Denial of Service attacks and how they are changing the Internet.

[hazelnut]

This is a pretty scary read really. The warnings about the Internet of Things devices being harnessed for bad reasons are beginning to come home.

 

That a site of this importance can be bombarded with denial of service attacks to such a recordbreaking extent that it's provider now won't protect it anymore, doesn't bode well for other big sites in the near future.

 

This could have an affect on all of us.

 

http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/09/why-the-silencing-of-krebsonsecurity-opens-a-troubling-chapter-for-the-net/

[mta]

Ah yes, always thought this Internet thing was a passing fad...

 

But you are right, scary indeed, obviously not some pale-faced, caffeine fuelled, virgin in a basement flexing his fingers.

Say something someone takes offence to and pow, you could be next.

[nukecad]

Is the answer to make manufactures of IoT devices more responsible for the security of the 'things' that they put out there?

 

They wouldn't get away with selling something that was electrically unsafe, there are laws in (almost) every country against that.

 

So why should they be able to provide stuff that is internet unsafe?

 

Looks like a case for adding internet safety into existing product safety legislation?

 

Probably be a nightmare to legislate for and enforce though.

 

PS

Do you realy need your fridge to be able to 'talk' to your washing machine?

[Tasgandy]

Or the TV reporting back the conversation taking place in the lounge room or other? 

[Corona]

*****moderator has removed post which may have been offensive to some readers.

 

 

[Andavari]

PS

Do you realy need your fridge to be able to 'talk' to your washing machine?

 

It would probably be a watery discussion about who's turn it is to use the water, the washing machine wants to wash clothing and the fridge wants to make ice. Or the washing machine is reporting soiled drawers to the fridge who will no longer order anymore salsa from the grocery store.

[Corona]

soiled drawers

[mta]

the ultimate IoT appliance - the Talkie Toaster from Red Drawf.

 

[hazelnut]

Is the answer to make manufactures of IoT devices more responsible for the security of the 'things' that they put out there?

 

They wouldn't get away with selling something that was electrically unsafe, there are laws in (almost) every country against that.

 

So why should they be able to provide stuff that is internet unsafe?

 

Looks like a case for adding internet safety into existing product safety legislation?

 

Probably be a nightmare to legislate for and enforce though.

 

 

 

A follow up here on those questions.

 

Also a list of Internet Connected things (IoT) and their passwords , all scan-able using tools to make the botnets perform Denial of Services.

 

This really needs attention, the manufacurers should stop making things such as network cameras, routers and printers etc whose default passwords are truly basic and do not suggest to user at install that they should set their own.

 

 

The malware, dubbed “Mirai,” spreads to vulnerable devices by continuously scanning the Internet for IoT systems protected by factory default usernames and passwords. Many readers have asked for more information about which devices and hardware makers were being targeted. As it happens, this is fairly easy to tell just from looking at the list of usernames and passwords included in the Mirai source code.

 

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/10/who-makes-the-iot-things-under-attack/

[Andavari]

Interesting quote there Hazelnut because Toyota makes a car named Mirai.

[hazelnut]

In the latest Denial of Service attack the entire Liberian internet infrastructure has been rendered unusable.

 

If these guys don't get stopped things could get really alarming.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/03/cyberattack-internet-liberia-ddos-hack-botnet