The MenosFios team is at MWC 2019 in Barcelona with the support of CABLE TV e Kambarico.
A Avast is well known for its security software. During the first day of Mobile World Congress 2019, the company shared its Report “Avast Smart Home 2019“, Which contains data from more than 16 million smart home networks.
The report reveals that 40,3% of households around the world have more than five smart devices connected and 40,8% of those digital homes worldwide have at least one vulnerable connected device. This illustrates how many homes are at risk, as only one vulnerable device is required to compromise the security of the entire home network.
"People use smart TV to watch their favorite Netflix series or connect the baby monitor to the home network, but they often don’t know how to keep their devices safe," he said. Ondrej Vlcek, from Avast.
"It takes only one vulnerable device to allow an evil hacker to enter, and once on the network, they can access other devices and the personal data they transmit or store, including live video and voice recordings. Simple security steps, such as configuring strong, proprietary passwords and two-factor authentication for all device access, and ensuring that software patches and firmware updates are applied when available, will significantly improve the integrity of the digital home. "
Weak credentials and outdated software
The majority (69,2%) of vulnerable devices in households worldwide (USA: 60,9%, Spain: 65,0%) were considered vulnerable due to the use of weak credentials, such as passwords or using just an authentication factor. Another 31,8% of these devices worldwide were vulnerable due to not installing security updates.
A Avast also verified 11 millions of routers worldwide and found that more than half (59,7%) worldwide have weak credentials or software vulnerabilities. Outdated software is often the weakest link in the security chain, making it an easy medium for cybercriminals looking to access other connected devices.
The most vulnerable devices
The research found that the top five vulnerable devices were:
- Printer, 32,9%
- Network device (Switch, Router…), 28,9%
- Security camera, 20,8%
- Network Attached Storage (NAS), 7,8%
- Media streaming device (Chromecasts, TiVos), 5,3%
Printers were considered the most vulnerable device in the world, ranking among the top three in all countries surveyed.
A link to the full report may be found here.
