Cyber Attack Results in Product Recall for Chinese Webcam Firm

Xiongmai, the Chinese electronics company, is recalling a number of its products after a widespread cyber attack that saw a large chunk of the web taken down in the Eastern US, and further affected Europe.

The DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack was rooted in an Internet of Things network of devices, including digital recorders and webcams. Many were produced by Xiongmai.

The firm has been accused by researchers of shipping products with fundamental security mistakes, such as an inability to set passwords on various connection forms, which resulted in them finding themselves in the Mirai botnet – a network of millions of hacked electronic devices.

Xiongmai responded by recalling a number of its products on sale in US stores.

The firm, which produces parts for security surveillance cameras, released a statement on its blog announcing that it planned to recall earlier products sold by US vendors, release product patches, and make password functions stronger.

The company said in its statement:

“Security issues are a problem facing all mankind. Since industry giants have experienced them, Xiongmai is not afraid to experience them once, too.”

This example is the latest in a long line to demonstrate the problems caused by cyber attacks and how they affect both businesses and consumers. To avoid such a catastrophe, businesses need to understand just how significant cyber threats are in the current climate. Creating and promoting IT security jobs is the obvious first step in a defence against such threats.