There are many cyber attacks that we can suffer on the network. Hackers can attack any device we have at home, such as a television, a video player or even smart light bulbs. It is what is known as the Internet of Things. However,What a cybercriminal is really looking for of these devices? We are going to talk about this in this article.
IoT devices, target of cybercriminals
In recent years, cybercriminals have seen the IoT devices as a very interesting target to achieve your attacks. We have more and more devices of this type and on many occasions they are not updated, which makes them vulnerable and can be exploited.
According to a report we echo, conducted by researchers at NIST and the University of Florida, most attackers seek open ports on these devices. This allows them to disable firewalls and have easier access. Also, they detected that many of them look for specific information about the hardware of those devices.
But what exactly are you looking for with this? The main objective is to turn those Internet of Things devices into a botnet, in order to perform DDoS attacks. A clear example is the Mirai botnet, one of the most powerful and well-known. But they also seek mine cryptocurrencies through these devices and thus generate income using the victims’ devices.
For this report, security researchers created vulnerabilities and exposed computers so that they could test properly. They found that the majority of attackers, once they exploited the access and could control the device, their next objective was to make that device part of a botnet or use it to mine cryptocurrencies.
Tips for protecting IoT devices
But an attacker is not only going to focus on what we have mentioned, as he could even have access to the network and get to attack other connected devices. That is why it is essential to be protected and not make any mistakes that could expose us on the network.
A very important point to protect IoT devices is change defaults. In many cases they come with basic passwords or even come open, without any type of encryption. It is essential that we change the key and that it is also strong and complex. This is what cybercriminals mainly exploit. But it is also convenient to change the username. It is important to install the IoT equipment correctly.
In addition, it is essential that these teams are updated correctly. Vulnerabilities can emerge, and those flaws are precisely what can allow intruders to enter. We must install available patches at all times and form a security barrier.
On the other hand, it is convenient actively check devices connected and see that everything is in order. For example, analyze possible malfunctions or signals that tell us that an intruder has been able to enter and turn that device into a botnet or be mining cryptocurrencies, which are two of the most common objectives.
Ultimately, hackers are targeting IoT devices. It is essential that we protect them correctly and that we do not keep open any security breaches that they can take advantage of to attack the network.
