BullGuard’s IoT Scanner reveals hacking threat to connected devices

The latest data from BullGuard’s IoT Scanner, a free tool that allows consumers to check if their connected devices are secure, suggests the recent DDoS attack could be just the tip of the iceberg.

To date over 100,000 unique IPs have been scanned by consumers using IoT Scanner, and though just 4.6 per cent revealed vulnerabilities, it’s the scale of the Internet of Things that makes this figure so concerning.

Internet of Things

With around four billion connected devices in the world, this equates to almost 185 million vulnerable devices today. This is orders of magnitude higher than was used to cause the disruption seen in the DDoS attack, which is thought to have exploited tens of thousands. What’s more, experts predict around 50 billion connected devices by 2020.

It’s a stark warning for device manufacturers and service providers – the rise of the Internet of Things is upon us, and cyber criminals now have a platform from which to launch coordinated attacks on an unprecedented scale.

Basic security measures for connected devices

“Even though the Internet of Things is in its relative infancy, this attack shows how just a small proportion of vulnerable devices can cause real concern,” said Paul Lipman, CEO at BullGuard. “We’re fortunate that this incident was relatively benign, but it’s a timely reminder that security cannot be an afterthought in this emerging market. We would urge people to be vigilant and take the necessary steps to ensure that basic security measures are in place,” Lipman concluded.

BullGuard IoT Scanner is a free tool for scanning a network for vulnerable connected devices. BullGuard also offers free help and advice on how to secure these devices with its IoT Consumer Guide.