As we are increasingly dependent on technology that is connected to manage our homes and businesses, cybersecurity is now the top priority for many users. The threats that IoT devices face are very different from the threats faced by traditional computers, and require a new set of tools to defend themselves.

With a myriad of different IoT device types on the market each with its own operating systems as well as software and functions it’s no wonder that malware attacks targeting these types of devices are increasing. The absence of standardized software can create issues when trying to develop security tools that work across different devices.

In 2016 threat actors created one of the biggest botnets in history with a simple hack on IoT devices. The attack weakened parts of the Internet, and made websites like The New York Times’s website, Brian http://net-software.info Krebs’s website, and French web host OVH impossible to access for hours. The attackers scanned the Internet for default usernames and passwords on IoT devices, and then gathered an army of them to launch the DDoS attack.

Antiviruses and IoT play a important role in securing against these types of threats. However, this type of security software needs to expand its vigilance to include monitoring how IoT devices communicate with each other and to the external world, and keeping strong password practices in place two-factor authentication, and up-to date patching. When combined with other security tools such as these, they form an effective defense against IoT threats.