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3 million smart toothbrushes were just used in a DDoS attack. Really
What's next, malware-infected dental floss? But seriously: It's a reminder that even the smallest smart home devices can be a threat. Here's how to protect yourself.
chang/Getty ImagesIt sounds more like science fiction than reality, but Swiss newspaper Aargauer Zeitung reports that approximately three million smart toothbrushes were hijacked by hackers to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. As Stefan Zuger, director of system engineering in the Swiss office of the security company Fortinet, said, "Every device that is connected to the Internet is a potential target – or can be misused for an attack." As James Clapper, former US director of national intelligence, told us in 2016: "Devices, designed and fielded with minimal security requirements and testing, and an ever-increasing complexity of networks could lead to widespread vulnerabilities in civilian infrastructures and US government systems."
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