90 percent of consumers think security should be built into IoT devices

With increasing numbers of connected devices entering our homes and workplaces, their security is becoming a major concern as they can offer hackers an attractive backdoor into networks.

A new survey from digital platform security company Irdeto shows that 90 percent of consumers across six countries think security should be built in, and 78 percent are aware that smart devices connected to their networks have the potential to be targeted.

The study of almost 8,000 consumers across Brazil, China, Germany, India, the UK and the US finds millennials less aware of the risks, with 72 percent aware that any smart device connected to the Wi-Fi in their home has the potential to be targeted by a hacker. This compares to 82 percent of consumers aged over 55, indicating that older generations may be more savvy about IoT security or more cautious regarding IoT technology than millennials.

More than half of consumers around the globe (56 percent) think that it is the responsibility of both the end-user and the manufacturer of the product to prevent hacking of smart devices. Alternatively, only 15 percent of consumers globally think they are responsible, while 20 percent feel the manufacturer of the device is responsible. In China, more consumers than any other country surveyed (31 percent) stated that it is the responsibility of manufacturers. On the other hand more Brazilians (23 percent) believe it's the responsibility of the end-user to prevent hacking of connected devices. Brazilians are also most concerned about the threat from IoT devices, with 88 percent worried about them being hacked.

"While consumers across the globe believe that IoT devices need to have security manufactured into the product in order to prevent against cyberattacks, it’s encouraging that they also recognize the important role they play in IoT security," says Mark Hearn, Director of IoT Security at Irdeto. "Today's connected world needs consumers to be vigilant about security threats. On the device manufacturer side, there must be a better 'defense-in-depth' approach to cybersecurity that integrates multiple layers of security into a system. This approach, combined with ongoing security updates to protect against the latest threats, is critical to mitigate attacks targeting IoT technologies."

89 percent of those surveyed have at least one connected device in their home and 81 percent have more than one. India leads all countries with 97 percent of consumers saying that they have at least one smart device in their home, compared to only 80 percent of US consumers.

You can see a summary of the results in the infographic below.

Image Credit: Ahmetov_Ruslan / Shutterstock