University Cyber Security Report: Smart Home Network Analysis

This report delves into the cyber security challenges within smart home environments, focusing on network traffic monitoring and potential vulnerabilities. It begins with an overview of smart home technology and its increasing reliance on the Internet of Things (IoT), highlighting the integration of various devices and systems. The report then reviews existing research, including studies on security risks, privacy violations, and data analysis related to network traffic. A critical analysis section discusses the evolving nature of cyber threats, the role of default device settings, and the responsibilities of content providers and service providers. The report emphasizes the need for robust cyber security measures to protect against potential attacks and maintain user privacy in the increasingly connected smart home ecosystem. It provides insights into the complex interplay of technology, security, and user behavior within the context of smart home networks. The report underscores the importance of proactive security measures to safeguard against cyber threats and protect user data.

Running head: CYBER SECURITY
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Background
Smart home is concept which existed for several years, however it gained attention in last
few years due to growth of Internet of Things (IoT). Various solutions and technologies are
amalgamated by smart home for providing better experience of living. It consists of home
appliances, communication systems and control and lighting system in order for allowing
seamless approach to sensors, appliances and devices for communicating with one another as
well as with user (Ghirardello et al. 45). Additionally, this allows also for better management and
monitoring of such entities and home itself, which ensures cost saving and sustainability in long
run. Few of such concepts as well as technologies are used in healthcare and all other
environment.
Overview of Related Work
In this section we will review existing research work related to network
traffic monitoring in smart homes.
Bako Ali [5] explained the measures that must be taken to make smart
homes safe. This is done by carefully assessing security risks i.e. detecting
the underlying problems related, and used the octave Allegro method and
identified 10 important electronic as well as physical assets. The result was
15 existing security risks of smart homes being identified with
countermeasures to mitigate them.
Authors in [6] explained new attack on privacy by identifying specific
types of devices and monitoring its traffic. The attack evaluation showed

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that more than 90% of the attackers are able to exploit the traffic in the
network negatively so that they can extract important information without
extensive knowledge of the specifications of protocols. This raise concerns
about privacy violations for any smart environment, not only in the homes
but also hotels, resorts, health care and others.
Another research paper [7] explains that data analysis and descriptive
network traffic threatening user privacy must grow along with the smart
home market because it does not work without the network and this is a
must. It also show that traffic constitutes by padding an independent link
can contribute traffic significantly to the privacy of the smart home without
showing a sharp decrease in network performance and not even an increase
in data.
As per Huichen and Neil, IoT could be considered as domain of single problem having
proposed solutions to be applied over several applications. Though, security and privacy needs of
commercial operations and crucial engineering infrastructure are quite different to needs of
domestic environment of smart home. In addition, human and financial resources that are
available for implementing privacy and security vary greatly among application domains. Two
major technologies are identified for assisting auto management system: auto-configuration and
automatic update for firmware and system software.
According to Heartfield, home automation is small market to technology enthusiasts.
Devices’ interconnectivity was down for creativity and technical skills of the owner, while the
security was primitive or non-existent as the threats of cyber security was largely primitive or

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non-existent. Adoption of technologies of IoT, artificial intelligence and cloud computing has led
in smart homes which are much more practical, however attractive targets also for the cyber-
attacks.
Critical Analysis
IoT gained traction in last few years as term for describing non-traditional devices’
connection like domestic appliances, medical equipment or factory machinery. Over last few
decades, microprocessor based controllers’ use in the applications became ubiquitous. IoT could
be next step for evolution of such controllers through making connecting of them with internet.
Every physical component is described by physical viewpoint that are needed to execute
functions of smart home. Communication viewpoint has protocols that are needed for
information flows between components.
Smart home fundamentally is not new paradigm of technology. Cyber security of smart
home is addressed as smart grid’s extension. Home users assume that everything would work as
this should, depending on the default settings of devices without referring complicated technical
manuals. Hence, content and service providers as well as hardware vendors should be aware of
the responsibilities to maintain content management as well as network security on devices
provided by them. Service providers also might have opportunity in providing services of add-on
security for complementing weaknesses of devices. Cybersecurity’s issues are closer to the
environment of smart home (Do et al. 9). Hence, cybersecurity’s problem extends beyond the
computers. This is threat for portable devices. Several electronic devices which are used at smart
home practically are computer: smartphones, systems of car navigation and video consoles.
While more functionality and features are provided by these devices, new risks are also

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introduced by them. Attackers might be able in exploiting such technological progressions for
targeting devices which are considered secure.
References
Do, Quang, Ben Martini, and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo. "Cyber-physical systems information
gathering: A smart home case study." Computer Networks 138 (2018): 1-12.
Ghirardello, Kevin, et al. "Cyber security of smart homes: Development of a reference
architecture for attack surface analysis." (2018): 45-10.
Heartfield, Ryan, et al. "A taxonomy of cyber-physical threats and impact in the smart
home." Computers & Security 78 (2018): 398-428.
Lin, Huichen, and Neil W. Bergmann. "IoT privacy and security challenges for smart home
environments." Information 7.3 (2016): 44.