Consumers Say IoT Security Should Be Regulated

• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, November 1, 2017

Security is a known concern around the Internet of Things and it turns out that it’s quite top of mind for many consumers.

So much so, that most say that IoT security should be regulated, based on a new global study.

While the majority (54%) of consumers own an average of four IoT devices, only 14% believe they are knowledgeable on IoT security and almost all (90%) believe there should be IoT security regulation.

The study comprised a survey of 1,100 business and technology decision makers and 11,000 consumers conducted by Vanson Bourne for Gemalto.

Most (82%) consumers say security is a personal consideration when using an IoT device. The catch is that 90% of consumer expect IoT security to come as a standard rather than something they have to deal with themselves.

Consumers have a wide range of concerns regarding IoT security. Here are some:

• 65% -- A hacker could control the devices
• 60% -- Customer data will be leaked
• 54% -- A hacker could access personal information
• 50% -- IoT security weaknesses can be used to conduct crime
• 44% -- A hacker could edit device settings
• 43% -- Data beings shared and available on multiple devices
• 4% -- Lack of customer service support to help if there is a security issue

There appears to be somewhat of a gap around security.

While most consumers expect it to come baked into connected device they buy, only half (50%) of decision makers whose organizations provide IoT software or services have adopted a ‘security by design’ approach.