Smart Connected Home Architecture, Threats and Countermeasures.

Smart Connected Home Architecture, Threats and Countermeasures
Jasper Lee Zhi Hong
School of Technology
Abstract- Development in technology has allowed us to consider whatever we could do, before the age of
aviation nobody would have imagined they could fly in the air, but a generation-wide development in
innovation and technology has empowered us for having the better future.
“The smart home is among the best examples we can use for claiming that it makes the home life easier
because it helps us to control the devices in the home remotely so that there will be no worries about the
home, and with the aid of IoT (Internet of Things) it is possible. It enables us to look at the home from
anywhere in the world.
But the things that need for being taken care of are protection, nowadays this is very easy to break the
privacy and security of someone, so that the only things that need to be taken care of are the security and
the countermeasures that make our lives very easy.
Therefore in this paper we are going to examine the risks and countermeasures and problems in the smart
home system today. Next we will also explore the architectures of smart homes.
Keywords—Internet-of-Things (IoT), Smart Home, Attacks, Threats, Countermeasures, Security, Privacy,
Architecture
I. INTRODUCTION
As the title suggests, IoT proposes that this is the Internet thing that can be done with the help of the
Internet. Means whatever stuff we can manage with the help of the internet is known as the internet-of-
things, any appliance or device associated with the IoT need in being connected to the internet across
their lives so that anyone become able easily access the smart appliances and devices.

Advancing Internet technology are rising the boundaries of the Internet connectivity, being cheap and
ubiquitous even in developing nations or the rural regions. The capability of the computer storage and
distribution increases significantly as its dimensions become smaller that is highly appropriate for
different types of sensors. Real items are also increasingly fitted with the RFID (Radio-Frequency
Identification) tags, NFC (Near Field Communications) tags or another digital bar codes, which can be
checked with the smart devices such as laptops, smartphones and the other small devices compatible with
the NFC or RFID readers. This combination links the physical environment via the smartphone or tablet
to cyberspace, thus expanding Internet capabilities towards the next phase of the Internet could be called
IoT. [1]
Smart Connect home, Home automation systems are the very important and promising field, because they
save money, energy, time and provide protection and convenience. In addition, smart home systems will
help people and the aged with disabilities and needs. IoT-based HAS (Home Automation System) is that
day by day across the world, especially in recent years as things link and communicate over the Internet.
Smart home systems offer protection and comfort to its owners. In fact, these devices are environmentally
friendly that is among the most significant concerns in the world today. Several scientists have been using
different sensors for designing and implementing the smart homes based on the various technologies. The
smart home system was installed in the IoT, based on the 5G integrated system and the Zigbee
techniques. [2]

Fig. 1 Smart connected home [3]
Smart homes are associated with the embedded technological devices, which provides the central
regulated service or remote service and the functionalities. For the automation in the homes, multimedia,
telecommunication and health, the technical infrastructure focused on the technology integration. The
idea of the smart homes has the huge growth, which is constrained by the understanding, implementation
and knowledge heterogeneity. In multiple fields of the Ontology of computer science, the smart home
technology has received the recognition for sharing and reusing the knowledge. Numbers of engineers
and scientists are incorporating with the programs of ontology and producing the great outcomes. [7]
Fig. 2 Deployment Diagram [8]
II. SMART HOME ARCHITECTURE

Fig. 3 Underlying Architecture of Smart Home [6]
In developing the home into the smart home network, the smart home system has several components that
will help.
The components are
 Communication Protocols
 Sensor Interface
 Microcontroller
 Smartphone
 Application and Business Layer
 Network Interface
 Sensors
 Appliances
1. Microcontroller”

A micro-controller is the small, integrated circuit designed to monitor a specific procedure in
the embedded system. The typical microcontroller includes memory, processor and input or
output peripherals on the single chip. A microcontroller processor differs according to
implementation.
Options range from simple 4-bit, 8-bit or 16-bit processors to more complex 32-bit or 64-bit
processors. As technology advances, houses are also getting smarter. Modern houses increasingly
transition from regular switches to the centralized control scheme. Through automating lighting
equipment, flickering, and electrical appliances, intelligent smart home offers the homeowner
with the ultimate control over the house. Smart automated homes integrate the equipment and
facilities of all users to communicate with each other. [4]
2. Smart Phone
Everybody has a smartphone with them nowadays. So, what else does your computer need to
monitor.
So, smartphone is nothing but the smart devices will be used through the secured network to
monitor your devices from anywhere in the world. For this, you would have the application on
the phone that allows you to quickly access the devices remotely. Unlike smartphones of today's
generation, the single-core chips work overtime for powering both the phone and applications, the
core of job-one separated multiprocessors will retain telephone service while the other will enable
web browsing and every power will decrease if this capacity we need for being in the smartphone
is not utilized. [5]
3. Sensors
Sensors are used for monitoring the household items and appliances. Sensors are used
for automatically taking the input data and return to users based on their input data. For example,
assume the automated home is designed to warn you when the temperature drops to the certain
level, so the room temperature sensors would be used here, in this case.

