IOT Home Security: Everything You Need to Know

Applying the Internet of Things (IoT) into home security systems has revolutionized how we effectively secure our homes. The internet, a digital network connecting our everyday objects, makes electronics, and the activities for which we use them, smarter and more efficient.

Being able to send and receive information over the internet has made it so that connected security devices can be remotely controlled, video feeds can be viewed, and sensor activity can be reported to both homeowners and professional monitoring companies.

How is IoT used in home security?

IoT-enabled home security systems use smart devices such as sensors, cameras, and control panels to create a network that can be accessed remotely. Remote access to a home security system is usually done through a mobile app downloaded onto the homeowner’s smartphone. This app, designed to work with the home security system, is equipped with controls and features that work with the paired devices.

How does IoT home security work?

When accessing your home security system over the internet, you will first need to login to a specific program using a secure password. A strong password protects homeowners by providing limited access to authorized users only.

Once logged in to the security system, any equipment that communicates through the security system should be accessible. If internet-enabled equipment is not integrated with the security system even though it’s considered part of the home’s overall security, it will require an app specific to that device.

Some of the security devices that can be viewed or controlled are detailed below:

• Contact door and window sensors report whether they are opened or closed, and the sensor’s given name and current status should be visible.

• Motion sensors, glassbreak detectors, and indoor video cameras can alert to interior activity, even if other sensors did not detect a change in the perimeter.

• Environmental sensors can report unsafe conditions, such as freeze, flood, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide buildup, or natural gas build up, depending on the type of sensors.

• Garage door controllers can allow remote confirmation that a garage door is securely closed when needed and enable opening of the garage door using a mobile app.

• Smart home devices, such as smart lights, smart switches, and smart thermostats can be adjusted from a remote location.

• The security system, usually a panel or keypad, can be armed or disarmed, and this can be done at will, on a scheduled basis, or following rules that change the armed status based on your location, such as if you are approaching your home and enter a geo fence.

Benefits of IoT Home Security

Connections between a home security system and a professional monitoring company have become far more reliable and much faster. This allows for improvements in the responsiveness of a security system. Prior to widespread internet access, a security system would report an alarm by using a landline to dial an alarm response center. With the internet, and Wi-Fi reported alarms, this happens electronically and near instantaneously. Even in the interruption of a Wi-Fi signal, many security systems have a cellular internet backup module that it can report through.

In the event that a false alarm is triggered, being copied on the alarm via cellular notifications can put you in a better position to cancel the dispatch of emergency services. For example, someone may forget to disarm their system when they walk into their back yard. Reducing false alarms increases the confidence of first responders that a dispatch is more likely a genuine emergency.

The IoT has also had an impact on residences as burglary targets. In the late 1990s, IP security cameras became available to the public, making it so that digital footage could be transferred over the internet. Today, home security cameras can deliver a high-definition, live video stream over a Wi-Fi signal, broadcasting directly to a homeowner’s mobile device. Moreso, these cameras can be programmed to detect and record specific activities, such as a person’s or animal’s movement or the movement of vehicles within its field of view. This recorded footage can also be viewed remotely.

Being able to remotely access the feed from home security cameras has proven to be a strong deterrent to burglars, and the availability of home security cameras has contributed to an overall decline in residential burglaries. In 2023, there was a rate reduction of 3% down from 2022, a decrease of 1,052 residential burglary incidents.

Another benefit of security systems that use the IoT is the integration of smart home devices. Having the ability to remotely turn on devices, such as lights, can provide an appearance of occupancy in a property, discouraging burglary and vandalism. Additionally, this can be used to increase the comfort and convenience of a property. By controlling a smart thermostat, the temperature of a home can be changed ahead of arrival, allowing the home to reach a pleasant ambient temperature without needing to run the system 24/7.

Smart lights can also light the entrance to a home, or any other part that can help improve the safety of the property, without the need to first cross the room to reach a light switch.

There are a multitude of ways to configure security devices that integrate into the IoT, and working with a professional monitoring company, such as Brinks Home™, can help ensure that any and all devices added work seamlessly together as part of a fully functioning, unified home security system. Contact us today to speak with a Security Consultant who can provide custom solutions for securing your home using current technology and professional installation backed by a Five Diamond certified alarm center.