IoT security report identifies vulnerabilities in 10.4 million homes

A 2026 IoT Security Landscape Report from Bitdefender and NETGEAR reveals that billions of security events were detected across approximately 10.4 million connected homes. The study found that the average household now contains 24 connected devices, an increase from 22 devices last year.

Smart TVs, smart plugs, and network-attached storage devices accounted for 67.1% of observed vulnerabilities. Specifically, smart TVs represented 22.7% of observations, followed by smart plugs at 22.4% and network storage at 22%. Researchers noted that 90.1% of detected attack activity involved reconnaissance, where automated tools scan networks for vulnerable devices.

Experts warned that compromised IoT devices can act as proxies for malicious traffic, collect sensitive information, or provide attackers with access to other devices on a home network. The report highlighted that nearly all observed vulnerabilities involved publicly documented CVEs.