The Air Gapped Home

The term “air gap” in networking and security terminology refers to a system that is completely isolated from untrusted networks, typically with no physical or wireless connections. For example, if highly classified documents need to be stored on a server, that server might be kept offline with no access to the internet or other networks to reduce the risk of a security breach. While this is a way to maximize security, it is also overly cumbersome for practical use – for example updating any software on the server, or even moving data on and off the server, all need to be done manually, oftentimes with a thumb drive.

Because of how cumbersome this process is, “air gapping” tends to be overkill for almost all applications. But as we continue to provide technology with more personal information, and allow it to integrate more deeply into our homes, the idea of a hyper-secure home network and more control over your technology and data has become increasingly interesting.

This week, we want to dive into what is driving the demand for more at-home network security and control, and what would be required for this to go mainstream.

What Is Causing A Shift Toward Network Home Security?

Over time, the adoption of technology has generally been accompanied by a willingness to share personal data with private companies. In the 90s, people were reluctant to put their credit card information online, but as e-commerce became a larger part of daily life this fear subsided. In the 2000s, we collectively agreed to provide our personal information in exchange for free use of social media platforms - a tradeoff most made without actively considering the implications. And this trend has continued, where the introduction of convenience has seduced us into providing more and more personal information, from our physical location to our facial biometrics and has fueling the business model that spawned the adage: “If you're not paying for the product, you are the product”

However, not everyone is making this unconscious trade. Companies like DuckDuckGo and Telegram have raised tens of millions of dollars by catering to an audience that values privacy, and this is not the only place we are seeing this trend.

Thousands of DIY enthusiasts called “home hackers” use open source software like Home Assistant to build custom tech solutions for their homes. These solutions can be everything from turning on the lights in your home when you are a few blocks away to recognizing your face and unlocking the front door. Based on some user research we conducted on Reddit, we found that the last use case, with cameras,was where we most frequently saw the use of “air gapped” technology. When building systems with cameras, these home hackers tended to increase security, either by having a separate self-hosted server (a server that is run locally versus relying on a 3rd party cloud provider) where their footage was stored, or by moving them onto a separate network from their local Wi-Fi that is more secure.

While this community seems to be generally more inclined towards privacy, the consistency of the camera example made us wonder whether this might be the next battleground for privacy. There is something inherently unsettling about the idea that someone could be using the cameras in your home for nefarious purposes. This fear is increasingly shared by new parents who are opting for baby monitors without Wi-Fi.

As computer vision becomes more broadly applicable and integrated into our homes, either in the form of automations or humanoid robots, will people cave to convenience, or will this time be different?

It Is Bigger Than Security

Interest in self-hosting has steadily increased over the past five years and has seen a recent spike in 2025. While security plays a role, it is not the only factor.

1. Big Tech Fatigue: There has been a general level of frustration with large tech companies that increasingly lock you into products that are low quality. The idea of self-hosting is partially a statement separating yourself from these companies.
2. Subscription Fatigue: Self-hosting can help you reduce certain subscriptions, like cloud hosting a personal content directory that replicates a Netflix-like platform. Storing your data locally eliminates the need to pay a subscription to have a cloud provider manage it, and tools like Jellyfin & Plex let users upload their own movies or content to a self-hosted server and stream it on different devices.
3. Cloud Outages: Recent cloud outages have made people realize that a “cloud server” is really just someone else's computer that is vulnerable to hacks and shutdowns. This realization has opened the door for some people to try hosting their own servers.
4. Local AI Models: The proliferation of small open-source AI models has made it possible to run powerful models on your own server and eliminate the subscription fees and limitations that come with purchasing the service through a provider like OpenAI. Not only does your data stay on your machine, but latency is reduced, the model can be fully customized, and the large open source community opens up access to different tools and use cases.
5. Non-Tech Adoption: The proliferation of AI also makes implementation easier. Managing your own technology is often frustrating and cumbersome, but with tools like ChatGPT, you have a guide through the whole process who can walk you through step-by-step implementation and help troubleshoot when things go wrong. Mainstream YouTubers like PewDiePie are now jumping on this trend, saying, “I’m DONE with Google” and driving millions of viewers to self-hosted solutions.
6. Government Mass Surveillance: Concerns around mass surveillance in the U.S. also feeds the desire for security and control. The Patriot Act passed in 2001 is among the highest profile laws passed by the U.S. that expand the government's power to monitor citizens. Other examples globally, like China’s use of cameras, amplify local fear.

All of these trends are converging into a meaningful uptick in interest in the space, and we believe that, while friction remains high and interest is still being driven by hobbyists, there appears to be a trend toward control.

Where Does The Opportunity Lie?

While convenience will certainly appeal to the masses, DuckDuckGo, Telegram, and the broader interest in self-hosting prove that there is a market for security and control-minded individuals. As the stakes escalate and enter your home, more people will join their side.

But what would this look like for the average consumer? We believe that there could be a few opportunities for businesses to step in and fill this need:

• One-Shot Self-Hosted Servers: This would be one of the most high-friction solutions, but placing a server in the user's home that comes ready to use out of the box, customized for a privacy & control-centered audience, may be a viable solution. Knowing that all of your data is being stored at your home may give peace of mind to consumers who are frequently bombarded with news of large corporations that have been hacked and compromised their data, and pre-loaded apps that immediately show the value they are saving on subscription costs could be a great marketing tool to appeal to a larger audience.
• Simplified VLAN: A common solution to increased security in a way that is not overly burdensome is to put sensitive devices on different networks within the home. This is also known as a virtual local area network (VLAN). There may be an opportunity for suites of products to simplify this implementation making high levels of security more broadly accessible.
• Security Services: While many “home hackers” have lower-impact ways to achieve high levels of security, for the tech layman, these solutions can require custom hardware and software, and seem overwhelming. A service that helps users navigate through these intricacies could grow in popularity as more technology enters the home. The idea of a home “tech audit” could be appealing and come with dozens of upsell opportunities.
• Privacy Centric Smart Home Platforms: The smart home and home automation market is already a $150bn market (with projections for $630bn by 2032), but the majority of companies operating in the space do not tout privacy as a core value prop. If existing players or new entrants position their offerings as privacy-centric, and they foster deep consumer trust over time, they have the opportunity to build platform businesses that other smart home automation offerings will be forced to plug into.
• Local Edge Detection: Today, most cameras and home security systems do processing and detection remotely. Cameras with local compute capabilities would not need even to send footage to self-hosted servers, let alone remote servers; they could simply do the processing in real-time, report incidents, and only send flagged footage, based on user input, while discarding the rest.

Takeaways: As a society, we have historically traded privacy for convenience, but as cameras, computer vision, and eventually robots enter the home, the stakes get much higher. “Home hackers” are already showing what a more secure, locally controlled stack can look like — with home servers, VLANs, and local AI models as potential solutions. The demand for control goes beyond privacy, with many consumers moving to self-hosting to avoid unnecessary subscriptions and reliance on big tech, which has consistently let them down. The opportunity now is to package these solutions into consumer-ready products and services that make home security and self-hosting simple and accessible to a wider privacy-conscious audience.