Top Holiday Season Gifts to be Hacked

Holiday season brings new gifts, and while 79 percent of consumers start using connected devices within the first day of receiving it, only 42 percent claim they take the proper security measures, concluded in new McAfee survey after survey reveals 84 percent of consumers will likely holiday shop online this year.

Consumers know it's important to secure their devices, but nearly half (47 percent) are uncertain whether they are taking the proper security steps to do so.

The No. 1 most hackable gift category included laptops and PCs, followed by smartphones and tablets, media players and streaming sticks, smart home automation and devices, and finally, drones. To accompany the list, Intel Security conducted a survey to identify the risky behaviors consumers are engaging in during the holiday season and educate them on how to protect themselves.

"Unsurprisingly, connected devices remain high on holiday wish lists this year. What is alarming is that consumers remain unaware of what behaviors pose a security risk when it comes to new devices," said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at Intel Security. "Consumers are often eager to use their new gadget as soon as they get it and forgo ensuring that their device is properly secured. Cybercriminals could use this lack of attention as an inroad to gather personal consumer data, exposing users to malware or identity theft or even use unsecured devices to launch DDoS attacks as in the recent Dyn attack.

While a majority of consumers are aware of the vulnerabilities in older connected devices like laptops (76 percent), mobile phones (70 percent) and tablets (69 percent), they lack awareness of the potential risks associated with emerging connected devices, such as drones (20 percent), children's toys (15 percent), virtual reality tech (15 percent) and pet gifts (11 percent). As technology continues to evolve, it is essential consumers understand the risks associated with even the most unassuming devices. While 81 percent of consumers believe it's critical to secure their online identities and connected devices, nearly half are uncertain if they are taking the proper security steps.