TO A layman, the phrase “Internet of Things” (IoT) probably conjures up a half-fantastic future in which refrigerators monitor their own contents and send orders direct to the grocer when the butter is running out, while tired commuters order baths to be drawn automatically using their smartphones as they approach their houses in their self-driving cars. Actually, though, a version of the IoT is already here. Wi-Fi hubs, smart televisions, digital video-recorders and the like are all part of a network of devices run by microprocessors that, just as much as desktop, laptop and tablet computers, form part of the internet—but with one crucial distinction. Unlike things immediately recognisable as computers, these devices are often designed with poor security, or even none at all. They are wide open to malicious hackers who might wish to misuse them. And there are already around 5 billion of them, according to Cisco, the world’s largest computer-networking company, with billions more to come in the years ahead.
One favourite trick of such hackers is the distributed denial of service attack, or DDoS. This temporarily enslaves a number of internet-enabled devices into an arrangement known as a botnet, and then directs this net to send simultaneous requests for attention to a single machine or cluster of machines, thus overwhelming it and making it unusable. Such attacks may be carried out by organised criminals, to hold a firm to ransom; by cyber-savvy countries, as a tool of low-level warfare—or, as in the case of one of the latest attacks, for revenge.
The victim is Brian Krebs, an American journalist who often reports on internet criminals, including those who run DDoS-for-hire services, and also those involved in the “dark” markets that trade in stolen identities and credit-card details. In the past, some of the people he has annoyed have sent heroin to his home while alerting the police to the fact they might find the drug there. This time, the very internet itself was turned against him. On September 20th Mr Krebs’s web server became the target of one of the largest DDoS attacks ever recorded—between 600 billion and 700 billion bits per second, or almost half a percent of the internet’s entire capacity, for hours at a time.
At first, his “network mitigation provider”, a firm called Akamai that was supplying its services to him free, for the general good of the field, was able to ward off these attacks. Eventually, though, it had to surrender. On September 23rd, with his agreement, it cut him loose and he had to shut down until he could make alternative arrangements.
Though Mr Krebs’s case is extreme by current standards, there is a risk it will soon become typical. Matthew Prince, the boss of CloudFlare, a firm that helps websites manage heavy traffic and deal with assaults of this sort, says his firm has already seen a sustained ten-day trillion-bits-per-second DDoS attack—though that was launched by a country (he declined to say which) rather than by a private criminal organisation. Other firms, such as OVH, a French web-hosting service, have also reported attacks of this magnitude.
Learn more: Cyber-security – The internet of stings
The Latest on: Cyber security
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Cyber security” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Cyber security
- Telkom Indonesia collaborates with F5 on cybersecurity serviceson May 2, 2024 at 9:38 pm
Telkom Indonesia announced on Thursday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with cybersecurity firm F5 to collaborate on cybersecurity services and strengthen Telkom’s own security ...
- Cyberhusky student group scores big at national cybersecurity competitionon May 2, 2024 at 8:33 pm
MTU's Cyberhusky student group, made up of Houghton County middle and high school students, earned high rankings at the spring National Cyber League competition.
- Fortinet’s stock falls 9% after cybersecurity company’s quarterly billings dropon May 2, 2024 at 5:28 pm
Shares of Fortinet Inc. fell 9% in the extended session Thursday after the cybersecurity company reported a better-than-expected first quarter and guidance that went beyond Wall Street forecasts, but ...
- Cybersecurity Firm Fortinet Q1 Earnings: Product Revenue Falls, Billings Fall, Robust Outlookon May 2, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Fortinet reported quarterly earnings of 43 cents per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of 38 cents by 13.16%. Quarterly sales came in at $1.35 billion, beating the analyst consensus ...
- Overheard at 2024 ILTA Evolve: Cybersecurity, Generative AI and All Its Curiositieson May 2, 2024 at 8:30 am
ILTA Evolve 2024 saw many focusing on the the cybersecurity issues facing generative artificial intelligence, cyber insurance challenges, and more The 2024 International Legal Technology Association ...
- Cybersecurity consultant arrested after allegedly extorting IT firmon May 2, 2024 at 6:41 am
A former cybersecurity consultant was arrested for allegedly attempting to extort a publicly traded IT company by threatening to disclose confidential and proprietary data unless they paid him $1,500, ...
- Opportunity, Sincerity, and Perseverance: Messages from 2024 Cybersecurity Graduateson May 2, 2024 at 5:00 am
From exploring different cybersecurity topics in her degree to exploring Atlanta’s most popular attractions, Alicia Biju has made the most of her two years as a graduate student. Her commitment to ...
- The US Government Is Asking Big Tech to Promise Better Cybersecurityon May 1, 2024 at 9:01 am
The Biden administration is asking tech companies to sign a pledge, obtained by WIRED, to improve their digital security, including reduced default password use and improved vulnerability disclosures.
- A Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity Branded Contenton May 1, 2024 at 6:26 am
Rather than offer one-size-fits-all solutions, RedTrace Technologies does a deep dive into understanding the unique needs of every client.
via Bing News