Nmap (Network Mapper)

Port scanning, one of the phases in ethical hacking, is the finest hacking tool ever. Primarily a command-line tool, it was then developed for operating systems based on Linux or Unix, and the windows version of Nmap is now available.

Nmap is basically a network security mapper capable of discovering services and hosts on a network, thereby creating a network map. This software offers several features that help in probing computer networks, host discovery as well as detection of operating systems. Being script extensible it provides advanced vulnerability detection and can also adapt to network conditions such as congestion and latency while scanning.

Scan every active IP address. 

You can get detailed information on every IP active on your network to determine whether an IP has been compromised. Nmap will tell you whether a legitimate service or an external hacker is using the IP.

Perform entire network scanning. 

You can get information on your network as a whole, including a list of live hosts and open ports and the OS of every connected device. Due to this, Nmap does a great job at monitoring your ongoing system and helping perform pen-testing.

Identify server vulnerabilities. 

You can use the tool to scan your web server for any security gaps to protect personal and business websites. Nmap helps simulate the process a malicious agent would typically use to attack your website.

Develop visual mappings. 

Nmap has a graphical user interface known as Zenmap. You can use it to create visual mappings of your network to facilitate better usability and reporting.

Automate system and vulnerability scans. 

Nmap has an incredible feature known as “Nmap Scripting Engine” (NSE). It's a scripting engine that lets you use a predefined set of scripts and automate networking features. Alternatively, you can write your own NSE scripts using the Lua programming language to make conclusions about the target host/service.

Use Nmap Effectively

Nmap uses diverse techniques to scan, such as TCP connect scan, TCP SYN scan, TCP reverse ident scan, FTP bounce scan, and so on. Each of these methods has its own benefits and drawbacks, and whether you should opt for simple scanning or advanced scanning depends on the target machine.

Before you get started with Nmap, the software needs to be installed.

The installation process is easy, but it may vary based on your operating system. Below, we’ve covered how to install an app for Windows, MacBook, and Linux versions.

For Windows OS: Download and run the custom installer you get with Nmap (namp<version>setup.exe). This will automatically configure Nmap on your Microsoft system.

For Mac OS: Run the Nmap-<version>mpkg file to start the dedicated installer (you get this with Nmap).

For Linux OS: Run the following commands after opening the terminal to install Nmap

CentOS/Fedora: sudo dnf install nmap

Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt-get install nmap

1. Ping Scanning

A ping scan returns information on every IP active on your network.

You can use the following command to execute a ping scan:

> Nmap -sp 192.168.1.1/24

Note: You can run a Scan a Single Host command to scan a single host for 1000 well-known ports—ports that are used by popular services like SQL, SNTP, and apache.

Here's how to run this command:

> Nmap scanme.nmap.org

2. Port Scanning

There are tons of ways to execute a scan for ports. The main differences between the varying types of port scans are whether they cover TCP or UDP ports and if they run a TCP connection.

For instance, the TCP Connect scan actively queries every host and requests a response, while the UDP scan uses UDP packets to scan DNS, SNMP, and DHCP ports to do the same job.

Let's review the different port scanning types below.

• Using the -p param to run a single-port scan:

> Nmap -p 973 192.164.0.1

• Using a TCP connection to scan information about a particular connection type—provided you specify the type of port:

> Nmap -p T:7777, 973 192.164.0.1

• Using hyphens to separate a range of ports:

> Nmap -p 76–973 192.164.0.1

• Using the -top-ports flag to specify the top n ports to scan:

> Nmap --top-ports 10 scanme.nmap.org

3. Host Scanning

Host scanning gives you detailed information on a specific host or a range of IP addresses, including their latency, MAC address, and any description associated with that address. In turn, this will allow you to quickly identify and eliminate suspicious hosts connected to your network.

