Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Security of consumer tech devices- statistics & facts
In a world dominated by interconnected devices, users come onsistently, and frequently, across the topic of security. Indeed, with the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), the security of smart devices has become of primary concern. The topic of consumer tech security can have various meanings and its applications include devices like smartphones and PCs, as well as smart home security devices, such as smart security cameras. Furthermore, such security can be guaranteed in a variety of ways, for example through IT security services and biometric, multifactor and passwordless technologies. Particularly, the use of biometric authentication and identification has developed in recent years, with mobile device access and banking being among their most common uses.
Moreover, to protect their devices, consumers can set up passwords to control who accesses them and download firewalls and antivirus software to protect them from computer threats, like ransomware and spam. For instance, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are said to provide the best protection against the above-mentioned threats.
Many ways to protect your electronic devices
Nowadays, people are used to storing important information on their electronic devices, from smartphones to computers. For example, customers often make purchases via mobile services like PayPal and Apple Pay. Yet, cyberattacks targeting consumer electronics devices are on the rise, with PCs and smartphones being among the most targeted devices by online threats as of 2023. Consequently, security becomes a priority. When referred to electronic devices, the term “security” encompasses various aspects to consider. For instance, modern smartphones get unlocked through fingerprint and/or facial recognition sensors. The facial recognition market is forecast to increase in the coming decade, peaking at size of just under 20 billion U.S. dollars by 2032.Moreover, to protect their devices, consumers can set up passwords to control who accesses them and download firewalls and antivirus software to protect them from computer threats, like ransomware and spam. For instance, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are said to provide the best protection against the above-mentioned threats.
Security is a main smart home purpose
Security is one of the main goals people want to achieve when making their homes smart. In fact, the smart home security market has grown significantly in the recent years and is expected to reach a revenue figure of almost seven billion U.S. dollars by 2026. The market includes several segments, such as smart security cameras, smart locks and doorbells, and motion detectors. Despite growing on a global level, the United States and China rule over this market, recording 2022 revenues of almost 5.5 and roughly four billion U.S. dollars, respectively.The other side of the coin: consumers’ concerns
Despite their pros, fingerprint access, facial recognition, IT and smart home security systems have also their cons. Consumers are, indeed, worried about some aspects of biometrics technology and smart home security devices. For instance, during a 2022 survey on biometrics, it was found that consumers are concerned about being linked to databases leading to mass surveillance and misidentification. Moreover, a Statista survey revealed that people living in smart homes are concerned with potentially being spied on through their smart home security devices.
