Last Friday many suffered the consequences of a massive attack on many internet services that caused Spotify, Twitter, WhatsApp and many websites to be inaccessible. Although the attack was aimed at the United States, the consequences could be seen all over the world, and for the first time devices were used that until now had no role in these cyber attacks: the internet of things. The security of these devices and the protocols they use to connect to the internet was questioned, and that is where Apple takes the opportunity to breastfeed and prove that HomeKit, its protocol for the internet of things, is safe Despite the criticism received as usual for his efforts to always create "enclosed gardens" with their own protocols.
What do these small devices that we have at home and that connect to the internet have to do? How can a thermostat, a smart bulb or a television recorder be to blame for a massive internet attack? Because most use connection protocols with very low security, sometimes even null, that are easily decrypted by hackers and that allow them to use them for their attacks. A DDoS attack like the one carried out last Friday requires thousands of computers sending requests to the same server to end up collapsing it. Hackers use users' computers that have been accessed through some type of malware installed on them, and thus become part of their network to use them in those attacks.