‘Far-Field’ Voice Not Up to ‘Security Challenge’ of Smart Door Locks, Says Parks

Homeowners’ self-installation of smart door locks is growing, reaching 59 percent of all installations at the end of 2018, a 20-point increase from just two years earlier, said Parks Associates Monday. “As manufacturers launch new and second-generation products, they are trying to balance security with convenience, customization, and expanding use cases, such as voice control and security notifications,” said Parks. Since door locks at their core have a security function, manufacturers have been reluctant to enable voice control to unlock doors “due to challenges with fully authenticating users,” it said. The development of facial and fingerprint authentication “allows device manufacturers to create additional convenience while still maintaining a high level of security,” it said, but “current far-field voice recognition technology is not yet up to the security challenge.".