With the smartphone, many household appliances can already be controlled and monitored. With the “eqiva Lock” from eQ-3, the entrance door control is now added. Via the accompanying smartphone app, the front door can be locked and unlocked. The door lock communicates via Bluetooth and not with other communication devices or the Internet. Is that safe? Yes. The experts of the VDE Institute have checked the entire door lock with the related apps for iOS and Android for their information security in order to ensure that no uninvited guests can gain access to the home. This demonstrates that the safety of the “eqiva Lock” is decisively higher compared to the underlying Bluetooth smart platform.
The VDE Institute also certified the Homematic IP System, the new smart home generation of eQ-3, for information and data security. The experts at the VDE Institute also reviewed the backend (server in the datacenter), the gateway (home control) and the apps for iOS and Android and determined a positive result, again. For the proprietary radio protocol, which uses the gateway for communication with the sensors and actuators in the house, a check of the radio protocol was carried out on the basis of the specification. They then tested the implementation with penetration tests (checking the security vulnerabilities). This makes Homematic IP the first smart home system with a safety-certified end-to-end solution.
The Homematic IP portfolio contains products for room climate control, security, lighting, shading and other additional equipment. The configuration, monitoring and control are also done with a free app. For this purpose, the Homematic IP Access Point enables communication between the local radio- or cable-connected devices and the Homematic IP Cloud Service. No personal data is stored on the Homematic IP Access Point. "Especially in the smart home sector it is important that the consumer trust the technology. The fear of criminals gaining access easily to their home is big. The VDE certificate is a proof of information security that creates trust. At the same time, we are strengthening the market for smart home technologies, "said Wolfgang Niedziella, Managing Director of the VDE Testing and Certification Institute, at the occasion of certification handover at IFA.
