Our relationship with smart devices has experienced exponential growth in recent years, which has led to a greater presence of these in our daily lives.
However, this increase has also increased the security risks associated with connecting devices to the Internet, establishing the need to reinforce preventive measures against possible attacks.
The need to enhance the security of IoT devices, addressed in a new cybersecurity project
If we don’t take proper safeguards, such as choosing strong passwords or regularly updating security systems, IoT devices can be vulnerable to attacks by hackers. Once an intruder has accessed our network through a connected device, they can take control of our computer or use our network to harm others.
Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Emmanouil Vasilomanolakis, is working on a project to detect neglected devices that pose a security threat, which he has dubbed “digital ghost ships.” The goal is to find them and alert owners so they can take steps to ensure safety.
Vasilomanolakis believes that digital ghost ships are a real security threat and it is essential that they are detected to prevent future risks.
Inadequate maintenance of security devices poses a problem not only in homes, but also in businesses and organizations that depend on them. The healthcare industry is an example: devices connected to the Internet can be hacked and cause serious situations. “Hospitals are increasingly using devices that need Internet connectivity. If these devices are hacked and stop working, we may have a life and death situation.”said the specialist.
Even cheap devices like surveillance cameras can be powerful tools for hackers, especially if they access many devices at once. These attacks can be used to disrupt websites and commercial sites. Emmanouil Vasilomanolakis wants to create a fine security network that detects only real ghost ships. He will collaborate with the University of Cambridge to enrich network signatures with device fingerprinting.
The logic behind necessary cybersecurity improvements for IoT devices
An essential element in detecting digital ghost ships is understanding how Internet of Things devices are used. People in cybersecurity have identified that humans are the weakest link in the chain. To address this, the University of Colorado has been a major partner in the project, with its experienced researchers in the psychology of cybersecurity. The objective of the research is to understand the common mistakes that both administrators and users make when using smart devices.
“The more we understand how humans think and behave, the more we can see how we as researchers can find solutions that are easier for everyday people to use instead of creating very technical things that work theoretically but have practically not much to do with them. sense”Vasilomanolakis commented.
The expert takes an influential YouTuber as an example. “If we find a tutorial for a device that they posted where it says, ‘Just set the device with this password and change it later,’ it would be interesting to find out if there are actually millions of devices set with that password.”explained the expert.
The method of detecting digital ghost ships will be free and available to everyone. Internet service providers such as Denmark’s Telenor are key partners in the project and will carry out tests to verify its effectiveness in the real world.
Once this system is available, telecommunications companies will be able to use it to identify customers at risk and warn them about cyber threats. This project, financed with 2.8 million Danish crowns, could improve the security of home users, companies and public authorities.
