TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • DSP Leaders
  • Great Telco Debate
    • |
    • Follow
    • |
    • Subscribe
  • |
  • More
  • Webcasts
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Great Telco Debate
  • |
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • |
    • Subscribe
    • |
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

IoT Devices

TelecomTV TRACKER

Sourced by TelecomTV's TRACKER platform
from Nokia

IoT Devices

Nokia's Threat Intelligence Report 2019 warns on the fast-growing and evolving threat of malicious software targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices

Via Nokia

Dec 5, 2018

  • 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.

Related Topics
  • Announcement,
  • Global,
  • Internet of Things,
  • IoT Devices,
  • IoT Services & Applications,
  • Nokia,
  • Research and Trials,
  • Security,
  • Telco & CSP,
  • Tracker

More Like This

Smart Cities

Qualcomm announces IoT Services Suite for Smart Cities and Smart Connected Spaces

Dec 9, 2020

Digital Platforms & Services

As the pandemic smoke clears, businesses are reassessing the value of IoT

Oct 1, 2020

Access Evolution

China takes the lead in Worldwide Cellular M2M Module Shipments and Revenue

Sep 30, 2020

IoT

Next-Gen Smart IoT gateways shipments will climb past 21 Million by 2025, transforming IoT security

Sep 22, 2020

Access Evolution

Adtran enables IoT market to scale for network operators

Sep 2, 2020

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (Nokia) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

1:4:29

Great Telco Debate: Live Debate – Day 2 (On-demand)

1:18:20

Great Telco Debate: Live Debate – Day 3 (On-demand)

43:08

Developing an ecosystem for vRAN

2:23

The TelecomTV Snapshot: The Great Telco Debate 2020 - CSP Highlights

  • TelecomTV
  • Decisive Media

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media

Menu
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
 
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About Us
Our Brands
  • TelecomTV Tracker
  • TelecomTV Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • The Great Telco Debate
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070

Request a Media Pack

Follow
  • © Decisive Media Limited 2021. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Legal Notices