The Internet of Things: Security Attitudes, Knowledge, and User Behavior

Abstract

The Internet of Things has expanded rapidly over the past five years and is expected to grow at an unprecedented pace over the next decade. Accompanying this growth is an increasing number of security vulnerabilities that are present in each one of these connected devices. This paper addressed five research questions aimed at understanding the security attitudes, knowledge, and practices of current Internet of Things device users. The focus was to understand how knowledgeable individuals currently were about the security vulnerabilities present in these devices and how this knowledge affected their attitudes towards security and their willingness to own specific Internet of Things devices. The paper identified literature discussing the current growth of the Internet of Things and highlighted various security vulnerabilities that had been discovered in various devices in the past. The paper also included literature assessing the current attitude and concerns of individuals towards the security of the Internet of Things. In addition to literature, a study was conducted that focused on answering the previously mentioned research questions and aimed to identify disconnects between individual's attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding Internet of Things security and the willingness to own these devices.