• CEPro_logo_blue-new
  • TOPICS
      • News
        • People & Places
        • Product Briefs
      • Projects
      • Events
      • Control
        • Central Vac
        • Energy/Power
        • HVAC/IAQ
        • Interfaces/Devices
        • Lighting
        • Motorized Shades
        • Whole House Systems
      • Audio/Video
        • Audio/Video
        • AV Accessories
        • AV Racks
        • Cabling
        • Displays
        • Furniture
        • Headphones
        • Home Theater
        • Media
        • Mounts/Lifts
        • Multiroom AV
        • Projectors/Screens
        • Speakers/Subwoofers
        • Wireless AV
      • Security
        • Access Control
        • Alarms/Sensors
        • Services/Platforms
        • Surveillance/Cameras
      • Business Support
        • Associations/Buying Groups
        • Cell Phone Boosters
        • Distributors/Reps
        • Operations
        • Recurring Revenue
        • Research
        • Sales/Marketing
        • Software Services
        • Tools/Testers
      • Networking
        • Cellular
        • Devices/Equipment
        • Wireless
        • Wired/Installation
      • Markets
        • Builders
        • Commercial
        • Design
        • Europe
        • Outdoors
        • Resimercial
        • Wellness
      • CE Pro Hub Pages
        • Bose
        • Savant
        • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-iQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
  • DISCOVER
    • CEDIA Expo
      • September 29 – October 1
        Dallas, TX
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBIS
      • February 8 – 10
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      • October 26 – 28
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      • VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      • VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      • VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      • VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      • VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
    • CE Pro-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
  • Search
  • TOPICS
    • News
      • People & Places
      • Product Briefs
    • Projects
    • Events
    • Control
      • Central Vac
      • Energy/Power
      • HVAC/IAQ
      • Interfaces/Devices
      • Lighting
      • Motorized Shades
      • Whole House Systems
    • Audio/Video
      • Audio/Video
      • AV Accessories
      • AV Racks
      • Cabling
      • Displays
      • Furniture
      • Headphones
      • Home Theater
      • Media
      • Mounts/Lifts
      • Multiroom AV
      • Projectors/Screens
      • Speakers/Subwoofers
      • Wireless AV
    • Security
      • Access Control
      • Alarms/Sensors
      • Services/Platforms
      • Surveillance/Cameras
    • Business Support
      • Associations/Buying Groups
      • Cell Phone Boosters
      • Distributors/Reps
      • Operations
      • Recurring Revenue
      • Research
      • Sales/Marketing
      • Software Services
      • Tools/Testers
    • Networking
      • Cellular
      • Devices/Equipment
      • Wireless
      • Wired/Installation
    • Markets
      • Builders
      • Commercial
      • Design
      • Europe
      • Outdoors
      • Resimercial
      • Wellness
    • CE Pro Hub Pages
      • Savant
      • Bose
      • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-IQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
  • DISCOVER
    • Cedia Expo
      VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
    • CE Pro-iQ
SUBSCRIBE CEDIA EXPO
POPULAR SEARCHES
News
Projects
Control
Audio Video
Security
Business Support
Markets
News | Security
January 21, 2022

Top 5 Tech Trends for 2022: Using Cybersecurity as a Differentiator

The hacking threat to the smart home will only grow. It’s time to stop ignoring cybersecurity and use it as a differentiator of your professionalism.
CE Pro Editors  
Top 5 Tech Trends for 2022: Using Cybersecurity as a Differentiator

Most integrators do not offer their clients a specific cybersecurity solution beyond what the networking hardware manufacturers have built into their products.

Article:
News | Security
January 21, 2022

Top 5 Tech Trends for 2022: Using Cybersecurity as a Differentiator

There may not be a smart-home topic that integrators want to avoid more than “cybersecurity,” but the time for ignoring it is over. 

According to an exclusive Cybersecurity Study conducted by CE Pro back in 2020, only 27% of integrators reported that they offer any level of cybersecurity solution for their clients beyond what it is embedded in the hardware supplied by the network manufacturer. Indeed, a great majority of integrators (79%) believe the built-in protection from their hardware suppliers is sufficient protection for their clients. Meanwhile, the 2022 CE Pro State of the Industry Study in this issue reports that integrators predict just a 2.8% growth in the category this year. 

But despite this lackluster enthusiasm for the category, the problem is not going to wane. According to Parks Associates, 79% of broadband households in the U.S. are concerned about their data security and privacy. The average number of IoT devices per home is now 37 and there are expected to be 50 billion IoT devices by 2030, according to data cited recently by the British government, which recently announced a bill that would outlaw the use of basic passwords and heavily fine manufacturers and integrators that do not comply. 

Additionally, the Work from Home (WFH) trend introduced an even greater threat for malware and other viruses as employees started using their inadequately protected home networks. A recent study from HP determined global cyberattacks have risen 238% since the onset of the pandemic. Ransomware situations seem to be part of the daily news cycle. 

So with all this evidence, what is the hesitation among integrators about offering cybersecurity? The crux of the problem could be a similar issue that homebuilders faced regarding security systems for decades. For many years, builders did not want to offer security systems for their newly constructed homes because they were worried it would plant a seed of thought in the minds of prospective buyers that the neighborhood was “unsafe.” Similarly, smart home integrators might be concerned that by mentioning cybersecurity they are introducing the notion to the client that the system is susceptible to being hacked. 

