The government is alerting households about the heightened risk of cyber attacks by hackers during the post-Christmas period. With the increasing popularity of smart devices as Christmas gifts, including items like smart speakers, fitness trackers, security cameras, fridges, thermostats, and even kettles and toys, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has cautioned that insecure devices could be exploited by criminals to infiltrate households’ networks and carry out cyber attacks.
Recent data analysis revealed that connected homes face an average of 10 attacks per day, with security measures successfully fending off approximately 1,736 threats per minute. To address these concerns, the government is urging households to take a few minutes to set up two-step verification on new device accounts and enable automatic updates as a preventive measure against potential security breaches.
Baroness Lloyd, the Cyber Security Minister, emphasized the importance of securing smart devices for family safety, especially during the holiday season. Jonathon Ellison, NCSC director for national resilience, advised users to prioritize setting up essential security measures when configuring new smart devices acquired during Christmas.
The UK government asserts its commitment to safeguarding families from cyber threats, citing the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure regulations, which mandate basic security standards for all smart devices sold in the country. These regulations prohibit default or easily guessable passwords to enhance device security.
In line with these efforts, a festive security checklist is recommended to ensure the safe usage of smart devices.
