Hacker Ends Malware Mission After Bricking 10 Million Connected Devices
Connected devices are everywhere these days. Routers, speakers, cameras, sensors... If it's electronic, someone makes one that hooks up to the Internet. They don't always put a lot of effort into security, however.
The shoddy state of security on the Internet of Things (IoT) provided hackers with millions and millions new potential targets. Targets that they've attacked on numerous occasions, leading to several major incidents like the Mirai botnet attacks that crippled websites and Internet connectivity around the globe.
Eventually, a curious piece of IoT malware called BrickerBot emerged. Its purpose was not to hijack or enslave vulnerable devices for use in other attacks. BrickerBot was designed to prevent further Mirai-like outbreaks, and it did so vigilante-style. BrickerBot attacked devices and rendered more than 10 million of them unusable so that they couldn't be infected by other malware.
