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Z-Wave Announces New IoT Security Standards

A new security standard from Z-Wave is designed to make networked home devices impenetrable, preventing their use in botnets that take down the internet.

Written By

Sue Walsh

Nov 18, 2016

Last month’s massive DDoS attack, which used hacked consumer IoT devices in a botnet to effectively take a major portion of the internet offline, has prompted one smart home wireless technology provider to take action.

Z-Wave and the Z-Wave Alliance, an open consortium of companies around the globe who are deploying the Z-Wave Smart Standard, announced Nov. 17 they are adding a security requirement to its interoperability certification. The board of directors has voted for mandatory implementation of its new Security 2 (S2) framework for all Z-Wave certified products starting from April 2, 2017. The alliance stated S2 provides the strongest security in the market for smart home devices, controllers, hubs and gateways.

The S2 framework was developed with the help of hacking experts to ensure new levels of impenetrability, the alliance stated. Secure communication now exists both in local device and in the cloud hub or gateway. Cryptography and the use of a QR or PIN code provide unique authentication and remove the risk of network hacking, and all cloud communication is tunneled through a secure TLS. 1.1 tunnel.

“This recent decision … stems from a growing need for industry leadership in the smart home space to take the security and privacy of devices in the market seriously,” commented Mitchell Klein, executive director of the Z-Wave Alliance. “No one can afford to sit on their hands and wait — consumers deserve IoT devices in their home to have the strongest levels of security possible. IoT smart home technologies that don’t act will be left behind.”

A recent survey by Intel Security found that two-thirds of consumers are concerned about IoT security and the recent spate of incidents and proof-of-concept attacks shows they have reason to be. The Z-Wave Alliance stated they have been working on strong security for their devices for the past few years.

More information can be found on the Z-Wave Alliance website.