Cybersecurity at CES: ADT targets home users

Feb. 13, 2018
New service offering highlights industry focus on smart home and IoT device protection

Once relegated to simple subscription firewall and internet security software, today’s smart homes have come a long way when it comes to cybersecurity. Thanks to the rapid rise of smart home-related IoT products – and the need to secure them – the residential cybersecurity market has seen massive growth, as evidenced by the substantial increase in offerings and announcements at CES in 2018. 

“We’re now more connected than ever – perhaps perilously so,” says Stephanie Weagle, VP of Corero Network Security. “The level of general awareness around IoT and its inherit vulnerabilities has risen substantially over time. The everyday home user is now more mindful of the risks of unsecured smart home devices, and thus the market to better protect the connected home is  growing in tandem.

“When shopping for consumer electronics, buyers should be able to pick up their preferred smart thermostat, surveillance camera, dimming switches and so on, as well as a solution to help protect those devices from the myriad of cyber threats that are out there today,” Weagle continues. “The CES introduction of new solutions addressing this problem will definitely elevate the awareness and education of proper IoT management and protection moving forward.”

One of those solutions was unveiled by security industry stalwart ADT as a unique home cybersecurity service in itself. Piggybacking on its new cybersecurity offering for commercial and national account customers with its recent acquisition of DATASHIELD, ADT announced at CES that it is expanding that service to residential customers.

“Our commitment to keeping customers safe doesn’t stop at the front door – we’re building new capabilities and partners to deliver comprehensive personal, data, mobile and Internet security for the residential market,” Jay Darfler, SVP of Emerging Markets at ADT, said in a statement

According to the release, the cybersecurity offering will include identity theft monitoring service, “from credit and social security number monitoring, to dark web and social media network scans.” ADT’s cloud and on-device services will scan, block and alert customers at home and on mobile devices to cyber-attacks like viruses, malware, ransomware and spyware. 

The company will also give dealers a portfolio of simple devices and customizable services to professionally monitor home Wi-Fi networks, “protecting computers, mobile devices and smart gadgets by partnering with leading cyber device brands.”

Additionally, ADT’s service options will include resources to help fix problems when they arise, “from continuous searches and automatic threat blocking, to live agent incident resolution and insurance, to reimbursement if an incident occurs.”

ADT Cybersecurity for residential customers will be officially rolling out later in 2018. 

Of course, one home cybersecurity service does not make a trend; in fact, a large number of companies introduced or showcased residential cybersecurity products at CES 2018. Among the most interesting: 

Paul Rothman is Editor in Chief of Security Dealer & Integrator (SD&I) magazine. Access the current issue, archives and subscription information at www.secdealer.com.