IoT devices still major target for cyberattacks

During the first half of 2019, cybercriminals increased the intensity of both IoT and SMB-related attacks according to a new report from F-Secure. The firm's “Attack Landscape H1 2019” report highlighted the threat unsecured IoT devices can pose to businesses and consumers as well as the continued popularity of Eternal Blue and similar exploits two years after the Wanna Cry ransomware was released on the world. F-Secure uses decoy servers called honeypots to lure in attackers to collect information on their activities and this year its honeypots measured a twelvefold increase in IoT and SMB-related attacks compared to the same period a year ago. This increase was driven by traffic targeting the Telnet and UPnP protocols, which are used by IoT devices, as well as the SMB protocol, which is used by the Eternal family of exploits to spread ransomware and banking Trojans.