You can use the following commands to execute a host scan:

• Writing all the IP addresses in one row, allowing the tools to scan all of the hosts simultaneously:

> Nmap 192.164.1.1 192.164.0.2 192.164.0.2

• Using the asterisk (*) to scan all of the subnets at one go:

> Nmap 192.164.1.*

• Adding commas to separate the IP address endings instead of typing entire domains:

> Nmap 192.164.0.1,2,3,4

• Using a hyphen to define a range of IP addresses:

> Nmap 192.164.0.0–255

Note: If you want to scan a hostname, you simply have to replace the IP address for the host.

4. OS Scanning

Nmap can also provide operating system detection, script scanning, version detection, and traceroute. In fact, OS scanning is claimed as one of the most powerful features of the tool.

OS scanning involves Nmap sending TCP and UDP packets to a particular port before analyzing its response. This scan then compares the response to a 2600-strong operating systems database and returns information on a host’s OS (and version).

You can use the following command to execute an OS scan:

> Nmap -SV scanme.nmap.org

Disclaimer: OS detection may not always be accurate. Still, it does a fairly good job at getting a pen tester closer to their target.

5. Stealth Scanning

Running a stealth scan involves analyzing the response after sending an SYN packet. If SYN or ACK is received, it indicates the port is open, and you can open a TCP connection.

Keep in mind that a stealth scan never completes the 3-way handshake, so the target may face difficulty determining the scanning system.

Use the following command to run a stealth scan:

> Nmap -sS scanme.nmap.org

6. Scan the Most Popular Ports

As the name suggests, this command auto-scans several 'most popular' ports of a host. This can come in handy for users who run Nmap on a home server.

You can use the following to execute this Nmap command:

> Nmap --top-ports n 192.168.1.106

Replace the ‘n’ in the above command for the number of ports you want to scan. Nmap will quickly scan that many ports.

7. Output to a File

You can add an extension to your commands if you want to output your Nmap scan results to a file.

Use the following command:

• If you want to output the results to a text file: -oN output.txt
• If you want to output the results to an XML file: -oX output.xml

8. Disable DNS Name Resolution

You can use this Nmap command to accelerate your Nmap scan using the -n parameter, which may disable reverse DNS resolution. We highly recommend this when starting Nmap scanning for a large network.

Let us explain how this Nmap command works using an example.

Suppose you want to turn off DNS resolution for the basic ping scan. To do this, you’ll have to add -n.

Here’s how you can run the command:

> Nmap -sp -n 192.100.1.1/24

Image SEO

What is image SEO

Image SEO refers to the practice of optimizing your images for search engines through thoughtful alt text, appropriate captions, good file dimensions, and more.

Image SEO is the optimization technique that involves using best practices to ensure that your images are crawled, indexed, and displayed on search results for a relevant search query. 

 If you think that image SEO is done only to help you rank higher on Google Image Search, then you are wrong! Google and other search engines have started showing images even on the web search results pages.

 if you are creating a website focusing on ranking higher on search engines, make sure that the image SEO best practices listed in this article are followed without fail. By the way, if you are running an e-commerce website, image SEO will play a pivotal role not only to rank you higher but also to increase the conversion rate. 

Importance of Adding Images 

Users consuming your content hate monotony. Since they have less attention span they might hit the back button as soon as they feel humdrum. To avoid such circumstances, images are used in abundance by websites and they are evenly distributed within important sections to keep their visitors glued to the page. 

So, think it this way, if Apple is presenting a five-year financial report in numbers alone, 9 out of 10 users will just skip that part as it’s hard to decipher the data.But if you put the same data in a graph or a pie diagram like the one here, people will find it very helpful and they will continue reading your report.

A whole passage of content that has no relevant images makes the users bounce off the page and look for something similar which has more images that are relevant. This doesn’t mean that adding tons of images can make users and search engines happy. 

That is where the term relevance comes to the fore. The images you add within the content must add value to the users and search engines. 

 How do search engines find value inside the images you add? By implementing a proper image SEO strategy.  So, where do you go and search for the images? Of course, in 2022, Google is your go-to search engine. 

 Let me explain the basics of search first before moving to more advanced Image SEO concepts. What happens when the user types a search query and press enter on Google?

