Data security in the smart home with Livy

Is my data in the smart home really secure? What should I pay attention to when it comes to data security? Anyone who sets up a smart home cannot avoid a comprehensive examination of the issue if data security is to be covered in addition to comfort requirements. We would like to give you more information and important tips on data security in the smart home and take a look at our own security precautions for Livy.

If unauthorized persons have access to your data, not only individual functions can be blocked, but in some cases even the entire system can be paralyzed and in the worst case cause a high level of material damage. Unauthorized persons could also invade your privacy: Smart locks, for example, could be used to gain unnoticed access to your home if they are not sufficiently secure.

In the first part of our series of articles on data security in the smart home, we already listed the security gaps that can arise and what you should look out for before you buy. Now we want to take a closer look at our own technical precautions for your data security.

Encrypted data transmission in your smart home

In the early days of the Internet, data security was not as important as it is today. All communication was transmitted openly and unencrypted from one computer to another. Similar to a postcard that any mailman can read. The TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol introduced encryption of transmitted data so that it could only be read by authorized recipients. Since it is independent of applications and operating systems, TLS can be used universally and therefore also serves as a secure variant for data transmission in the smart home.

With Livy, too, user data is only transmitted in encrypted form.
To prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands unfiltered, all data of the video live stream, 2-way audio and sensor values are transmitted and processed via secure encryption technology (TLS). Only authorized users have access to this data. In the case of Livy, these are the members of your own Livy community, whom you can add as trusted persons and assign access rights individually.
This way, only people who are either family members or close confidants have access to your Livy device and the data stored within your location in the app.

In our first article on data security in the smart home, we explained what you should look out for when buying smart devices and highlighted the fact that certain caution is also required with smart home cameras. Namely, whenever a form of continuous monitoring takes place and you cannot control the camera yourself or the transmission of the stream runs in continuous mode. Basically, IP cameras can represent a blatant security risk. However, you can make a significant contribution to security by choosing the necessary passwords for your WLAN or camera in a particularly secure manner.
But: Don't be afraid of cameras in your own home.

Having a smart camera in your home does not automatically mean that you have to be afraid of a hacker attack and that every private step will be filmed. The technical hurdles for this are usually quite high and the resulting effort for a hacker is usually not worth it for private individuals.

With the Smart Living Station from Livy, access to your camera is only incumbent on community members with "resident" status. This means that access by external parties and unauthorized persons is prevented.

DThe camera is switched on manually by you. Before switching on, an audiovisual signal appears as an indication, so that people in the room know that the camera is switched on. This means that there is no constant video surveillance and people in the room cannot be secretly spied on. At the beginning of the video live stream, you will see the LED ring light up, which gives you the indication that the video live stream is active.
In addition, during development we make sure that there are no open vulnerabilities for you and increase data security for you through regular software updates.

No video or audio sequences are recorded via the Livy app or the Smart Living Station while you are in the video livestream. Exclusively in case of an alarm, the Livy Pro Plan records a short video sequence and stores it encrypted for you on a cloud with servers in Germany to contribute to a possible perpetrator conviction in case of a burglary. These video sequences can be deleted manually by you or automatically within 30 days. Also only you and your community members with resident status have access to these video sequences.

Note: The video sequences in the event of an alarm are deleted completely automatically in the cloud after 30 days and cannot be restored.

Your data remains on servers in Germany

Our business model is not based on the sale of personal data and, of course, we always adhere to DSGVO-compliant data processing. All user data that you share with us or that is processed through a function is stored in encrypted form on servers in Germany. For this purpose, we work with the German company Hetzner Online GmbH. Hetzner Online is a professional web hosting service provider and experienced data center operator.

As a matter of principle, we only store data that is necessary for the proper functioning of our services and which you expressly agree to in advance.

Data security without specialized personnel thanks to simple commissioning

In addition to the device-specific security precautions, competent programming and commissioning of the smart home is particularly important in order to exclude security gaps that could be caused by users themselves. The more complicated the system or the higher the number of integrated individual devices, the higher the error rate for intact data security.

Our smart all-in-one solution not only offers you a number of functions and sensors bundled in a compact station, but also focuses on uncomplicated installation and intuitive handling. You can install it yourself within a few minutes. Our aim is not only to provide you with a simplified user experience, but also to protect your data by eliminating possible installation errors from the outset.

With Livy devices, you eliminate the need for complex configurations and regular maintenance by professionals.
Our devices are already tested for functionality before they are shipped to you and are kept at a safety standard by regular software updates. By integrating different sensors and functions in only one compact device, you avoid a multitude of individual devices.
You can manage Livy products centrally in just one app, reducing the total number of shared data to different manufacturers and vendors.
Increase data security in the smart home with fewer individual devices.

Data security is an important concern for us in the interest of our users. That's why we make sure right from the development strategy of our devices that we rely on security solutions on both the hardware and software sides that make using our products a safe pleasure for our users.
For eventualities and questions, our experts are at your disposal in live chats, personal consultations and a German email support.

You still have questions about our Smart Living Station and want to get more information?
Contact our support team now and get live advice or book your individual consultation appointment directly by phone.