New Webinar: Follow the Cybersecurity Money!

Live Date: Wed, May 25, 2022 12:00 PM EDT In this fast-paced, one-hour webinar, attendees will learn:
  • How to establish your integration company and train your team to be go-to cybersecurity experts
  • What is ASM, what are the potential vulnerabilities and how to discuss it with customers
  • How to build an ASMaaS business model for your company and what is the RMR earning potential
Register Now!

cybersecurity residential networks
Related: Study: 73% of Integrators Don’t Offer Cybersecurity Services

But that train has left the station, so to speak. The truth is that smart home systems can be hacked, but integrators can bring their clients more peace of mind with a proper cybersecurity solution. Also, a comprehensive cybersecurity offering further separates custom integrators from DIY systems and less-professional trunk-slammers. 

Lastly, there is a potential recurring monthly revenue (RMR) stream from cybersecurity. According to the aforementioned CE Pro Cybersecurity Study, integrators believe clients will pay between $35 and $150 per month to protect their data. 

So What Should Integrators Do? 

There are basic steps integrators can take to become cybersecurity experts, including using the Consumer Technology Association’s Connected Home Security Checklist Tool, which is based on the association’s Device Security Best Practices white paper. 

The tool is mobile-friendly and ideal for job sites, offering installers a quick reference of industry practices for topics including passwords, networks, modems and routers, VPNs and Z-Wave/ZigBee. To ensure consumers are well informed about the work completed in their homes by professionals, the tool also emails customers a comprehensive assessment of the security steps performed, as well as recommendations. 

The Checklist Tool, according to CTA, delivers numerous benefits by: 

  • Outlining existing best solutions to current and forthcoming smart home security challenges; 
  • Providing customers with peace of mind through enhanced protection against smart home/connected home related threats; 
  • Comprehensively cataloging the installed connected systems in a home; 
  • Reducing liability to professional installers by providing an industry approved guide; and
  • Adding value to the services of CTA member professional installers, setting them apart in the marketplace by using documented recommended practices or processes for selecting products, systems, installation and maintenance. 

If integrators want to take their cybersecurity offering to the next level, there are several certifications that can be earned, per the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Workforce Training Guide. Some of these certifications require prerequisites, so explore each offering for more information. 

Among the choices are:

Associate of (ISC)2–The certification from the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 is compatible for O&M NICE categories and covers: 

  • Security and risk management 
  • Asset security Security engineering 
  • Communications and network security 
  • Identity and access management 
  • Security Assessment and Testing 
  • Security Operations Software Development 

Security Certificate Authorized Professional (CAP)— This certificate, also from (ISC)2, measures skills and proficiency in: 

  • Authorizing and maintaining information systems 
  • Assessing risk 
  • Establishing security requirements 
  • Documentation

ARTICLE TOPICS

News • Security

ARTICLE TAGS

CTA • Cybersecurity • IoT • Parks Associates • RMR • WFH

SHARE

Share On Facebook
Share On Twitter
Share On Linkedin
Share On Whatsapp
Share Via Email
Copy URL
← Previous Article Next Article →
Article Audio/VideoMediaProducts

Marantz Introduces $999 CD 60 CD Player

The new CD 60 CD player from Marantz features its latest analog circuitry and a front USB type A input to allow users to employ the component as a DAC.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoMediaMultiroom AVProductsWireless AV

Denon 900 Series Includes HEOS-Enabled Integrated Amp

The new Denon 900 Series of components includes an integrated amp that offers the company's HEOS streaming platform and a CD player.
Article Audio/VideoMediaProducts

Marantz Introduces $999 CD 60 CD Player

The new CD 60 CD player from Marantz features its latest analog circuitry and a front USB type A input to allow users to employ the component as a DAC.
Article Audio/VideoFurnitureMounts/LiftsProducts

Common Myths About Mounting TVs Over Fireplaces

Neck strain, reduction in image quality, and heat problems are common objections integrators face from clients about mounting a TV over a fireplace. They are not true!

SHOW NEWSLETTER

Sign Up

CE Pro

Subscribe Sign Up

Content Types

News
Products
Projects
Companies
Downloads
Webcasts
Podcasts
Events

Specials

IntegratorJobs
CEDIA EXPO
CE Pro 100
CE Pro Summit
Awards Programs

Company Info

About
Contact Us
Customer Service
Media Solutions & Advertising

Subscribe

Magazine
Newsletters
Digital Edition

Connect

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
RSS Feed

Categories

AUDIO/VIDEO
AV Accessories
AV Racks
Amplifiers/Receivers
Cabling
Displays
Furniture
Mounts/Lifts
Multiroom AV
Projector Screens
Speakers/Subwoofers
Wireless AV
CONTROL
Central Vac
Energy/Power
Interfaces/Devices
HVAC/IAQ
Lighting
Motorized Shades
Whole-House Systems
NETWORKING
Cellular
Devices/Equipment
Wireless
Wiring/Installation
SECURITY
Access Control
Alarms/Sensors
Services/Platforms
Surveillance Cameras
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Associations/Buying Groups
Distributors/Reps
Operations
Recurring Revenue
Research
Sales/Marketing
Software/Services
Tools/Testers
MARKETS
Builders
Commercial
Design
Europe
Outdoors
Wellness
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

© 2021 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • TERMS OF USE
  • PRIVACY POLICY