The demand for smart homes is surging, as homeowners continue to seek innovative ways to monitor their properties. According to statistics on ComfyLiving.net, there are about 175 million smart homes worldwide and 86% of millennials will spend more on connected homes. There are several factors driving the adoption of smart homes, such as advanced technologies, affordable costs, increased control over energy use, and home automation.

Because all devices and appliances in a smart home are connected through the internet of things, you can control their functionality remotely with a smartphone. Not to mention, you can secure your smart home with IoT. IoT-enabled devices allow you to monitor and manage the security risks of your smart home. Keep reading to understand everything about IoT in home security, including its role, benefits, and use cases.

Manage Home Surveillance

The primary role of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices is to stay on top of home surveillance management. For example, if your home features smart locks, IoT will monitor who has access to your doors. Smart doorbells, for instance, can identify strangers and communicate with you before granting them access. Note that smart doorbells feature high-definition cameras that get activated automatically by motion. When smart doorbells detect unusual movement, they send you a notification on your smartphone. They can also trigger an alarm or contact the police to ensure your home is safe.

How IoT Manages Home Security

If you're like many homeowners, you're probably wondering how the Internet of Things manages security in your home. Typically, IoT combines artificial intelligence or AI to improve the performance of home security devices like fire sensors, doorbells, CCTV cameras, and smart lights. It's also worth noting IoT devices are connected to a private app or external world of apps in the cloud.

This device connectivity enables the transfer of device data and supports users with enhanced monitoring power that promotes informed decision-making. The top advantage of IoT-connected devices is that your smart home systems share data in real time. That way, you can react quickly if you suspect your home's security has been compromised.

By sending device data to homeowners, connected devices also provide vital information about security device manufacturers. This gives homeowners an opportunity to better monitor their security systems and stay up-to-date with device updates. Not to mention, IoT-enabled security solutions also provide improved device authentication and management, secure connections, and data loss prevention.

IoT Promotes Remote Monitoring

The desire of every homeowner is to have unlimited control over their home, even when they're at work or traveling. And that's where IoT-based security systems come in. Today's homeowners can monitor activities in their homes from anywhere on their smartphones or other mobile devices. Remote monitoring powered by the Internet of Things provides real-time updates of your smart home.

With the help of AI, IoT home security devices detect changes in the environment and send alerts to users. Once you've received the alerts, you can monitor your home even from remote locations. Smart home security systems will then trigger an action based on your response. For example, let's say your security system detects a gas leak. You can trigger an alarm or call local authorities to inspect your house to eliminate any risks of fire outbreak.

Enhanced Visitor Identification

Another benefit of installing IoT home security systems is the ability to identify visitors before they can get access to your home. Thanks to advanced video technology like face detection in smart cameras and doorbells, you can see guests on your smartphone and communicate with them without unlocking the door. This feature helps to turn away strangers and suspicious individuals, thus ensuring your home is secure. Enhanced visitor identification also helps know who visited and what they wanted even when you're away. You can even grant access to those you trust from a remote area, providing complete convenience.

Other Use Cases of IoT Security Solutions

Besides protecting your home against external factors, IoT-enabled security solutions curb vulnerabilities that may cause accidents. Ideally, IoT security solutions help prevent fire breakouts or flooding in the home by sending alerts immediately when they detect a gas leak or pipe leak. And with advancements in technology, you can also prevent snow-related accidents in your compound by adding snow detectors to your arsenal of smart home IoT devices.

The cold weather comes with extra responsibility for snow and ice removal not just for commercial property owners, but also homeowners. Removing snow and ice from your premises is vital to reduce the risk of structural damage in driveways and rooftops, improve accessibility, and reduce the risk of injury. With a snow detector enabled by IoT and telematics, you can read snow depth with ease. IoT-powered snow detectors also send alerts to your snow removal service provider in real time when snow accumulates in your compound.

Choosing IoT Home Security System Connectivity

The Internet of Things boosts the performance of home security systems, but you must choose the right connectivity technology. When selecting a connected home security system, you can opt for cellular, satellite, Wi-Fi, low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN), Ethernet, or Bluetooth. It's important to understand one connectivity option might not accommodate all your smart home devices and security applications. Therefore, take time to learn how various IoT network connectivity options work, then pick two or three that work. For instance, you could choose a combination of wireless and cellular connectivity to connect your IoT security systems.

Remember, each option has its pros and cons. For example, a cellular network connection is ideal because almost all smart home security devices run on a mobile phone. However, cellular has a higher power consumption and isn't ideal for battery-powered devices and sensors, as they consume a lot of power. So, factor in the bandwidth, power consumption, and range of different connection methods before making a decision.