Exploring security in ZigBee networks

ZigBee networks have become popular for their low cost, low power, and ease of implementation. The ZigBee protocol has particularly become prevalent for home automation and controlling devices such as door locks and garage door openers. Preventing attacks and reducing vulnerabilities is imperative in cases where there can be high financial losses due to poor security implementations. For systems where low power and cost are desirable, but security is a priority, the application developer must be extremely cautious in the design of their network. This paper surveys security issues and vulnerabilities in the ZigBee specification and current key management schemes proposed for these networks.