Poll: Significant Insecurity About Internet of Things

Which "Thing" of the Internet of Things represents the greatest potential security risk? They all do, according to the latest Dark Reading community poll, Security of "Things."

Admittedly, the choices in our unscientific instant poll are somewhat loaded.

When asked to select from a list of six diverse and connected “things” -- cars, cellphones, commercial transportation and communication systems, home appliances, medical devices, and wearables -- starting to show up in today’s consumer and business marketplaces, respondents, not surprisingly, gave the biggest nod to cell phones (16 percent).

But by far the most popular response, was our tongue-in-cheek “Pick just one? You've got to be kidding,” a viewpoint shared by more than half (52 percent) of all 812 participants. Only a scant 6 percent of our most fearless, less risk-averse community members appear undaunted by the expanding attack surface in this newly hyperconnected world. Their mantra was the option, “Can't wait. Bring 'em all on!”

The most revealing response, though, was the scant few -- representing less than 1 percent -- who say they are “somewhat concerned” about public safety and product security in the not-so-distant-world of connected devices. But they believe that the security industry “can handle the risk.”

Now it’s your turn. Is the security industry up to the IoT challenge? What are your biggest concerns? What role can you, as a security practitioner, play? Share your thoughts in the comments.