IoT Is A Cyberwar Nightmare

The world got a glimpse of the future last month when a large-scale cyberattack prevented access to hundreds of key websites, including Twitter, the online New York Times, and Amazon. The “distributed denial of service” attack against the New Hampshire-based DNS provider Dyn, which blocked access to major online services for users as far away as Europe, fulfilled the direst predictions of technologists and security researchers alike.

The attack exposed the clear reasons for concern about the coming age of an Internet of Things, in which more household devices are connected to the web. What’s less immediately clear is what should be done to ensure the internet’s most likely future iteration remains safe.

To date, the vast majority of disruptive and even destructive cyberattacks have been the work of militaries, foreign intelligence services, or other state-sponsored hackers. These actors are usually operating under some degree of political direction and interests and tend to moderate their use of malicious code for disruptive or destructive purposes.

But according to America’s top intelligence official, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, last month’s attack was “likely” the work of a non-state actor, and his assessment has been backed up by reports from the private cybersecurity firm Flashpoint. This marks an important shift. The barriers to entry are becoming low enough that hackers no longer need the backing of a government to carry out crimes or even acts of warfare in cyberspace. 

These non-state actors are especially destabilizing because they are not subject to traditional means of diplomacy or law enforcement. They operate beyond legal jurisdictions and without regard for geographic political boundaries, so the instruments of deterrence that have largely kept nation-states from projecting disruptive or destructive cyber-force are increasingly obsolete.

The first factor driving these low barriers to entry is the internet’s rapidly expanding digital real estate, which non-state hackers view as their battlefield. The rapidly expanding Internet of Things consists of normal household devices like surveillance cameras, thermostats, baby monitors, televisions, and refrigerators to which an IP address has been affixed and that can communicate with one another and other devices. It is already massive and is expected to more than triple in size by 2020 to nearly 21 billion devices. 

For a cyber-defender, this means that hackers will not only have three times as many targets, they will also have three times as many vectors from which to attack any given target. This creates vast new challenges for network security and complicates the already murky legal and technical landscape for attributing who is responsible for an attack.

The second factor bolstering this threat is the ubiquity of the tools used to conduct such attacks. The Mirai malware that was used last month to compromise 50,000 Internet-connected devices is a powerful new threat. Botnets, or armies of zombie computers infected with malware, are not a new phenomenon; what is new, however, is the act of transforming the Internet of Things into a distributed zombie network, an Internet of Botnets. But the source code for Mirai is not secured in a government vault, but rather shared in forums on deep, dark corners of the web for sympathetic, force-multiplying hackers to copy and deploy with the stroke of a key.

Finally, October’s attack demonstrated our need for a more redundant Internet. Dyn, which is akin to a large digital phonebook, is one of many companies that connect a web address typed in a browser to a website’s IP address. By flooding its servers in New Hampshire with dummy traffic from random devices, amateurs effectively shut down popular online services like Twitter and Netflix for millions of their customers. Ultimately, the effects of that attack were quite limited. The effects, however, of a similar style attack directed against more critical services during a local, regional, or national emergency could be catastrophic.

Such hypotheticals are entirely reasonable to contemplate. They will also undoubtedly encourage a chorus of criticism about the viability of the Internet of Things. Technology skeptics will ask, “Why does my refrigerator need an internet connection?” But that’s the wrong question. There are too many benefits to linking our world together to slow that process down. The real question is: How can we prevent such attacks?

First, we need to require higher levels of security in any device that will be connected to the web. Some of this will be done because manufacturers are self-incentivized to do so. For example, last week, Chinese camera manufacturer Hangzhou Xiongmai was quick to recall millions of its products sold in the United States that were vulnerable to the Mirai malware. More will follow voluntarily to avoid legal liability in the event of an attack.

Second, we need better technology to manage in real time the vulnerability of Internet of Things devices. Just as technology vendors (or at least the more reliable ones) deploy software patches when a bug is discovered, Internet of Things manufacturers should include device-based auto-updates as a standard security measure in their new products. And there are plenty of other viable low-cost solutions for these devices, after all, we’re not talking about nuclear weapons. An entire secondary cybersecurity market to protect relatively simple devices attached to the Internet of Things is already gaining speed.

