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Consumers Eager for Connected Technology

Monday, September 22, 2014 19:44

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(Before It's News)

Many of us are familiar with the Jetson’s TV cartoon that showed the life of a family in 2026 and how technology is a part of their everyday life. If you’re like me, some of the gadgets that George and his family had are probably things you thought were cool or would be convenient to have, especially the automatic meals that could be selected and then delivered with the push of a button or the flying cars. While we’re not quite at the level of George Jetson, technology advancements are only going to continue.

With that in mind, McAfee commissioned MSI for a study, “Safeguarding the Future of Digital America in 2025,” that looks at how far technology will be in 10 years. And also looking at how all this technology and interconnectedness affects our privacy and security—something George Jetson never had to worry about with Rosie (his robot maid), or while he video chatted.

What is interesting to see from the study is what people believe will be prevalent in 2025 (some of which are Jetson-esque) such as:

60% believe that sooner or later, robots and artificial intelligence will be assisting with their job duties
30% believe they’ll be using fingerprints or biometrics to make purchases
69% foresee accessing work data via voice or facial recognition
59% of people plan to have been to a house that speaks or reads to them.

There’s no reason to doubt all of these advances won’t soon be reality, but there will also be new considerations for consumers to be aware of. The more “connected” you are, the more you’re at risk. But while consumers seem to be embracing these new conveniences, 68% of them are worried about cybersecurity so it’s imperative that all of us know how to protect ourselves today and into the future.

How can you protect yourself?

Do your research before purchasing the latest gizmo. Read the manufacturer’s, app’s or site’s security and privacy policy. Make sure you fully understand how the product accesses, uses and protects your personal information and that you’re comfortable with this.
Read customer reviews. There’s hardly a product on the market that doesn’t have some kind of rating or customer feedback online. This unsolicited advice can help you determine if this is a device you want to own.
Password protect all of your devices. Stop putting this off. Don’t use the default passwords that come with the device or short, easy ones. Make sure they’re unique, long and use a combination of numbers, letters and symbols. Complex passwords can also be a pain to remember, that’s why using a password manager tool, like the one provided by McAfee LiveSafe™ service is a good idea.
Don’t have a clicker finger. Be discriminating before you click any links, including those in emails, texts and social media posts. Consider using web protection like McAfee® SiteAdvisor® that protects your from risky links.
Be careful when using free Wi-Fi or public hot spots. This connection isn’t secure so make sure you aren’t sending personal information or doing any banking or shopping online when using this type of connection.
Protect all your devices and data. McAfee LiveSafe service you can secure your computers, smartphones and tablets, as well as your data and guard yourself from viruses and other online threats.

Make sure you’re not like George calling out to his wife Jane saying “Jane…stop this crazy thing!” as he’s ready to fall off his electronic dog walker that’s gone out of control! Stay safe online!

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked! See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video. Disclosures.