Kaspersky on SmartTV malware … it’s question of time

Eugene Kaspersky explained that SmartTV are vulnerable to malware-based cyber attacks, it’s a question of time to assist a large-scale infection.

In the last months we discussed about possible infection through the Internet of Things, in particular, we focused on cyber attacks on home appliances including Routers, SmartTV, refrigerators and ovens. The number of smart devices is growing at an exponential rate, but security experts believe that IT industries is not responding with implementation of principal security requirements.

As explained by Eugene Kaspersk (CEO of Kaspersky Lab), in an interview with the Telegraph, a computer malware could infect our domestic network propagating itself from desktop PC and infecting our SmartTV.

The impact is dramatically serious if we consider by 2016 over 100 million SmartTV will be deployed in our homes, a unique opportunity for hackers and cyber criminals.

Eugene Kaspersky remarked that any device exposed on the Internet is vulnerable to cyber attacks.

“The threats will diversify to mobile phones and to the home environment, such as through televisions, which are now connected to the Internet,” said Kaspersky.

Malware authors will specialize their malicious code to infect our domestic networks, the Internet of Things will be the next battlefield for cyber criminals and Intelligence agencies. Kaspersky confirmed the increase of cyber attacks against mobile devices and home appliance, recently we reported of attacks against Soho devices and The Polish Computer Emergency Response Team has documented a series of offensives against home routers.

Why IoT is a profitable industry for hackers?

The high level of penetration of such devices and the lack of security requirements makes those devices very attractive for hackers.

On the specific question on the possible creation of virus able to infect SmartTV, Eugene Kaspersky answered:

“Not yet, but it will happen. What’s the difference been a TV and a computer? A bigger screen and a remote control. It has Android inside and memory chips and Internet connections. That’s all.”

“It’s just a question of time. We already have a product for mobile and we have a prototype for TV so we are ready to address this issue when the new malware for television is released by criminals.”

From the words of Kaspersky is evident the interest in the new market niches resulting from the diffusion of the IoT paradigm. The security market for these devices is now virgin and profit margins are staggering, it is a tempting opportunity for all the major players in the security sector, including Kaspersky.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – Kaspersky, SmartTV)

Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.