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Consumers lack awareness of security risks of connected devices: Survey

SINGAPORE — Laptops, personal computers, tablets, smart home automation devices and apps, as well as drones may be among the most popular gifts during the festive season, but they are also the most vulnerable to security risks.

SINGAPORE — Laptops, personal computers, tablets, smart home automation devices and apps, as well as drones may be among the most popular gifts during the festive season, but they are also the most vulnerable to security risks.

And many consumers are unaware of such risks, especially with newer connected devices, including virtual-reality technology, according to a survey by computer security software company Intel Security Group.

The firm said yesterday that while most consumers are aware of the vulnerabilities in older connected devices such as laptops (73 per cent), mobile phones (70 per cent) and tablets (69 per cent), “they lack awareness about the potential risks associated with emerging connected devices”.

These devices included drones (20 per cent), toys (21 per cent), virtual-reality tech (18 per cent), and pet gifts (11 per cent). The survey found that three-quarters of consumers believe it is very important to secure their online identities and connected devices, but almost half were uncertain if they were taking the proper security steps.

The company referred to the recent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack in the United States, which was carried out by a botnet made up of unsecured webcams and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and crippled many popular websites connected to the Dyn domain.

“Unsurprisingly, connected devices remain high on holiday wishlists this year. What is alarming is that consumers remain unaware of what behaviours pose a security risk when it comes to new devices,” said Mr Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at Intel Security. “Consumers are often eager to use their new gadget as soon as they get it and forgo ensuring that their device is properly secured.”

The company advised consumers to use updated security software, and to only utilise secure Wi-Fi and a strong password, and to be suspicious of links from strangers. Users can hover over a link to learn the full URL of the link’s destination in the lower corner of their browser, said the firm.

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