Ransomware Attacks on IoT Devices
Varayogula Sai Niveditha, Rakesh Singh Kunwar, Kapil Kumar · 2024
Numerous appliances have been invented in the past 20 years due to significant advancements in computer and communication technologies. The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is a network of actual physical objects, or “things,” that are geared up with sensors, software, and other technologies that can link and share data with other systems and devices over the Internet. The ability of embedded devices to connect commonplace goods to the internet, such as kitchenware, automobiles, and thermostats, facilitates communication between people, processes, and objects. The consistent deployment of IoT devices has strengthened the growth of the malware that attacks them. In the modern digital environment, combining IoT and ransomware may cause havoc. Malicious ransomware blocks access to data and demands money in return for retrieving data. IoT ransomware may be highly dangerous since it gives attackers a wide range of exploitation possibilities. It can interfere with every aspect of security, causing monetary losses, compromising vital data, and is a possible danger to human life. The most frequent risk in recent years has been ransomware, exploiting flaws in traditional IT infrastructure to shut down enterprises effectively. But as the number and diversity of IoT devices have increased due to new connectivity patterns, risk has risen across all organizations. Therefore, in the case of a ransomware attack, a solution is required to predict and minimize the compromised IoT devices. This chapter discusses the year-over-year increase in ransomware attacks, the challenges they evoke, and how they affect IoT. Additionally, it thoroughly describes the approaches currently being utilized to thwart IoT ransomware attacks.