Trend Micro has announced that it blocked five million cyber-attack attempts against internet protocol (IP) cameras in just five months, highlighting the security risks that continue to impact IP-based surveillance devices.
The security vendor analyzed 7000 anonymously aggregated IP cameras, and discovered that the IP surveillance industry is facing high numbers of attacks.
Trend Micro detailed that of the attacks it blocked, 75% were brute force login attempts, and stated that there is a clear pattern of malicious attackers targeting IP surveillance devices with common malware such as Mirai variants.
Oscar Chang, executive vice-president and chief development officer for Trend Micro, said: “More verticals are seeking connected, AI-powered video surveillance applications causing a clear paradigm shift from a relatively closed-off network to a more interconnected network operated heavily by cloud-based technologies. Due to this shift in the landscape, manufacturers and users must pay attention to the security of these IoT devices.”
“While the industry has known about cyber-risks, manufacturers have been unable to properly address the risk without knowing the root cause and attack methods,” added Dr Steve Ma, vice-president of engineering, Brand Business Group for VIVOTEK.
The topic of the use of surveillance cameras was recently brought to the fore on National Surveillance Camera Day, June 20, featuring conversations about how camera technology is evolving and what the benefits and risks are for society.