How to Curtail Oversensing in the Home

Future homes will employ potentially hundreds of Internet of Things (IoT) devices whose sensors may inadvertently leak sensitive information. A previous Communications Inside Risks column ("The Future of the Internet of Things," Feb. 2017) discusses how the expected scale of the IoT introduces threats that require considerations and mitigations.2 Future homes are an IoT hotspot that will be particularly at risk. Sensitive information such as passwords, identification, and financial transactions are abundant in the home--as are sensor systems such as digital assistants, smartphones, and interactive home appliances that may unintentionally capture this sensitive information. IoT device manufacturers should employ sensor sensor permissioning systems to limit applications access to only sensor data required for operation, reducing the risk that malicious applications may gain sensitive information. For example, a simple notepad application should not have microphone access.