A Secure and Reliable

Smart Home
UTE GROUP
HCMC University of Technology and Education
Presentation Outline:
● Project Objective
● Introduction to IoT
● Project Requirements
● Contraints
● Components for the project
● Secure Features
● Summary
● Future Research
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Project objective:

The goal of the project was to create a Secure and

Reliable IoT Smart House that can monitor
specific criteria, as well as control specific devices.
The user will be notified of specified changes in
the monitored data.

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we do hope to get
funding for our
project
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Thank you for your
attention!

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Internet of Things:
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the inter-
networking of physical devices, vehicles
(also referred to as "connected devices" and
"smart devices"), buildings, and other items
—embedded with electronics, software,
sensors, actuators, and network connectivity
that enable these objects to collect and
exchange data. IoT allows objects to be
controlled and gather information remotely
across the already established network.

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This is our project
Hope to get funding

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Project Requirements:
● A Smart Home with the capability of monitoring the state of
the house
● Users should be able to easily make use of the Smart Home
through a web application
● The ability to notify the user of changes in the house state
● The ability to control devices within the Smart Home from the
web
● Data sent to and from the Smart Home should be secure
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Constraints
Implemented Smart Devices:

●Humidity Sensor
●Temperature Sensor
●Motion Detector
●Light Control

System Backups:

●Battery Power

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Component Definition
Hardware Server Web Application

Raspberry Pi Model B Mosquitto (MQTT) HTML/Javascript

●Control and monitor each ●Ensure secure and ●MQTT libraries available
sensor independently accurate data transmission for efficient programing
●Send data to server for ●Fast and efficient message ●Enables user to access real
user access format time information

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System Boundary

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Interface Requirements

Government Regulations ● FCC regulations to be followed

Internet ● Ensure secure and reliable data transmission

Power Grid ● Provide battery backup to limit down time

Sensor Interface ● System that allows sensors to work together

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Design Verification and Validation
● Initial testing hardware - Raspberry Pi, Cloud MQTT, web
client sample
● Goal is to establish a system where each component is
controlled by the web client
● Successfully able to turn devices on and off with the
appropriate commands
● Validation of design required us to prove that the system is
able to adapt to technological change
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Top Level Functional Requirements
Create an IOT Smart
● Interconnected system of devices
Home

System that can measure

● Raspberry Pi with sensors
and control sensors

Allow communication
● MQTT server
between devices and users

Enable user to access

● Web application
current data
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●Raspberry Pi

Allows multiple programs to be run

at once

Simple implementation of even

large systems

Many GPIO connection pins

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Mosquitto

Open Source, Free

Great degree of control

Efficient message format

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●Web application
HTML/Javascript
Libraries available for MQTT protocol
Very easy to edit using notepad or notepad++
Universal, runs on most web browsers
regardless of OS
Small filesize

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Planned Build
Components connected together in an Internet of Things
network:
●Sensors measure data to send to server

●Server controls flow of data between devices

●Web application connected to server to receive data and allow

device control
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Final Build
● Raspberry Pi, breadboard, and devices all within a single
container
● Server implemented in separate Raspberry Pi
● Web client local to user, communicates with server
through web

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Device Hub Casing
● Wood casing to contain and protect devices
● Apertures for motion sensor and camera
● Wall power routed in through back
● Water sensor routed through top
● Sound sensor, RF transmitter, and power relay are
internal
● Latch and hinged top for device access

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IoT System Diagram
● MCU Platform: Devices within the
Smart Home

● MiddleWare: MQTT Mosquitto

server

● User App: HTML web interface

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Test Execution
Hardware:
●Test accuracy of sensors
●Test camera quality
●Test RF transmission
●Test power loss detection and
battery backup
Software:
●Test latency of device control
●Test and adjust volume of
data
●Test user verification system
●Test system under high load
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Verification Results
● Water detection, RF transmission, power control, and camera
worked completely to specification
● Motion sensor and sound sensor encountered various issues in
sensitivity throughout testing
● Images and videos were perfectly sent with a time delay but had
to be compressed below 2 MB

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Secure Features:
● Firewall: The Raspberry Pi runs in Linux-based Raspbian
Operating System. The firewall feature is activated which blocks
certain kinds of network traffic, forming a barrier between a
trusted and an untrusted network. For our application, only Ports
8883 and 8884 are enabled for the communication. The port 8883
is for encrypted MQTT and 8884 is for MQTT encrypted with
client certification required. Only certain ports are open and only
certain applications are allowed. The firewall can be easily
configured and turned on and off.
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Secure Features:
● Client Authentication: The MQTT broker is configured to
require a valid username and password from a client before a
connection is permitted. Both the Raspberry Pi and mobile APPs
need to provide correct combinations of user name and password
to establish a connection. The username/password combination is
transmitted in clear text and is not secure without some form of
transport encryption. However, this approach does provide an easy
way of restricting access to a broker and is probably the most
common form of identification used.
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 Secure Features:
● Client Certification: For high level of security, TLS client
certification is adopted in this Smart Home system. This is the most
secure method of client authentication but also the most difficult to
implement in a regular embedded system. Since Linux OS is used on
the edge device, it is relatively easy to implement.
● TLS security is a part of the TCP IP protocol and not part of MQTT,
and it provides an encrypted pipeline through which MQTT message
can flow. The TLS certification provides an encryption of all MQTT
message instead of MQTT message payload.
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Secure Features:
● Payload Encryption: If necessary, Payload encryption can be
used to encrypt/decrypt MQTT message. Payload encryption is
done at the application layer and not by MQTT broker. The data is
encrypted end to end and not just between the client and the
broker, however, the payload encryption will add significant
overhead for the communication. In our system, Payload
encryption is not employed.

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Secure Features:
● Overall, by combing Linux firewall, client user name and
password, TLS encryption, this Smart IoT system is secure and
meet industrial standard.

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Summary
● An IoT Smart Home using off-the-shelf Raspberry Pi, with the combination of various
sensors (gas, motion, sound, water, etc) and actuators (Outlet control, camera, etc) is
introduced in this paper.
● Data to be monitored are: temperature, humidity, movement, water, and power. An
outlet, camera, and microphone can be controlled by the user from any mobile device.
● The user will be notified in any change in the monitored data, if it changes beyond their
given range. The device also works while power is out in the house; which means a
battery back-up and Internet hot spot can be included as well.
● The transmission of data is secure and reliable with firewall configuration, client
authorization and certification, payload encryption, etc.

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Future Research:
● Instead of using Raspberry Pi as front-end, Ti secure embedded
Launchpad will be used which is more secure. Ti Launchpad is a
bare-metal EM platform which is widely used in industry.
● Android and/or IoS App developed instead of using
HTML/Javascript for back-end

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Questions?

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