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New Mobile, Tablet, Computer or IoT Device Under the Christmas Tree? What to Do First to Prevent the Gift from Becoming a Nightmare
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates Those who did not get angry certainly had a number of surprises under the Christmas tree. Someone found socks, cosmetics or board games under the tree. Someone may have received a digital gift that requires care and preparation. Whether you're unwrapping a smartphone, computer, tablet, coffee maker, vacuum cleaners or some IoT device, before you enthusiastically dive into using it, there are a few important things to do to ensure you don't let cybercriminals lurk in your home for Christmas.
Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East
As pointed out by Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions worldwide, the capabilities of cybercriminals depicted in some movies or television series, such as Mr. Robot, are not limited exclusively to fiction, but could actually happen in reality. Could attackers bridge the gap between the physical IoT network (the light bulbs) and attack even more attractive targets, such as the computer network in our homes, offices or even our smart city?
The answer is yes. As more and more smart devices are used in the home, cyber attackers are beginning to shift their focus from targeting individual devices to hacking the applications that control IoT device networks, giving them even more opportunities to cause disruptions in users' homes and access their sensitive data.
In just a few decades, IoT data has grown exponentially, and the numbers are set to continue to rise. In 2021, there were more than 10 billion IoT devices worldwide, a number that IDC estimates will reach a global data generation of more than 73 zettabytes (or 73 trillion gigabytes) by 2025.
"Modern technology is playing an increasingly important role in our lives, so we have digital wallets on our mobile phones, for example, and we use tablets for work stuff instead of computers. This makes our devices full of sensitive personal and work-related personal and financial information and is therefore a very tempting target for hackers. And IoT devices bring additional risks. With smart toys, cybercriminals could eavesdrop on your children, webcams could be used to record you while you change clothes, and voice assistants could spy on your home," says Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East.
"Cybercriminals are laying traps and trying to take advantage of every opportunity, targeting newcomers with various Christmas scams. It is therefore important to secure everything properly right out of the box. And if your child gets a new device, make sure you carefully educate them about the benefits and risks and help them secure the device, understand what threats lurk online and how to respond in the event of an attack. Also talk to your children about the different parental control options, which are not meant to spy on them, but to encourage dialogue about threats and set clear boundaries."
The need for IoT manufacturers to focus on protecting smart devices against attacks by implementing strong security during design of both software and device itself, rather than adding security later as an afterthought has increased in importance. However, users also need to be aware of security and privacy risks when using their devices.
To make sure your data doesn't end up on the darknet and in the hands of cybercriminals, and also that your device isn't used for hacking as part of a botnet, cybersecurity company Check Point Software Technologies has prepared some basic steps to help protect you:
Current attacks and cyber threats can also be tracked on the live threat map at www.threatmap.checkpoint.com. |
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