How secure are smart locks?
inside of the door, all that’s required is a simple twist of a thumb turn and it’s unlocked. It’s easy to install yourself (as long as you have the right door), and can be used as an addition to a traditional lock if that’s more what you’re looking for.
The PIN access is handy because it’s a way to create temporary keys. You set yourself a long master PIN, and you can program in easily revertible PINs for those you want to be able to get through. You can generate a PIN with an expiry date, one which automatically expires after a certain time has elapsed. Perfect for, say, Airbnb rentals, which could potentially be secured without needing to exchange a key or leave physical keys in a lockbox.
The same is true of its Bluetooth keys. These can be generated, again with a limited time attached to them, and sent on to those who you want to be able to access the lock. They just need to wake it up with a press of their palm on its keypad, and it can then be unlocked through their phone. Convenient for you, convenient for visitors, and Igloohome’s app makes those virtual keys easy to manage. You don’t even need to be in Bluetooth range to generate something that’ll work;
the app has knowledge of your lock’s private (and very secret) encryption key, and can use this to create usable keys even without telling the lock that it’s going to do so.
ATTACK VECTORS
The Smart Deadbolt 2S is, by some margin, the best of the smart locks we’ve tried, and we’ve tried a few. It looks great, its app works well, and those multiple functions mean it’s really useful. You may worry about brute force attacks, and that’s definitely a possibility. Someone with enough time and the right technology could likely find some way to stumble on the right PIN or the correct Bluetooth combination to get in, or somehow pick all of the pins on its complex lock. They could, but that would be a waste of time. Locks are there to slow down intruders, not to stop them: anyone concerned enough about getting past the Smart Deadbolt’s rather mighty metal construction would be best served doing so in a violent manner.
Admittedly we’ve not tried this ourselves, but that would be the most logical method. You at least won’t need to get the crowbar out if the battery goes flat, both due to the physical key option and the 9V battery terminals which allow you to give the lock a jumpstart if needed.
Many of these functions are common. Many are not, and they’re not common all in the same place. Some smart locks take a different tack entirely, like the Nuki Smart
Lock 2.0 (around $240). This one is… odd. You attach a backing plate to the part of your lock that protrudes from the door (or stick one to the door, if that doesn’t suit) and clip the main unit onto it. Between them either sits a thumbturn, if your door has one, or your key. The Nuki mechanism turns it, either when you twist its ring, press its button, or trigger it via the app.
SECURITY VS CONVENIENCE
It doesn’t take an expert to work out that this isn’t a secure solution. It’s an internal–only device, and one of convenience only; install it on a keyed lock in a rental property and your tenants could gain access to the actual key in seconds. Install it in your own home, though, and you’ve got something that can unlock your outside doors without you needing a key. But you’ll want to install it on a door that takes a key insertion on both sides of the lock at the same time, lest the Smart Lock 2.0 lock you out if its batteries go flat.
It’s a neat solution that doesn’t need you to permanently modify your doors — as long as you’ve got the mounting space and a compatible lock it can be installed just about anywhere. It is a bit noisy and, depending on your lock, it may sit a little proud of your door. But it does highlight how easy it is to integrate smart locks into your home.
Nuki and Igloohome are relatively new players, but many of the biggest names in security are also putting their names into the smart lock hat. The involvement of companies like Yale, Schlage, and Master Lock will be reassuring, and their digital security is likely a lot stronger than some others (see How Secure Are Smart Locks?), but don’t go on name alone. We’ve tested products from Yale, for example, and while the hardware itself is well–presented and rather heavyweight, Yale’s apps leave a lot to be desired. The app is, in most ways, the most critical part of a smart lock. Without that precise and reliable connectivity, a smart lock is just as useful as any other lock — and potentially less so if you’re forced to fumble through an awkward Bluetooth unlocking procedure. You might also find that their interoperability with other smart devices is somewhat lacking. Yale’s devices, for example, won’t connect to a Zigbee hub or Wi–Fi until you buy an add–on module, and even then they’ll only do one of those things, so your ability to construct routines may be limited.
Like most smart home gadgets, smart locks aren’t essential. Some are really rather nice to have, and they can absolutely be very useful on the right door in the right home. But don’t look on consumer locks as a security panacea, or a way to keep a small office locked down. You’ll want a professional solution, and the insurance that goes along with it, if you’re planning to install one in that sort of situation.