Haney, J.
, Acar, Y.
, Li, A.
and Haney, F.
(2025),
Survey on Smart Home Users' Security and Privacy Perceptions and Actions: A Device Category Perspective, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1343, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=960669
(Accessed December 20, 2025)
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Survey on Smart Home Users' Security and Privacy Perceptions and Actions: A Device Category Perspective
Published
Author(s)
, Yasemin Acar, Anna Li, Faith Haney
Abstract
Although smart home adoption in the United States (U.S.) is growing, smart home users may harbor security and privacy concerns or uncertainty about how to best protect their devices and the data those collect. Further, there have been few insights into how users' perspectives on smart home security and privacy differ depending on device category. This may leave the smart home community at a disadvantage in knowing how to focus user education efforts to address device- specific misunderstandings or concerns. As a result, consumers may remain uninformed or lack motivation to protect some device categories, leaving devices and data vulnerable. Towards closing this gap, we conducted a survey of 401 U.S. smart home users with devices in five categories: lighting, security devices, sensors, thermostats, and voice assistants. Participants viewed voice assistants as most problematic and were most confident about security devices and thermostats. We also report novel results related to perceptions of smart home security and privacy responsibility and users' thoughts on device categories seldom explored in research. Our identification of differences across device categories can contribute to greater user empowerment through tailored smart home user education materials.Citation
Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1343
Report Number
1343
NIST Pub Series
Pub Type
NIST Pubs
Download Paper
Keywords
smart home, internet of things, cybersecurity, privacy, human-centered cybersecurity, human factors
Citation
Issues
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Created December 19, 2025