Criminals Weaponize Open Source Tools, Target IoT

Cyber-criminals have grown more sophisticated in their unyielding attempts to compromise internet of things (IoT) devices, according to Fortinet’s Global Threat Landscape Report. The latest quarterly report indicates the changing vicissitudes of the threat landscape, with the exploit index reaching an all-time high in the Q4 2018, just after experiencing a decline in nefarious internet activity toward the end of the previous quarter. The report also found that the convergence of the cyber and physical worlds has opened the door for new types of attacks, as malicious actors are manipulating open source malware tools. While open source tools have their benefits, they can also be weaponized when put in the wrong hands. “Because these resources are available to anyone, attackers new and old are using them for nefarious activities, which is contributing to the growth of malware threats. Some of these freely available malware tools can be weaponized very easily,” researchers wrote.