Cybersecurity in Action: Lessons from the Frontlines

Think your devices are safe? Think again. Hackers aren’t just after bank accounts and classified data – they’re targeting everything from smart beds to cars, doorbells, and industrial systems. If it’s connected to the internet, it’s a potential gateway for cyber threats.  

Could your device be the next target? In this article, we will observe the most hackable embedded devices and expose the risks they pose to your personal and professional environments. These high-profile hacks made headlines and cost companies dearly for neglecting cybersecurity measures. 

Table of contents

Case #1: The Smart Bed That Spied on You

Case #2: When Hackers Came Knocking: The Ring Breach

Case #3: The Nortek Nightmare: When Vendors Ignore Vulnerabilities

Case #4: Operation Salt Typhoon: Telecom Networks Under Siege

Case #5: The Jeep Hack That Shocked the World

Case #6: Stuxnet: The First Cyberweapon

Case #7: Meris Botnet: DDoS at an Unprecedented Scale

Case #8: VPNFilter Malware: The Global Router Infiltration

Why It Matters: The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Cybersecurity

Last year, Arizona developer Dillan Mills gained root access to a Sleep Number smart bed. His shocking discovery? The bed was sending user data back to the manufacturer without consent. This wasn’t an isolated case – it’s a wake-up call. 

The implications go beyond privacy violations. Embedded systems often lack strong encryption protocols, making it easier for malicious actors to intercept and manipulate data. Ignoring the security of embedded devices can lead to data theft, privacy breaches, financial loss, and even life-threatening injuries. 

This breach could have been easily avoided by implementing fundamental cybersecurity practices, such as: 

• Data privacy by design. Ensure user consent for data collection and encrypt all transmitted data. 

• Regular security audits. Periodic reviews of firmware and communication protocols to identify potential vulnerabilities. 

• Timely security updates. Ensure devices receive timely firmware updates to mitigate risks. 
   

Hackers infiltrated Ring doorbells and home monitoring systems of 15 families, using weak, default passwords to access live feeds and even communicate with users through their devices. Beyond the invasion of privacy, these breaches created psychological distress for the victims, some of whom were harassed by the intruders. 

Since then, all Ring users have been advised to add shared users to their accounts rather than sharing login details, change strong passwords regularly, and use two-factor authentication. 

Such breaches could have been prevented through several key security measures, including: 

• Stronger authentication. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of unauthorised access. 

• Enforce credential changes. Enforce the ability to change default credentials with strong, complex passwords. 

• Anomaly detection. Implement systems to detect anomalous activity, which can help identify and prevent suspicious actions. 
   

Nortek Linear eMerge E3 devices had critical vulnerabilities. Despite knowing about them, the vendor delayed releasing patches, leaving thousands exposed to credential theft, malware, and DoS attacks. The vendor was aware of these vulnerabilities but failed to provide patches for quite some time, resulting in tens of thousands of complaints in 100 countries. 

The Nortek IoT breach shows how quickly hackers can exploit connected IoT smart devices for attacks. It highlights the importance of proactively identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before cybercriminals exploit them. 

This problem could have been mitigated with proactive security practices such as: 

• Secure сommunication. Implement end-to-end encryption for data transmission to protect authentication credentials from interception. 

• Patch management. Establish protocols for fast deploying security patches once vulnerabilities are identified and enable devices to receive updates automatically to ensure timely application of critical security fixes. 

• Continuous threat monitoring. Continuously monitor and respond to new threats and vulnerabilities, maintaining detailed logs to facilitate rapid incident response. 
   

A hacking group linked to Chinese intelligence infiltrated major US telecom networks, accessing sensitive data from over a million people, including political figures like President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.  

The breach lasted 18 months, during which attackers posed as system engineers to avoid detection, transferring stolen data worldwide before routing it to China. 

Implementing the following strategies could have significantly reduced the impact of this breach: 

• Zero-trust networks. No device or user is inherently trusted, with continuous authentication and verification. 

• Strict access control. Limit admin privileges, enforce multi-factor authentication, and regularly audit access logs to detect unauthorised activities. 

• Advanced threat detection. Deploy tools to identify unusual patterns of behavior indicative of advanced persistent threats (APTs).
   

Researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek remotely controlled a Jeep Cherokee by exploiting vulnerabilities in its infotainment system. They took over the brakes, steering, and transmission from 10 miles away, demonstrating how modern vehicles' increasing reliance on software can expose them to life-threatening cyber risks. 
 

Stuxnet, a sophisticated worm, targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, causing physical destruction through cyber means. This attack changed the cybersecurity landscape forever. It exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, manipulated industrial control systems, and operated undetected for months, showcasing the devastating potential of cyber warfare. 

Critical infrastructure attacks like this could be thwarted with measures such as: 

• Segmented networks. Enhance physical and logical isolation of critical systems from external networks, limiting malware spread. 

• Strict access control. Enforce multi-factor authentication and minimize the number of users with administrative access. 

• Proactive monitoring. Deploy intrusion detection and prevention systems to monitor suspicious activity. 
   

In 2021, the Meris botnet used unsecured MikroTik devices to launch DDoS attacks, peaking at 22 million requests per second. The attacks targeted high-profile organizations like Yandex and Cloudflare, demonstrating the vulnerability of poorly secured networking devices. 

Preventive actions that could have mitigated this threat include: 

• Device hardening. Enforce strong passwords, reduce the attack surface by disabling unnecessary services, and deploy firewalls. 

• Network defense. Implement rate limiting, firewall rules, and DDoS mitigation strategies. 

• Incident response planning. Maintain detailed logs of network activity to facilitate rapid incident response and forensic analysis.