According to the Kaspersky Lab IoT report, in the first half of 2018, IoT devices were attacked with over 120,000 malware versions. This number is more than three times the number of IoT malware seen throughout 2017.
The IoT (Internet of Things) devices market, also known as smart devices, and the location of these devices in our daily lives are growing rapidly. Cybercriminals see the financial opportunities in this area and increase and differentiate their attacks. The main danger for consumers who love IoT devices is that the threats that come out in unexpected moments can turn these devices, which seem harmless, into powerful machines for illegal activities. Examples of this are harmful crypto-money mining, DDoS attacks or secretly participating in botnet activities.
Kaspersky Lab experts regularly review data collected from different sources on the subject; These sources include information gathering devices used to capture the attention of cyber criminals and analyze their activities. The most recent data from these sources is dangerous. In the first half of 2018, the number of malware versions targeted by IoT devices and detected by researchers was three times higher than that seen in the whole of 2017.
THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED METHOD; BRUT FORCE
Statistics show that the most commonly used method for spreading IoT malware is still applying brute force to the passwords, ie, trying several consecutive password combinations. It was seen that this method was used in 93% of the determined attacks. In most of the remaining cases, access to IoT devices was obtained using known deficits. Kaspersky Lab's devices were the most frequently attacked devices. 60 percent of the attempted attack attempts for our virtual devices came through routers. Among the remaining seized IoT devices, there are many different technologies, from DVR devices to printers. The data collection devices found that 33 attacks came from washing machines.
The most popular purpose is to organize DDoS attacks by creating botnet, although there are different reasons to take advantage of IoT vulnerabilities in different cyber criminals. Some malware versions are designed to disable competitor malware, correct their vulnerabilities, and shut down services that are vulnerable to attack on the device.
Kaspersky Lab Security Researcher Mikhail Kuzin told;
"Compared to personal computers and smartphones, IoT devices may not seem strong enough to attract the attention of cyber criminals and use it in their illegal activities. However, the number of these devices prevents performance shortcomings. The fact that some smart device manufacturers still do not pay enough attention to the safety of their products attracts the attention of cyber criminals. Even if brands are beginning to offer better security for their devices, older devices open for attacks have a longer time to get out of service.
In addition; IoT malware families are rapidly developing and evolving. As the previously exploited deficits are not closed, criminals continue to find new deficits. Therefore, IoT products have become easy targets for cyber criminals. They can turn these simple machines into powerful devices for illegal activities such as spying, theft and blackmail."
RECOMMENDATIONS
Experts advised users to reduce the risk of malware infection:
Install the firmware updates that you are using at the earliest opportunity. They can be repaired by patches included in updates when an open is found.
Always change the pre-installed passwords. Use complex passwords that contain uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Restart the devices that you think are behaving differently. This can help you get rid of existing malicious software, but does not reduce the risk of re-infection.
