No one thought they’d read a headline like this, but here we are. Smart toothbrushes appear to be the newest additions to cybercriminals’ arsenal. Nearly 3 million of these everyday bathroom gadgets were stolen and used to block online services, making them inaccessible. An unexpected shift in the Internet of Things (IoT) security industry was highlighted by a recent report pointing to vulnerabilities in seemingly harmless devices.

This unusual attack targeted the website of a Swiss company

In the incident, smart toothbrushes were manipulated to target the Swiss company’s website, causing it to crash for several hours and causing significant financial losses. This scenario underscores an important message: Any device that connects to the Internet can potentially be used for malicious purposes, from baby monitors to electric toothbrushes.

The Swiss branch of cybersecurity firm Fortinet is at the forefront of fighting concerns over the issue. Fortinet’s Stefan Züger emphasized the importance of being aware of the risks associated with internet-connected devices. An experiment by his team involving an unprotected computer accessing the Internet showed that the computer was hacked in just 20 minutes, demonstrating how quickly cyber threats can occur.

The proliferation of IoT devices in homes and businesses increases the ability of attackers to launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Devices ranging from routers to security cameras and now toothbrushes can be seized to disrupt online services.

To combat this threat, experts recommend updating the software of all network devices using automatic security patches. Additionally, using anti-virus software and monitoring for unusual increases in power and data usage can help detect and prevent malware infections.