IoT security: Your smart home device is a cyber security risk waiting to happen
In the age of Google Home and Amazon Alexa, many modern households are home to one or more smart devices.
While these gadgets can help with day-to-day tasks and generally make life easier – it's also opened up the possibilities of cyber attackers breaching vulnerable devices in the home.
A new survey from Open-Xchange found that every home owns an average of five smart devices. However, only 15 per cent of households use software or apps to protect their beloved tech.
It also found 28 per cent of respondents didn't have any plans to strengthen their security.
The survey also found that potential cyber attacks could be costly for internet providers. 85 per cent of people said they would change their internet provider in the event of a data breach, while 78 per cent of households would not invest in any more devices if they were hit by a cyber attack.
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"The market for connected devices is ballooning as we all scramble to fill our homes with the latest gadgets, all aimed at making our lives simpler," said Rafael Laguna, chief exec of Open-Xchange.
"Yet, the convenience of connected home technology should not let us neglect our family’s online privacy and protection.
"Security features on smart devices are essentially non-existent, so it’s essential we treat them with the same level of caution that we do for our desktops."
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