 The search engine algorithms will find and display the best results based on relevance and authority. The same process is applicable to image search. 

 However, displaying the right image on search is more challenging for search engines. Even though search engines like Google use reverse image search the quality of the image matters. 

Google still depends on factors such as the context, image file name, alt tags, image titles, description, and caption to understand if the image is suitable for a specific search query. What this means is optimizing these individual elements continues to be a critical aspect of an on-page optimization strategy.

Google Image Search Works

 Google Image Search uses superior algorithms to find pictures that are relevant to the search query entered by a user. It uses two methods to retrieve relevant images for the users.

Image Search By Context 

The search engine tries to first identify images with surrounding text that matches the search query. If the image matches the intent of the user, the image is displayed on search. 

If you add more context to the images that, in a way, helps the users to better understand what the image represents, you have higher chances of ranking higher. According to Google, when you make the context informative and understandable to the lay users, the search engine will rank your images better. 

Contextual and Original Image: 

The image you add to the content must be 100% relevant to the main topic represented by the page. What this also means is if you are publishing scraped content, or if the images are not original, it reduces the chance of ranking the image on search. 

Right Placement: 

The placement of the image also plays a critical role in deciding whether it will appear on a search or not. Images that are below the most important part of your content have less chance of ranking higher. So, make sure that images you want to rank higher are placed at the top where the most critical information is shared. 

Authority of the Site: 

Not all websites can become experts in all fields. Over time, Google understands that a site is good for one niche topic. For example, Stan Ventures is recognized as a site that specifically talks about SEO. If we publish an article about laptop accessories, there is no way Google will rank us. If the content cannot rank, neither will the images associated with the content. Image Ranking and page/site quality go hand-in-hand.

Mobile-Friendliness: 

Google has been pushing mobile-first indexing for quite some time, and if you are yet to make your website responsive, the chances of your images ranking on Google search are slim. If your images are non-responsive, this ends in a bad user experience and Google has been on such sites lately. 

Define a Proper Image File Name: 

Google has been categorically stating that the file name of the images plays an important role in ranking. But this is one of the least optimized things on the internet. Most websites upload images with numbers, which gives Google no clue about the context of the image. 

Check the Meta Title: 

99% of the time, the image search result you see will have a meta title that is closely relevant to the search query entered. This means, for your images to rank higher, you must also ensure the page title is properly optimized with the right keywords that people use on search engines. 

Make Use of Structured Data:

 Google Image Search supports Product, Recipe, and Video structured data. What this means is if you have an eCommerce website or a recipe-based website, adding the images within the schema data will improve your image search visibility. Such images will also get to feature as snippets in the web search paving the way to higher organic traffic. 

Quality of the Image: 

In Web Search, Google looks at the quality of the content within the page and other ranking factors. However, when it comes to Google Images, the quality of the images plays a vital role in showing up on search. Earlier days, some of the images that ranked higher on Google image search were pixelated. Now, Google has updated its image algorithm to ensure that only high-quality images show up. 

Heavy Images are Not SEO Friendly: 

Images that are heavy to load on a web browser tend to get lower rankings on Google because it gives a bad user experience. A large size image can significantly cause the page size to increase. Even though Google creates a snapshot to display images on the search results page, the user, when clicking on it, lands on the slow page and Google doesn’t want that to happen. So, they have intentionally trained their algorithm not to rank heavy images on search. Also, opting for AMP is a good option if you want the images to load quickly from Google’s cache. (High-quality images don’t mean heavy images. It’s ideal to optimize all the images for the web before uploading so that the page load time is not affected)

Reverse Image Search 

The search engine uses the search by image option to find visually similar images that are on the web and display the most relevant ones. This technique called Reverse Image Search is one of the most popular ones used by a majority of search engines.

With this, unlike the traditional search, users don’t input text. Instead, they are asked to upload an image as input. Based on several factors, the search engine will show image results that are closely related to the one uploaded. 

Google provides users two Search By Image options. 

