
The Consumers' Forum's warning on the security of home digital devices
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The spread of connected devices in Italian homes has grown exponentially in recent years.
In Italy, one home in 3 is potentially at risk of a hacker attack, with damages that, in the case of illicit access, can reach 10 thousand euros per family. The alarm comes from Consumers' Forum, a body which includes consumer associations, industrial and service companies and their trade associations. As regards the security of digital devices, it is recalled that new obligations on manufacturers introduced by the "Cyber Resilience Act" will only come into force in December 2027.
With the spread of smartphones, computers, smart televisions, cameras, alarm systems and appliances connected to the internet, homes are transforming into true digital ecosystems, increasingly interconnected and potentially exposed to attacks by hackers and criminal organizations. A transformation that also reflects the evolution of consumer habits, which are increasingly "hybrid" today: technological devices are no longer simple tools, but real appendages of daily life, through which homes are managed, purchases are made, consumption decisions are made and choices are made that impact personal and family life.
Suffice it to say that the digital devices present in Italian homes reach 100.1 million: the domestic technological heritage includes approximately 50.3 million smartphones, 20.2 million desktop and laptop computers, 22.2 million Smart TVs and 7.4 million tablets. Added to this equipment is the growing number of equipment specifically belonging to the Smart Home category: anti-theft and anti-intrusion systems, surveillance cameras, connected appliances, smart refrigerators and washing machines, boilers, thermostats, thermostatic valves, air conditioners, lighting systems, sensors for detecting water and gas leaks and voice assistants such as smart speakers
The diffusion of these technologies is rapidly accelerating. According to the Eumetra Observatory, in 2017 only 4% of families had Smart Home equipment or smart speakers connected to domestic appliances. In 2026 the share has risen to 33%: in other words, today one in three families has technologies for the intelligent management of their home.
The Observatory of the Polytechnic University of Milan also confirms the growth of the phenomenon: in 2025, 63% of Italian consumers owned at least one Smart Home device, bringing the Italian market in the sector to a record value of one billion euros, with an increase of +11% compared to the previous year.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Cyber Resilience Act obligations for manufacturers come into force
Very likely · Within months
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