Smart home privacy and security: what to ask for

Local recording (NVR) vs. cloud

Ask whether your cameras record to an on-site NVR, a network video recorder, that you own and control, to the camera vendor's cloud servers, or both. One luxury integrator's guide defines local recording as footage written to hardware in your home, versus cloud recording, which lives on the vendor's remote servers and usually requires an ongoing subscription. A local NVR can hold 30 to 90 days of continuous footage across all your cameras, and pairing it with encrypted cloud backup for the cameras that matter most means the footage survives even if the NVR itself is stolen or damaged.

For context on the hardware, a national cost-data source prices local storage at $30 to $90 for an SD card, $100 to $250 for a DVR, or $200 to $400 for a proper NVR, versus $15 to $30 a month for a cloud storage subscription that keeps billing for as long as you keep the cameras. Ask your installer which model they are proposing and why, and whether local storage can be added even if you also want cloud backup.

A separate network for smart devices and guests

Ask for your smart home devices, locks, cameras, thermostats, lighting keypads, to sit on their own network, separate from the one your family's laptops and phones use, and separate again from the network you give guests. If one smart device is ever compromised, keeping it isolated stops that problem from reaching your personal devices or your household's private data. This is standard practice on a properly designed system, so it should be part of any professional proposal you receive. Ask directly if it is not already included.

Professional network setup

A large home can run 200 to 400 connected devices at once, lighting keypads, motorized shades, cameras, climate sensors and more, far beyond what consumer mesh Wi-Fi is built for, which typically tops out around 30 to 50 devices in a home under 3,000 square feet, according to one luxury integrator's guide. That is why larger homes need wired, ceiling-mounted access points, roughly one per 1,500 to 2,000 square feet, plus dedicated outdoor coverage for the pool and grounds. A properly designed network for a 5,000 to 10,000 square foot home runs $15,000 to $50,000, and $75,000 or more for a larger estate, per the same guide.

Voice assistants and privacy

If your system includes a voice assistant such as Josh.ai, ask directly how it handles what it hears. Josh.ai's own site states: "Your data will never be shared for marketing purposes or sold for third-party advertisements, and you have the power to specify how much information your home collects." That is a positioning statement from the company, not an independent audit, so ask your installer to show you, inside the app, exactly what your system stores and where to adjust it.

Access control and locks

A single smart Wi-Fi lock with one accessory installs for around $300 on average, with a budget option near $150 and premium biometric or security-integrated locks running up to about $1,200, according to a national cost-data source. Ask your installer which lock technology they recommend for each door, keypad, RFID, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave or biometric, since each has different tradeoffs for convenience, battery life and how it ties into your broader automation system. Also ask how access codes are issued and revoked, for example when a housekeeper, contractor or guest no longer needs entry.

Updates, and questions to ask your installer

Smart home devices need firmware and software updates just like your phone does, and left alone, an unpatched device is a weak point in an otherwise well-designed system. Ask who is responsible for keeping everything updated, your installer, a monitoring service, or you, and get that answer in writing as part of the service agreement rather than a verbal assurance. See our guide to choosing a smart home installer for the broader vetting questions to ask beyond privacy and security.

These are reasonable questions for any installer to answer clearly and specifically, and one who cannot is worth reconsidering. Smart Estate Guide can bring in a vetted installer, walk through your privacy and security questions with you before any contract, and make sure the answers you get are the ones actually written into your proposal.

• Where does my camera footage go, and who can see it?
• Are my smart devices on a separate, isolated network?
• Who manages firmware and software updates, and how often?
• How are access codes issued and revoked?
• What happens to my system and data if I change providers?

Questions owners ask

Should my cameras record locally or to the cloud?

Both, ideally. A local NVR you own can hold 30 to 90 days of continuous footage and does not depend on an ongoing subscription. Adding encrypted cloud backup for your most important cameras means that footage survives even if the NVR itself is stolen or damaged, according to one luxury integrator's guide.

Do I really need a separate network for smart home devices?

Yes. Keeping locks, cameras, thermostats and lighting keypads on their own network, apart from your family's devices and your guest network, means a compromised device cannot reach your personal data. It is standard practice on a properly designed system, so ask directly if your proposal does not already include it.

Is Josh.ai private?

Josh.ai's own site states it will never sell your data or share it for marketing, and that you control how much information your home collects. That is the company's own positioning, not an independent audit, so ask your installer to show you exactly what is recorded and how to adjust it.