IoT botnet definition
IoT botnet is a network of IoT devices that are infected by malware and take commands from an attacker.
IoT botnet attack examples
In 2016, a whitehat security research group MalwareMustDie discovered the Mirai malware, which turns devices into zombie-like bots. Its targets included security journalist Brian Krebs as well as GitHub, Twitter, Reddit, Netflix, Airbnb, and many other high-profile companies.
In 2019, the Mozi network was discovered to have infected about 1.5 million devices. At its peak, the botnet accounted for a huge percentage of all IoT traffic.
Stopping an IoT botnet attack
- Keep your software up to date.
- Don’t click on unknown links.
- Use a VPN.
- Make sure your passwords are unique, complicated, and long.
