We live in an era where the internet is the primary link that keeps us connected each second. This sounds great, but there are always downsides to technological assistance in our life. You find it really normal to come across ransomware or other web thefts. In the 21st century, nothing appears to be impossible, just like a DDoS attack. A distributed denial-of-service refers to a malicious incident where the normal traffic of a definite server gets affected due to overwhelming request access.

Major DDoS attacks occur with the help of connected computers. Well, it never touched IoT devices before 2016. But, that year, an unexpected DDoS attack was placed with the help of a Botnet that was composed of more than 25000 CCTV devices! These CCTV devices were scattered all over the world, confirmed by a CCTV installation Dubai expert.

Was it predicted? Well, the way technology is bending towards Artificial Intelligence and the rise of IoT botnets is quite obvious. However, the disaster knocked down a small brick-and-mortar jewellery store, and it went offline for days.

Let’s research what botnets can do and how IoT devices are exposing the chances of blowing data privacy.

What is Botnet?

Botnets refer to the network of maliciously affected computers, and it has been derived from two words — robots and networks. Usually, a botnet is an infiltration strategy that consists of multiple stages. And, the attack through botnets can paralyse systems by making servers crash down and distributing malware. The worst thing that can happen is data theft.

The horrifying thing that has come under notice is that botnets can use IoT devices apart from using computers. Botnets can amplify the web attack and automate the DDoS attack to get multiplied to a great extent. Botnets can program remote devices to hijack them and attack organisations.

First, botnets require two prime counterparts to function. They are bot herder and zombie computers. A bot herder indicates the collection of commands that have been designed to hijack remote devices. On the other hand, zombie computers or bots are the devices that will receive malicious commands as victims.

As the incident of a botnet with 25000 CCTV cameras has shown us that vulnerability can initiate at any time. Building a botnet to spread the attack over the web can involve three main stages. It starts with measuring users’ exposure to the malware and the extent to which users can sustain that vulnerability.

The next agenda is to infect devices with malware. Lastly, hackers have to activate infection on the malware-affected devices. A botnet reads and writes system data, collects user’s personal data, and sends malicious files to target systems. The hacker can monitor the user’s activities remotely. Additionally, the hacker can look for vulnerabilities to attack adjacent devices. Surprisingly, botnets can install and run any applications on target devices.

Can Botnets control security Cameras?

Botnets can manipulate any Internet of Things device. You can’t exclude security cameras, televisions, speakers, smart wearables, in-vehicle infotainment, and others from the list of victims under devices that can be addressed with botnets.

Apart from security cameras and other IoT devices, any computer running on Windows or macOS systems can fall prey. In addition, mobile devices, internet infrastructure hardware are not out of the list. Why do hackers use botnets? According to the CCTV repair Dubai professionals, their prime motto remains financial theft, data theft, server crashes, selling access to criminals, and cryptocurrency scams.

The DDoS attack in 2016 reported that there were 25513 different IP addresses. Noticed by Sucuri Firewall first, a client received an attack with a layer 7 HTTP flood attack. Eventually, the HTTP request jumped to 35000 in a second. And, in no time, there were 50000 HTTP requests every second.

Interestingly, most of the used IP addresses originated from Taiwan. The geographic distribution of the DDoS attack was pretty massive, and it scattered from Mexico, Malaysia, and Israel, too. The demographic data surprised everyone as the IP addresses were coming from more than 100 countries.

Ways to Safeguard Devices from Botnets

You have already seen how deadly botnets can turn out to be, and they are literally a threat to data protection policies. However, there are chances that you can protect your smart and IoT devices from botnets and try-outs of data breaching.

Go for Strong Password

Whether you’re considering your doorbell camera or the smartwatch, make sure that you assign a strong password. Setting simple passwords might make it easy to remember them, but they risk the security of those devices. Anyone can guess simple passwords. So, try to assign complex passwords for the sake of security.

Don’t click on any Emails

Apart from emails, texts or social media links can be a disaster for your device. Without inspecting the authenticity of messages, don’t explore them. When the messages come with an attachment, be alert. Verify the email sender’s address and use an antivirus to scan the content before you open it.

Rely on Antivirus

Make sure that the system has effective antivirus software. It will help you to drive away harmful Trojans. Additionally, ensure that your mobile devices come under the same antivirus software.

Don’t Depend on Low-Security Devices

No matter how smart the IoT device is, if it isn’t secure enough, then it can enhance the risk. Do in-depth research on finding out the best secure CCTV cameras to protect your overall smart integration system.

However…

Hackers might find a way to beat all these safety features and might reach your device. But, manufacturers are trying to bring competent technologies to keep security on track. Additionally, we have to be sincere regarding cybersecurity protocols. Otherwise, massive hijacking can occur at any time.