Skip to main content

IoT Devices Fuel DDoS Attacks

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are increasingly being compromised and used to execute Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Some IoT connected smart drawing boards with default credentials are easy to compromise to be used as part of a botnet.
Threat ID:
CC-1555
Category:
DOS, Botnet
Threat Severity:
Low
Threat Vector:
Published:
2 August 2017 12:00 AM
Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

This content has been archived

This article no longer conforms to NHS Digital's standards for cyber alerts, and may contain outdated or inaccurate information. Use of this information contained in this page is at your own risk

Summary

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are increasingly being compromised and used to execute Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Some IoT connected smart drawing boards with default credentials are easy to compromise to be used as part of a botnet.

Threat details

Other IoT devices are also vulnerable with many security cameras known to include buffer overflow vulnerabilities which can allow attackers to remotely compromise the device. DDoS attacks are expected to increase due to the increasing amount of IoT devices available. There’s also increasing motivation from cybercriminals to grow their botnets as they look to provide DDoS-as-a-Service to other criminals for financial gain. DDoS attacks not only cause disruption, they can also be used as a smokescreen to allow attackers to launch a more sophisticated attack.

Remediation advice

Mitigation:

Remediation steps

Type Step
  • Ensure protection is in place that meets current standards and is able to mitigate this new generation of DDoS attacks
  • Monitor hacktivist operations that could target your organisation or sector
  • Have an incident response process to address a DDoS attack if one were to occur
  • The use of a third party DDoS mitigation tools should be periodically reviewed as new services and technologies are made available

Last edited: 17 February 2020 11:32 am