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standard showed that concerns over a lack of privacy and security due to the adoption of smart home devices were prevalent [1]. Looking at the architecture of Matter, the stack is made up of several layers, including the application layer, which outlines the high order business logic of a device – for example, if the application is for smart lighting, the logic will dictate turning a light bulb on and off – as well the data model layer, interaction model layer, action framing layer model and, more importantly, the security layer. The security layer encrypts messaging and attaches it with a message authentication code. This is one way Matter has been designed with security in mind; another way is requiring all devices to have device-specific pass codes that provide proof of ownership to commissioning devices, and credentials that are cryptographically verified to prove the joining devices are Matter-certified. In this way, no smart home device that isn’t certified can be allowed to join a smart home fabric.
Based on his experience of the experiment, Maupin recommended that manufacturers making Matter-enabled devices have to look at it from a user experience, and across ecosystems, which can be achieved through testing them. “More importantly, I think the ecosystems need to step up and make sure they’re supporting all these different device types,” he concluded, adding that he remained firmly “pro Matter” and thought the standard was going in the right direction. KEEPING THE STANDARD SECURE The 2016 survey reflected an anxiety over what was seen as too much dependence on technology, and to a degree, technologies ruling our lives [1]. It also showed that security is a paramount concern when it comes to installing connected devices in your home – the greater the number of connected devices, the wider the attack surface. Interoperability among devices doesn’t come without its risks. From its inception, Matter has had to be very security- conscious, as surveys pre-dating the
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