We’re connecting more and more devices to the Internet: security cameras, baby monitors, child’s toys, smart thermostats and even lightbulbs. these devices are particularly vulnerable to hackers: they are not necessarily designed by experienced network engineers, the focus is on keeping the costs low and how would you login to your hacked stuffed bear to update it’s firmware?

Security researchers warn of a new piece of malware that’s infecting Internet of Things devices: the Reaper botnet has already infected over a million networks. That’s not just scary because the bad guys could be watching your home camera feed or change your room temperature, but also because such a large number of devices can be used to mount a pretty massive DDOS attack. An earlier version of this malware, the Mirai botnet, managed to take out the Internet for much of the USA’s East Coast by launching a DDOS attack against a large DNS provider.