Smart home technology


Smart home technology which may also be termed Home automation is the use of devices in the home that connect via a network, most commonly a local LAN or the internet. It uses devices such as sensors and other appliances connected to the Internet of things that can be remotely monitored, controlled or accessed and provide services that respond to the perceived needs of the users. It stands for Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology. The technology was originally developed by IBM and was referred to as Predictive failure analysis. The first contemporary Smart home technology products became available to consumers between 1998 and the early 2000s. Smart home technology allows users to control and monitor their connected home devices from smart home apps, smartphones, or other networked devices. Users can remotely control connected home systems whether they are home or away. This allows for more efficient energy and electric use as well as ensuring your home is secure. Smart home technology contributes to health and well-being enhancement by accommodating people with special needs, especially older people. Smart home technology is now being used to create Smart cities. A Smart city functions similar to a Smart home, where systems are monitored to more efficiently run the cities and save money.

Uses

Smart home technology is now found in a wide range of household devices, including:
As of 2015, the most common piece of smart home technology in the United States were wireless speaker systems, with 17 percent of people owning one or more. Smart thermostats were the second most prevalent piece of smart home technology, with 11 percent of people using such devices. A 2012 consumer report that pulled data from the National Association of Home Builders looked at what kinds of smart home devices homeowners wanted most and found that the top five were wireless security systems, programmable thermostats, security cameras, lighting control systems, wireless home audio systems, home theater systems, and multi-zone HVAC systems. Industry forecasts predict that by 2021, the average North American home will have 13 Smart devices in their home.

Vulnerabilities

Smart home technology systems were exploited in order to carry out the directed denial-of-service attack in October 2016. These devices, which are connected by the Internet of Things, have inherent risks of security breaches. Hackers targeted unsecured devices that includes Smart home technology, and infected them with malicious code to form a botnet and carry out the attack. A study estimates that at least 15 percent of home routers are unsecured with weak or default passwords. There are over 13 billion interconnected digital and electronic devices across the world; the October 2016 DDoS attack showed that a small percentage of vulnerable devices can have a devastating impact.