Internet-connected devices are nearly ubiquitous, with computer circuitry now found in a variety of common appliances. They can include security cameras, DVRs, printers, cars, baby monitors, and refrigerators — even “smart” lightbulbs and clothing. Collectively those devices are called the internet of Things (IoT).
The internet of Things is a big, juicy target for criminals. Up to a million devices were hijacked to create the Mirai botnet which was used to extort companies and bring a university computer system in New Jersey to its knees. The botnet was later exploited to bring down vast swaths of the internet in a sustained attack on Oct. 21, 2016.
Paras Jha, a former Rutgers University student, pleaded guilty Dec. 8 with two other men who admitted they wrote the Mirai code. Named after an obscure anime film character, Mirai scoured the internet for unsecured devices and easily found them.