As part of our Cyber Security awareness campaign, we’re covering a new and important topic each month to help boost your knowledge and keep you and the University safe and secure.
This month, welook at the Internet of Things (IoT) and tell you what it is, why it could pose a cyber security threat, and what you can do about it.
So,what is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things (or IoT for short) is a term used to describe all devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technology that connect to and exchange data with other devices and systems via the internet or other communications networks.
As you might expect, the list of devices that fall into this bracket is long. The IoT includes things like mobile phones, smart home devices like speakers or thermostats, smart watches, smart doorbells, modern cars, USB sticks, laptops, tablets and much, much more besides.
All these devices can communicate with each other without the need for human involvement and they are a prime target for cyber criminals who use them to gain access to your accounts and data.
Case study –‘Botnet’ compromised devices
In September this year the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an advice note confirming the existence of a China-based ‘botnet’ - a network of 260,000 compromised devices spread right around the world.
The infected devices included routers, firewalls, webcams and CCTV cameras which could be used by cyber criminals for a variety of malicious purposes, such as anonymous malware delivery and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
Speaking about the discovery, Paul Chichester, NCSC Director of Operations, said:
“Botnet operations represent a significant threat to the UK by exploiting vulnerabilities in everyday internet-connected devices with the potential to carry out large-scale cyber-attacks.”
“Whilst the majority of botnets are used to conduct co-ordinated DDoS attacks, we know that some also have the ability to steal sensitive information."
Source: NCSC
How can I protect my IoT devices?
You can stay safe by:
- Making sure you replace default passwords and PINS and use complex hard to crack versions.
- Enabling‘lock screens’ on your devices.
- Using voice command where you can.
- Setting up Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) whenever possible.
- Always accepting security patch updates as soon as they become available.
How to learn more
Each month, we’re releasing a matching bitesize training via Proofpoint, our online learning platform, which is emailed to you. This month’s training arrived in your inbox on Tuesday 15October.