Men and Women Differ Over Control and Monitor of Smart Devices

Kaspersky recently conducted a global survey that examined the usage and digital habits of smart home devices.

The survey discovered a gap between the individuals responsible for purchasing and maintaining smart devices at home. The results showed that 72% of men were responsible for setting up smart devices, compared to 47% of women. This trend was also reflected in changing Wi-Fi settings on the home router or installing software and apps on computers. However, when it comes to monitoring their children’s time on devices, both parents were equally willing.

The research predicts that by 2026, the number of homes with active smart home devices will reach 573.7 million users, with a household penetration of 25.0% expected by that year. Kaspersky stressed the importance of making modern smart devices and security solutions accessible to everyone, regardless of age or sex.

To ensure the security and protection of all smart devices, Kaspersky experts provided the following tips:

• Buying second-hand smart home devices is not a safe practice. Their firmware could have been modified by previous owners to give a remote attacker full control over users’ smart home ecosystems.
• It is also important not to forget to change the default password. Instead, use a strict and complex one and update it regularly.
• Maintain your network secure by keeping serial numbers, IP addresses, and other sensitive information private. Don’t share users’ smart devices on social networks
• A reliable security solution would also be very helpful in securing and protecting the entire smart home ecosystem.
• Having decided on a particular app or device, be sure to stay in the loop about updates and the discovery of vulnerabilities. Install all updates released by the developers in a timely fashion.

Kaspersky’s survey involved 21,645 smart home device owners across 21 countries, including the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Turkey, France, Netherlands, Portugal, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Peru, South Africa, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The full report can be found via this link.