Method 1: You can upload an image from your computer 

Method 2: You can enter the URL of the Image. (The same feature is used in the Chrome Browser when you use Search Google for Image feature)

Search By Image analyzes your image to find its most distinctive colors, points, lines, and textures. It uses these features to generate a query. 

This query is sent to Google’s back end for matching against billions of images. Google’s algorithm then returns matching and visually similar images to you on the final results page.

Since Search by Images has a different intent than a text-based search, the results can greatly vary. The result will be more focused on the similarities between the image uploaded and the images that are already there on Google’s database. This means that image SEO strategies can help only a little while trying to rank your images for Search By Image results.

Start Optimizing Your Images for On-Page SEO 

Now that you know the things that Google looks for while ranking images on search, let’s understand how to optimize the individual factors we discussed above. What we intend to do is provide you with the best practices to follow while trying to optimize images for your website. 

Keyword Research:

 If you are wondering how keyword research found the first place in my list, the reason is simple, the keywords are the driving factor. If you get it wrong, your images will never show up in search results when users type in their query. Identify the key terms that users are typically searching on Google for your product or service. Make the list of such keywords handy to use while optimizing the images. If you want to know how to do keyword research, we have an extensive guide to help you with that.

Choose the Right Image Format: 

The type of image you want to display on Google plays a critical role in deciding the size of your page. If you are going with GIF, the image size can be bigger than PNG or JPEG. It’s ideal to use images in PNG, JPEG, and WebP. 

WebP 

format is the most recommended as it’s tailored for the web and offers superior lossless and lossy compression. Google supports BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, and SVG formats. 

Create Good Image URL Structure:

 Like the file name, Google also uses the URL structure of the img src to understand the context of the image. So if you have an image of a bike, the ideal URL structure would  It’s so common to see images with generic file names that give no clue about the image. Google and other search engines have been stressing a great deal on providing a file name that defines the image. Google has categorically stated that the file name is one of the key factors that it looks for when trying to rank images. Try to make the file name relevant by adding keywords so that it appears when the users type the key phrases on Google. Make sure that you rename the file names of stock photos before uploading them.

Optimize ALT Text of Images: 

An alt text of your image must be the best description that you can give to people who are unable to see the image. Slow loading time and disabled people who use screen readers can rely on the alt text of the image to understand the context. Most importantly, Google also uses the image alt text to understand the content and context of the image. The Alt attribute will also act as the anchor text if you are linking your image to another page or website. You must optimize the alt text using the right keywords. It is advisable to use words that provide context to the image within a web page for image Alt text. By doing so, you will help someone with a screen reader understand how a particular image fits into the content of a web page. The best way to come up with a fitting Alt text for any image is to think about how you’d describe the image to someone with a vision impairment and then generate a description.

Optimize Image Caption, Title, and Description: 

Google has confirmed that it considers the information inside the caption, title, and description important while understanding the context of the images. So, make sure that you fill in all these details keeping in mind the possible search query string the users may use to get the maximum image SEO benefits. 

Use Image Sitemaps: 

Providing Google with the list of URLs of all your images will ensure that they are indexed and displayed on search. Submit the image sitemap in the search console and Google will crawl these images in priority. If you are using a CDN to deliver the images to your website, you must verify the CDN in the search console.

Don’t Over Optimize: 

While we do all the above image optimization strategies, make sure not to overdo it by stuffing keywords. Google has been quite vocal about significantly reducing the rankings of websites that do such spammy practices. 

Now that you know the importance of images and the different ways to optimize them to improve the organic search traffic, start implementing them right away. 

If you get stuck at any point in time, just ping us on the live chat or drop a comment. We can assist you with any SEO-related issues. 

Google had rolled out Google Image Algorithm Update 2018 to improve the quality of Google image search.

This Google image algorithm update was intended to improve image search results by taking into account the factors like image placement on the page, the freshness of the content, and the page authority to determine the position of images in Google image search.

