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What is HomeKit secured and why should you use it?

These days, hackers enter home networks using our routers and smart devices, which is why everyone must learn how to use HomeKit secured routers to keep their homes connected securely.

Apple announced HomeKit secured routers at WWDC 2019. The first few technology-enabled devices have recently begun to hit the market, including options from Linksys and Amazon's (now) Amazon Eero routers.

HomeKit secured routers provide an extra level of protection between your connected smart devices and the outside world.

This is useful because putting this "wall" in place makes your smart devices a little harder to hack.

You don't want criminals to take control over smart locks, smart kids room or something smart, do you? You certainly don't want them attacking your HomeKit devices to transform your home network or monitor what HomeKit devices are doing to tell you when your home is empty and vulnerable.

What security does this offer?

HomeKit secured routers allow you to protect each of the HomeKit devices with one of three levels of protection.

These include:

Limit at home: The hardest setting, this restricts your devices so that they "can only interact with HomeKit through Apple devices". This means that they do not have independent access to the internet and it means that you have to manually download software updates. But this means that no one can reach these devices unless they take control of the device.

Automatic: The default option allows limited internet access, with limited connections to those "recommended by its manufacturer".

Without restriction: This is what the box says. It is the least secure option that offers no protection at all. I would only recommend it if you have an urgent need for it.

HomeKit Secure Routers also offers iOS or iPadOS applications that you can get from the App Store that will be required to configure these systems.

How to set up a HomeKit secure router

First, download and install the application relevant to your router, open it, and follow the manufacturer's setup instructions.

• During this process, you will be asked if you want to add the router to your Home application.
• Touch acceptance and follow the on-screen instructions.
• (If not prompted, you will need to use the router's manufacturer's instructions.)
• A notification will appear after you have successfully added the router to the Home application.

Configure HomeKit devices for the router

Since most smart home appliances are actually pretty dumb, the next stage of the process is slightly annoying, but necessary.

Basically, it reduces the shutdown of all HomeKit-compatible products and starts them again, which I suspect (though Apple didn't say) has to reset the low-power (type) processors in these things.

It means that you have to remove all existing accessories that you have already configured, which is a shame, because this means that all the data, including accessories, scenes, automation and the people you have invited to control your home will be erased. .

You will need to set them again for all your preferences.

There are two ways to remove devices: You can remove individual accessories from the Home app or you can delete the entire home configuration in the application to reconfigure the whole thing from scratch.

To remove individual accessories:

• On iOS, tap and hold the accessory, touch Settings, and then tap Remove accessory.
• On a Mac, double-click the item, choose Settings, and then tap Remove accessory.

To delete the existing home configuration:

• On iOS, open the Home app and touch the Home icon in the upper left corner.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and touch Delete home.
• On a Mac, open Home> Edit> Edit Home and click Remove Home.

Once you have removed the accessories (or home configuration), you will need to reset your accessories **.

** It is likely to be a tiring process, because you'll need to find the tiny reset button that can exist on each of the HomeKit devices. If you do not find this button, you will need to read the manual, spend half a day trying to find out more information on the manufacturer's website, or contact the manufacturer to start negotiating for help with its customer service. Good luck with that.

Allocate the HomeKit router security privileges

As you add HomeKit devices to your home configuration, you will be given the opportunity to define access privileges, which work as follows:

• Open the Home app.
• Touch the start icon in the upper left corner.
• Open Home settings, then choose Wi-Fi networks and routers.
• You will find a button labeled Security for HomeKit accessories that you should activate.
• You will also see a list of the devices you have on your network, and you can assign the relevant security access to each one (Home, Automatically, Unrestricted).

So where are we now?

You now know how to configure this system, but given that this may take a while, it is probably worth remembering why it is important to carry out your task.

If configured correctly, most routers are smart enough to distinguish between potentially dangerous inbound traffic and traffic from the (supposed to be authorized) systems you have installed in your home.

However, not every device is as secure as you might think.

Many of the early generation smart devices come with poor security, while some can already carry malware inside the chip.

In the first case, an attacker who can find the device may want to use it to help them get on the home network. In the latter scenario, that trusted device may share all sorts of information about you with people you know nothing about.

Spooky, right?

Therefore, limiting your smart devices at home to their Internet access is the smart thing to do. If you cannot contact people or can only contact a very limited subgroup of people, then you are a little safer. If they can't be found, you're safe.

It follows

So is it really something to worry about?

Well, clearly Apple thinks it is, and says that Amazon seems to agree, given that it adds HomeKit support to its Eero routers.

It is also important to note that almost the entire smart home device industry is now working with Apple to develop a more secure and compatible connectivity standard.

"The project is based on a common belief that smart home devices should be safe, reliable and trouble-free to use," the partners said.

What is their concern? It is also possible to be aware of Kaspersky's research claims that attacks on smart home devices rose 700% in 2018-19.

So while the need to rebuild your entire smart home configuration to use HomeKit secured routers can seem frustrating, the added security you get justifies your work.

Of course, many Computerworld readers are experts and may have already found their own ways to improve their own home (or office) security. That's great. However, the fact that Apple now offers such tools provides them with such protection, probably for the first time.

Given this and the magnitude of the obvious threat model, I would endure anyone with a HomeKit configuration to begin taking steps to implement this kind of protection.

In an ideal world, cable and broadband providers would improve the routers they provide with emergency HomeKit security support - and it may be worthwhile for customers to put pressure on them to make sure they do. Why not contact the supplier and ask about this?

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