An Axiomatic Category-Based Access Control Model for Smart Homes

Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a system of devices that send and receive data via the internet. In the Smart Home IoT, appropriate access controls are key for the security of the household. Popular access control models, such as RBAC and ABAC, have been adapted to this context, but user studies show that new hybrid models are required. We propose a logic-based access control model that is highly expressive: it subsumes the RBAC and ABAC models as well as a whole spectrum of hybrid models. Policies are specified via categorisation of users and devices (a natural mechanism for smart home owners) and have a logic semantics that facilitates policy verification. We have identified a simple yet expressive submodel that satisfies the criteria highlighted in user studies for smart home access control.