Page 15 - Cyber Defense eMagazine - February 2018

IOT PERVADES THE ENTIRE UTILITY AND NETWORKING GRID

As of today, there are 8.4 billion IoT devices currently in use: one device for every living
person on the planet. This number is set to keep growing, especially as our homes

become “smart” via their connection to the internet. Since the house of the future is pre-

loaded with an ubiquitous number of these devices -- Alexa, Google Home, Smart
Fridges, smart cars, smart thermostats, automatic locks and so on -- hackers can

monitor and access our information when we are at our most vulnerable.

Even if you “unplug” your home and refuse to install any IoT devices, you’re still
vulnerable as smart buildings are on the rise. McKinsey & Company expect the IoT

installed base in smart buildings to grow by 40% until 2020. Where you work, commute
and go to the gym could be exposed to hackers and used to monitor or harass.

Cyberattacks on the entire grid are becoming increasingly more common. In December

2015, three electric companies in Ukraine were targets of a cyberattack that resulted in
power outages for two hundred twenty five thousand customers. Even after power was

bright back several hours later, control centers still weren’t fully operational two months

later.

According to ICS-CERT statistics, energy is the second-most targeted sector. Energy

companies oftentimes rely on Industrial Control Systems (ICS), which have become

attractive targets for cyberterrorists for several reasons, including:

● Their longevity means information on how to program (and, by extension, hack)
is readily available online.

● Many ICS protocols were developed with availability and control in mind, not
security, leaving systems with innate vulnerabilities.

● Many systems are decades old. Security updates and patches are often pushed
off due to fears that they would cause power outages.

● The emergence of smart grids have increased the attack surface of hacking

activities

15 Cyber Defense eMagazine – February 2018 Edition
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