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How Smart Homes Work
</h1>
<p>
When you're not home, nagging little doubts can start to crowd your mind. Did I
turn the coffee maker off? Did I set the security alarm? Are the kids doing their homework
or watching television?
</p>
<p>
With a <a href="http://www.konkesmart.com/hub/" target="_self">smart home</a>, you
could quiet all of these worries with a quick glance at your smartphone or tablet. You
could connect the devices and appliances in your home so they can communicate with each
other and with you.
</p>
<p>
Any device in your home that uses electricity can be put on your home network and at
your command. Whether you give that command by voice, remote control, tablet or
smartphone, the home reacts. Most applications relate to lighting, home security, home
theater and entertainment, and thermostat regulation.
</p>
<p>
The idea of a smart home might make you think of George Jetson and his futuristic
abode or maybe Bill Gates, who spent more than $100 million building his smart home
[source: Lev-Ram]. Once a draw for the tech-savvy or the wealthy, smart homes and home
automation are becoming more common.
</p>
<p>
What used to be a quirky industry that churned out hard-to-use and frilly products is
finally maturing into a full-blown consumer trend. Instead of start-up companies, more
established tech organizations are launching new smart home products. Sales of automation
systems could grow to around $9.5 billion by 2015 [source: Berg Insight]. By 2017, that
number could balloon to $44 billion [source: CNN].
</p>
<p>
Much of this is due to the jaw-dropping success of smartphones and tablet computers.
These ultra-portable computers are everywhere, and their constant Internet connections
means they can be configured to control myriad other online devices. It's all about
the Internet of Things.
</p>
<p>
The Internet of Things is a phrase that refers to the objects and products that are
interconnected and identifiable through digital networks. This web-like sprawl of <a
href="http://www.konkesmart.com/" target="_self">products</a> is getting bigger and better
every day. All of the electronics in your home are fair game for this tech revolution,
from your fridge to your furnace.
</p>
<p>
On the next page, we'll take a look at the technology in a smart home.
</p>
<h3>
Smart home hub security
</h3>
<p>
Because smart home devices connect to the internet and communicate wirelessly, they
are inherently at risk of attack. There have been several notable smart home hub security
events in recent history, including:
</p>
<p>
In July 2019, researchers at BlackMarble found an issue with Zipato’s ZipaMicro <a
href="http://www.konkesmart.com/hub/smart-hub/" target="_self">smart hub</a>s where a
combination of three security flaws could be exploited to open a smart lock connected to
the hub.
</p>
<p>
In May 2018, researchers from Pen Test Partners found a five-year-old software flaw in
the Z-Wave protocol, dubbed Z-Shave, affecting an estimated 100 million chips in smart
home devices sold by more than 2,400 vendors. If attacked, hackers could potentially
intercept smart lock keys and unlock home doors.
</p>
<p>
In February 2018, researchers at Kaspersky Lab found vulnerabilities in an unnamed
smart home hub that could potentially allow remote attackers to access the server and
exfiltrate user data, resulting in a potential takeover of the entire smart home system.
</p>
<p>
In 2017, Rapid7 researchers found plaintext credentials stored in configuration files
in the Android applications used to control the Wink Hub 2 and Insteon Hubs. Unless the
phone had strong authentication, full phone encryption or used Android's built-in
secure keystores, user data could be lifted from the app.
</p>
<p>
In 2016, a Cognosec researcher discovered a flaw in the SmartThings Hub that could
potentially allow a robber to break into a smart home by opening smart locks and jamming
motion sensors.
</p>
<p>
To prevent security issues within a smart home hub and entire smart home network, it
is suggested to use multifactor authentication, change any default usernames or passwords,
update software and firmware, and to never share serial numbers, IP addresses or other
sensitive network information. The use of antimalware and avoidance of public Wi-Fi are
also advised. Segmenting IoT traffic to a guest network is also an option.
</p>
<h1 itemprop="headline">
What is a smart switch?
</h1>
<p>
You’re probably familiar with those regular old light switches that you fumble for in
the dark, but maybe you’re unclear on what a smart switch is. Good news: you’ve come to
the right place.
</p>
<p>
A <a href="http://www.konkesmart.com/smart-switch/" target="_self">smart switch</a> is
still a light switch, but with advanced features that help automate your home. They
resemble traditional switches and plug into the same spaces that traditional outlets are
found, except:
</p>
<p>
They have radio wave capabilities that allow the switches to connect to a nearby
wireless network and become part of the Internet of Things. This makes the devices “smart
” and gives them an array of capabilities, including app or voice control.
</p>
<p>
Their design tends to be a bit more complicated. Some may have extra buttons for more
specific light control, while others may come with additional sensors or light indicators.
</p>
<p>
Smart switches provide a solution for upgrading current light switches that you use
every day, typically for built-in lights (as opposed to lamps, which are upgraded with
smart plugs instead). Smart switches tend to cost around $50: At this price, You may not
want or need to upgrade every switch in your house, but there are probably a few light
switches that see very frequent use—these would make good candidates for a smart upgrade.
</p>
<h3>
Benefits of using a smart switch
</h3>
<p>
To get a better idea of how smart switches work and whether or not you want one, let’
s look at the benefits and features that these switches provide. Note that other smart
devices like smart bulbs also offer similar capabilities, but smart switches tend to be
the most cost-effective solution if you’re already happy with your bulbs.
</p>
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