As smart home products and connected devices grow in popularity, so will the cyber risks they potentially pose to their owners.
"A smart home can quickly become a fool's paradise when IoT devices are not properly secured," said BullGuard CEO, Paul Lipman.
However, if the typical home with a high-speed WiFi network had enterprise-grade security protecting it, many of these security issues could be eradicated.
And that's the idea behind the BullGuard Dojo, which officially launches Thursday. It's a wireless device with a dock that connects to a network and monitors all activity on it, all of the time. It is capable of spotting and preventing certain types of activity automatically and when it spots a threat that it can't take care of autonomously, it alerts the owner via an app so that they can take further action.
Its security capabilities aren't its USP however, its simplicity is what the company is hoping will make it a hit with the average household. Although it runs enterprise grade applications, users won't need a formal qualification in IT or cyber security to get the most out of it.
And as cyber criminals are constantly adapting their activities to exploit new digital loopholes or product and device trends, consumers also need to stay on their toes if they want to keep their digital lives protected.
"Many IoT devices are notoriously insecure and it is relatively easy for hackers to exploit their vulnerabilities," said Yossi Atias, General Manager, IoT Security of BullGuard. "Dojo solves the IoT security conundrum and protects every smart home device to ensure security and privacy."
It used to be that if your PC was running the latest version of Windows and a watertight anti-virus program that you were protected from many cyber threats. However, in recent years, there's been a marked increase in cybercrime activity targeting smartphones and tablets as the devices have become cemented into the daily life of the vast majority of consumers around the globe.
Likewise, according to Norton, thanks to the proliferation of home WiFi the average consumer's network itself is becoming a prime target for attacks.
Therefore, it stands to reason that adding new, less secure wireless devices, such as smart thermostats or baby monitors to these networks could result in making your home and its network far too attractive to cyber criminals.
"We've seen major privacy breaches in recent months caused by compromised devices, including Mirai, the largest ever DDOS attack launched from an IoT botnet, smart TVs hacked by the CIA, and even smart Teddy Bears go from cuddly to creepy. Device manufacturers often sacrifice security for speed to market and consumers are unwittingly paying the price," Atias said.
The Dojo by BullGuard goes on sale at Amazon and BestBuy in the US this week and will retail for US$199 (RM851) including one year's free service. It is destined to launch in the UK later in 2017. — AFP Relaxnews
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