The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to enhance older adults' independence and quality of life, but it also exposes them to security, privacy, accessibility, and usability (SPAU) risks. We conducted a systematic review of 44 peer-reviewed studies published between 2004 and 2024 using a five-phase screening pipeline. From each study, we extracted data on study design, IoT type, SPAU measures, and identified research gaps. We introduce the SPAU-IoT Framework, which comprises 27 criteria across four dimensions: security (e.g., resilience to cyber threats, secure authentication, encrypted communication, secure-by-default settings, and guardianship features), privacy (e.g., data minimization, explicit consent, and privacy-preserving analytics), accessibility (e.g., compliance with ADA/WCAG standards and assistive-technology compatibility), and usability (e.g., guided interaction, integrated assistance, and progressive learning). Applying this framework revealed that more than 70% of studies implemented authentication and encryption mechanisms, whereas fewer than 50% addressed accessibility or usability concerns. We further developed a threat model that maps IoT assets, networks, and backend servers to exploit vectors such as phishing, caregiver exploitation, and weak-password attacks, explicitly accounting for age-related vulnerabilities including cognitive decline and sensory impairment. Our results expose a systemic lack of integrated SPAU approaches in existing IoT research and translate these gaps into actionable, standards-aligned design guidelines for IoT systems designed for older adults.

The proliferation of "Internet of Things (IoT)" provides older adults with critical support for "health monitoring" and independent living, yet significant concerns about security and privacy persist. In this paper, we report on these issues through a two-phase user study, including a survey (N = 22) and semi-structured interviews (n = 9) with adults aged 65+. We found that while 81.82% of our participants are aware of security features like "two-factor authentication (2FA)" and encryption, 63.64% express serious concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive health data. Only 13.64% feel confident in existing protections, citing confusion over "data sharing policies" and frustration with "complex security settings" which lead to distrust and anxiety. To cope, our participants adopt various strategies, such as relying on family or professional support and limiting feature usage leading to disengagement. Thus, we recommend "adaptive security mechanisms," simplified interfaces, and real-time transparency notifications to foster trust and ensure "privacy and security by design" in IoT health systems for older adults.

Internet of Things (IoT) devices provide convenience to users by simplifying household tasks. Most IoTs can be remotely controlled via mobile companion apps, which constitute the main interface between devices themselves and their users. Such apps are used to configure, update, and control the device(s) and thus constitute a critical component in the IoT ecosystem. However, they have historically been understudied which prompts us to look into them. In this paper, we report on a study where we evaluated a sample of 455 IoT companion apps and analyze their privacy, security, and accessibility aspects. Our research aim is to understand these metrics, gauge their state and evaluate whether there is a correlation between them. Our primary findings from the analysis are: (i) most apps have reasonable security and accessibility posture, but in several dimensions there exists a long tail of apps with significant problems and (ii) apps tend to over-request permissions which are not related to their main goal. Moreover, the quality of an app along one aspect is uncorrelated to the same along other aspects. We conclude with actionable recommendations for companion app developers.