Last Friday was history making when many of the Internet's big time web sites went down to a hacker. The attack was fairly crude but involved the use of a network of robotic ... things. Few computers were hijacked, but millions of cameras, refrigerator, and other Internet connected devices that are not PC's or mobile devices ganged up on a critical Internet service manager to shut down Internet access in bulk. These "things" many of us have are convenience gizmos which are connected to the Internet to do what they do best - it all happens on the Internet Of Things (IoT). The reason it was able to happen is because few if any of these devices have any security whatsoever built into them. They are wide open for use by anyone who knows how to get into them. More frightening is that the code used to hijack the IoT devices has been released to the public. Now, anybody and their brother can do it.
The best defense us common device users have is to use whatever software was supplied by the "things" we own and change the default login credentials for your gizmo. If you don't know whether or not you have a vulnerable device that can be recruited into a bot-net without your knowledge, then you can use the link provided below to check. While most of the outages were in the USA, some of western Europe was affected as well. Doing this check isn't going to stop the problem, but at lease you won't be contributing to it ... for the time being.
WHAT HAPPENED: https://motherboard.vice.com/read/twitt ... net-attack
WAS IT YOU?: http://motherboard.vice.com/en_au/read/ ... e-internet
Iot SCAN: http://iotscanner.bullguard.com/
IoT Scanner
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Icey
Re: IoT Scanner
Well, we're not public on Shodan, I don't go on Amazon, Reddit or Twitter, and if the hack reached these shores, it never affected us. That's not to say that it doesn't have serious connotations though, because no one seems quite sure how the hack was carried out or if another one's in the offing.
I can't think of any gizmos we have which might be open to compromise, and even our printers're offline until we need to use them. We don't have blinds, a cooker, a roomba, garage doors or lights which can be operated via remote control or smart meters. Kind of "safe-ish", methinks, but unpleasant for those who've been affected. : (
I can't think of any gizmos we have which might be open to compromise, and even our printers're offline until we need to use them. We don't have blinds, a cooker, a roomba, garage doors or lights which can be operated via remote control or smart meters. Kind of "safe-ish", methinks, but unpleasant for those who've been affected. : (
Re: IoT Scanner
People who have been infected and take part in the shut down effort have no idea they are involved. It's transparent. The the need for the scan and corrective actions when necessary.
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Icey
Re: IoT Scanner
Indeed, and I wonder why all the home gadgetry hasn't come with better security?
Re: IoT Scanner
Security is an added cost, plus, nobody figured out in advance what could actually be done with these unguarded machines. I guess that's one good thing to come out of the hack attack. We now have an idea how dangerous the IoT can be.
Re: IoT Scanner
oh bh! this is jusy SO tedious!
I suppose the tv would be vulnerable then...? i'll tell the kids.
thanks!
I suppose the tv would be vulnerable then...? i'll tell the kids.
thanks!
Re: IoT Scanner
The threat is from "things" that access the Internet to operate. Take for example some surveillance cameras you can set up to watch your house while you are away on holiday. There is an app for you to look at what the camera sees while you are in Spain on the beach. It's those kind of devices that are vulnerable. Anybody with a password can look at your camera, or use it as a bot to attack websites.
Re: IoT Scanner
well, ain't that ironic! you're security camera can turn on you... 
Re: IoT Scanner
It is indeed ironic and scary to think that there are millions of these things out there and nobody has bothered to secure them.