IoT Fuels Growth of Linux Malware

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84652.html?google_editors_picks=true

Malware targeting Linux systems is growing, largely due to a proliferation of devices created to connect to the Internet of Things.

That is one of the findings in a report WatchGuard Technologies, a maker of network security appliances, released last week.

The report, which analyzes data gathered from more than 26,000 appliances worldwide, found three Linux malware programs in the top 10 for the first quarter of the year, compared with only one during the previous period.

"Linux attacks and malware are on the rise," wrote WatchGuard CTO Corey Nachreiner and Security Threat Analyst Marc Laliberte, coauthors of the report. "We believe this is because systemic weaknesses in IoT devices, paired with their rapid growth, are steering botnet authors towards the Linux platform."

However, "blocking inbound Telnet and SSH, along with using complex administrative passwords, can prevent the vast majority of potential attacks," they suggested.