The ‘Internet of Things’ will transform into the ‘Internet of Vulnerabilities’ over the next year, with smart devices like smartTVs, routers and security cameras set to become as susceptible to malware threats and hacking as our PCs and mobile phones, claims a new report from Symantec. But at the same time, people are becoming more aware of these kinds of threats, and will be more careful than ever when it comes to keeping their digital data secure.

Symantec describes the rise of an ‘Internet of Vulnerabilities’ in a blog post detailing its Information Security predictions for 2014. In it, Symantec warns of the need for individuals and companies alike to focus on increasing their security as they become more reliant on internet-connected devices.

The Internet of Vulnerabilities

With dozens of new ‘smart gadgets’ ranging from SmartWigs to Nike Fuelbands and today, Amazon’s delivery drones, it’s looking more and more likely that Cisco’s prediction of 50 billion connected devices in the world by 2020 has hit the mark. Clearly, the Internet of Things is growing at an unprecedented rate, and as these devices become more common, they’re going to be just as vulnerable as PCs and smartphones, says Symantec.

“The number of Internet-connected devices is growing and studies show there could be about 50 billion connected devices by 2020. The threat landscape has grown as security researchers have already demonstrated attacks against smart televisions, medical equipment and security cameras,” wrote Symantec’s Tarun Kaura, Director, Technology Sales(India and SAARC).

In his post, Kaura cites the recent example of an Israeli traffic tunnel being closed down, reportedly after its security camera system was hacked.

Symantec notes that while software exists to protect things like PCs and smartphones, as of now there’s nothing to protect other connected devices, such as your smart car or your smart toilet, from these kinds of threats.

Mobile threats to rise

Aside from the Internet of Things, Symantec warns that smartphone malware in the form of fake apps will be one of the major security threats next year. The company warns in its blog that Android phones in particular are extremely vulnerable, due to the lack of regulation in most app marketplaces. Last month, following the announcement of Blackberry Messenger for Android, dozens of fake BBM apps flooded Google’s PlayStore and other appo markets, and many users downloaded these.

No social network will be safe

Kaura also warns that businesses’ IT staff will face tough challenges as they get to grips with social media, cloud computing and mobility in the year ahead. With such an immense amount of data being shared across multiple different platforms, including mobile devices and public clouds, Symantec warns that the temptation for hackers and cybercriminals will be bigger than ever before.

“Many companies making these devices don’t even realise they have an oncoming security problem. These systems are not only vulnerable to an attack, they also lack notification methods for consumers and businesses,” wrote Kaura.

Growing awareness of threats

Cybersecurity threats will continue to grow throughout 2014, but the good news is that people are becoming more aware of privacy invasions. Thanks to Edward Snowden, we know all about the NSA’s PRISM program that scoops up millions of emails and communications each year, and as a result of this, Symantec says that both businesses and individual users have now become much more careful about what information they put online.

Symantec’s Information Security predictions are just a warning of the potential threats that we’ll have to deal with over the next year, if current internet and technology trends continue. So long as this forecast is seen as an eye-opener, organizations should be able to avert most security breaches.

Nevertheless, with the number of IoT devices on the rise, there’s an urgent need for businesses to tighten their security measures if they’re to protect themselves against the threat of malware, hackers and privacy invasuons.