Smart Home Security: Our Head of Tech answers 5 frequently asked questions from the Nuki community

Smart devices can help you to make everyday life in your own home more comfortable and easier. They considerably increase the quality of living, and once you have set up your smart home, you don’t want to miss it anymore. For many Smart Home users, however, security is the most important aspect, which is why we regularly receive questions about it from Nuki users.

We have already answered some of these questions about security and data protection in a previous blog post – with the good news that the Nuki Combo 2.0 was certified as a “Secure Smart Home Product” this year once again (to the detailed test report of AV-TEST). Many more interesting questions about security came in from our community, so we asked Jürgen Pansy, our Head of Tech at Nuki, for a second interview, and he answered five frequently asked questions from the Nuki community.

Is a digital key more secure than a mechanical key?
Jürgen Pansy: In everyday life, a digital key is often even more secure than a common mechanical key. If the key is stolen or lost, the only secure solution is to replace the entire locking cylinder. With a Smart Lock this measure is no longer necessary. If the smartphone, which acts as a digital key, is lost, the corresponding access authorisation can be immediately deleted from the app at the touch of a button. This means that no unauthorized persons have access.
Also you have the option to see all locking processes transparently in the activity log so that you can keep an eye on everything even when you are on the move. Last but not least, you receive push notifications on your smartphone immediately, for example if the door is open or unlocked.

What makes the Nuki Smart Lock so secure against external attacks?
Jürgen Pansy: We work with end-to-end encryption uncompromisingly (Note: We have already explained in the past how this concept works and why it is so secure in a more detailed blog post). This means that we cannot decrypt any transmitted data and server messages. For the communication between Nuki App and Nuki Smart Lock via the Bridge we do not store any data on our servers.

How secure is it if I connected my Nuki Smart Lock with other smart home products, e.g. Apple HomeKit?
Jürgen Pansy: Integrations are only as secure as the respective standard or method of integration behind it. Especially integrations from well-known brands like Apple, Amazon, Google and others can be considered very secure, since they are frequently tested due to their popularity.

Is a Smart Lock more secure if it is not connected to the Internet?
Jürgen Pansy: A Smart Lock is not necessarily safer in case it is not connected to the Internet. The connection to the Internet can even offer advantages in terms of security. Remote monitoring is an additional safeguard.

Which 3 tips can you give for additional protection for your own Smart Home?
Jürgen Pansy: In general, the following things should be kept in mind when it comes to Smart Home security:

• It is recommended that you change preset default passwords on new devices immediately. Also, the same password should not be used everywhere. Use separate passwords for each new device. A password manager can be very helpful here.
• Never pass on your own WiFi password to visitors. Instead, set up a separate guest Wi-Fi for your guests. Most modern routers already support this nowadays.
• You should always go with trusted name brand smart home devices and integrations. Otherwise, passwords like those of your own home network can easily get into the wrong hands.

Do you have any questions about Nuki? Feel free to share your experiences on social media and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linkedin!