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Holiday Gifts That Are the Most Hackable

Tis the season to know which holiday gifts are the most hackable.  Find out how to protect yourself from cybercriminals.

According to McAfee, they launched their third annual Most Hackable Holiday Gifts list.  This list helps consumers identify potential security risks associated with popular gifts this holiday season.

The survey also identifies consumer habits and behaviors as they get ready for the holiday shopping season.

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Here are the stats on what consumers think about security this holiday season?

  • 69% of consumers understand that security is a necessity for electronics.
  • 22% of consumers believe that connected toys require security to protect privacy.
  • 29% of consumers believe that drones should be protected.
  • 56% of consumers believe digital assistants need to be secured.
  • 91% of consumers understand that it is important to keep their identity safe.
  • 53% of consumers take necessary steps to implement online protection.
  • 16% of consumers believe that the manufacturer built-in security is enough.
  • 22% of consumers know they need to put security measures and precautions in place but they, unfortunately, do not how to protect themselves.

These alarming stats show the importance of consumers to conduct research into their smart and connected devices that comes with built-in security settings and not rely on the default manufacturer settings.

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What are the holiday gifts that are the most hackable?

Smart Devices – This includes laptops, smartphones, and tablets as these are traditional targets for hackers if they are not properly secured and protected from malicious threats.

Drones – These hot Christmas items are expected to top $1 billion in 2017 however they are a large security concern as there are drone jacking and fake Wi-Fi signals to take control.

Personal Digital assistants – Another hot item as these device-based assistants can help your household, play music, and much more but there are microphones that are always listening for a wake-up command including cameras.

Connected toys and appliances – Toys keep getting smarter and appliances keep getting more connected.  Cybercriminals are on the attack and very vulnerable to cyber-attacks who target microphones, location-based services, and leaked information.

How do you protect the holiday gifts that are the most hackable?

  1. Think before you click – Hyperlinks are the easiest cyber-attack to compromise your device and you should be skeptical if you receive a link or other solicitation that you are not expecting.
  2. Update your software – Another simple step, keep your software up to date. Most manufacturers are proactive to close security gaps but you have to stay up-to-date to ensure you have the latest versions.
  3. Public Wi-Fi is not safe – Cybercriminals are known to deploy fake Wi-Fi so they can be given visibility into your browsing habits and personal information. You should never use public Wi-Fi for online shopping or banking.
  4. Be smart and do your homework – It would be nice but not all manufacturers take security seriously, so it is important to research if there have been any reported security vulnerabilities before purchasing.
  5. Protect your home network – Make sure all devices in your house are connected and secure. There is always someone looks for gaps in security.

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