Kaspersky Unveils an Overview of IoT-related Threats in 2023

Kaspersky has delved into the evolving threats targeting the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT) sector. With IoT devices, such as routers and smart home components, projected to exceed 29 billion by 2030, Kaspersky’s research offers critical insights into attack methods, dark web activities, and prevalent malware types.

Kaspersky’s research uncovered a thriving underground economy on the dark web focused on IoT-related services. Notably, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks orchestrated through IoT botnets are in high demand among hackers. In the first half of 2023, Kaspersky’s Digital Footprint Intelligence service analysts identified over 700 ads for DDoS attack services on various dark web forums.

The cost of these services varies depending on factors like DDoS protection, CAPTCHA, and JavaScript verification on the victim’s side, ranging from $20 per day to $10,000 per month.

On average, the ads offered these services at $63.5 per day or $1350 per month. In addition, the dark web marketplace offers exploits for zero-day vulnerabilities in IoT devices, as well as IoT malware bundled with infrastructure and supporting utilities.

In the realm of IoT malware, a variety of families exist, with many originating from the 2016 Mirai one. Fierce competition among cybercriminals has driven the development of features designed to thwart rival malware. These strategies include implementing firewall rules, disabling remote device management, and terminating processes linked to competing malware.

In the first half of 2023, most attacks on Kaspersky honeypots came from China, Pakistan, and Russia.  A honeypot computer system is intended to attract cyberattacks, like a decoy. It mimics a target for hackers, and uses their intrusion attempts to gain information about cybercriminals and the way they are operating or to distract them from other targets.