Smart home technology is on the rise and an indispensable part of a modern household. We all know that technological progress initially also entails mistrust, also with smart locks. How secure is a smart lock? We will help you answer this question in this blog.
Smart door locks offer more security and overview than conventional locks. In general, cracking a smart lock is much more difficult than breaking open a conventional lock. With a smart lock on your door you can see via an App, who opened the door and when. If necessary, you can easily revoke digital keys if a smartphone has been stolen. This makes smart locks more secure.
Check our video on the security of LOQED here:
Via our Facebook page we recently received several reactions regarding the security of smart locks. I have selected the responses that I would like to discuss:
- 'Smart products can ALWAYS be hacked! I prefer an actual key!’
- ‘Wonder what the insurance thinks about smart locks’
- ‘Is it possible to copy the Bluetooth signal like they sometimes do with car keys? Otherwise when I lie in bed with my Bluetooth on the burglar can just sneak in.’
- ‘What if your iPhone is stolen and they know where you live. Then breaking in suddenly becomes easy!’
Let's first say that every question is justified and let that also be exactly the questions we asked ourselves while designing the LOQED Touch Smart Lock. It is not without reason we have spent 3 years developing a product we support, and where security and privacy where most important.
1. "Smart products can ALWAYS be hacked! I prefer an actual key!"
The LOQED Touch Smart Lock has 256-bit encryption and is SKG three-star certified.
What is Encryption?
Millions of people around the world have access to the Internet. Still, we can exchange messages, pay bills and share files over the Internet in a way that only a specific group of people can see. This means that a large part of the internet is not visible to everyone because these parts are encrypted. This is done with encryption.
Encryption is a way of converting data, in our case your access key, into a secret code. This ensures this data is not accessible for everyone. 256-bit encryption refers to the length of the digital key used to encrypt a data stream. This is very safe and is therefore used by banks and governments.
2. "Wonder what the insurance thinks about Smart Locks"
Besides digital security, most smart locks are also certified with the SKG three-star certificate. This is the highest attainable security certificate for a lock.
The gradations are structured:
1 star; standard burglar resistant
One star; products with one star are not considered self-burglar resistant. This means it must be used with at least one other equivalent or stronger product.
2 stars; heavy burglary resistant
If a product has two stars, it is sufficiently burglar-resistant and can be used independently. It takes an extra 3 minutes for the intruder to come in.
3 stars; very heavy burglary resistant
A product with three stars is heavily burglar-resistant and can be used independently. It takes the burglar at least 5 minutes extra to enter your house.
The LOQED Touch Smart lock is SKG three-star certified and is integrated into the door. It is the only smart lock on the market that is completely keyless. Drill protection has been placed at the location of the keyhole instead. The major Dutch insurance companies cover against theft if you have a proper lock. You are often covered even if there are no signs of burglary. Always check your insurance policy.
Another question you can ask yourself is, "How secure is my current lock?" You can for example lose the key and there are several ways to open a conventional lock easily and within seconds. We have studied and remedied these possibilities, so it is much more difficult to enter a door with a LOQED Touch smart lock without having to force the entire door. In general, our smart lock is safer than a conventional lock.
3. “Is it possible to copy the Bluetooth signal like they sometimes do with car keys? Otherwise when I lie in bed with my Bluetooth on the burglar can just sneak in.”
The LOQED Touch Smart Lock has intelligence on both sides of the door. The LOQED Touch Smart Lock is the only smart lock that has not one but two antennas build in. One on the inside and one on the outside of the door, this way the lock knows where you are and will not open when you enter through the garage.
Protection against relay attacks
Recently, there was news that cars are being stolen by amplifying the wireless signal from the car key, making it look like the key is close to the car, instead of in the house, for example. The LOQED Touch Smart Lock is protected against this “relay attack”. We do this by applying geofencing and a timer, so the LOQED app no longer connects to Bluetooth after you come home. So you can go to sleep at night with peace of mind.
4. “What if your iPhone is stolen and they know where you live. Then breaking in suddenly becomes extremely easy!”
Technology has become an indispensable part of our society, we increasingly rely on smartphone apps to perform everyday tasks. This varies from sending a photo, reading the news to online banking. This has its advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is for sure: the risk of losing your phone would raise troubling thoughts in anyone.
This thought can also prevent you from buying a smart lock when this is fortunately not the case. Access codes and digital keys can be easily and remotely adjusted or removed by logging in to another device or in our portal. This means you always have full control over your front door, and you decide who has access. Even if you have lost your phone.
Conclusion:
Buying a smart lock is more than just opening and closing your door. It's about the safety of your family, being able to leave your belongings behind without worries and that no unwanted guests can enter. I hope I have been able to show you, that a smart lock is a safer solution than a conventional lock. If you still have questions, we would like to hear from you.
