Google has committed to fortifying its cloud-based smart home devices, offering a minimum of five years for Cyber Security support and bug fixes.
The tech giant promised additional support for its current Nest smart home products, which includes devices ranging from thermostats and smoke detectors to smart speakers and Security Cameras. The changes will include updates to Google’s privacy commitments with the aim being to make security more straightforward for Nest device users.
The announcement, which came in a recent blog post, stated that Google Nest products sold in 2019 and onwards would now be certified using an independent company. This means that Google will both test and enhance the security of their smart home devices using independent safety validations.
In addition to this, Google Nest products will now participate in the company’s vulnerability rewards program. This pays Security Consultants to identify weaknesses in Google devices and report them back to the company. This was on top of the pledge to patch critical issues and offer cyber security fixes for at least five years after one of their smart home devices is released.
The above will apply to the following Google devices from 2019 and onwards:
Nest Hub smart displays
Nest Mesh Wi-Fi devices
Nest smart thermostats
Nest Protect smoke detectors
Nest smart speakers
Nest security cameras
Nest x Yale Smart Locks
Chromecast streaming devices
The Google TV dongle
Some discontinued devices, including Google Home speakers, Google Wi-Fi, and the Nest Secure alarm system
How significant are these Cyber Security policies?
Whilst the 5-year guarantee is great for some devices, it’s arguably less significant for long-term smart products such as Nest thermostats or smoke detectors. But this is of course a minimum guarantee, thus several products might be supported longer which offers Nest users some transparency and long-term peace of mind.
Moreover, the minimum support promise, on top of Nest smart devices getting certified for security by Google, might increase the value of such products. Meanwhile, it will almost certainly enhance the home security offered by their smart locks and cameras.
Finally, these promises should perhaps be put into context. When it comes to their smartphones, Google currently only offers around three years of security updates, so it could be argued that these developments are certainly a step in the right direction.
If you’d like to read more, check out our Pros and Cons of Smart Home Security Devices Here!