4. “Communication Protocols
The protocol for communication is not the factor but the protocol will be utilized for transporting
the data from microcontroller to the mobile device and the communication can be of any form
such as one to many or one to one communication and the one to many communication can be
applied in such case if anyone have allowed any other person for accessing the data.
5. Sensor Interface, Network Interface application, and business layer.
The interface of the sensor is used for connecting the various sensors in which the organization
can create the single output for the users. The usages of the sensors is enhancing as this is
included in the consumer electronic and the WSN (Wireless Sensor Network). The main issue for
the implementation is for reducing the energy nodes of the sensor that limits the batter life of the
sensor [9]. The interface of the network is the process in which the smart homes networks and
mobile network will be interfaced with every network. The business layer and the application will
offer the fundamental need of the communication among the mobile devices and the smart
connected homes.
III. THREATS IN SMART CONNECTED HOME SYSTEM
The smart connected homes are depending on the IoT. Therefore, there will be risks related to the
smart homes as well as vulnerabilities. For accessing to the system of the user, the intruders use the
fish tank without their permission. This is very dangerous for the users because the intruders can
access to their house by breaking the smart security system, which can be the security concern for the
users. [10]

Fig. 4 Security Issue [11]
The safety and privacy of the information is very crucial but there can also be danger for the IoT, which
can reach to the interoperability decision making, mashups and independent level for embedding the
safety loopholes, vulnerabilities and the complexity. The hazards related to privacy and security has
become more dangerous in IoT because the complexity may create hazard to the service. In the cloud
platform of IoT, it keeps millions of personal data for which the hazard can be the issue of the security,
which will ensure that there will be hazard connected to the information security and privacy. [11]
Fig. 5 Security Concern [11]
The cybersecurity is among the significant factor of the implementation of the IoT in the world. Multiple
IoT systems are there convey the multiple potential threats and difficulties. The protection of IoT
improves the safety of the experts job because this consists of the safety service to the number of smart
objects. The main problem, which needs for being tackled while debating the cybersecurity future is

elevating the occurrences in the IoT system. Multiple threats are there in the IoT system like unauthorized
access, code injection, information manipulation, traffic sniffing, spoofing which is demonstrated in the
figure 6. At multiple points in the system of IoT, emphasizing the importance of the cyber security any
attack happen. Such system should be operated and designed under the unified security features and the
safety perspective because they will cope with the vital operation and the physical system [12].
Man-in-the-middle: The interrupts by the hackers can break of spoofs the communication between two
systems. For instance, the false temperature creates the data by monitoring the devices that is able for
being spoofed and transmitted to the platform of cloud.
Data & identity theft: The unprotected wearable and the smart device generated data offer the various
targeted of the personal information and data to hackers where can be a chance for being exploited for the
transaction and theft identity.
Device hijacking: The intruders takes control of the system very efficiently. This is very hard for
identifying the assaults as the intruders never alters the basic functionality of the device. Reinfection of
the smart devices in smart homes needs the single device. For instance, the intruders who is compromised
the thermostat might gain the access to the entire network, change the code of the door for restricting the
entry or unlock the door.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): The Dos attack tend for creating the network or computer
resources, which is inaccessible by disrupting the facilities of host that is internet-connected. In this case
of the DDoS attack, the incoming traffic flood of the destination originates from the numbers of sources
by making this difficult for avoiding the cyber offensive by blocking the single source. The DDoS has
risen from 3% to the 6% in the year 2016 mainly owing to the security lack in the IoT devices. It is the
single compromised sensor, which can infect the similar devices on the network, which operated the
single software. Those infected devices are forces for joining the wide botnet in crippling the DDoS
attacks.

Permanent Denial of Service (PDoS): PDoS (Permanent denial-of-service) attacks considered as
plashing and this damages the system in which the hardware requires for being reinstalled and replaced.
For example is the BrickerBot, which is coded in the IoT system for exploiting the hard coded passwords
and trigger the continuous DoS. The other example can look at the fake thermostat information that can
cause the irreparable risks by the extreme overheating [17].
Fig. 6 Security Challenges [12]
IV. “INTRUSION DETECTION
The detected intrusion can be in any type such as unplanned action, breaking regulatory policy and the
unauthorized access. The infringement is revealed for collecting the data that is used by SIEM (Security
Information and Event Management) to the administrator. The strategies for the SIEM gathers the
outcomes of the use of the alarm filtering and multi-score for making the difference of the infringement
from false alarm. [13]
Anomaly Detection: this is the detection system of intrusion category where the administrator of the
system defines the load of the traffic of the typical packet size, the protocol and the starting point. The

intrusion detection software compares and checks the network section to the simple starting point and this
identifies the network irregularities.
Host-based intrusion detection system: In this intrusion detection system category, the software for
detecting the intrusion examines the operation of the host machines like checking the schemes of the
setting files for detecting the inconvenience setting and checking the password files for detecting the out
date passwords.
A network-based intrusion detection system (NIDS): It is the category of intrusion detection system
where every packet is analyzed properly in the network. The NIDS is able for identifying the damaging of
the packets, which are calculated for being ignored by the guidelines of filtering of the firewall.
Fig. 7 NIDS [13]
Passive intrusion detection system: This is intrusion detection system and sensor, which detects the
prospective safety violation in the passive system and this records the signals and data.
Reactive intrusion detection systems: By logging off from the firewall for preventing the traffic of the
network from the malicious sources, the intrusion detection system react to all the suspicious activity in
the reactive system [13].

