Till date we were only aware of Google and Bing whenever we searched for something on the web. Recently, a revolutionary search engine is in the news with the name of Shodan. Undoubtedly, this search engine is drastic in nature but its certain facets will flummox you out surely. It is a great tool to find all unprotected devices and enhance their security to make internet a safe haven.
Shodan connects thousands of devices from smart lights to smart garages. There are many other unprotected devices which can be explored on this engine. Some of those devices include webcams, smart lights, printers, security systems. Commercial devices can also be found such as turbines, heavy machinery or industrial control systems. The basic criterion is the device’s connectivity to the internet and Shodan will help you find it.
The device was developed by John Matherly in 2009. He stated:
“There’s so many homes connected to the internet”
He also gave a tutorial of Shodan and also talked about some of the fun things one can do on this website. Since it’s a great tool, we want you to have a glimpse of it.
How does it work?
The world of smart devices has given way to tons of opportunities for developers to experiment with their skills. Shodan is one such radical invention. It scans the IP address of each device, pulls and collects the banner information which includes the manufacturer of the device and its key aspects.
This information would be very vital when searching for unprotected devices. Since almost every device is connected to the web, it enables us to look for a particular type of device such as traffic lights in New York. With influx of new devices being made without proper security, this information can be very crucial in exposing them to potential hackers. However, the catch is that Shodan indexes only the information present in the banner. There is no technique to find out whether the banner information is valid.
Some security prone organizations, replace their banner information with fake banners to nullify the working of Shodan. This looks like a good defense strategy against potential attacks on your confidential systems.
In the retrospect, connectivity to smart devices may seem like a great thing to some but keep your vigilance high if you don’t want people peeping in your car porch or turning off your garden lights.
Let us and the readers know if you have anything to add to this story!
Source: Motherboard
