In 2016, the Mirai botnet disrupted a wide swath of the Internet and took the entire country of Liberia offline. At the time, the attacks carried out by Mirai were among the largest in recorded history; no one was particularly surprised when it became clear how Mirai spread.

Webcam. Home routers. Smart devices. For a few weeks, there were renewed calls for improved security in the Internet of Things. Then the news cycle changed and we seemed to have forgotten about the event as the media thrust the next big cybersecurity crisis at our doorstep.

Mirai still exists. And it is far from being the only one of its kind. What has everyone panicking now is the Matryosh botnet targeting Android devices.

By next month, it will likely have moved on to something else.

If it seems like the world is dealing with a new cybersecurity catastrophe virtually every other week, it is more or less because that is exactly what is happening. And it will get worse before it gets better. The Internet of Things is one of the main culprits. [There are currently 26 billion devices in our homes and offices. The number of devices that are actually secure can probably be counted on one hand.

After all, consumer goods companies without a cybersecurity background do not know how to build secure firmware. It is a shocking fact. Who could have predicted this fact?

All of us, if we are paying attention.

In fact, for most IoT vendors, security is an afterthought. In other words, it is up to us to protect ourselves. Here are some ways to do that.

First, invest in a password manager. No, seriously. Passwords don't belong in a book.

Because if you're like most people, you probably reuse the same password for multiple products, services, and platforms. That's a problem. Because if one of these accounts is compromised, all of them are compromised.

In addition, enable multi-factor authentication on all platforms you serve.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with the Internet of Things. Don't worry, we will now explain. The above details are merely best practices in the event of a network breach.

They are also practices that should be applied to every connected device you own, including routers. Relying on default credentials is like leaving your door open and expecting no one to enter your home. It simply invites trouble.

Disable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) while resetting smart device passwords. The convenience offered by automatic device detection simply does not justify the security vulnerabilities it creates. Finally, download all available updates and turn on automatic updates.

In December 2019, the FBI repeated advice that security experts have been giving for years. Do not put smart devices on the same network as your computer. Doing so gives anyone who hacks one of these devices direct access to everything from your work files to your finances and private photos.

Nevertheless, if these devices are air-gapped on a second network. A hacker can compromise and infect these devices, but nothing more. There are two options for how this can be accomplished. [The first is to buy two routers and connect each to a different Internet connection, one for the IoT device and the other for the rest of the devices. While certainly more secure, it is not feasible for most people.

The second method is simply to log into the router's dashboard. Once there, there should be an option to configure multiple wireless networks. If not, you will have to buy a new router or simply hope you don't encounter any exploits or malware.

Last but not least, once you have successfully reconfigured your smart devices, you will want to add a layer of security to all your networks. Having a router with a firewall is a good first step, but it won't protect you from all threats. That's where Bitdefender comes in.

Bitdefender Total Security features advanced network threat protection with AI to stop attacks before they start. It can analyze, identify, and mitigate suspicious network activity. Whether you are targeted by advanced exploits, malware, botnets, or brute force attacks, Bitdefender has you covered.

Network protection is not the only feature of the award-winning software; it is a complete solution that protects every device and system in your home, from ransomware on your PC to tracking cookies on your desktop. And it does all of this without slowing down any of your devices.

We saved the best for last; Bitdefender Total Security is currently on sale for up to 50% off. Depending on the plan you choose, you can save as much as £54. Buy your license now and rest easy.