- AV-TEST awards Deutsche Telekom's smart home platform top marks for the fifth time running
- Secure communication with the smart home
- Multi-layer protection against third party tampering
People who trust Deutsche Telekom to connect their smart homes are playing it safe according to the experts at AV-TEST. The independent institute for IT security tested how well Deutsche Telekom's smart home solution is protected against hackers. Such protection is an important end-user requirement.
Deutsche Telekom's smart home platform received top marks for the fifth time running: AV-TEST attests "Excellent protection" (03/2019). Deutsche Telekom successfully prevents external manipulation and therefore the communication with the smart home is secure, say the testers.
The Qivicon platform is the foundation for smart home solutions by Deutsche Telekom and its partners in six different countries. More than 350,000 customers in Germany trust in Deutsche Telekom's own Magenta SmartHome offering. Thanks to open standards, it can be used to control several hundred devices from a variety of brands. Data security and privacy always take top priority.
Multi-level protection concept
Deutsche Telekom's offering is based on a multi-level protection concept that includes all components of the solution.
The testers targeted the Home Base, the heart of the connected home. Customers use this control center to operate their smart devices. The gateway in the home and the security servers in the internet use encrypted communication with strong algorithms to guarantee security. The individual household devices communicate with the gateway using wireless standards with the latest security features. The supported standards include ZigBee, HomeMatic, Homematic IP, DECT ULE, and IP. As a result, Magenta SmartHome users have excellent protection against potential hacking attacks.
Alternatively, customers can control their Magenta SmartHomes easily with Deutsche Telekom's standard routers. The Speedport Smart is already installed in millions of German households and supports Magenta SmartHome Basic, Deutsche Telekom's free introductory offer.
Deutsche Telekom stores users' personal data in Germany, where it is subject to Germany's strict data protection and privacy regulations. It follows the principle of data economy and only processes the information that is essential to run the system. During regular audits, experts test a variety of attack vectors to check for system vulnerabilities.
The 2019 security test explained
The testers tested the current Home Base in combination with the Magenta SmartHome App for Apple and Android devices. They examined the interaction with typical smart home devices. The representative selection contained a dozen devices for various applications, including cameras, door contacts, and LED lamps. The devices communicated with the Home Base via wireless and IP.
Deutsche Telekom uses secure authentication, not only for the authorization check in the local network, but also when customers use the app to control their smart homes. All relevant connections are secure and encrypted with the TLS 1.2 (Transport Layer Security) protocol. As a result, the data is protected against eavesdropping and tampering. The Qivicon platform is also equipped to fend off man-in-the-middle attacks. In such attacks, hackers attempt to take control of data traffic between the Home Base and the devices unnoticed. Deutsche Telekom's smart home stops them in their tracks and ensures that all communication is secure.
The solution meets all the requirements of the experts at AV-TEST and was awarded the seal "Approved Smart Home Product". The test result received the label "Excellent protection".
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