From Smartphones to Smart Cars: Why Every Connected Device Is Becoming a Cyber Target By Md. Nehal Akhter | #cybercrime | #infosec


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Cybersecurity was largely associated with protecting laptops, email accounts, and enterprise networks. Today, that definition has increased dramatically. Every internet-connected device from smartphones and smart TVs to wearables, home security cameras, connected vehicles, and industrial equipment has become part of the digital ecosystem. At the same time this connected world has made life more convenient as well as created a much larger attack surface for cybercriminals.

India’s rapid digital transformation has accelerated this shift so digital payments, online banking, UPI, cloud services, IoT devices, and connected mobility have become part of everyday life. At the same time, cybercrime has grown in both scale and sophistication. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), India continues to witness a sharp rise in cybercrime complaints, with financial fraud emerging as one of the biggest challenges. CERT-In has also reported a steady increase in cybersecurity incidents in the last few years and highlighting digital adoption must be accompanied by stronger cyber resilience.

As per Mr. Nehal Akhtar cyber security expert, One of the main biggest changes today is that cybercriminals are no longer targeting only computers so they are increasingly targeting connected devices that people trust and use every day. A smartphone stores banking credentials, digital identities, passwords, and personal information. A connected vehicle continuously exchanges data with mobile applications, cloud platforms, GPS systems, and onboard software. Smart home devices remain connected to the internet around the clock and every additional connection creates another potential entry point if security is overlooked.

The growing adoption of connected vehicles deserves particular attention so modern vehicles are increasingly dependent on software, mobile applications, cloud connectivity, GPS navigation, remote diagnostics, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and digital services. These technologies significantly improve convenience and user experience as well as make cybersecurity an essential part of vehicle safety. International automotive cybersecurity frameworks such as UNECE WP.29 and ISO/SAE 21434 have already recognised that cybersecurity must be embedded with the help of a vehicle’s lifecycle in place of being treated as an afterthought.

The concern is not that every connected vehicle is vulnerable to remote compromise. In place of the growing digital ecosystem around vehicles including companion mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, third-party software, and connected services requires strong security architecture, secure software development, timely updates, encryption, identity verification, and continuous monitoring.

As per his good experience in cyber, artificial Intelligence is adding another layer of complexity and attackers can now generate convincing phishing emails, clone voices, create deepfake videos, and automate social engineering attacks at a scale that was difficult just a few years ago. Increasingly, cyberattacks succeed not because technology fails, but because people trust what appears to be genuine.
 The future of cybersecurity is no longer limited to protecting computers or mobile phones so every connected device has become part of our digital identity. If it is a smartphone, a smart vehicle, or an IoT device, security must be built into the ecosystem from the beginning. Technology will continue to grow even cyber awareness, secure design, timely software updates, and responsible digital behaviour will remain our strongest defence.

This is why cybersecurity must become a shared responsibility and manufacturers need to adopt secure-by-design principles, organisations must strengthen their cyber governance, and users should follow basic cyber hygiene by installing updates, enabling multi-factor authentication, verifying suspicious requests, avoiding unknown applications, and downloading software only from trusted sources.

The next generation of cyber threats will not be defined only by malware or ransomware as well as increasingly target connected ecosystems where devices, applications, cloud services, and users interact continuously. 

As India moves towards a smarter and more connected digital future, cybersecurity should evolve alongside innovation not after an incident occurs and in the connected era, every smart device offers convenience. Protecting that convenience with trust, security, and awareness will define the future of digital resilience.



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National Cyber Security

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