Table 4.

Proposed security threat and risk countermeasures to be applied in IoT-based smart home environments.

Threat ID	Possible Mitigation Approaches
	Control access to the system using efficient biometric identifiers [49]
1	Implement a user awareness program to make users aware of social engineering
	Implement multi-factor authentication
	Avoid using insecure Wi-Fi, which gives hackers access to personal data
2	Set up a secure network before using a home automation application
	Be aware of stolen or lost devices
	Use a secure communication channel by utilizing a secure virtual private network (VPN)
3	Limit network traffic such that it is accessible only to authorized users
	Develop a security awareness training program for smart home inhabitants
	Use an intrusion detection system (IDS) / intrusion prevention system (IPS)
4	Use encryption mechanisms for security data transmission [50]
	Perform frequent data backups to keep copies of sensitive data
	Secure the physical locations of installed devices
5	Provide secure access to device configuration interfaces
	Replace the default usability configuration of installed devices
	Use commodity hardware and software to collect and examine network traffic [33,34]
6	Create backups of the working system’s configurations
	Always monitor system’s performance, looking for misbehavior incidents
	Apply a strong authentication mechanism such as fingerprint authentication [51]
7	Offer awareness and training programs regarding system security
	Ensure that system configurations are secure and performed by authentic people
	Restrict physical access to devices to only authentic people
8	Avoid infrastructure outsourcing to a third-party service provider
	Modify default device configurations to achieve a better security level
	Disable unnecessary location tracking services on mobile devices
9	Develop a good understanding of user privacy concerns
	Track system behavior to identify any suspicious privacy leakage
	Use only trusted and authentic networks (wired or wireless)
10	Share information carefully and in a restricted manner
	Use only trusted providers to receive technical support for hardware failures in smart home