Security and the automated home

This is nothing new as more people adopt and integrate HA into their homes. I am a strong believer that HA should always be separate and isolated from the Security elements.
 
Those who choose to go down the route of having all their eggs in one basket will be subject to such attacks. You will not find one bank, hospital, military, or any fortune 100 business that incorporates their primary security defenses with HA.
 
None . . .
 
The 1% that may entertain such idea's are the ones who are robbed, compromised, and have really no clue what true security is. I have yet to meet one person in my local that has completed a security audit to determine what force protection needs to be in place, improved, or augmented.
 
They rely solely on wireless toys to give them false sense of security.
 
Teken . . .
 
The cost of adding separate motion sensors for occupancy is not worth it and overkill for a home.  Also, not integrating some security functions with my z-wave locks makes life too inconvenient.
 
Yes, if someone spoofed a mac id and broke my WAP2 encryption on my wireless network, I'd be doomed.  They could also hack my 10 character username and 12 digit password to my VPN and I'd be doomed.  If they had a z-sniffer (costs thousands of dollars) and figured out how into break my z-wave secure network (yes it is actually secure, locks use encryption, while traditional z-wave devices do not), plus figured out my eight digit pass code to work my locks, I'd be doomed.  Notice in the article they don't even discern between secure z-wave devices and traditional ones?  That's because the writer doesn't even know what they're talking about.  Everyone knows that secure z-wave devices can't even talk to non-secure (traditional) z-wave devices.
 
In all, who cares though.  If someone really wants in, isn't it just easier and faster to hop a fence and break in my back door?  What do you think a burglar is really going to do?  Stay outside my house in an unmarked van for 12 hours trying to break my networks encryption?  I think not.  That would arise even more suspicion than just quietly coming in through my back door.
 
That is exactly right.  Homes are a low value target.  THats not to say that its not of value to you, but it is only material items.  There are no secrets being held, no information critical to the company, country nor are there large numbers of people to proect from possible terrorism attacks.
 
A home is a very low value target and as such can be treated that way.  To that end, convienience trumps security most of the time.
 
If you were concerned and take the view of the second poster Teken, then take a look at the physical structure of your home.  How secure is it really? 
 
Can you break a single flimsy bit of glass to get full access to the house?
Can you bust through an internal wall from say a garage to the house?
Can you lfit a tile or two  or reomve a sheet if tim to gain access from the roof?
 
Ask yourself these questions and if you answer is no and you have got a structurly secure house then you may say that secutiy systems should not be integrated, until then you are kidding yourself.
 
Dont read this as no steps needto be taken to secure it though.  We all put door locks on out doors, even though the closed door stops someone from entering, we just prevent them from opening it, same way we put a password on our access points etc.
 
Mick
 
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