A Novel Proposal of Using NLP to Analyze IoT Apps Towards Securing User Data

The evolution of Internet of Things over the years has led to all time connectivity among us. However, the heterogeneity of the constituent layers of IoT makes it vulnerable to multiple security threats. One of the typical vulnerability of IoT involves the endpoint, i.e. the apps that are used by end users for enabling IoT services. Generally, the users have to authorize the app, during installation time, to perform certain tasks. Often the apps ask for permissions to access information which are not related to the IoT services provided by them. These over-privileged apps have the chance to turn malicious at any moment and use such information for their benefit. Sometimes, the users are naive enough to trust the apps and grant permissions without caution, thus leading to unintended exposure of personal information to malicious apps. It is important to analyze the app description for understanding the exact meaning of a stated functionality in the app description. In this paper, we have focused on the use of NLP in securing user data from malicious IoT apps by analysing their privacy policies and user reviews. This is followed by a novel proposal that supports cautious decision making of users based on a careful analysis of app behaviour.