Half of NL residents don't regularly update their smart devices

More than half of people in the Netherlands postpone or simply forget to install important updates on their smart devices, according to a study by Panelwizard on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. Under the slogan 'Do your updates', the Ministry is launching a campaign to actively urge people to make sure their devices are updated and safe against cyber criminals, AD reports.

"Although people know that smart devices can be hacked, they deal with updates too freely," State Secretary Mona Keijzer of Economic Affairs and Climate said. Panelwizard found that 80 percent of smart device owners are well aware that their devices can be hacked, and only one in six think that cyber criminals will ignore their devices.

"I want people to be better protected against cyber criminals," Keijzer said. "Apart from the campaign calling for smart devices to be updated immediately, we will provide tips on that."

The campaign will mainly run online on websites and through a YouTube commercial. In addition, the Ministry is also working on stricter rules or smart device manufacturers. In December, Keijzer submitted a legislative proposal to oblige manufacturers to provide updates for their smart devices for a certain period of time.