VDC Research Highlights Concerns Surrounding Consumer Devices

It’s all very well to gloat about the ubiquity of smartphones and M2 M connected devices, but we also need to ponder on the tremendous implications that they bring in their wake- personal safety and security created by connectivity- consumer concerns that are underscored in a recent research study by VDC Research, a reputed M2M market intelligence firm.

With devices and systems growing more complex and networked, the threat of the hydra headed monster latching on to unprotected and unmanaged consumer devices, exposing a range of security threats targeted at operating systems and applications, looms over us.

Recent findings indicated that 68 percent of surveyed consumers were concerned about security while using their smartphones, while only 23 percent were worried about the growing threat of security breaches resulting from connected medical devices.

While this did indicate a lack of understanding of security issues on the consumer side, it did not absolve OEMs. There was definitely a gap between customer interest in security and the actions taken by engineers to address these concerns, and those developing safety-critical devices needed to reevaluate their development practices.

“Security is no longer just a consideration for military and aerospace systems, but also consumer devices. Unless these OEMs can create a secure framework for their M2M initiatives, they will put their organization and the general public in harm’s way,” said Chris Rommel, vice president of M2M and embedded systems research, while commenting on the study.

VDC Research surveys and interacts with thousands of engineers from all vertical markets to gain an insight into preferences and trends with a strong focus on security and the Internet of Things.

With mobile devices and smartphones exploding on the landscape and with billions of M2M devices expected to communicate over mobile networks in the near future, consumer concerns over security threaten to spill over the sidewalks.

How prepared are we to create dedicated security specifically for M2M and consumer devices delivered at a network’ level?

VDC Research asks those in the business to adopt a proactive approach to tackle this grave concern head-on.