A Framework for Improved Home Network Security
Craveiro, António Augusto Margalho
MSc Thesis · 2020 · University of Coimbra
Supervisors: Paulo Alexandre Ferreira Simões, Tiago José dos Santos Martins da Cruz
Abstract
In this thesis we propose a framework for improving the security of home networks. Home networks have seen, in the last years, an amazing increase in size, variety, and complexity. All these changes raise new concerns about their security, among other reasons because the myriad of new devices placed in the networks (e.g. IoT devices, smart TVs, smart appliances, surveillance cameras) generate a lot of network traffic which is not directly controlled by the network owner and is still poorly known. Several situations of malicious traffic being generated by such devices have been recently identified. The probable reasons are either due to malicious intentions of device manufacturers or simply because they have been compromised due to poor security. These threats are not being fully addressed probably because of the absence of detailed information about behavior and network traffic generated by each of these devices.To address this problem, the first step should be to perform a thoughtfully analysis of traffic flow, followed by finding the means to monitor that flow and, finally, to control it. This is not an easy task, because is not possible to get the inner details of the network packets, since most of then are encrypted. So, we are left with statistical analysis of packet flows, looking for aspects such as size, burst rate, packet frequency, and packet size percentage. It may not look much, but it is fundamental to get a clear picture of network traffic of a typical home network, a first step if we want to protect our home networks.The main goal of this thesis is to explore the possibility of analyzing the home network and profiling the traffic between home appliances and the internet. Then, to define the rules to monitor and control the flow using a properly shaped device. And finally, to integrate all this in a network of home control devices communicating with each other. By moving beyond the last mile and into the customers’ doorsteps, the proposed solution intends to provide comprehensive and contextual security monitoring on a per-user basis, embedded at the residential gateway or, eventually, resorting to a specialized appliance deployed in the home \acrshort{lan}.