On-Page SEO Decides the Fate of Images in Google Search

Another essential revelation that Google made, following the image search algorithm roll-out, is that the placement of an image will matter a lot in search ranking.

According to Google, images that feature at the beginning of the article/page and the one that is in the middle will receive priority in the image search result.

For example, if you have an online store selling shoes, the image at the beginning of a product page that is dedicated to a pair of shoes will get more priority than the pictures on a category page showing a range of shoe styles.

Graphic Designing

According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), graphic design is defined as “the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.” In other terms, graphic design communicates certain ideas or messages in a visual way. These visuals can be as simple as a business logo, or as complex as page layouts on a website.

“Graphic design takes graphical and textual elements and implements them into multiple types of media,” says designer Alexandros Clufetos, when asked to elaborate on the graphic design definition. “It helps the producer connect with the consumer. It conveys the message of the project, event, campaign or product.”Graphic design can be used by companies to promote and sell products through advertising, by websites to convey complicated information in a digestible way through infographics, or by businesses to develop an identity through branding, among other things.“Every day, we take many of the subtly artistic things around us for granted. But hidden in every magazine corner, the exit sign or textbook lies a set of design ideas that influence our perceptions,” says Jacob Smith, founder of illustration studio ProductViz.It’s also important to remember that although many graphic design projects have commercial purposes like advertisements and logos, it is also used in other contexts and graphic design work is often created purely as a means for artistic expression.

Graphic design basics

To better understand the meaning of the graphic design, it is important to be aware of the elements and principles that make up a design. Elements are used in conjunction or opposition with each other to create visually striking and impactful designs.

These graphic design elements include:

Color, Form, Line , Shape, Size, Space, Texture

Graphic designers also adhere to the principles of design, which are essentially a set of guidelines that help a design achieve effective composition. These basic principles aid in creating balance and stability for the piece of work.

These graphic design principles include:

Balance, Contrast, Emphasis, Movement, Proportion, Rhythm

You’ve heard the old saying that “rules are meant to be broken,” which can certainly ring true in this case. But a good graphic designer must first understand these principles before making the conscious decision to break them.

Types of graphic design

As mentioned earlier, there is no single graphic design meaning. Graphic design is composed of many fields and specializations, ranging from print and web design to animation and motion graphics. Graphic design offers opportunities and options for individuals of almost any interest.

If you’d asked someone 30 years ago to define graphic design, their answer would have likely been focused on print-related examples like magazines, movie posters, and advertisements. Now we’re living in the digital age, which has given birth to several new types of graphic design. Some of the most notable modern-day graphic design examples stem from advancements in technology. Here’s a glimpse of some of these types of graphic design:

Website design involves creating engaging and intuitive web pages for users. This includes the overall layout, color scheme, and navigation.

User experience (UX) design is focused on ensuring a website or application is easy and satisfying to use. These designers emphasize value, usability, adaptability, and desirability.

Motion graphics design—or animation—brings visual elements to life through special effects, TV shows, video games, and movies.

Graphic design tools

Now that you know what type of jobs and specializations are out there, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the graphic design tools that help get the job done. One of the most basic, and least expensive, tools designers use is a sketchbook. Graphic designers will often sketch out ideas or rough drafts on paper before turning to a computer to complete the process.

That being said, computers and design software are essential in today’s digital climate, even if you are designing for print. The type of computer you need is based on preference, but when it comes to software, Adobe products such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are mainstays in the graphic design world. If you are just beginning and don’t want to commit to the high price tag Adobe products often carry, similar free open-source software such as GIMP can help you begin to master the basics.

Lastly, ideas and inspiration are what a graphic designer needs most. “You need to have a solid concept serving as the foundation of your design and communication,” explains Chad Birenbaum, co-founder of Duckpin Design. “This concept and idea need to work on paper first and then the computer should be used as a tool to bring the concept to life.”

Graphic designers gain inspiration from the world around them, so if you are worried you aren’t creative enough, go outside, bounce ideas off your peers, or seek ideas from the internet. There are plenty of inspiring graphic design blogs that can help get your creative juices flowing.

