IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study
The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and is projected to develop in future years. The IoT connects everything from Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to medical equipment to smart home appliances to smart automobiles and many more gadgets. Connecting these gadgets is revolutionizing...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-10-01
|
Series: | Symmetry |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/15/11/1978 |
_version_ | 1797457665976172544 |
---|---|
author | Basem Ibrahim Mukhtar Mahmoud Said Elsayed Anca D. Jurcut Marianne A. Azer |
author_facet | Basem Ibrahim Mukhtar Mahmoud Said Elsayed Anca D. Jurcut Marianne A. Azer |
author_sort | Basem Ibrahim Mukhtar |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and is projected to develop in future years. The IoT connects everything from Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to medical equipment to smart home appliances to smart automobiles and many more gadgets. Connecting these gadgets is revolutionizing our lives today by offering higher efficiency, better customer service, and more effective goods and services in a variety of industries and sectors. With this anticipated expansion, many challenges arise. Recent research ranked IP cameras as the 2nd highest target for IoT attacks. IoT security exhibits an inherent asymmetry where resource-constrained devices face attackers with greater resources and time, creating an imbalanced power dynamic. In cybersecurity, there is a symmetrical aspect where defenders implement security measures while attackers seek symmetrical weaknesses. The SILEX malware case highlights this asymmetry, demonstrating how IoT devices’ limited security made them susceptible to a relatively simple yet destructive attack. These insights underscore the need for robust, proactive IoT security measures to address the asymmetrical risks posed by adversaries and safeguard IoT ecosystems effectively. In this paper, we present the IoT vulnerabilities, their causes, and how to detect them. We focus on SILEX, one of the famous malware that targets IoT, as a case study and present the lessons learned from this malware. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:25:19Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-2872596e3de94f9789632bf747147f83 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2073-8994 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:25:19Z |
publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Symmetry |
spelling | doaj.art-2872596e3de94f9789632bf747147f832023-11-24T15:08:36ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942023-10-011511197810.3390/sym15111978IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case StudyBasem Ibrahim Mukhtar0Mahmoud Said Elsayed1Anca D. Jurcut2Marianne A. Azer3School of Information Technology and Computer Science, Nile University, Cairo 12566, EgyptSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Information Technology and Computer Science, Nile University, Cairo 12566, EgyptThe Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly growing and is projected to develop in future years. The IoT connects everything from Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to medical equipment to smart home appliances to smart automobiles and many more gadgets. Connecting these gadgets is revolutionizing our lives today by offering higher efficiency, better customer service, and more effective goods and services in a variety of industries and sectors. With this anticipated expansion, many challenges arise. Recent research ranked IP cameras as the 2nd highest target for IoT attacks. IoT security exhibits an inherent asymmetry where resource-constrained devices face attackers with greater resources and time, creating an imbalanced power dynamic. In cybersecurity, there is a symmetrical aspect where defenders implement security measures while attackers seek symmetrical weaknesses. The SILEX malware case highlights this asymmetry, demonstrating how IoT devices’ limited security made them susceptible to a relatively simple yet destructive attack. These insights underscore the need for robust, proactive IoT security measures to address the asymmetrical risks posed by adversaries and safeguard IoT ecosystems effectively. In this paper, we present the IoT vulnerabilities, their causes, and how to detect them. We focus on SILEX, one of the famous malware that targets IoT, as a case study and present the lessons learned from this malware.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/15/11/1978cybersecuritycyber-attacksIoTsecuritySILEX malwaresmart homes |
spellingShingle | Basem Ibrahim Mukhtar Mahmoud Said Elsayed Anca D. Jurcut Marianne A. Azer IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study Symmetry cybersecurity cyber-attacks IoT security SILEX malware smart homes |
title | IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study |
title_full | IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study |
title_fullStr | IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study |
title_full_unstemmed | IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study |
title_short | IoT Vulnerabilities and Attacks: SILEX Malware Case Study |
title_sort | iot vulnerabilities and attacks silex malware case study |
topic | cybersecurity cyber-attacks IoT security SILEX malware smart homes |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/15/11/1978 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT basemibrahimmukhtar iotvulnerabilitiesandattackssilexmalwarecasestudy AT mahmoudsaidelsayed iotvulnerabilitiesandattackssilexmalwarecasestudy AT ancadjurcut iotvulnerabilitiesandattackssilexmalwarecasestudy AT marianneaazer iotvulnerabilitiesandattackssilexmalwarecasestudy |