Enforcing Security in Smart Homes using Security Patterns

Providing context-dependent security services is an important challenge in ambient intelligence. The complexity and the unbounded nature of such systems make it difficult for software developers to integrate security solutions. In order to solve this problem, in this paper we discuss and address multifold security challenges involved in the implementation of remote healthcare in smart homes using the security patterns approach. First the security challenges are derived from a real-world, industrially relevant scenario. Then it is shown how validated security techniques and mechanisms providing certain security properties can be captured and implemented in security patterns. Next security patterns are applied to satisfy security requirements in the smart home healthcare scenario. The process is exemplified thanks to a running prototype implementing the scenario.