IoT Scanner Checks for Vulnerabilities In Your Connected Devices

October 24, 2016 – 4:17 PM

Last week’s DDoS attack on Dyn that shut down portions of the internet was fueled by bots created from hacked connected devices, like internet-connected cameras and DVRs, but can also theoretically include connected routers, printers, and more. While there’s not exactly a fix for this problem, IoT Scanner is a tool that can at least tell you if a device in your house is creating a vulnerability.

In the case of last week’s attacks, the botnet was created by taking control of a bunch of different connected cameras that still had the default passwords in use. To scan if you have such devices in your network, Bullguard Security created IoT Scanner. Head to the site, click the scan button, and IoT Scanner looks for open ports on your network.

If IoT Scanner comes back saying that your network can be breached, that means some device that’s connected to your Wi-Fi network has an open port that makes it accessible from the internet. This could be on purpose if you’re running a server or have some other device that you can access from outside your home network. If you’re not doing that and IoT Scanner says your network can be breached, then it’s a good idea to dig in and see which device has that open port.

Like most tools of this ilk, take the results with a grain of salt and use them as a starting point to really secure your network. IoT Scanner’s results are vague, but they’ll at least give you a place to start your search.

Source:
http://lifehacker.com/iot-scanner-checks-for-vulnerabilities-in-your-connecte-1788154835