Project aims to make smart home devices more secure, private

FILE- This Nov. 11, 2018, photo shows an Ecobee smart thermostat, room sensor and connection components in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. Smart thermostats, which let consumers adjust their home temperatures remotely using any internet-connected device, are among the most popular smart home technologies, with the global smart thermostat market surpassing $1 billion in 2017, according to Research and Markets. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz, File)

HANOVER, N.H. — Researchers at Dartmouth College and six other academic institutions are collaborating on a national project to make “smart home” products more secure and private.

The $10 million, five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation comes as households increasingly rely on internet connected home devices ranging from refrigerators to baby monitors. David Kotz, a computer science professor and lead investigator for the project, says as home technology changes, people need to be able to feel safe from prying eyes.

Advertisements

The project also includes teams from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, Morgan State University and Tufts University.