India among top three countries originating IoT malware: Microsoft Cyber Signals report

India among top three countries originating IoT malware: Microsoft Cyber Signals report

In its third edition of the Cyber Signals report released on Wednesday, Microsoft has identified India among the top three countries originating IoT malware infection during 2022.

According to Microsoft experts, China’s extensive network footprint is where the majority of IoT malware, 38% of the total, originates. With 18%, the United States came in second, and India took third with 10% of malware distribution.

This demonstrates that the threat environment is real and that more effective security measures are required. The report is meant to aid security experts and incident responders in better comprehending their surroundings and preventing probable mishaps.

The third edition of Cyber Signals examines threats to vital infrastructure using data from Microsoft’s 8,500 security specialists and 43 trillion daily security signals. The paper offers valuable advice for businesses wishing to protect themselves against connected cyberattacks and new information on these threats.

“As IT and OT converge to support expanding business needs, assessing risk and establishing a more secure relationship between IT and OT require consideration of several control measures. Air-gapped devices and perimeter security are no longer sufficient to address and defend against modern threats like sophisticated malware, targeted attacks, and malicious insiders. The growth of IoT malware threats, for example, reflects this landscape’s expansion and potential to overtake vulnerable systems,” Microsoft mentioned in its report.

Reconsidering the repercussions of IoT malware attack

Organizations and individuals need to rethink the effect and repercussions of cyber risk as connectivity across convergent IT, OT, and IoT increases.

A manufacturing facility’s remotely connected equipment or a smart building’s security cameras can be compromised, opening up new avenues for threats like malware or industrial espionage, much like how the theft of a laptop or modern vehicle containing a homeowner’s cached Wi-Fi credentials could grant a property thief unauthorized network access.

“As OT systems underpinning energy, transportation, and other infrastructures become increasingly connected to IT systems, the risk of disruption and damage grows as boundaries blur between these formerly separated worlds. For businesses and infrastructure operators across industries, the defensive imperatives are gaining total visibility over connected systems and weighing evolving risks and dependencies,” Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of security, compliance, identity, and management at Microsoft, said.

By 2025, there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices, which is a quicker growth rate than that of conventional IT equipment, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). However, the security of IoT and OT devices has yet to keep up with recent advancements in IT equipment security, allowing threat actors to exploit these devices.

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