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Millennials love electronic gadgets and smart home devices (opens in new tab), but they are also wary that these products could put them at risk. That’s according to a new report by cybersecurity expert Kaspersky, whose latest report (opens in new tab) claims the majority (56%) are “concerned” about their internet security at home.
The “Smart home or almost everything” report, based on responses from 21,000 people around the world, also says that the majority tend to use protection for smart home devices such as baby or pet surveillance cameras. As it turns out, the users are aware that these devices can be used by malicious actors to spy on them.
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However, ensuring security does not mean they want to stay away from the devices. About a third (32%) said they would not buy a smart home device due to privacy and security concerns. Breaking down these numbers, 17% are concerned about privacy and 15% say they don’t know how to protect their gadgets from hackers.
Most millennials (54% of 25-34 year olds) enjoy using smart home gadgets and have taken action to secure them as the majority (56%) believe they are the ones responsible for protecting their belongings and their privacy. In addition, only a third (34%) believe that simply buying a device from a trusted manufacturer is all it takes to ensure its safety.
When it comes to securing the devices, there is a wide range of actions users take, with denying access to location data on their smartphone being the most popular (40%). Using a VPN, encrypted messaging apps, and a secondary “junk” email address instead of their main address were actions taken by about 20% of respondents for each.
The biggest barrier to higher adoption of smart home devices remains their cost. Nearly half (46%) say they would refrain from buying such a gadget because of the high prices, while 20% simply don’t see the benefit.
