https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-internet-safety/internet-of-things/
The internet of things (shortened to IoT) is a term commonly used to describe physical objects which are connected to the internet. Some modern objects for example: kettles, toys, fridges and cameras have embedded operating systems that use the internet to receive controls from and provide usage data to their owners or third parties such as their manufacturers or utilities providers.
Cyber criminal are using IoT devices to:
- Send spam e-mails;
- Maintain anonymity;
- Confuse network traffic;
- Mask Internet browsing;
- Generate click-fraud activities;
- Buy, sell, and trade illegal images and goods;
- Conduct credential stuffing attacks, which occurs when criminals use an automated script to test stolen passwords from other data breach incidents on unrelated web-sites; AND
- Sell or lease IoT botnets to other criminals for financial gain.
Cyber criminals can get access to devices with weak passwords or factory set default passwords, unpatched firmware or other software vulnerabilities, or employ brute force attacks on devices with default usernames and passwords.
Cyber criminals maybe using your devices if you notice:
- A major spike in monthly Internet usage;
- A larger than usual Internet bill;
- Devices become slow or inoperable;
- Unusual outgoing Domain Name Service queries and outgoing traffic; or
- Home or business Internet connections running slow.
How to protect your IoT against the Criminal
- Reboot devices regularly (most malware is stored in memory and removed upon a device reboot)
- Change default usernames and passwords.
- Use anti-virus regularly and ensure it is up to date.
- Ensure all IoT devices are up to date and security patches are incorporated.
- Configure network firewalls to block traffic from unauthorized IP addresses and disable port forwarding.
- Isolate IoT devices from other network connections.
cyberprotect@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
About Ver Facil Limited - As a Commercial Internet of Things installer we take your device seriously. All LoRaWAN devices have three security keys. Two keys are unique to the one device, one key is unique to the cloud application the sensor is connected to. Two of these keys are 128 bit encrypted and are used to link the device to its associated cloud application only.
Our network routers are secure so too are cellular devices we use for remote VPN access.
Ver Facil Limited also have a strict GDPR policy and procedures.