*Vulnerabilities in consumer devices eclipse those in MS Windows*
London, 11 August, 2005 – StreamShield Networks, the leader in real-time internet content security, comments that whilst the world’s media focuses on the vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, scant attention is being paid to the growing range of consumer devices in the home which connect to the Internet. These include games consoles, set top boxes for receiving digital TV, PVR (personal video recorders) and other entertainment devices which don’t come with any firewall, anti-virus or other protective capabilities.
Recent research shows that over 5.2 million games consoles and PVRs were shipped across Europe in Q1 2005 alone . StreamShield warns that any one of these devices can easily be targeted by hackers, fraudsters and virus writers.
Andrew Radley, Director of Product Marketing at StreamShield, explains: “Our homes are undergoing a profound revolution with the arrival of a plethora of networked consumer electronic devices. Surprisingly these come with little or no protection against the growing range of internet threats and even more surprisingly, there is little awareness about the time bomb sitting in peoples’ living rooms. The industry needs to take urgent measures to protect consumers and prevent the destruction of the digital home.”
Radley concludes: “The best way to secure these devices is to use network based protection that blocks all harmful content before it reaches the device. Internet service providers are in the best position to offer this first line of defence to their customers and further enhance their portfolio of revenue generating services.”
