IoT Devices: Are You Prepared for Accept the Risk?

Don’t let your happy holidays become unhappy hackidays. Check out the findings of McAfee’s survey to better protect yourself and your IoT (Internet of Things) devices from falling prey to hacking predators. IoT devices range from laptops and tablets to toys, so be sure you’re well prepared.

McAfee‘s November 14th announcement, which reported the results of its third annual “Most Hackable Holiday Gifts” list, can help consumers identify potential security risks associated with popular gifts this holiday season. The laptops, tablets and smartphones category leads the list, followed by drones, digital assistants, connected toys, and connected appliances. In addition, McAfee, one of the world’s leading independent cybersecurity companies, conducted a survey to identify the habits and behaviors of consumers as they get ready for the holiday shopping season.

Their findings show that most consumers agree that security is a necessity for laptops, tablets, and smartphones (69%). However, only 22 percent believe connected toys require security, 29 percent believe drones should be protected, and 56 percent think that digital assistants need to be secured.

“We continue to see connected devices high on holiday wish lists, but it’s clear consumers don’t always understand the importance of protecting devices at every point of connection and within products themselves,” says Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee. “In many cases, consumers are simply unaware that their devices need to be protected or how to protect them. This lack of awareness and action can be exploited by cybercriminals to break into devices and steal personal information.”

Almost all consumers (91%) claim that they know it is important to keep their online identity and devices safe, but only 53 percent take the necessary steps to implement protection. Sixteen percent assume that the manufacturer has built security into the product, and another 22 percent know they need to put security precautions in place but don’t know how.

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https://www.electronichouse.com/home-security/iot-devices-are-you-prepared-for-accept-the-risk/