Call to Action (CTA) Importance in marketing

 CTA

A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that refers to the next step a marketer wants its audience or reader to take. The CTA can have a direct link to sales. For example, it can instruct the reader to click the buy button to complete a sale, or it can simply move the audience further along towards becoming a consumer of that company's goods or services. The CTA can suggest that the reader subscribes to a newsletter that contains product updates, for example. To be effective, a CTA should be obvious and should immediately follow the marketing message.

1) A call to action (CTA) is a marketing term that refers to the next step or the action that the marketer wants the consumer to take.

2) Calls to action can be as direct, such as a button that says "Buy Now," or a softer CTA such as "Read More."

3) Through practices such as A/B testing, marketers can learn which CTAs are most effective in getting the audience to do a specific action.

The nature of the CTA varies by the advertising medium. For example, a television ad for a charity organization may end with a CTA that directs people to call a 1-800 number or to visit a webpage, whereas a charity's monthly e-newsletter may just contain a “donate now” button in the body. In that vein, there are both hard and soft calls to action, depending on where the customer is in the journey to buy a product. For example, a softer call to action as a customer is simply learning about a new product or brand that may invite them to learn more. Other more direct CTAs have language such as "buy now."

A/B Testing

Advertisers have found that data from the CTA represent a prime opportunity for A/B testing, which tests the effectiveness of marketing methods. Wording and appearance matter for conversions. People who shy away from the term “free trial” sometimes react differently to “give it a try” or “access now.” In digital marketing particularly, it is possible to run tests in near real-time, tweaking the CTA as data on click-through rates comes in.

CTA can be the culmination of an advertisement or merely a step in the process. Sales filters where leads are collected, cultivated, and converted will have multiple CTAs. For example, the process may begin with a CTA for the prospect to try a trial subscription and then continue with several midpoint CTAs to encourage an upgrade. This could be followed with a “final” CTA to maintain access if the lead has not been converted. Next, there may be an additional CTA sent within a certain period after the “last” CTA with a discount or other enticement for the prospect. Each CTA action can be worded differently based both on the last CTA the prospect ignored and the feedback from all potential customers from AB tests.

Digital marketing uses analytical feedback to adjust both the appearance and frequency of CTAs. Print and other traditional media lack feedback mechanisms that can match such immediacy, but there are still audiences that can be reached using these traditional channels. Whether digital or traditional, it is difficult to turn the audience into customers if an advertisement lacks a clear CTA.

Google Display Network

The Google Display Network is one of Google's main advertising networks (Google Search Network is the other). The Network allows you to connect with customers browsing Google websites like Google Finance, Gmail blogger, and YouTube, as well as other partner sites, mobile websites, and applications. The Google Display Network site list spans over two million websites and reaches over 90% of the internet population.  It's important to note that the display network matches AdWords ads based on the content of a given page. Therefore, you are better able to select your audience based on appealing to their interests. The Display Network also helps build brand awareness, customer loyalty, and engagement by placing your content all over the internet.

Show Your Ads on the Internet

The Google Display Network allows you to choose how people browsing the internet see your ad. You can control precisely which websites your ads appear on, or you can use targeting methods to help select relevant websites based on keywords, placement, audiences, or topics.

You can use the following ad formats when advertising on Google's Display Network

Text Ads -simple ad consisting of a headline, web address display URL, and a brief description of the product or service

Image Ads - pictures depicting your product or service

Rich Media Ads - complex advertisements that include advanced features like video and audio, or other elements that encourage engagement.

Video Ads - Videos that appear on your selected websites containing information about your product/service

App Promotion Ads - Reach customers on the go using mobile devices or tablets through application software.

The Google ad network allows you to show your ad to many different people in different ways. The Display network is particularly useful for targeting and placement. You can choose to show your ads to customers in different countries, certain geographical locations, or even based on the native language of potential customers. This can be particularly useful in countries where a single language is not dominant. 

