Cybersecurity

IBM Predicts Ransomware Attacks Against IoT in 2018

Rapid technology innovation caused companies across industries to rethink how they leverage digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, and more into their operations. But with these changes, there will also be new possibilities for cybercriminals to capitalize on vulnerabilities.

IBM security prediction for 2018 refers, among other issues, to the threats challenging the Internet of Things (IoT). According to their evaluation in securityintelligence.com, we’ll see a pivot from using ransomware to lock up desktop computers toward attacking IoT devices. Expect the ransom to be lower as fraudsters move to a volume play and find a price point that is less than the cost of just buying a new one for users.

Large organizations with deployments of IoT security cameras, DVRs and sensors will be especially impacted by the coming wave of IoT ransomware. Like the recent rise of ransomware attacks in the healthcare industry, including the WannaCry attack that targeted healthcare organizations, among others, cybercriminals will target infrastructure that could adversely impact operations.