Internet TVs new 'playground' for cybercrooks

In an era where the use of non-PC Internet devices is "exploding", consumers now have more entry points to access the Web. These access points and the various devices used represent, in turn, multiple "playgrounds" for cybercriminals to exploit for financial gain, according to a security expert.

David Hall, regional consumer marketing manager for Symantec Asia-Pacific, said with the increase in entry points and users spending more time online, the opportunity for cyberattacks to occur increases significantly.

He illustrated the scope of the threat by citing an IDC report, which stated that there are over 10 billion non-PC devices that connect to the Internet today and the number is expected to grow to "almost 20 billion by 2014". These non-PC devices already outnumber PC workstations by "five to one."

Adding to the deluge of Web-enabled devices are Internet-enabled TVs such as the ones Google hopes to introduce in the near future. The search giant announced its intentions to mesh both the Web with TVs, named Google TV, at its Google I/O conference last month. As early as March this year, Google was said to be collaborating with industry partners such as Sony, Intel and Logitech to deliver set-top boxes and TV sets that are Web-ready, powered by Google's Android mobile operating system (OS). If Google succeeds with its foray into consumer electronics, it will increase the risk of cyberattacks occurring "any time, any place", warned Hall.

For more on this story, read Internet TVs new 'playground' for cybercrooks on ZDNet Asia.