Wired reported its 2016 Cyber Threats which included the comment that “anyone who follows cybersecurity knows that techniques get bolder and more sophisticated each year. The last twelve months saw several new trends and next year no doubt will bring more.” On January 1, 2016 Wired made its predictions of “The Biggest Security Threats We’ll Face in 2016” which highlighted the “Rise of the IoT Zombie Botnet”:
There are many who say that 2015 was the year of the Internet of Things; but it was also the year the Internet of Things got hacked. Connected cars, medical devices, skateboards, and Barbie dolls, were just a few items shown to be vulnerable to hackers this year.
If 2015 was the year of proof-of-concept attacks against IoT devices, 2016 will be the year we see many of these concept attacks move to reality. One trend we’ve already spotted is the commandeering of IoT devices for botnets. Instead of hackers hijacking your laptop for their zombie army, they will commandeer large networks of IoT devices—like CCTV surveillance cameras, smart TVs, and home automation systems. We’ve already seen CCTV cameras turned into botnet armies to launch DDoS attacks against banks and other targets. Unlike a desktop computer or laptop, it can be harder to know when your connected toaster has been enlisted in a bot army.
Here’s Wired’s 2016 top 5 list:
- Extortion Hacks
- Attacks That Change or Manipulate Data
- Chip-and-PIN Innovations
- The Rise of the IoT Zombie Botnet
- More Backdoors
Anyone surprised by Wired’s report?