Insights about the state of cybersecurity in Americans’ connected homes and tips for helping consumers protect themselves.
2020 Xfinity Cyber Health Report
Key Findings
Nearly 6B Threats Blocked by Xfinity
Since January, xFi Advanced Security, which is free for all Xfinity xFi Internet customers, has blocked nearly six billion cybersecurity threats, protecting Xfinity Internet consumers from malicious threats targeting their home networks and the devices connected to them.
The Connected Home is Now a Reality
International Data Corp. estimates 854 million connected-home devices will be shipped by manufacturers in 2020, and that number is projected to grow to nearly 1.4 billion by 2024. Video entertainment is the largest category of connected-home devices, followed by home monitoring/security devices and smart speakers. Further, Cisco projects the average home will have 13.6 networked devices by 2022.1 Xfinity xFi users have an average of 12 devices in their home, while some have as many as 33 connected devices.
Consumers Underestimate Attack Volume
95 percent of consumers surveyed by Comcast underestimated the volume of attacks they face each month. Consumers believe their homes are targeted by an average of 12 attacks per month. In reality, xFi Advance Security blocks nine times that amount or an average of 104 security threats per month per household.
No Screen Means More Risk
What many people don’t realize is that connected devices can pose a security risk. Cyber criminals target them because many have little or no security protection and devices without screens can be more easily hacked without the consumer even knowing it. More than 4 in 5 consumers would not be confident they’d know if one of their non-screen devices – such as a wireless printer or security camera – had been hacked. Here are the top five most vulnerable devices in connected homes.
Consumer Disconnect on Cybersafety Behavior
96 percent of consumers surveyed were not familiar with how to answer six basic true/false cyberthreat questions. Further, 85 percent of consumers indicated they are taking all the necessary security precautions needed to protect their home networks, and yet a clear majority (64 percent) admitted to behaviors like sharing passwords with friends and family that open themselves up to attack. Here are some key tips on easy ways to keep your home safe.
Xfinity Cyber Health Report
* About the Survey
The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18 and older in September 2020, using an email invitation and an online survey. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
Xfinity Cyber Health Report Press Kit
