Comments from Fujitsu - Russian banks hit by DDoS attacks
November 2016 by Paul McEvatt, Senior Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager in UK & Ireland at Fujitsu
Following the news that Russian banks have been hit by cyber-attacks, the comments from Paul McEvatt, Senior Cyber Threat Intelligence Manager in UK & Ireland at Fujitsu.
“This latest report revealing how five Russian banks have been hit by DDoS attacks indicates this was devices controlled by the Mirai ‘Internet of Things’ botnet. It has once again highlighted the issues organisations and sectors now face from this threat. Mirai is made up of many technologies that touch every aspect of our life including DVR’s, cameras and smart TV boxes.
“The issue is that IoT device manufacturers are failing to implement robust security controls from the outset, whether that’s for routers, smart devices or connected cars. Anyone can use online services such as Shodan to look for vulnerable IoT devices, making organisations an easy target for low level cybercriminals. The worrying reality is that security is often an afterthought and security fundamentals are still not being followed such as changing default passwords.
“To help shift this mind-set and make securing internet connected devices easier for businesses, the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) has produced a framework in IoT security, offering guidance on how to secure embedded devices. This introduction of a kite mark standard for IoT devices is a progressive step towards ensuring safe practice is followed and that security of such devices against these types of hacks is at a premium. This is especially important for the financial sector which handles lots of sensitive data. ”