New IoT botnet could cause more chaos than Mirai

Batten down the hatches, there’s a new botnet on the way and, according to researchers, it’s going to be more destructive than Mirai (the calamitous botnet that powered huge DDoS attacks last year).

The new botnet, which has been named IoTroop, was discovered by Check Point researchers and is set to hit IoT devices.

A year ago, Mirai brought down many major websites, including Netflix, Twitter, Reddit and CNN. Attacks persisted for a couple of months afterwards, with many more sites affected. Check Point’s assertion that IoTroop could be even worse is clearly a scary prospect.

Not camera shy

The security company noted that it first picked up signs of the botnet in the last few days of September. Researchers found that hackers were making concerted efforts to exploit weaknesses in IoT devices. They discovered attacks on a variety of wireless IP cameras, including GoAhead, D-Link, TP-Link, AVTech, Netgear, MikroTik, Linksys and Synology devices. And because the attacks were coming from a variety of sources, it was clear that the botnet was being spread by the devices themselves.

The researchers estimate that more than a million organizations have already been affected worldwide, but the number is increasing all the time. According to a Check Point statement, users everywhere should prepare for the worst: “Our research suggests we are now experiencing the calm before an even more powerful storm.”