In a cyber attack on the security camera manufacturer Verkada, the data from over 150.000 cameras - with live feeds in hospitals, schools, prisons and companies (such as Tesla) - were tapped. A statement from Nick Viney, Avast Senior Vice President Partner.
The cyber attack on the security camera provider Verkada is not an IoT hack in itself, but an attack on the company network. Nevertheless, this case shows once again how urgent it is to protect the data collected by IoT devices. The video surveillance market will grow to $ 2025 billion by 75 and companies that collect sensitive data such as video recordings will need to implement stronger security measures.
Search engine Shodan.io exposes unprotected IoT
At the same time, surveillance cameras are often fraught with security problems. Data from the IoT search engine Shodan.io shows that currently over 124.000 Internet-connected security cameras can be accessed worldwide - it does not even need to attack a security camera provider to access camera recordings. This includes industrial security cameras that reveal footage of power plants, industrial manufacturing plants, heating systems, and gas stations, and it includes smart home devices that affect individual privacy.
Our data shows that more than two-thirds of vulnerable smart home devices are at risk due to weak passwords and access data. This is an avoidable mistake. Businesses and private individuals need to become more security conscious while implementing security solutions to protect their personal data.
Below are the top ten countries with the most unprotected internet connected cameras accessible to third parties (source: Shodan.io):
- Vietnam: 14.967
- Taiwan: 12.169
- South Korea: 10.519
- USA: 9.366
- Russia: 6.374
- Japan: 5.077
- China: 5.055
- Brazil: 4.963
- Germany: 4.075
- Thailand: 4.063
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About Avast Avast (LSE: AVST), a FTSE 100 company, is a leading global provider of digital security and privacy products. Avast has over 400 million online users and offers products under the Avast and AVG brands that protect people from threats from the Internet and the evolving IoT threat landscape. The company's threat detection network is one of the most advanced in the world, using technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect and stop threats in real time. Avast's digital security products for mobile, PC or Mac have been top-rated and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and other test institutes.