Men and women differ over control and monitor of smart devices

A new global survey, conducted by Kaspersky, explores the key digital habits, obstacles and usage of smart home devices.

A recent survey conducted by Kaspersky reveals there is a gap regarding those typically in charge of maintaining and buying smart devices at home. In particular, 72 percent of men are the ones who set up smart devices in their home, while just under half (47%) of women do so.

According to digital market research, the number of homes with active smart home devices is expected to amount to 573.7m users by 2026. Household penetration is expected to hit 25.0 percent by that year.

Kaspersky survey results reflect that men are the ones who take care of their families’ smart devices more often. This is also the case when the Wi-Fi settings need changing on the home router or new devices are added to the network. Most men (75%) usually do this, while only 50 percent of women carry out this task.

The situation is almost the same when it comes to installing software and apps on computers – 72 percent of men are responsible for this, compared to 47 percent of women.

The trend changes regarding kids’ digital habits. Research data shows both parents are equally willing to control their children’s time on devices. In particular, 67 percent of men and 54 percent of women monitor the time little ones spend on gadgets.

“Smart home devices and solutions can significantly improve and facilitate people’s daily tasks. Each family decides for itself which version of the distribution of roles is most convenient for them. At the same time, the key point is that modern smart devices and security solutions must be accessible to everyone, regardless of sex and age,” commented Marina Titova, Vice-President, Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky.

The full report is available via this link.

To keep all smart devices, secure and protected, Kaspersky experts compiled the following tips:

• Buying second-hand smart home devices is not a safe practice. Their firmware could have been modified by previous owners to give a remote attacker full control over users’ smart home ecosystems.
• It is also important not to forget to change the default password. Instead, use a strict and complex one and update it regularly.
• Maintain your network secure by keeping serial numbers, IP addresses, and other sensitive information private. Don’t share users’ smart devices on social networks
• A reliable security solution would also be very helpful in securing and protecting the entire smart home ecosystem.
• Having decided on a particular app or device, be sure to stay in the loop about updates and the discovery of vulnerabilities. Install all updates released by the developers in a timely fashion.

Kaspersky commissioned Arlington Research to undertake quantitative online research with 21,645 smart home device owners in 21 countries, from the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Turkey, France, Netherlands, Portugal, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Peru, South Africa, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.