Bot-herders can launch DDoS attacks from dryers, refrigerators, other Internet of Things devices

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2687169/security0/bot-herders-can-launch-ddos-attacks-from-dryers-refrigerators-other-internet-of-things-devices.html

By Tim Greene
NetworkWorld
Sept 24, 2014

A new malware kit called Spike can infect not only traditional desktops 
but also routers, smart thermostats, smart dryers and a host of other 
Internet of Things devices to herd them into massive botnets.

Spike botnets have carried out various forms of DDoS attacks including 
SYN, UDP, DNS query and GET floods, according to Akamai’s Prolexic 
Security Engineering & Response Team (PLXsert).

The Akamai team has seen Spike DDoS attacks in action in Asia and the U.S. 
and reports that one such attack peaked at 215Gbps and 150 million packets 
per second. Akamai has validated that 12,000 to 15,000 devices made up one 
botnet created with the kit, says David Fernandez, who heads up Akamai’s 
PLXsert team.

Corporate security pros need to harden devices they might not have thought 
were at risk as well as get traditional DDoS protection in place, Akamai 
says.

[...]

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