Towards a Harmonised Approach for Security and Privacy Management in Smart Home Contexts

Smart homes are based upon Internet-connected versions of household devices that have traditionally operated in a standalone manner. In recent years, the proliferation of Internet-connected devices has increased dramatically, particularly in the context of smart homes. Although services provided by smart home devices can improve our quality of life, they invariably raise concerns regarding the privacy of personal information. It is, therefore, relevant to consider the extent to which users can manage and keep track of security and privacy across an increasing number and varied range of smart devices. A problem at present is that they can be faced with individual devices that perform similar functions in inconsistent ways, thereby complicating (and potentially frustrating) the task of managing security and privacy across a growing range of devices that can be found within their homes. This paper highlights these challenges and proposes the basis of an approach that seeks to improve the user experience by offering a consistent and harmonized approach to monitoring the security and privacy aspects of their devices, thereby enabling them to have better control and awareness.