Consumers see great value in “internet of things” devices but lack trust in them because of security concerns, according to a survey recently undertaken by Cisco Systems Inc.

The “IoT Value/Trust Paradox” survey of 3,000 consumers found that 53 percent of respondents believed that IoT devices make their life easier, but only 9 percent have a high level of trust that their data collected and shared via IoT is secure. Despite the low levels of trust, 42 percent of respondents said they were not willing to disconnect their IoT devices because they bring sufficient value to them.

“This reveals that IoT is becoming so integrated into consumers’ lives that we are approaching the point of no return in terms of disconnecting from IoT,” a spokesperson for Cisco told SiliconANGLE.

Awareness of IoT devices continues to grow, with the survey finding that consumers have a high awareness of personal devices but not so much for broader IoT uses such as in public infrastructure. Some 64 percent could identify wearables as IoT devices, and 63 percent being aware of home security devices and 50 percent of smartwatches. On the flip side, only 25 percent were aware of the implementation of IoT technology in smart traffic lights, 23 percent in street lights.

In terms of the value IoT devices bring those surveyed, convenience was cited as the most popular reason, by 53 percent of respondents, followed by efficiency, cost savings and personal security.

With trust of IoT devices so low, respondents were asked about what vendors could do to improve that score. About 70 percent said they wanted more control over their IoT devices, while 43 percent said they’d happily share more data with vendors if they were given more control over their devices in return.

“Companies providing IoT services today have a trust issue with consumers,” the report from the survey concludes. It offered a number of recommendations on how vendors can improve their standing with consumers, including establishing and sharing clear data policies and taking granular control of the data they collect.

A full copy of the survey results and report is available via the Cisco website.

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