Abstract

The increasing adoption of smart home technologies has revolutionized modern living, offering unparalleled convenience, automation, and energy efficiency. However, this growth has also exposed significant vulnerabilities in IoT ecosystems, raising critical concerns about security, privacy, and public safety. This paper comprehensively reviews the challenges facing smart home IoT security, including weak device authentication, inadequate encryption, and privacy risks from unauthorized data access. To address these issues, it evaluates state-of-the-art solutions, such as advanced encryption protocols, federated learning, and decentralized architectures. A robust framework is proposed, emphasizing strong authentication, continuous monitoring, user education, and the integration of public safety considerations. The framework is designed for scalability and adaptability, accommodating diverse smart home environments and evolving threats. Practical recommendations for manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers are provided to enhance IoT security and privacy. The paper concludes by identifying future research directions to advance the resilience and trustworthiness of smart home ecosystems, fostering safer adoption and innovation in the IoT landscape.