Internet of things a technological world of dreams for hackers

It is increasingly common to see wearable devices or that are part of the modular of our home that became smart in recent years

In fact, Amazon only weeks ago presented microwave, but there are also refrigerators, toasters, coffee makers, lamps, bracelets, watches and all kinds of products that are part of what is called Internet of Things (IoT) or the Internet of things.

The issue is that although these devices are very attractive to users and increasingly cheaper compared to what they started costing, comes with major security problems that are exploited by attackers.

A survey conducted by the company ESET computer security revealed that 70% of users say that IoT equipment is not safe, but 62% said they would also buy one.

It is estimated that there is currently an average, worldwide, of 6 devices connected to the Internet per home and by 2020 there will be 20 billion smart devices in the world without including computers. With this market in mind, the hackers decided to start developing viruses that affect this type of system.

"It is very complex that everyone is safe because they have different technologies, which means that providing security after they are launched on the market is difficult, what should happen is that they come directly from the factory," explained Cecilia Pastorino, IT security specialist at the framework of the ESET Forum on Computer Security.

One of the main attacks that affects these devices is a malware that turns the devices into zombies and makes them part of a botnet, a group of computers that is at the mercy of a hacker to do what he wants.

The most famous cases are Mirai and Reaper that affected routers and cameras. The creators of these viruses used them so that, en masse and at the same moment, these infected devices enter a site, leaving it inoperable.

But it's not the only way they get infected. There are also viruses that block them and ask for rescue to be able to free them to use them again. This type of attacks are focused not only on home products but also some very expensive ones that the owners, surely, will want to put the necessary money to recover them. One of the most famous cases was that a group of hackers attacked a tomograph of a hospital in England.

Most attacks are made because of poor factory settings where, for example, all products of a company have the same username and password. Attackers know this and search the internet for these types of devices to turn them into zombies. And the rest is chaos.

Date update on 2018-11-13. Date published on 2018-11-13. Category: internet of things Author: Oscar olg Fuente: minutouno
internet of things