  Journalists have long been the targets of both physical and cyber-attacks
from well-resourced adversaries. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are arguably
a new avenue of threat towards journalists through both targeted and
generalised cyber-physical exploitation. This study comprises three parts:
First, we interviewed 11 journalists and surveyed 5 further journalists, to
determine the extent to which journalists perceive threats through the IoT,
particularly via consumer IoT devices. Second, we surveyed 34 cyber security
experts to establish if and how lay-people can combat IoT threats. Third, we
compared these findings to assess journalists' knowledge of threats, and
whether their protective mechanisms would be effective against experts'
depictions and predictions of IoT threats. Our results indicate that
journalists generally are unaware of IoT-related risks and are not adequately
protecting themselves; this considers cases where they possess IoT devices, or
where they enter IoT-enabled environments (e.g., at work or home). Expert
recommendations spanned both immediate and long-term mitigation methods,
including practical actions that are technical and socio-political in nature.
However, all proposed individual mitigation methods are likely to be short-term
solutions, with 26 of 34 (76.5%) of cyber security experts responding that
within the next five years it will not be possible for the public to opt-out of
interaction with the IoT.
