Nokia's Threat Intelligence Report 2019 warns on the fast-growing and evolving threat of malicious software targeting Interne...
December 04 2018 - 11:00AM
- IoT botnet activity represented 78% of malware detection events
in communication service provider networks in 2018, more than
double the rate seen in 2016, when IoT bot activity was first seen
in meaningful numbers
- IoT bots now make up 16% of infected devices in CSP networks,
up significantly from 3.5% a year ago
- Malware threats against IoT devices could get worse as consumer
adoption of such devices accelerate in the years ahead as 5G
capabilities - including extreme broadband, ultra-low latency
connectivity, and massive networking - advance
4 December 2018
Espoo, Finland - The use of malicious software to attack IoT
devices like smart home security monitoring systems is rising
substantially and growing more sophisticated as cyber criminals
take advantage of lax security, Nokia's Threat Intelligence Report
2019 warned on Tuesday.
Driven by financial and other nefarious purposes, IoT
botnet activity accounted for 78% of malware detection events in
communication service provider (CSP) networks in 2018, according to
the report, which is based on data aggregated from monitoring
network traffic this year on more than 150 million devices globally
where Nokia's NetGuard Endpoint Security product is deployed.
That is up sharply from 33% in 2016, when IoT botnets were first
seen in meaningful numbers. A botnet is a system of computers that
can be infected with malicious software and controlled by a single
computer for doing things like stealing bank account information
and shuttering web sites.
"Cyber criminals are switching gears from the traditional
computer and smartphone ecosystems and now targeting the growing
number of vulnerable IoT devices that are being deployed. You have
thousands of IoT device manufacturers wanting to move product fast
to market and, unfortunately, security is often an afterthought,"
said Kevin McNamee, director of Nokia's Threat Intelligence Lab and
lead author of the report. In 2018, IoT bots made up 16% of
infected devices in CSP networks, up significantly from the 3.5%
observed in 2017.
As an indicator of the rising threat, the report found that
malware-infected crypto-coin mining is expanding from high-end
servers with specialized processors to IoT devices as well as
smartphones and web browsers. Crypto-coin mining is generally the
process by which crypto currency transactions are verified and
added to blockchain technology systems.
Industry analysts widely expect IoT device adoption to
accelerate with 5G. The high bandwidth, large-scale and ultra-low
latency capabilities of 5G greatly facilitate connecting billions
of things to the internet, including smart home security monitoring
systems, vehicles, drones and medical devices.
But, as the Threat Intelligence report's findings underscore,
lagging security protection of many current IoT devices and
increasing technical sophistication are giving cyber criminals
broader scope for successfully launching IoT device attacks.
"Cyber criminals have increasingly smart tools to scan for and
to quickly exploit vulnerable devices, and they have new tools for
spreading their malware and bypassing firewalls. If a vulnerable
device is deployed on the internet, it will be exploited in a
matter of minutes," McNamee said.
Also explaining some of the rise in IoT device malware infection
rates is the fact that attacks on mobile and fixed networks in 2018
decreased from previous years. This is a result not only of cyber
criminals looking further afield for softer targets, like IoT
devices, but of better-protected networks, platforms and mobile
devices that are designed and built with security in mind.
The Nokia NetGuard security suite provides protection against a
wide variety of bots and malware. The suite aggregates, analyses
and correlates security data from a variety of sources, including
endpoint detection software, to help security teams control risks
and costs and to improve decision making.
The NetGuard Endpoint Security software includes an IoT
behavioral anomaly detection component that is capable of
constantly tracking devices against security threats. The
individual traffic profiles of any device, including an IoT device,
are machine-learned automatically by the Endpoint system; any
anomalies detected triggers immediate trouble-shooting against
threats.
Resources
- Download: Nokia Threat Intelligence Report - 2019
- Website: Nokia NetGuard Security
- Website: Nokia NetGuard Endpoint and IoT Security
- Infographic: Threat Intelligence 2019
- Webinar: Malware in IoT, crypto-coins and smart devices - Dec
6th 2018
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