Someone just bought your smart home. Did they get your data, too?

It’s move-in day, and you finally have the papers and the keys for your new home. But do you have the passwords?

That’s one of the questions homebuyers and renters should be asking themselves now that connected devices like locks, lights and thermostats are growing more common, according to the Online Trust Alliance. The industry group joined up with the U.S. National Association of Realtors to compile a checklist for anyone moving in or out of a connected home.

Built-in Internet of Things gear can make a new residence like a gadget you’d buy from an electronics store, with the added complication that someone else configured and used it before you did. Access to connected-home devices can mean a view into intimate information about how someone lives, or how they lived before they moved out: Door locks and thermostats might record when you’re home, lights note what rooms you spend your time in, and security cameras keep an eye on you.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Network World Security