Millions of Internet of Things Devices at Risk Due to Vulnerability

The Internet of Things, a collective term for the countless connected devices out there that have traditionally not been connected to the Internet, is a vast and dangerous territory for businesses to cover, perhaps now more than ever before. Unfortunately, this massive group of connected devices also tends to make itself a target for hackers who want to leverage these devices to their advantage. A recent hack shows just how much hackers can stand to gain from infiltrating these connected devices.

This particular vulnerability, which affects a variety of cameras, baby monitors, and other connected devices, comes from Mandiant, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and ThroughTek. If this vulnerability is leveraged, hackers could spy on users’ video and audio feeds.

The vulnerability in question was discovered by Madiant, and it exists in several versions of Kalay, a protocol used in ThroughTek products. The protocol itself is deployed as a software development kit that is used on more than 83 million affected devices. The Kalay protocol is integrated into the devices before they reach consumers, so it is difficult at best to gather a complete list of all affected devices. 

This particular vulnerability is cause for concern due to hackers being able to communicate with affected devices remotely, control the devices, and execute code. When you consider the nature of these affected devices (cameras, baby monitors, video recorders, etc), it is an immediate cause for concern, as the privacy and security of anyone utilizing these devices is at risk.

The easiest thing for users of these devices to do is to ensure that they are updated to the latest version of the SDK. Users can also use more complex passwords for the accounts associated with the device, as well as connecting only to secured and trusted wireless networks.

When it comes to protecting your business, you cannot exclude Internet of Things devices from the possible avenues of attack, especially in today’s day and age of remote work. It has never been more important to know which devices have access to your company’s network and data, and whether or not they are adequately updated by the developers. Therefore, you cannot take any risks. But how can you go about keeping your network safe when there is so much to protect it from?

To this end, we can help. Through comprehensive security solutions, we can monitor your network and proactively protect it from threats of all kinds. To learn more about how you can keep your business safe, be sure to contact Walsh IT Group. We can equip your business with all of the tools it needs to keep threats out of your network. Don’t wait any longer! You can contact us at (832) 295-1445.