An electronic operating device arranged to protect communication between a consumer application and a network-connected consumer device, the operating device comprising - a communication interface arranged to digitally communicate with a network controller over a home area network, said network controller being arranged to digitally communicate with the operating device and the network-connected consumer device over the home area network, - a memory storing computer program instructions and a processor circuit connected to the memory for executing the computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising a consumer application part, and a protective part, the protective part comprising a first protective part, and a second protective part, said first protective part being configured to run in a user mode and the second protective part being configured to run in a privileged mode, multiple consumer applications (125.1, 125.2) being installed on the operating device, each one of the consumer applications using the same protective part to protect messages, the consumer applications being arranged to forward a command message to the first protective part, the first protective part being arranged to forward the command message to the second protective part, wherein - the consumer application part is arranged to generate a command message for the network-connected consumer device, and to forward the command message to the protective part of the computer program instructions, - the protective part is arranged to protect the command message by signing the command message with a private key obtained from a key storage of the operating device, and to send the protected command message to the network controller, for the network controller to verify the protection of the protected command message and to forward the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device. - a communication interface arranged to digitally communicate with a network controller over a home area network, said network controller being arranged to digitally communicate with the operating device and the network-connected consumer device over the home area network, - a memory storing computer program instructions and a processor circuit connected to the memory for executing the computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising a consumer application part, and a protective part, the protective part comprising a first protective part, and a second protective part, said first protective part being configured to run in a user mode and the second protective part being configured to run in a privileged mode, multiple consumer applications (125.1, 125.2) being installed on the operating device, each one of the consumer applications using the same protective part to protect messages, the consumer applications being arranged to forward a command message to the first protective part, the first protective part being arranged to forward the command message to the second protective part, wherein - the consumer application part is arranged to generate a command message for the network-connected consumer device, and to forward the command message to the protective part of the computer program instructions, - the protective part is arranged to protect the command message by signing the command message with a private key obtained from a key storage of the operating device, and to send the protected command message to the network controller, for the network controller to verify the protection of the protected command message and to forward the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device. - the consumer application part is arranged to generate a command message for the network-connected consumer device, and to forward the command message to the protective part of the computer program instructions, - the protective part is arranged to protect the command message by signing the command message with a private key obtained from a key storage of the operating device, and to send the protected command message to the network controller, for the network controller to verify the protection of the protected command message and to forward the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device.