Ecclesiastical shakes hands on new deal with Shire Insurance
Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has welcomed Warwickshire-based Shire Insurance back into its schemes book.
64% of Brits are concerned smart devices might be hacked
Research1 commissioned by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has revealed the majority of Brits don’t trust smart home devices.
Smart devices such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa have become increasingly popular in British homes and ownership of smart devices in the UK more than doubled from 2016 to 2018. The technology is more affordable than ever before and last weekend Amazon discounted Echo devices by up to 55% for the Black Friday weekend.
The survey revealed just under half (46%) of Brits have a smart home device, with the average owner having three devices connected within their homes. Smart TVs (56%), smart speakers (41%) and smart heating systems (20%) are the top three devices found in people’s homes2.
Of those that own a smart speaker, the vast majority use their device3 to play music (77%), check the weather (59%) and find out information (46%). One in ten (10%) use their device to pay for purchases.
The research revealed almost two-thirds (64%) are concerned smart devices might be hacked. For example, there have been high-profile cases where baby monitors such as Nest cameras have been used to watch and speak to children. Smart toys such as the My Friend Cayla doll have also been shown in the past to be hackable.
Almost two-thirds (63%) are concerned about what data smart devices are capturing and six in ten (59%) are concerned about who might be listening to their smart devices. More than half (52%) are also concerned about how children interact with voice assistant smart devices.
Alarmingly, one in five (19%) said they or someone in their household has accidently purchased something via a voice assistant smart device. An example of this happened when US television presenter Jim Patton said 'Alexa order me a dollhouse' live on air7. The comment was picked up by hundreds of devices with several ordering the dollshouses as requested.
Sarah Willoughby, Art and Private Client Development Director at Ecclesiastical, said: “Many of us are installing smart devices within our homes and our research has shown almost two-thirds are concerned smart home devices might be hacked. It’s also alarming to read that one in five people said they or someone in their household has accidently purchased something via a voice assistant smart device. As these technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, it’s important that we consider the risks associated with cyber home systems. Owners of smart home systems should consider how best to protect themselves and cyber insurance can offer a safety net should the worst happen.”
Tom Tahany, Intelligence Analyst at Blackstone Consultancy, said: “Ecclesiastical’s research shows the majority of people in the UK are concerned about security and privacy risks associated with smart home devices. Despite these concerns, nearly half have a smart device in their homes. While smart devices may offer ease and convenience, it’s important that home owners consider the risks and take steps to protect themselves.
“A quick and easy fix that I encourage everyone to consider is to change the name and password for your home Wi-Fi router. Our passwords, bank information and much more all pass through our routers, yet most routers have the password stuck to the back of the device and this can be in plain sight if perched on a windowsill. It only takes seconds for someone to take a photograph of the password and have access to your network. Changing the password for your router and admin password can reduce the risk of criminals hacking your network and smart home devices.”
1 The research was commissioned by Ecclesiastical and conducted by Censuswide, with 2,012 adults aged 18+ between 10 and 12 July 2019.
2 Top 5 smart home devices respondents have in their home:
3 Top 5 ways respondents use their smart speaker: