Users concerned about IoT security

Governments aren’t doing enough to protect IoT devices. That’s the view of consumers and businesses alike, concerned about the security threats that could hit connected devices.

According to a survey from Gemalto, 96% of worldwide organizations and 90% of consumers believe that governments should be doing more to regulate the growing IoT arena.

The big, bad hacker is still top of their concerns: 67% of those surveyed said they were worried about cyber criminals taking control of their connected devices. This was ahead of the 60% of respondents who feared data being leaked and the 54% of respondents who were worried about hackers accessing personal information. There’s also a worrying education gap. Only 14% of respondents thought they were knowledgeable about IoT security.

UK users highly concerned

What’s particularly concerning for British users is the lax approach to security from vendors. According to Gemalto’s research, only 52% of data captured on IoT devices has been encrypted, while vendors invest just 9% of their IoT budgets on security, only one country of those surveyed, spent less.

The British government should pay attention of users’ demands said Gemalto’s Director of Product Strategy, Jim Pindar. “With GDPR looming, it’s worrying that UK IoT vendors and internet service providers (ISPs) aren’t as serious about prioritising the security of IoT devices as their counterparts across the world. UK consumers are clearly concerned by their IoT data, and are demanding the government takes more action,” he added.

Companies should take action now to ensure that the IoT revolution brings business advantage and not leave users at risk, Pindar said. “In order to ensure the UK is reaping the benefits that the IoT ecosystem will bring, the companies producing and enabling these devices need to secure the IoT now, to guarantee consumer confidence in the future.”