Feeling Safe in the Home of the Future: A product life-cycle approach to improve the trustworthiness of smart home products and services

A home is more than a building or a place of shelter. It is where we take care of the people and things that mean the most to us. Turning a physical structure into a place of comfort, safety and sanctuary is hard work, but what if the home itself could help?

This is the promise of the smart home, a house equipped with internet-connected devices for controlling, automating and optimizing functions such as temperature, lighting, security or entertainment, either remotely or through a system within the house. Incorporating these Internet of Things (IoT) devices into a home can help a homeowner increase the safety of their loved ones and valuables, save money on energy bills, improve their wellness and save time.

To harness these benefits for consumers and the planet and drive economic value, smart home devices must have trust built in so that consumers feel they are fair and safe to use.