Cyber Attack Effect: Webcams Recalled, More Actions To Follow In The Coming Days

The recent cyber attack that shook the entire U.S., now focusing the need of an error-free system to mitigate or protect against future attacks. The webcams issued by Chinese electronic firm Hangzhou Xiongmai, which helped hackers to initiate the cyber attack, is being recalled by the manufacturer. It was reported that most of the companies affected by the cyber attack including Twitter, Reddit, Spotify etc., were been accessed through these webcams.

Security experts confirmed that Xiongmai webcams were using easy to guess passwords and that helped the hackers to launch the cyber attack, reports The Verge. But Xiongmai informed that its customers did not change the default password and that caused the DDoS attack. It further assured that it would improve the password system and would do an additional patch to contain future attacks.

It should be noted that the smart IoT devices such as webcams and DVRs are compromised and are always prone to cyber attacks as the vulnerable devices can be scanned via the internet. Many of these devices are poorly coded and rarely receive any update from the manufacturers, cited by BBC. It is reported that many of these devices will be replaced with more secure ones and a set standard parameters would be enforced on the manufacturers soon.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it is working with 18 major communication service providers and working on a new set of "strategic principles", reported by NBC. Two other manufacturers whose devices also used for cyber attack confirmed that they would fix the issues. Considering the fact that there are millions of such devices, even if total fixing is not possible, fixing the password issues and an update with patches would make better protection.

Many of the device manufacturers are also started working on their vulnerable devices. They are found to have identified the susceptible devices prone to cyber attack and working on firmware updates. Some companies have also started offering discounts to customers who wanted an exchange for their compromised devices. The recent cyber attack claimed by a group of hackers is redefining the perception of IoT devices and internet security.