The year 2020 is quickly approaching and with it already brings the promise of rapid advancements in technology and our homes are the target markets. WiFi6, 5G, IoT (Internet of Things) promise to change the way we live forever and many big box retailers are ramping up for the holidays to sell.

Virtual Home Services, LLC (VHS of STL) recognized early in 2018 that the general public was more concerned with HOW to adopt these devices, services and features without sacrificing their personal security. This technophobia over powered the sleek packaging and promise to turn your lights on or off. WE TOTALLY GET IT! These devices sit at the end of the aisles with great marketing tear offs but there is no trust. Here are some true and yes scary halloween home network stats:

1. Since you read the first sentence some is about to get hacked right about…..now!

There is a hacker attack every 39 seconds. Short simple and scary!

(Source: Security Magazine)

2. Cyber crime pays WHAT?!?!

The profit from the illegal drug industry amounts to around $400 Billion annually. For comparison, cyber criminals have earned a total of around $600 billion in 2018. We at VHS do not support, endorse or condone any criminal behavior. However, if anyone wants to drop some cash in our account let us know. (Kidding. Not Kidding. You decide)

(Source: Cybersecurity Ventures)

3. Hackers apparently scare us all!

71% of Americans are concerned with hacking/hackers stealing your financial. Roughly, 67% are concerned with someone stealing our identity. The other 33% are hoping it happens lol.

(Source: Statista)

4. You get a Netflix, You get a Netflix, YOU ALL GET A #NETFLIX

No we are not giving them away. However, on the dark web you can find them as cheap as $1.25! Oh you missed that email? Netflix streaming is one of the standard hacking services and widely available. For a small fee, you’ll receive the email and password of someone’s Netflix account. Just imagine how many people’s credentials have been hacked or stolen for the price to get this low. Crazy right?

(Source: Wondershare, dr.fone)

5. I mean how how bad could it really be?

In 2018 hackers stole half a billion personal records. This was a 126% jump from 2017. Since 2013 there are approximately 3,809,448 records stolen from breaches every day. 158,727 per hour, 2,645 per minute and 44 every second of every day (Source: Cybersecurity Ventures)

Here are some other crazy stats and sources:

(Cybint 15 Alarming Cyber Security Facts and Stats)

(Hostingtribunal.com 40 Stunning Hacking Statistics)

So now that we have scared you plenty and hopefully enough. VHS feels it’s critical to upgrade your home network in two ways. First, to prepare your home for the influx of smart home/connected/WiFi devices headed your way such as, wearable technology, remote teleworker programs, smart home devices and connected communities. All of these will continue to expand their reach into our lives and eventually the generations after us will not know the good old days of flicking light switches. Our mission is to help you link it all together into a meaningful, simple, life enhancing ways today, set your home up for easy additions in the future and make it as fun as we can today. Thats our smart home made simple approach. Second, is to do our best to enable you with active and engaged features in your home network that allow you be as “hack resistant” as possible. VHS under no circumstance will ever say we can make you “hack-proof”. IF anyone does, please consider that the DoD (Department of Defense) was hacked. (Insert Mic Drop)

For your free consultation of your home network or your smart home install needs, please contact info@vhsstl.com