'Smart' devices 'too dumb' to fend off cyber-attacks, say experts

Internet-connected gadgets vulnerable because they don't have enough memory for safety software, use generic code and access web by default

"Smart" internet-connected devices such as webcams, kettles and baby monitors are "too dumb" to resist the kind of cyber-attack that brought down some of the world's most popular websites on Friday, experts have warned.

Richard Sims, a product development consultant at the Technology Partnership, said such devices - commonly referred to as the "internet of things" - often connect to the internet by default and use stock code from open-source software, which makes them easier to hack.