• Bitdefender's 2026 IoT report with NETGEAR found growing cyberattack exposure across roughly 10.4 million smart homes monitored from January through September.
• Average household connected-device counts rose to 24 from 22 in 2025, expanding potential entry points for attackers.
• Reconnaissance accounted for 90.1% of detected attack activity, as automated scans identified vulnerable networks and devices for larger attacks or botnet recruitment.
• Smart TVs, smart plugs and network-attached storage accounted for 67.1% of vulnerability observations, highlighting risks from aging devices beyond support windows.
• Publicly known vulnerabilities represented 99.97% of observed device flaws, underscoring the need for timely patching and better device management.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. BitDefender SRL published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.