Privacy, Security Said Key to Connected Homes

Privacy and cybersecurity must be factored into connected home building as consumer adoption of connected devices grows, said a Frost & Sullivan report for the Continental Automated Building Association. Cybersecurity and privacy concerns in the smart home will likely worsen with device ownership and demand for gadgets growing, said Friday's report. “Cybersecurity and privacy remain perhaps the foremost challenges for the connected home industry right now, compounded by technology adoption by new demographic segments, such as older adults and children and large numbers of young adults,” said CABA CEO Ron Zimmer. A survey of 1,100 consumers included in the report found 29% of connected home device users experienced some form of cyber breach over the past 12 months. A “dynamic response plan” from key industry players is needed to counter growing cyberthreats, said the report. Vendors and service providers need a “nimble and scalable” response plan to cope with their growth needs and consumers’ evolving demands for new connected products and systems, the report recommended. They also have to step up compliance levels to keep pace with consumers’ increasing sophistication and vigilance and their growing expectations around privacy and security.