The Internet of Things in Hackers' Crosshairs – Cyberattacks from Unusual Sites

Unusual network attacks are increasingly starting with devices we wouldn't normally even consider – air conditioning, printers, CCTV cameras, and smart home appliances and electronics connected to the internet. Hackers are increasingly focusing on computers and servers alone. Instead, they're increasingly targeting peripherals and devices operating in key parts of corporate infrastructure.

Unusual network attacks are increasingly starting with devices we wouldn't normally even consider – air conditioning, printers, CCTV cameras, and smart home appliances and electronics connected to the internet. Hackers are increasingly focusing on computers and servers alone. Instead, they're increasingly targeting peripherals and devices operating in key parts of corporate infrastructure.

The Most Notorious Surprising Cybersecurity Incidents

In 2025, a high-profile incident involving Procolored printers came to light. For about six months, their official drivers were available for download with embedded malware. This virus was capable of taking over a user's computer with a remote access Trojan that also monitored the clipboard and swapped cryptocurrency wallet numbers. In practice, this meant that someone could copy their Bitcoin transfer address, and the software would "swap" it with the address belonging to criminals. This resulted in the theft of over 9 Bitcoins, worth approximately $1 million at the time.

How to protect your company from unusual cyberattacks?

Such cases demonstrate that office equipment can become a serious security threat to the entire company. Therefore, it is crucial to:

• Regularly update the software on printers and other devices.
• Change default logins and passwords.
• Avoid directly connecting print servers to Active Directory, as a hacker could gain access to accounts and other resources on the company network if compromised.
• Regularly train employees to increase their cybersecurity awareness.

An example of an incident involving an HVAC system – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

In 2023, the Dark Angels group attacked Johnson Controls, a global manufacturer of HVAC and building automation systems. Cybercriminals encrypted servers, stole over 27 terabytes of sensitive data, and demanded a $51 million ransom. The attack paralyzed IT systems worldwide, and the leak included the company's security plans and operational information. This demonstrated that even elements not typically associated with cyberthreats, such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) or the IoT (Internet of Things), a network of connected devices, can be entry points for serious cyberattacks.

How to protect yourself?

• Restrict and control access for external partners
• Segment the network and isolate IoT devices (e.g., HVAC)
• Perform regular security tests
• Monitor and respond to suspicious activity

What we, as an IT company, can offer:

• Audit of your company's network infrastructure
• Network segmentation into VLANs
• Real-time monitoring using XDR, which allows for faster anomaly detection and attack blocking
• Security testing

Example of an incident involving a surveillance system

In March 2021, Verkada, a manufacturer of surveillance systems, suffered a high-profile breach. The attack began with a misconfigured technical support server, allowing hackers to gain administrator privileges and gain access to approximately 4,500 cameras and access control systems at nearly 100 customers. Recordings, photos, user data, and ID card information were leaked. Worse still, some cameras were configured to allow for the viewing of passwords typed on employee keyboards. This demonstrates that even security tools can become a loophole for cybercriminals if they are not properly secured.

How to protect yourself? 

• Use strong access authorization (MFA, roles, principle of least privilege)
• Regularly audit the configuration of cameras and monitoring systems
• Ensure that cameras cannot "see" confidential data, such as screens or keyboards

What we, as an IT company, can suggest:

• Implement additional authorization and permission management
• Real-time security monitoring (e.g., using XDR)
• Network infrastructure audit

Summary:

The security of company equipment, such as CCTV cameras, network printers, smart home appliances, and air conditioning systems, requires a comprehensive approach.

Cameras are particularly vulnerable to attacks due to default passwords and software vulnerabilities. Printers, though often underestimated, can expose confidential data and become an attack vector. Smart devices can be used to send spam or spread ransomware, and air conditioning systems can be used to gain unauthorized access to the network.

So how can we mitigate the risk of an attack?

The most important elements include network segmentation and VLAN separation, strong and unique passwords, regular updates, security audits, activity monitoring, and employee education. This significantly reduces the risk of incidents and mitigates the impact of potential breaches.

If you'd like us to help secure your company, please contact us.