V. COUNTERMEASURES FOR SMART CONNECTED HOME SYSTEM
Numbers of layers of the physical, technical and the administrative checks are used for safeguarding the
assets of the organization from danger. It produces the powerful and intense organized defense. For the
effective continuation and establishment of the safety framework, support and commitment of the data are
very vital. The potential of the IoT requires the attention from the management. The method of the design
can include the safety for the suppliers and the manufactures. Focusing on the basic is the efficient
approach to achieve the IoT. The manufactures of the IoT, IoT service developers, IoT platform
developers, IoT connectivity architects, IoT experience designers and developers of IoT applications must
work together for obtaining this [14].
Countermeasures for the security of IoT System using RFID. [15]
1. Tag Killing
One of the simple way for safeguarding the privacy of the data is tag killing. The command of kill
will close the tag when the aspects will be bought from the clients. This technique can safe guard
the system against carrying and tracking the tag. Then the personal privacy will be shielded. As
the killing tag process is irreversible, there will be no use of the tag and the system of the killing
tag execution will not be possible.
2. Tag sleeping
When the tag killing is not possible and the feature of the RFID will be dropped. Therefore, there
must be the use of the proper method for the privacy protection. This is the sleeping of the tag. If
there is no need for monitoring the tag, this will be put to the sleep mode and this will wake up
when needed.
3. Blocker tags
The tag of the blocker is the different RFID tag and in the area of privacy, this is able in
preventing the scanning of the unwanted tag. The tag will not be sleeping and murdered but this

will be blocked. The tag consists of the bit of the modifiable flag. When the bit is set to the 1, the
tag cannot be monitored or screened.
Countermeasures for the security of communication
Fig. 8 Hash Lock[15]
Fig. 9 Randomized Hash Lock [15]
In this case, a hash algorithm is used. According to the Figure 8, at first, the RFID reader forwards the
application to the tag, then the tag returns the H(k), which is used to perform as per the hash function. k is
termed as the key situated within the tag and the reader. As per the H(k), the reader gets the key from the
database and forwards the key k to the tag. The tag uses the key k which is received from the reader for
calculating the H'(k). It is happened if the H(k) and H’(k) have the same value. The Tag will return the
identity of the reader. Using the H(k), the real tag identity avoids the tag that is monitored in the
authentication phase.
Authentication Randomized Hash Lock is a procedure that is based on the random number. If a tag
receives the request from the reader, an unfixed H(x) will be returned for replacing the H(k). In this case,

R is treated as the random number and k is treated as the shared key in between the reader and the tag.
VI. IoT Devices Helping to make a home smart.[16]”
1. Amazon Echo Plus
The Amazon Echo Plus is called as the voice controller. It is safe as well as famous IT tool. It
is capable of playing songs, setting times and asking questions. It helps to provide the data,
checking of weather and management of the shopping list.
2. Google House
It is a very efficient Internet of Things gadget. It helps the user to enjoy many characteristics
such as media, lights, thermo-stats, volume control, and many others.
3. Kuri Mobile Robot
Kuri is a very common type of home robot. It is totally related to the entertainment. Kuri is
capable of performing the interaction mainly for the entertainment. Kuri is also capable of
performing the interaction with the consumers and captures in day-to-day moment.
4. August Dorbell Cam
It is the most powerful gadget of the Internet of Things. One can give the required answer to
the door from any place or is performed remotely to the August Dorbell Cam. It has the
capability to check the entrance in the continuous manner and it also captures the
modification from the doorway.
CONCLUSION
This paper presents the general idea of the smart connected home system and its related communications
technologies. Moreover, it has investigated a variety of prevalent security issues in the smart home
networks. In particular, the main factors have been established which raise the level of difficulty in
establishing security in the smart home network. In addition, the threats that seek to undermine the

preconditions for protection were analyzed. While, any person can use existing security frameworks
for providing some security measures. However, because of the complex and heterogeneous world of the
smart home systems the significance of smart connected home security will be critical in the future. The
growing use of the home user's remote work habits often makes it more difficult. Thus, to create
the advanced smart connected home environment, which can encounter growing threats requires a safe
framework. The future work will therefore be to formulate the integrated security system for smart
connected home networks with the enhanced mitigation mechanism.

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