The government is cautioning households about the increased risk of cyber attacks by hackers during the post-Christmas period. With many people receiving ‘smart’ devices as gifts, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned that these devices, if not properly secured, can be exploited by criminals to access household networks or launch cyber attacks.
Recent studies have shown that connected homes face an average of 10 attacks per day, with security measures successfully blocking around 1,736 threats per minute. To address this, the government is urging households to invest just five minutes in setting up two-step verification on new device accounts or enabling automatic updates to enhance security.
Baroness Lloyd, the Cyber Security Minister, emphasized the importance of securing smart devices to safeguard families during the holiday season. NCSC’s director for national resilience, Jonathon Ellison, echoed the sentiment by emphasizing the need for essential security measures when setting up new smart devices.
The UK government asserts its leadership in protecting families from cyber threats, citing regulations that mandate basic security standards for all smart devices sold in the country. These regulations, in effect since last year, prohibit default or easily guessable passwords on devices.
In the spirit of festive security, a checklist has been provided to guide households on enhancing their device security measures.