smart home devices include:
- Lighting
- Heating
- Roller shutters/blinds
- Surveillance cameras
- Refrigerators
- Vacuum and lawn mower robots
- Smoke detectors
- Room humidifiers
- Water level detectors
- Watering systems
- Various kitchen appliances
Put simply, any everyday object and technical device that doesn’t necessarily need a person to operate it can now be integrated into a smart home.
What is a smart home system?
A smart home system encompasses interconnected devices and components necessary for automating your home. The umbrella term “smart home system” therefore includes not only the devices that are to be operated in a smart way but also all the sensors, controllers, and gateways. Let’s delve into those more deeply now.
What do you need for a smart home system?
For the smart home system to work truly intelligently, various compatible components are needed which interact with each other. The following are essential for smooth operation:
- Device: The devices (also called actuators) are integrated into the smart control system. In most smart homes, these primarily include lamps, blinds, cameras, and robot vacuum cleaners.
- Input device: The input device controls and operates the actuators. Typical input devices include smartphones, touchscreen displays, and simple wall switches. Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Siri, or similar assistants is also becoming increasingly popular and offers even greater convenience.
- Sensors: Sensors can be used as an alternative to input devices operated by the user. These register automatically that the respective device is to be used. For example, the sensors check the brightness, temperature, or humidity in a room. In doing so, blinds are lowered or heaters are switched on based on predefined rules. These processes run autonomously and do not require manual operation by anyone.
- Gateway: A gateway is the central control unit that is connected between the sensors and the input devices and other devices. It enables communication between all devices within the network and functions as the “brain” of the smart home.
- Networking: Networking enables all of the previously mentioned components to exchange information. The domestic power grid is often used to transfer data. Alternatively, the network can also be wired, which is really useful to put in place when building new homes or renovating existing ones. The third option is wireless networking. This method of transferring data is not quite as reliable as the wired option, but it can be implemented easily. Wireless networking is ideal for smaller smart home systems and in old buildings.
How do you operate a smart home?
As you’d imagine, it’s easy to operate a smart home. You use:
- Input devices such as a smartphone or touchscreen displays.
- Self-adhesive wall switches, similar to regular light switches.
- Voice control assistants like Alexa, Google Home, or Siri.
- Sensors, which fully automate everything.
Install your smart home yourself or call someone in?
Just how complex you want your system to be is the main driver behind the decision to install it yourself or call in the pros. It’s relatively easy to set up simple wireless systems to control your lighting, for example. No special prior knowledge is required for this, so even the non-techies among us can get their smart home up and running quickly and enjoy all the convenience it brings.
However, for more complex systems that include multiple devices and also use sensors, support from a specialist is recommended. This applies in particular to the initial programming of processes. With wired systems, cables have to be laid, which should be done by professionals anyway as part of a renovation.
In any case, planning is key. Before you buy, think about how intelligent your smart home should be and which processes you’d like to automate.
Difference between open and closed systems
When planning your new smart home, you also need to think about whether you want to have an open or a closed system. In essence, the two differ as follows:
- Open system: An open smart home system allows you to use components from different manufacturers. You can then add further compatible devices over time and expand your smart home. Open systems use an open standard that’s supported by numerous different solutions.
- Closed system: In a closed smart home system, all components come from the same manufacturer. Closed systems rely on components and devices that are designed to complement each other and therefore work perfectly together. However, you won’t be able to integrate devices, components, and solutions from other manufacturers. So if you decide to go for a closed system and would like to add another feature from another manufacturer, you won’t be able to do that.
Application areas for the smart home
The good thing about a smart home is the fact that it can be used for many different purposes. Key application areas include entertainment, comfort and convenience, and security.
- Entertainment: Whether you want to play your own favorite playlist or a movie of your choice — you’re only ever a simple (voice) command away. Even if you want to quickly find out about the breaking headlines around the world or the current weather: The smart home has all the information you need at your fingertips.
- Comfort and convenience: Many smart home enthusiasts use their system to increase their comfort and convenience at home. The system can control their shutters and blinds when the sun’s shining too brightly, regulate the room temperature and (underfloor) heating, or set an alarm clock. When it comes to comfort and convenience in particular, smart sensors take the stress out of life by automating tasks. If the room temperature falls below a set value, the heating is turned on. Is it that time of day again when the sun shines directly into the living room? When it is, the shutters go down automatically. If you set up your smart home correctly, your home will be a haven of efficiency and a relaxing place to be.
- Security: Current smart home systems can also be upgraded with useful security features. For example, you can set up surveillance cameras and have a live feed displayed on your smartphone whenever you want. Alternatively, you can have the cameras turn on if motion is detected and save what they capture in the cloud. The latest motion detectors can even distinguish between pets and people, so you’re unlikely to be bothered by a false alarm. Door locks have even gone smart now. Want to allow visitors access to your apartment even though you’ll be arriving later? With a smart home, all this and a whole bunch more is possible.
By the way: In terms of energy efficiency, a smart home can play a part too — even if it might be surprisingly small. Apart from smart heating systems that are only turned on when needed, there are hardly any other significant opportunities to save energy and power costs. In any case, make sure that components such as gateways and any sensors in standby mode do not consume more power than the devices that should only be switched on when needed.
Smart home and data protection — is your data safe?
An important issue that should concern all smart home enthusiasts is data protection. Unfortunately, this is often neglected by many system providers in favor of making a quick profit. The cheaper products become, the more likely it is that data protection will be lax. The fact that unauthorized persons will be able to gain access to your smart lighting and turn it on and off will be far from your biggest headache — as once hackers gain access to one device on your network, the other devices will no longer be secure. One thing’s clear: The more devices you have connected to your network, the more potential security vulnerabilities there are. Seemingly harmless smart home devices such as lamps and thermostats can allow cybercriminals to gain access to your entire network. They can then steal sensitive information and install malware.
