You are completely correct. And I don't want to add fuel to the fire, but it gets even worse than that. Aside from backdoors and the security of these appliances/devices from a system perspective, what about network connectivity and the transport layer? Only recently, within the past few years [1], has SSL/443 become a requirement for some of the bigger organizations out there. Seems to me that security is often an afterthought. Smart Appliances/Devices run the same risks, and it stands to question; are they connecting securely? And if not, how long will it take them to secure their transport? Because even if that brand new IP-enabled Door Lock is secure from a system perspective, it wouldn't matter if someone can subvert the transport layer, take control, and open the Lock.

One of my Projects attempts to solve this problem for the new generation of IP-enabled Appliances/Devices. I plan to make the process painless and easy. Everyone wins, both customer/consumer and developers/providers. Does anyone want to build it with me?

[1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/14...