KOCHI: Gone are the days when one had to earlier switch off home appliances manually. Now, it can be done via voice command to a virtual assistant.
But there is a catch. The advancements that allow us to use our voices to interact with such assistants also make us vulnerable to attacks by people who might be listening in on our conversations. In this backdrop, the implementation of a foolproof cybersecurity system for homes becomes a necessity.
Well, there is positive news. In what can be termed as a big step in this direction, the Union Government’s Department of Science and Technology has approved a research project on cybersecurity proposed by Bijoy Jose, the assistant professor in the Department of Electronics of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).
“We have been given a fund of Rs 25 lakh for research-related activities. Our project aims at putting in measures to enhance the security of home automation products used by consumers,” Jose said.
He said there are two types of project calls – regular and special. “Our project comes under special project calls and requires collaboration with industry,” Jose said.
“Our industry partner is Qrio Technologies Pvt Ltd, a startup founded by Cusat alumni Abijith C R and Suraj Moothedath,” Jose said. He said everyone focuses on making software that are hack-proof.
“However, hardware can be hacked too. This is where our research comes into play. The solution we are using is a physical ‘unclonable’ function (PUF),” Jose said.