And third, we all have to recognize that we have a broad responsibility to protect the internet as consumers of it. While it’s easy to place blame on device manufacturers, in the end, perhaps the more appropriate culprit is the user. Think about how we fully embrace our responsibilities to prevent the spread of the flu: We take shots, wash our hands, cover our mouths when we cough, and stay home and self-isolate when we are sick (at least most of us do). 

That same mentality must be inculcated in the public when it comes to the web. When we attach a device to the Internet, we need to change the password, allow security updates, and monitor for trouble. Technology can help, but in the end we own the Internet, all of us, and it’s our job to keep it safe and secure.

In October, the United States observed National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. How appropriate that the largest single attack on the Internet came rolling through it like a line of squalls. It neatly demonstrated the basic facts of our present cyber-security state: Everything is hackable, and in the digital age of non-state threats, cybersecurity is a collective responsibility. Now we need to heed those facts.

Ein News:             DDoS: Deceptive Denial Attacks:
 

« International Police Start Crackdown On The Darknet
Fears Of Hacked US Election Ebb Away »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

ZenGRC

ZenGRC

ZenGRC - the first, easy-to-use, enterprise-grade information security solution for compliance and risk management - offers businesses efficient control tracking, testing, and enforcement.

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout enables cyber security professionals to reduce cyber risk to their organization with proactive security solutions, providing immediate improvement in security posture and ROI.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

Jooble

Jooble

Jooble is a job search aggregator operating in 71 countries worldwide. We simplify the job search process by displaying active job ads from major job boards and career sites across the internet.

GlobalSign

GlobalSign

GlobalSign is an identity services company providing cloud-based, PKI solutions for enterprises needing to conduct safe commerce, communications, content delivery and community interactions.

Temasoft

Temasoft

TEMASOFT is a software company focused on developing security and infrastructure products.

Nuspire

Nuspire

Nuspire provide services to protect your network with best-in-class managed detection and response, allowing you to stay focused on managing your business.

Italtel

Italtel

Italtel is a multinational ICT company that combines networks and communications services with the ability to innovate and develop solutions for digital transformation.

Sergeant Laboratories

Sergeant Laboratories

Sergeant Laboratories builds advanced technologies to prove compliance in complex IT security and regulatory compliance situations.

AttackIQ

AttackIQ

AttackIQ delivers continuous validation of your enterprise security program so you can strengthen your security posture and your response capabilities.

Bigbee Technology

Bigbee Technology

Bigbee Technology are an IT solutions company based in Dar es Salaam founded by a group of professionals from around the globe.

StrikeReady

StrikeReady

StrikeReady have developed CARA, an advanced technology solution that offers personalized and proactive assessment and remediation of future and current risk in real-time.

Otava

Otava

Otava is a global leader of secure, compliant hybrid cloud and IT solutions for service providers, channel partners and enterprise clients.

StarLink

StarLink

StarLink is an acclaimed Value-Added Distributor across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa regions with on-the-ground presence in 20 countries including UK and USA.

WinMagic

WinMagic

At WinMagic, we’re dedicated to making authentication and encryption solutions that protect data without causing user friction so that everyone can work freely and securely.

Badge

Badge

Badge authenticates you on-demand for every application, on any device, without storing any secrets.

Evolve Business Group

Evolve Business Group

Evolve is an independently-owned managed network solutions provider, creating bespoke packages for customers globally since 2005.

Airbus Protect

Airbus Protect

Airbus Protect is an Airbus subsidiary bringing together the Company’s expertise in cybersecurity, safety and sustainability-related services.

System360

System360

System360 is one of Houston's top suppliers of network administration, design, security, and support services.

AI EdgeLabs

AI EdgeLabs

AI EdgeLabs is a powerful and autonomous cybersecurity AI platform that helps security teams respond immediately to ongoing attacks and protect Edge/IoT infrastructures.