While smart home and home automation technology are a slowly growing industry, there are sections within the industry that are catching on faster than others. One of the most popular uses for smart home technology is for home security. This category is no joke, either, with hundreds of devices available from brands big and small. Here is a short list of some of the available smart home security devices on the market now:
- Alarms
- Locks
- Video Doorbells
- Perimeter Motion Lights
- Exterior Surveillance Cameras
- Interior Surveillance Cameras
- Smoke Detectors
- Carbon Monoxide Detectors
- Indoor Lights
- Garage Door Openers
- Water Leak Detection
So, with all of these devices available, the question becomes: does smart home security technology really make you safer? Check out both sides of the argument below.
Yes – Smart Home Security Technology Makes You Safer
Some people might argue that they can get the same home security using older, unconnected devices. While it is true that there are some awesome, non-smart locks available, these locks won’t send you an alert each time the door is unlocked or opened. Old school locks can’t keep a log of every time your house was entered. Old school locks can’t be checked remotely and locked remotely by those that happened to forget to do so when they left. If you are in your home and hear a noise outside, with a smart lock you can quickly make sure that all your doors are locked, without having to spend precious time running to each door individually.
And that is just the argument from the smart lock perspective. So many other products on the list above have an actual, or perceived, security value. While a perceived security value might not sound like much, a safe state of mind can go a long way.
No – Smart Home Technology Does Not Make You Safer
The star of this argument is the elephant in the room – privacy and data. While you might feel that you are safer in your home with smart technology, what about out of your home? Consumers are weary of new devices that have to be connected, but that have not yet gotten standard regulations worked out. A lot of people will argue that smart security technology is still too vulnerable. How safe are you if your own security system is what is used to locate you? That’s right, hackers will use a security system to find homes, then use the information they find about those homes to execute an attack. Those without a system are going to escape this targeting. Another huge issue with home security is actually an operator error – people just don’t understand how important it is to make and use secure passwords. With device vulnerabilities and poor, unsecure passwords, it won’t take a master level hacker to access and use your information. Of course, there is always the possibility that your data, including passwords – no matter how secure – might be hacked and released to the public. Sure, there is credit and identity monitoring for these cases, but it is such a pain, and it isn’t full-proof.
Which side are you on – team smart home security or team old school home security?
Photo by: CalypsoCrystal
