SDN Cyber Boundary Wall for Smart Home Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home systems are vulnerable to hacking due to the embedded operating system in wall pads, which can compromise the entire network if breached, especially in multi-unit buildings where a single hacked household can lead to all households being compromised.
Innovation Solution
A cyber boundary wall system utilizing a zero wall pad without an operating system, configured as a software-defined network (SDN), with a household switch performing router functions and a virtual private network (VPN) to create a logical network separation, ensuring that IoT devices and smart metering networks are controlled and monitored through a virtual machine, enhancing security by removing the OS from the wall pad and concentrating security on a central server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an operating system is embedded in the wall pad to enable smart home control functions, then the usability and functionality are improved, but the security vulnerability increases due to OS hacking risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the operating system from the wall pad, transforming it into a zero wall pad that only displays visual information. The control functionality is then implemented through a separate control terminal that communicates with the wall pad, eliminating the security vulnerability of embedded OS while preserving smart home control capabilities.
2Reliability
If a gateway is installed in each household to create physical network separation for security, then the security against network intrusion is improved, but the device complexity and construction cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses virtualization technology to create virtual network boundaries instead of physical gateways. A virtual machine is deployed on the control terminal to provide network isolation and security functions, replicating the security benefits of physical gateways through software-based virtual networking without requiring additional hardware devices in each household.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wall pad is designed with high specifications to accommodate increasing smart home services, then the service capability is improved, but the security vulnerability and hacking risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computational and control processing functions from the wall pad, reducing it to a simple display device. The control terminal handles all complex smart home service operations, allowing the wall pad to maintain high service adaptability through the terminal's capabilities while the wall pad itself remains a secure, minimal-function display device without OS vulnerabilities.
4Reliability
If physical network separation is implemented through gateways for each household, then the network security is improved, but the expandability and maintenance cost increase due to physical device deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical gateway system with a software-based virtualization solution. The control terminal runs virtual machine instances that provide network isolation and security functions, substituting physical hardware deployment with software-based virtual networking that is easier to deploy, scale, and maintain across multiple households.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for a cyber boundary wall using a software defined networks (SDN)-based zero wall pad and an operation method thereof, the system comprising: a wall pad in which an operating system (OS) has been removed and which provides a user interface for controlling Internet of Things of a corresponding household; a household switch that is connected to the Internet of Things and a smart metering network, performs a router function of the wall pad, and controls the Internet of Things on the basis of control information for the Internet of Things, to be input via the wall pad; a server that receives, via the household switch, data about the Internet of Things of the corresponding household, generates a virtual screen corresponding to the user interface, on the basis of the data about the Internet of Things of the corresponding household, and then provides the generated virtual screen to the wall pad; and a virtual private network (VPN) server that interworks with the household switch and the server.