The TÜV association draws attention to the advantages of smart heating controls. These can be operated from a smartphone using an app and learn from user behavior. For example, smart heating controls can remember when and how many degrees the residents want to heat certain rooms. The thermostats also have open window detection and automatically switch down when airing.
All of this means that smart heating controls heat apartments and houses as effectively as possible and ultimately lead to lower energy bills, according to the TÜV association. However, according to a survey commissioned by the association from the market research institute Forsa, only 11 percent of the 1,005 respondents aged 16 and over use smart heating controls in their homes. TÜV believes the reason for this is that respondents doubt the safety of smart products. For example, 39% stated that they do not buy smart products because they are worried about cyber attacks.
The TÜV association also advises protecting smart products from cyber attacks and has five tips for this. Firstly, consumers should use passwords with at least ten characters, including upper and lower case letters, symbols and special characters. Secondly, consumers should use secure encryption such as WPA3 encryption. Thirdly, if smart products are used via a smartphone, users should check to what extent they can access other apps and only grant the necessary permissions. Fourthly: The software should be kept up to date to close security gaps. Fifthly: When purchasing devices, users should look out for test certificates for the IT security of the device. For example, there is the TÜV test mark Cybersecurity Certified (CSC).
Source: TÜV Association
© Photodune
English