A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has demonstrated how, in theory, a malicious actor could manipulate the energy market using a botnet powered by high-wattage IoT devices.
Most botnets are powered by devices such as routers, cameras and DVRs. However, researchers from Princeton University warned a few years ago that threat actors looking to cause disruption to an energy grid could create a botnet of high-wattage devices, such as internet-connected ovens, air conditioners, and water and space heaters, which use 1-5 kilowatts of power.
The botnet described by the Princeton researchers, named BlackIoT (MadIoT), focused on causing disruptions, including local outages and large-scale blackouts, by simultaneously switching on and off the compromised high-wattage devices. However, the attack might not always be successful in practice, especially when the power grid protection mechanisms respond effectively to the shock caused by the botnet.
Most botnets are powered by devices such as routers, cameras and DVRs. However, researchers from Princeton University warned a few years ago that threat actors looking to cause disruption to an energy grid could create a botnet of high-wattage devices, such as internet-connected ovens, air conditioners, and water and space heaters, which use 1-5 kilowatts of power.
The botnet described by the Princeton researchers, named BlackIoT (MadIoT), focused on causing disruptions, including local outages and large-scale blackouts, by simultaneously switching on and off the compromised high-wattage devices. However, the attack might not always be successful in practice, especially when the power grid protection mechanisms respond effectively to the shock caused by the botnet.