DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced details of its fall security research competition, Pwn2Own Tokyo, run by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI). This year’s contest is expanding to include IoT devices in a reflection of the growing ‘Internet of Threats’ facing businesses and consumers.

“Gartner predicts that approximately 25 billion IoT devices will be connected in 2021 and that number will continue to increase for the foreseeable future.”1 Knowing IoT connectivity will continue to be part of daily life, the ZDI wants to encourage vulnerability research in these pervasive devices to help harden the ecosystem through the coordinated disclosure of bugs.

“The Internet of Things is rapidly expanding into all aspects of our lives, from the smart home to the factory floor and connected cars, but products are often rushed to market without enough attention paid to their security,” said Brian Gorenc, director of vulnerability research for Trend Micro. “The ZDI is committed to helping remedy this situation by revealing vulnerabilities to vendors and minimizing their risk of being exploited. That’s why we’ve extended the scope of this year’s Pwn2Own Tokyo contest beyond the standard mobile devices. We’re looking forward to seeing what some of the world’s best researchers bring to the event.”

Formerly known as Mobile Pwn2Own, the event has been renamed Pwn2Own Tokyo to reflect its wider focus. The contest will take place on November 13-14 during the PacSec conference, with nine devices as potential targets across five different categories, and over $500,000 in cash and prizes available to researchers.

Mobile device targets include the Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy S9, Apple iPhone X, Huawei P20 and Xiaomi Mi6 devices. IoT devices included this year will be the Apple Watch Series 3, Amazon Echo (2nd Generation), Google Home, Amazon Cloud Cam Security Camera, and Nest Cam IQ Indoor.

Contestants will be competing for the prestigious title of Master of Pwn, which comes with a trophy, jacket and an additional 65,000 ZDI reward points. Cash prizes per vulnerability range from $25,000 to up to $150,000 for the Apple iPhone X.

Trend Micro’s commitment to IoT security expands beyond this event, including the company’s recent announcement to support device makers seeking to release secure products from day one. Additionally, Trend Micro Research is committed to identifying high-risk areas across the connected landscape to inform and equip business to best mitigate these threats.

For complete information about Pwn2Own Tokyo, please visit: https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2018/9/04/announcing-pwn2own-tokyo-for-2018.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world’s most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro secures your connected world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.

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1 Gartner, Security and Engineering — Converging or Colliding?, Wam Voster, 18 June 2018