An expert’s advice for making your smart home a secure one too
Home security has come a long way since deadbolts, latchkeys and lengths of doweling stuck in window frames were the norm. These days, homeowners and renters have access to a plethora of smart and keyless security options that are as convenient as they are technologically advanced.To get more news about biometric safe locks, you can visit securamsys.com official website.
So how can Australian homeowners and renters reap the benefits of this new era of home security?Not all smart security systems are created equal, and not all systems require every bell and whistle on the market. Rather, the ecosystem can be built out to include a number of practical security measures, such as motion sensors, cameras, alarms and smart locks.
Eric Sindel, senior product manager at global access solutions provider Assa Abloy, says a consideration often overlooked by consumers buying smart home devices is where their data is going and how their information is being used.
“As we bring more and more devices online, we’re opening them up to our home networks … and to personal information,” he says. “So, before you go and invest in a solution … research the company [and] understand what types of information they’re collecting [and] how they’re using that information.” You should expect your security provider to behave the same way as your bank when it comes to securely managing your personal data, Sindel says.
The irony of implementing a system that uses your data in unclear or untoward ways is that, while your home might be physically protected, you could be opening your information up to privacy and security breaches.
“What you see with the low-cost solutions online, especially the ones that are just directly imported, [is that] a lot of those [privacy concerns] are very vaguely defined, if they’re addressed at all.”The idea of using a keyless entry system for your home may seem futuristic, but when you think about it, we’ve trusted these types of systems everywhere from hotels to offices to gym change rooms for years. Using them to protect our homes is the next logical step.
However, it’s understandable that some of us might be hesitant to do away with a system that’s worked for centuries.
Sindel understands this hesitancy. Assa Abloy’s Yale Access App pairs with a number of lock products from the firm’s range, uses geofencing technology to unlock and lock your doors when you enter or exit a given range and allows owners to distribute digital “keys” to family, friends and those providing trade or cleaning services.These keys are actually more secure than the traditional key in the sense that the ability to compromise them is very difficult,” he says.
The app and digital keys feature dual encryption to protect the information shared between mobile devices and locks.“It’s not unlike the encryption you’d see when completing a transaction via an online banking app.”
Adjusting to a world without chunky keyrings may take time, but Sindel says a smart lock can actually be the linchpin in your home’s smart ecosystem. Yale Access, for example, is compatible with home assistants such as Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, meaning anyone already enjoying a smart home set-up can easily close the loop.Geofencing technology means homeowners no longer need to worry about physical keys ending up in the wrong hands or forgetting to lock the door.
Technology interfaces use a smartphone’s GPS capabilities to determine your whereabouts and secure or unlock your home accordingly. It’s a lot less work than pulling your keys out of your pocket or bag.In the case of the Yale Access App, you don’t have to do anything: the app will automatically unlock your door when you (and your phone) are within five metres, or switch to away mode - and secure your home - as soon as you’re more than 200 metres away.
