Privacy, Security, and Connected Devices: Key Takeaways From CES 2024

Last updated at Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:51:09 GMT

The topic of data privacy has become so relevant in our age of smart technology. With everything becoming connected, including our homes, workplaces, cities, and even our cars, those who develop this technology are obligated to identify consumers' expectations for privacy and then find the best ways to meet those expectations. This of course includes determining how to best secure the data with which these technologies interact. As you can imagine, accomplishing these requirements is no easy feat.

Yes, connected technology developers have their work cut out for them, and that’s why CES 2024 included a panel to discuss this very topic: “Safeguarding Your Sanctuary: Expectations for Data Privacy in the Smart Home Era.” I had the privilege of being a part of this four-person panel, and if you weren’t in the room with us, here’s your chance to get some of the key takeaways from our discussion.

Putting the Consumer’s Needs First

What do consumers expect? The answer to this question is not black and white because individual consumers have different views of what privacy means to them. Therefore, defining a baseline that puts control of much of this data back in the hands of the consumer becomes critical.

That said, if consumers are going to have the ability to make their own data decisions then it’s important that easily understood mechanisms for managing data privacy are embedded within their smart technology. The greater technology community should also do its part to educate consumers on the overall importance of privacy and security — and the role they play in ensuring it for themselves.

Another example of putting the consumer’s needs first is when vendors have an online presence where they share details about their security and privacy policies and processes along with a point of contact so security researchers and consumers can report potential security issues within a product. The vendor’s website is also a perfect place for them to step in and play a role in educating consumers on privacy and security topics. I pointed out that if a consumer is researching product brands for purchase and a vendor has nothing to say about their privacy policies or their security program, then I typically recommend steering away from that product brand.  

The Do’s and Don’ts of Data Collection and Sharing

User data collection and sharing is a central theme in consumer privacy and data security, and our CES panel discussed this at length. Consumer opt-in for data sharing is becoming the rule rather than the exception, and our panel agreed with this practice.

One good example of data sharing in which many consumers would choose to opt in is home security vendors sharing customer data with insurance companies, thereby allowing for the consumer to potentially get a discount on their homeowner’s insurance premiums.

We also discussed data collected by the product vendor for the purpose of improving product performance and capabilities. This process should be expected, but we also pointed out that vendors should have a data retention policy and process in place that includes purging data past a certain age. For one, most data typically loses value over time as it relates to product enhancement purposes; if this data isn’t purged it could create a higher level of risk for the vendor should the data be stolen in a breach. Also, collecting and storing data that may not have any apparent business value is a risky move that vendors should avoid.

Outsmarting Connected Devices

Where do smart devices go to die… or to be reborn? The fact is, many consumers don’t always consider the serious privacy and security implications, which explains why over the last five years more than 30% of the previously used Internet of Things (IoT) devices I have purchased from Ebay for research and training purposes get delivered to me still containing consumer data, including product account passwords and WIFI pre-shared key data.

Consumers need to ensure that they do a factory reset on the devices they are disposing of. Not only that, in today’s smart home and smart car scenarios, consumers need to be extra mindful of the connected devices they’re using that will change hands. Selling your home or car means more than just turning over the keys, it means factory resetting anything that’s interacted with your personal data. Vendors can also play a role here by properly documenting the processes for factory resetting their products and also making sure those processes are easy for a consumer to perform.