Kaspersky Lab has released a beta version of its solution for the “smart” home and the Internet of Things – Kaspersky IoT Scanner. This free application for the Android platform scans the home Wi-Fi network, informing the user about the devices connected to it and their level of security.
As the Internet of Things continues to increase in popularity, cybercriminals are eagerly looking for ways to take advantage of this growing trend. Instead of making life easier for their owners, smart devices are increasingly becoming a weak link in their security.
According to analytical data from Gartner, over six billion IoT devices are currently being used worldwide, and many of them have already fallen victim to cybercriminals. For example, last year the world was shaken by the wave of DDoS attacks launched by the Mirai botnet. The Mirai bots used popular vulnerabilities in IoT devices to infect them and turn them into cybercriminal puppets. Kaspersky Lab has developed a solution to help reduce these risks. With the beta version, the company is encouraging IoT users to protect their smart homes, and share their experiences about the performance and usability of Kaspersky IoT Scanner.