Page 7 - Cyber Warnings

DDoS Attacks Present A Hurdle That the Internet of Things

Has Yet To Clear

Securing the Internet of Things Against DDoS Threats

by Dave Larson, Chief Operating Officer, Corero Network Security

The internet has revolutionized the way we live, the way we do business and the way we stay
“connected.” Since the birth of the internet, technological advances have allowed us to mobilize
our communications, automate everyday activities, enhance user experience and create an
interconnected world in which we have come to rely on the Internet of Things (IoT).

We are experiencing a paradigm shift with the IoT – a global market that the research firm
Gartner estimates is growing at a rate of 5.5 million new connected devices per day, and is
expected to grow to 20.8 billion connected devices by 2020.

For businesses, IoT provides the opportunity for real transformation, allowing them to achieve
new efficiencies and savings in their supply chain, gain access to more real-time data to
facilitate faster and more-informed decision making tailored to a customers’ needs or changes in
the market and deliver new IoT-enabled products or services that grows their bottom line.

Internet-based home automation such as video baby monitors, remote thermostat programming,
home surveillance and security kits, connected lighting products etc., are transforming how we
manage our day-to-day lives. Remote management of these devices, through smartphones,
online portals and the like has extended to every home, car, business, building and system in
the world.

While one can argue that the term “IoT” is overused, misunderstood or perhaps represents a
growth spurt in the evolution of technology, the increasing issue is the security of this
phenomenon.

Research firm International Data Corp. expects the IoT market, currently pegged at $812 billion
a year, to reach $1.46 trillion by 2020.

What we don’t hear about as often, is how vulnerable these devices are when it comes to cyber-
attacks. The average user of connected devices, whether that be your smart home, smart
appliances, smart car or smart office, does not typically pay close attention to software updates
or critical patching schedules.

They also don’t quite understand how these devices are connected or sharing data. How the
human component contributes to an overall lack of security of the IoT is often underestimated.

In the case of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, the reality is that any device,
infrastructure, application, etc. that is connected to the internet is at risk for attack, or even more

7 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2016 Edition
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