b'Partner News Spring 2022 11AcademicThe increasing rollout of Internet of ThingsAbundant data streams(IoT) devices, smart meters and demand- During the 18-month project the team side management technologies will bringwill engage with users and delve into the more functionality and comfort to ourcommunications between IoT devices. homes. These various and abundant data streams Importantly, this also carries the promiseexist between IoT devices and DSM of a more controllable household powertechnologies to operate and signal devices demand, which can be at least partiallyat various times of the day. shaped to better match the generation availability in the network.Furthermore, many of the DSM technologies would employ various complicated This transformation brings many excitingalgorithms like electrical vehicle smart opportunities and benefits, but with newcharging to control the operations of technological advances problems are oftenvarious devices based on signals from the only addressed once they become apparentIoT devices and the grid. and the damage has already been done.The privacy paradox Protecting the smart home The researchers have already identified Homes are a sanctuary for many of us, withsituations where end users are trading special protection afforded to this privateprivacy for digital convenience: something space under the law.known as the privacy paradox. Historic occurrences of privacy and securityThey believe these users require new tools related harms linked to home IoT devices,to ensure privacy is maintained within the smart meters and demand-side managementsmart home and aim to develop conceptual (DSM) technologies include denial oftools to improve their situational awareness service (DoS) attacks, malware infections,and agency.eavesdropping, attacks that compromise data integrity and different types of userThis is a very exciting project as it will take impersonation attacks either through sociala socio-technical approach to minimising engineering or password cracking. the security and privacy harms that can arise from combining multiple, novel, Introducing PrivIoT connected technologies in the home, says Last September a project was launchedProject Lead, Dr James Nicholson from entitled Understanding and MitigatingNorthumbria University.Privacy risks of IoT Homes with Demand-Side Management (PrivIoT).Well be looking to truly understand the technical landscape of concrete threats This is looking into smart home privacybefore exploring how best to communicate issues relating to interactions betweenthese to citizens and encourage open The PrivIoT project ishome IoT devices, smart meters anddiscussions amongst communities. demand-side management (DSM) looking into smart hometechnologies. We think this project will be of great security issues relating tobenefit for our industry by improving the Funded by the PETRAS National Centre ofawareness of users and how they share and interactions between IoTExcellence for IoT Systems Cybersecurity,secure their home IoT data, continues Dr PrivIoT sees researchers from NorthumbriaAftab Khan, Principal Research Engineer at devices, smart meters andUniversity, Royal Holloway University ofToshiba Research Europe. demand-side managementLondon, University of Manchester and University of Nottingham coming togetherWe see this as a strategic priority now and (DSM) technologies. with industrial partners Otaski Energyin the future, he concludes.Solutions, Toshiba and CybSafe to work on this challenge. They are also joined by a steering committee that includes members of Northumbria Police and the National Cyber Security Centre.'