IoT attacks are becoming more common as a result of the recurring security issues in IoT devices. Read on to know more about it…
The Internet of Things (IoT) can provide significant benefits to businesses. However, as the IoT ecosystem becomes more sophisticated, security vulnerabilities in connected devices are being exploited by the cyberattackers.
The penetration of IoT devices in consumer, enterprise, and healthcare sectors, have lured the cyberattackers to exploit the security vulnerabilities and compromise devices such as webcams, smart TVs, routers, printers, and even smart homes.
Cyberattackers have always turned their attention to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Unfortunately, several businesses continue to delay implementing an IoT cybersecurity strategy, failing to recognise IoT security concerns until it is too late.
Having a thorough awareness of IoT cybersecurity challenges and putting in place a plan to reduce the risks can help secure your organisation and boost confidence in digital transformation processes.
In this brief article, let’s have a look at some of the significant IoT security challenges:
Weak Passwords: Hard-coded and embedded credentials are a security risk for IT systems, as well as IoT devices. Hackers have an open invitation to attack the device directly if the credentials are predictable or hard-coded.
With default passwords embedded into the firmware, the hackers might already know the device password! The Mirai malware is a good example of this type of attack. By successfully attempting to log in using a table of 61 popular hard-coded default usernames and passwords, Mirai malware infected IoT devices ranging from routers to video cameras and video recorders. The malware infection resulted in the creation of a massive botnet. Finally, the Mirai botnet “enslaved” a network of 400,000 connected devices.
Failure to patch up the vulnerabilities with security updates: IoT products may be secure at the time of purchase, but hackers may discover new security flaws making them vulnerable. Thus the IoT devices become vulnerable over time if they are not patched with frequent updates.
Satori is a malware that spreads and behaves in the same way as Mirai. Satori transmits a worm, allowing infection to spread from device to device without the need for human intervention. Satori malware has been discovered to target known WiFi router vulnerabilities in specified ranges.
The only way to mitigate this malware from spreading and infecting IoT devices is to install the security updates for IoT devices when the security vulnerabilities are discovered. Enterprise network managers should take care to update procedures, which should only include signed updates and encrypted exchanges to ensure authenticity.
Weak Interfaces: Data is processed and communicated by all IoT devices. Apps, services, and protocols are required for communication, and insecure interfaces are the source of security flaws. Insecure interfaces can compromise the device and its data that are related to web, application API, cloud, and mobile interfaces. Lack of insufficient device authentication and authorisation are some of other common issues.
Data Privacy Issues: Insecure connections and data storage are the most common causes of data security concerns in IoT applications. Compromised devices can be exploited to access personal data, which is one of the major challenges for IoT privacy and security.
Security researchers from Darktrace stated in 2017 that they had tracked a sophisticated attack in an undisclosed casino. The hackers gained access to a database of “high rollers” i.e., big spenders by hacking into the network through a fish tank thermostat. The hackers exfiltrated around 10GB of data once they gained a access into the network.
Cryptography is a powerful tool for dealing with the issues of data privacy. In the event of data theft, data encryption prohibits data visibility and routinely used to secure data in transit, and for securing data at rest.
A Brief Conclusion
Unfortunately, despite all efforts, there are no guaranteed solutions for IoT security. It’s a difficult task. However, using a comprehensive risk management approach to comprehend and mitigate the threats posed by the Internet of Things can be quite beneficial in bridging security gaps. In other words, everything that is connected in the IoT ecosystem should be made secure by improving the cybersecurity readiness.