Smart technology is becoming an increasingly familiar part of everyday life. From video doorbells and smart locks to connected heating, lighting, speakers and security systems, internet-enabled devices can make homes more convenient and, in many case, more secure.

But the same connectivity that provides convenience can also create new opportunities for technology to be misused.

For those experiencing domestic abuse, technology can become another way for a perpetrator to monitor, harass, intimidate or control them. This is known as technology-facilitated abuse. Refuge’s Tech Safety service highlights examples including hacking phones, cyberstalking, accessing cameras, tracking locations and controlling technology.

As the number of connected devices in our homes continues to grow, understanding the potential security risks associated with them is an important part of creating safer homes.

What is technology-facilitated abuse?

Technology-facilitated abuse is not necessarily a new form of abuse, but rather an additional way in which existing physically, sexually, psychologically or economically abusive behaviour can be carried out.

A perpetrator may use technology to maintain contact with someone, monitor their movements, access private information, control their accounts or keep track of what is happening in their home.

This could involve smartphone, social media and online accounts, but it can also extend to the Internet of Things (IoT), including connected devices and smart home systems.

How can IoT be misused?

Connected devices are designed to communicate with other devices, applications and online accounts. This allows users to monitor and control aspects of their home remotely, but it also means that access to an account or device can potentially provide access to information or functions within the home.

For someone experiencing domestic abuse, this can create another avenue for control.

Smart cameras and video doorbells, for example, can provide information about who is entering or leaving a property. Connected locks can provide information about access to a home and, depending on the system, may allow authorised users to control access remotely.
Other devices can be used in less obvious ways. Smart heating, lighting, televisions, speakers and other connected products can potentially provide information about what is happening within a home or be manipulated remotely.

Research into IoT and domestic abuse has identified examples of connected technology being used to monitor people and their movements, access cameras and manipulate aspects of the home environment. Researchers have also highlighted the potential for this type of behaviour to contribute to psychological abuse and gaslighting.

The issue is not necessarily a vulnerability in the device itself. In some cases, the problem can be that another person has legitimate or previously authorised access to the account or system.

A smart home used as a means of control

One of the most widely reported UK examples involved Ross Cairns, who was convicted in 2018 following the use of technology to monitor and harass his estranged wife.

The family home had an ELAN smart home system, with a wall-mounted tablet controlling functions including lighting, heating and the security alarm. The system could also be accessed remotely using a smartphone app.

Following the couple’s separation, Carins accessed the system remotely and admitted using it to eavesdrop on conversations. He also accessed his former wife’s online dating accounts to send intimate pictures and explicit messages.

Cairns was convicted of stalking and harassment. His stalking conviction was subsequently quashed on appeal, while the harassment conviction was upheld.

The case demonstrated how connected technology could be incorporated into existing patterns of abusive behaviour. It also highlights a particular challenge associated with IoT: the person being monitored may not immediately know how the technology is being accessed or why apparently unexplained things are happening within their home.

The growing network around us

A smart watch, phone, vehicle, doorbell, security camera and home assistant may all form part of the same connected ecosystem. If access to one account or device is compromised, it may have implications beyond that individual product.

When the abuse is difficult to see

One of the challenges presented by technology-facilitated abuse is that it may leave no obvious physical evidence.

A person may notice their heating changing unexpectedly, a camera moving, lights being switched on or off, unusual activity on an account, or someone apparently knowing where they have been.

For someone who does not know how the system works, these incidents can be difficult to explain. Research into smart home technology and domestic abuse has highlighted how connected devices can facilitate intimate surveillance and behaviour that can be difficult for victims to identify or prove.

This makes security considerations around connected technology particularly important.

Security needs to consider who has access

For manufacturers, installers, housing providers and consumers, securing an IoT device is not simply about preventing an unknown attacker from accessing it.

Consideration should also be given to who has access, how that access is granted, and what happens when circumstances change.

This could include:

• Using strong, unique passwords for connected device accounts
• Enabling multi-factor authentication where it is available
• Reviewing who has access to smart home accounts and devices
• Removing access for people who no longer need it
• Keeping devices, apps and associated software updated
• Understanding how remote access functions before installing a connected security product
• Considering how ownership and access can be transferred if a property or device changes hands
• Choosing products from manufacturers that incorporate security and privacy considerations into their design

However, for someone experiencing domestic abuse, changing passwords, removing access or resetting a device may not always be the safest immediate action.

Women’s Aid specifically warns that changing access to smart devices can alert an abusive partner or family member and potentially lead to an escalation in behaviour. It recommends considering personal safety before making changes and also notes that digital evidence may need to be preserved.

Anyone concerned that technology is being used to monitor or control them should therefore consider seeking specialist advice before making changes to devices or accounts.

Security by Design

The growing use of IoT reinforces the importance of considering security throughout the lifecycle of a connected product.

A device can provide valuable security benefits, but those benefits depend on the way the device, account and wider system are designed, configured and maintained.

For the security industry, this means looking beyond the traditional boundary of the physical property. Security increasingly exists across both physical and digital environments.

Good security by design should consider questions such as who can access a device, how permissions are managed, how access can be revoked, how users are authenticated and what happens when the circumstances of the person using the device change.

These considerations are particularly important for products designed to protect people and their homes.

Staying safe in a connected world

IoT can provide genuine benefits for home security, accessibility, convenience and independence. Connected technology is not inherently unsafe, but, like any technology, it needs to be designed and used with security in mind.

As homes become more connected, awareness of how devices interact with accounts, networks and other technology will become increasingly important.

For anyone experiencing technology-facilitated abuse, specialist support is available. Refuge’s Tech Safety service provides guidance on securing phones, accounts, social media, location and other technology, while Women’s Aid provides advice on staying safe online and managing smart devices. Both organisations stress the importance of considering personal safety before making changes that could alert an abuser.

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run for Refuge, is available 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.

The more connected our homes become, the broader our understanding of security needs to be. Protecting a property is not only about securing the physical entrance, it also means considering the digital systems that increasingly control, monitor and connect the spaces within it.