-Data Loss
considered to be biggest risk of IoT, followed by malware and unauthorised
access
Fortinet® – a global leader in high-performance network security, released the results of a global survey that
probes homeowners about key issues pertaining to the Internet of Things
(IoT). Independently administered throughout eleven countries, the survey
titled, “Internet of Things: Connected Home,” gives a global perspective about
the Internet of Things, what security and privacy issues are in play, and what
home owners are willing to do to enable it.
“The battle
for the Internet of Things has just begun. According to industry research
firm IDC, the IoT market is expected to hit $7.1 trillion by 2020,” said Perry Hutton, Regional
Director - Africa at Fortinet. “The ultimate winners of the IoT connected home will come down to those
vendors who can provide a balance of security and privacy vis-à-vis price and
functionality.”
Completed in June 2014, the survey
asked 1,801 tech-savvy homeowners questions relating to the Internet of Things
as it pertains to the connected home. These were the top findings:
The Connected Home is a reality – A majority (61%) of all
respondents believe that the connected home (a home in which household
appliances and home electronics are seamlessly connected to the Internet) is
“extremely likely” to become a reality in the next five years. China led
the world in this category with more than 84% affirming support. In South
Africa, 60% said that the connected home is extremely likely to happen in the
next five years.
Homeowners are concerned about data
breaches – A
majority of all respondents voiced their concern that a connected appliance
could result in a data breach or exposure of sensitive, personal
information. Globally, 69% said that they were either “extremely
concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about this issue. Almost 40% of South
African respondents said that they were “extremely concerned” and 40% was
“somewhat concerned.”
Privacy and trust are concerns – When asked about the privacy of
collected data, a majority of global respondents stated, “privacy is important
to me, and I do not trust how this type of data may be used.” India led
the world with this response at 63%. Fifty eight percent in South Africa agreed
with this statement.
Data privacy is an extremely
sensitive issue –
Relating to privacy, respondents were also asked how they would feel if a
connected home device was secretly or anonymously collecting information about
them and sharing it with others. Most (62%) answered “completely violated
and extremely angry to the point where I would take action.” The
strongest responses came from South Africa, Malaysia and the United States.
Eighty three percent South Africans agreed with this statement.
Users demand control over who can
access collected data
– When asked who should have access to the data collected by a connected home
appliance, 66% stated that only themselves or those to whom they give
permission should have this information. Almost 80% of those in South
Africa wanted personal control over collected data. Additionally, 21% of
South Africans felt that either the device manufacturer or their ISP should
have access to the collected data.
Consumers look to their government
for data regulation
– Many respondents (42%) around the world stated that their government should
regulate collected data, whereas 11% said that regulation should be enforced by
an independent, non-government organisation. In South Africa only 25%
agreed that the government should regulate collected data.
Device manufacturers are mostly on
the hook for security
– If a vulnerability was discovered in a connected home device, 48% of all
surveyed agreed that the device manufacturer is responsible for updating/patching
their device. However, nearly 31% responded with “as a homeowner, it is
my responsibility to make sure that the device is up to date.” Fifty three
percent of South Africans put the responsibility on the device manufacturer.
The next looming battle: secure home
routers versus clean pipes – A clear schism appears worldwide when homeowners were asked about how
connected home devices should be secured. In nearly equal proportion were
those who replied, “a home router should provide protection,” versus those who
said, “my Internet provider should provide protection.” Twenty two percent of
South Africans indicated that a home router should provide protection and 25%
said that the internet provider should provide protection.
Homeowners are willing to pay for a
connected home –
When asked, “would you be willing to pay for a new wireless router optimised
for connected home devices,” 40% responded with “definitely” and another 48%
said “maybe.” In a follow-on question, more than 50% said they would pay
more for their Internet service in order to “enable connected devices to
function” in their home. More than 15% South African homeowners indicated that
they would not pay more for their Internet service and for a new wireless
router.
Price is the primary factor – Although homeowners report a
willingness to pay more to enable their connected home, when asked what factors
impact their buying decisions of connected home devices, the number one answer
that was consistent in all countries was price, followed by
features/functionality and then manufacturer brand.
“The Internet of Things promises many benefits
to end-users, but also presents grave security and data privacy challenges,”
concludes Perry Hutton.
“Crossing these hurdles will require clever application of various security
technologies, including remote connection authentication, virtual private
networks between end-users and their connected homes, malware and botnet
protection, and application security − applied on premises, in the cloud and as
an integrated solution by device manufacturers.”
Survey Methodology
Research for the Internet of Things: Connected
Home survey was conducted by GMI, a division of Lightspeed Research, a leading
provider of technology enabled solutions and online responses for global market
research. Each respondent claimed to be a homeowner between the ages of
20-50, and was determined to have substantial technology experience. The
survey was administered in the following countries: Australia, China, France,
Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, and
United States.
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