IoT Attack

 

What is an IoT Attack?

Technology and our lives are highly connected today. We use our smartphones for home automation systems. And what’s how we rely on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the internet. All our networks and devices online are open to cybersecurity threats. The same is true for digital assets that include IoT systems owned by businesses. A malicious person can compromise your automated employee check-in console. They can break into your office network. Or, someone could guess your weak password. They can then take control of your smart home security system.

Any such attack on an IoT device or network is called an IoT attack. It can infect your devices with malware. Or, breaking into your systems using loopholes like unoptimized user permissions. IoT attacks can compromise devices connected to the IoT system. This includes phones and computers. Your humble smart TV can be a loophole for cybercriminals. They can quickly gain control of your WiFi network. An IoT attack can compromise IoT apps, software, and operating systems.

IoT Devices Not Secure

IoT devices are not always created with security in mind. Here, we are not talking about mobiles or computers as they come with a basic level of security. However, devices like smart TVs or wearables to track your heartbeat are more prone to cyberattacks.

Some IoT devices are insecure, to begin with. You can experience many vulnerabilities like:

• Lack of updates
• Inadequate device management features
• Unencrypted data storage and exchange
• Outdated hardware
• Insecure network ports
• Lack of privacy protection

Businesses need to assess the security features of an IoT device. Do it before installation or use. Try to choose devices that focus on security. These need to come with inbuilt protocols to avoid IoT attacks.

Common IoT Attacks

IoT attacks are becoming more common as we get familiar with connected systems. Cybercriminals can attack different components of an IoT setup, including hardware and software. Some of the common IoT attacks are:

1) Smartphones serve as the main hardware for many IoT systems. They run the apps that control and manage IoT applications. This includes your home or office automation devices. As a result, smartphones are a common target of IoT cyber-attacks. According to Nokia, android devices are more vulnerable and account for 26.64% of infections. In addition, Windows computers are responsible for 38.92% of all infections. Overall, the number of compromised IoT devices increased by 100% in 2020.

2) Automation is now omnipresent in our homes and work. From climate control to security, businesses today depend on technology. It’s what helps to foster a safe working environment. However, the same IoT systems that boost productivity can become a security concern. Take the case of the Milwaukee couple, for example. Hackers compromised their smart home and took control of the thermostat and security cameras. They also played vulgar music and pushed the room temperature to 90 degrees.

3) Just like your phone, smart devices can become a victim of IoT attacks. The list of devices can include smart TVs, smart cameras, wearables, smart appliances like washing machines, and more. Any device connected to an IoT network is open to vulnerabilities.

4) IoT applications use an operating system like Android to run things. You also have mobile apps and desktop apps to control your devices and automation systems. A cybercriminal can gain entry into your IoT network and compromise operating systems and software. It can be the apps on your mobile, smart TV, or the core operating platform.

Secure all IoT devices.

Secure every device with a strong password, whether it’s your smart security camera or phone. You can even use free online password generators to create robust passwords. In addition, secure your network devices like broadband routers and modems. Ensure your routers have a strong password, as infected routers are responsible for 75% of IoT attacks.

Antivirus and firewalls on your IoT devices

Install paid antivirus on your desktop and mobile to ward off malware and viruses. Your networks should also have reliable firewalls to protect them from intrusions.

The same applies to IoT infrastructures and apps on the cloud.

Secure all user accounts.

End users can let cybercriminals gain entry into an IoT network and launch an attack. For example, someone can use the brute-force method to compromise your employee’s account and access your IoT applications. As a result, secure all user accounts that log into your IoT systems. The first step is to use a strong password for your smart and regular devices. In addition, you can further beef up your security by activating two-factor authentication.

Optimize your user permissions. This way, access is limited to only credible parties.

Update your software, apps, and operating systems.

Outdated core software and apps are a way to invite security troubles. Hackers can exploit security gaps in old apps and take control of your IoT network. As a result, you should always update your software and apps. Download the latest stable versions of your digital solutions and updated patches to stay secure.