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consumers use are easily guessable. We have to try harder. The same goes with Internet-
connected devices. Consumers must be savvier about changing the default passwords on
everything including cameras, DVRs, routers and printers.

And, device manufacturers, in addition to providing each device with a unique preset
password, must prompt consumers to create more sophisticated passwords and make it
more intuitive for people to be able to do it.

Finally, an attack should be a reminder to consumers to check the security of their devices:
to make sure passwords aren’t easily guessable, and that devices have been upgraded
recently to versions of code without known vulnerabilities.

Take action now

Gartner projects there will be 26 billion IoT devices installed by 2020. That’s more than three
devices for every person on the planet. A survey Infoblox conducted of 400 IT executives
revealed that although 75% of businesses already have Internet-connected equipment on their
networks, 35% say they’re not ready to support IoT yet.

Even more eye-opening is that we found that nearly 60% of IT professionals say they’re not
doing anything to prepare for the impact of IoT. Do we really want to be ruled by toaster and
refrigerator overlords?

The IoT threat isn’t even the future – it’s already happening, as demonstrated by the Dyn attack.
Implementing best practices for IoT device security must be a top priority for all of us.

About the Author

Cricket Liu is one of the world’s leading experts on the Domain Name System
(DNS), and serves as the liaison between Infoblox and the DNS community.
Before joining Infoblox, he founded an Internet consulting and training company,
Acme Byte & Wire, after running the hp.com domain at Hewlett-Packard.

Cricket is a prolific speaker and author, having written a number of books
including “DNS and BIND,” one of the most widely used references in the field,
now in its fifth edition. He is the owner/inventor of 10 DNS/IP address management patents
within the U.S.

64 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine November 2016 Edition
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