Another aspect is the fact that you often have to store a huge amount of personal data to set up and use smart home systems. These include:
- User accounts: You need to create a user account with your login details for each app you use to control your devices. These accounts also often have to be verified by email or telephone — and, very rarely, by post.
- Audio and video recordings: When using surveillance cameras or voice assistants, all the audio and video recordings always end up in a cloud. Anyone who has access to this cloud can access sensitive audio and footage from your home in real time (and in some cases also historically).
- Location data: If you have integrated a vacuum or lawn mower robot into your smart home system, they are often controlled by GPS. This data can also be intercepted and reveal your location.
In general: You often transmit a vast amount of data that you don’t have the faintest idea about when you use your smart home system. In most cases, this data doesn’t only end up being processed directly by the provider — it can also be processed by third parties. This is always the case when the data is cached in a cloud. As such, always find out before making a purchase what information and personal data is collected from you and who processes it.
How to protect your smart home
You can really make your smart home that bit more secure and protect your data from unauthorized access by making these key changes:
- Secure passwords: Make sure all your passwords for your apps and your router are complex and impossible to guess. Go for a long password that contains upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. The longer and more cryptic, the safer.
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA): If possible, use two-factor authentication with all your apps. That way, you’ll need to confirm any logins and changes to your account by email, text, or authenticator app.
- Encrypted data transfer: Make sure that you transmit all your sensitive information in an encrypted format. You can tell a website’s encrypted when logging in if you see https in your browser’s address bar. Pages that only start with http are generally not encrypted, so third parties can intercept your data more easily.
- Regular updates: Make sure you keep all your software and hardware up to date. This applies not only to your router but also to all the apps and drivers within the network. If you do this, you’re going a long way to ensuring you close potential security holes in good time.
- Be careful when buying used: Be especially careful if you decide to buy used smart home devices. Sellers may have tampered with the devices and so easily gain access to sensitive information. Always reset all devices to factory settings and check carefully who you buy such devices from.
Added protection with Avira Home Guard
Strengthen your smart home’s security with Avira Home Guard.
Its network check feature scans your home Wi-Fi network and detects every IoT device connected to your router. This way, you always have an overview of which devices have logged in to your network — since when, how often, and what the technical data (IP and MAC address) are.
With the security check feature, the tool examines your entire network for typical vulnerabilities that could pose a potential security risk. These primarily include open ports, which cybercriminals often use to gain unauthorized access.
If you want to find out directly whether unwanted devices have gained access to your network, run a device detection scan. This detects and examines all newly connected devices automatically and gives you relevant information that can be helpful in identifying them.
How much do smart home systems cost?
It’s impossible to say how much a smart home system generally costs. You could go for a smaller starter set, with options starting from a few hundred dollars. Or you could blow all your savings on a top-of-the-line system.
How much you spend really comes down to the network configuration and, above all, the number of connected devices. What’s more, wired systems are always a bit more expensive than wireless ones.
To get started with making your home smart, opt for an open system. With that kind of system, the costs are friendlier on the pocket and you can add more devices whenever you want. That said, if you’re planning to move into a new building or a completely new house, talk to experts and discuss all the options for a smart home. This way you can lay the necessary cables right from the start and benefit from the best features.
Smart home pros and cons
You’ve probably noticed that there are pros and cons to smart home systems. To make them easier to weigh up, check out our overview:
Pros:
- Comfort and convenience: You can enjoy maximum comfort and convenience with your smart home with minimum effort thanks to intuitive controls or sensors that offer full automation.
- Entertainment: Want to play a certain song or watch the latest episode of your favorite series? You’re just a quick voice command away from enjoying the best in entertainment.
- Security: Even when you’re away from home, your smart home can give you a sense of security. You can check your home’s lounge camera feed via live stream whenever you get the urge — plus you’ll get alerted if there are any unusual goings on or motion is detected.
- Energy efficiency: Even if the cost savings in terms of electricity and energy are negligible, you can save some money. With the help of smart thermostats, you can run your heating only when needed and at the same time ensure a constant room temperature.
Cons:
- Data security: A load of personal information is needed for smart home systems to do their job. Whether when registering or during use, the apps and devices know a lot about you. This data is stored in databases and in the cloud — running the risk of unauthorized third parties getting their hands on it if security is weak. The same applies to live streams from surveillance cameras or the exact location information of vacuum and lawn mower robots.
- Pricing: It’s difficult to grasp how much you’ll need to spend on your smart home system as the pricing is complex and often difficult to understand. What equipment is needed? What’s the best way to connect everything together? Are there any additional fees for apps and services? Good planning is essential so high costs don’t give you a heart attack.
Enjoy greater network protection with Avira Free Security
Never underestimate the issue of IT and data security, especially when it comes to the smart home. If you don’t protect your network properly, you are literally throwing your front door wide open and inviting cybercriminals into your home. We’ve already mentioned the key steps you can take to strengthen your data security. If you want to boost your computer’s protection from unauthorized access by criminals, we recommend using a powerful antivirus solution.
Avira Free Security can help you improve your computer’s protection. The tool can also detect and eliminate malware in real time — plus it can mask your device’s IP address with the help of the integrated VPN, allowing you to surf the internet more anonymously. On top of all this, the suite comes with 30 different tools that can clean up your computer for better performance.