End-to-end encryption of Hue Secure cameras explained

It's probably the horror scenario in the smart home: someone external gets access to your camera and can watch you in your most private moments. To prevent just that, Philips Hue relies on standard end-to-end encryption for its new Hue Secure cameras. This is exactly what is far from standard in the industry.

“The primary goal of the Hue Secure security design is to protect the video and audio clips and live view stream generated by our cameras so that only the authorised users can access and view them,” Philips Hue explains in a blog post.

Philips Hue Secure Camera

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Let Philips Hue keep an eye on your home for you! Get a crisp, clear 1080p HD live stream, turn on the lights or send an alert to your mobile device when motion is detected, or even trigger a sound alarm with a tap in the Hue app. This wired home security camera is easy to mount and install in any home.

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Not even the manufacturer has access to the videos

At the heart of this is its security key, which is only known to the camera and the app linked to it. This key is shared exclusively via a direct Bluetooth connection between the camera and the smartphone, so no one else has a chance to access it. “With this, we can assure that Philips Hue never has access to keys and, as a result, the video and audio data.”

In addition, all video content is processed directly on the camera. “Features like AI event classification, black zones, and activity zones all run locally without the involvement of the cloud backend,” the manufacturer writes. This is exactly what is often different with other brands and at least at one point cancels out the end-to-end encryption.

If you are interested in finding out more about how the encryption of the Hue Secure cameras works, you can find more information in this PDF file.

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