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Security and Remote IT Management in 2021

The pandemic has forced many companies to modernize and adopt alternative ways to work. The digitization of the work environment has accelerated significantly in 2020. Home office and remote work continue to be an important part of the worldwide economy. For many IT professionals and managed service providers (MSPs), remote management always existed as a part of their business, especially in international companies as offices are often distributed across the globe. Mostly in these so-called “distributed companies”, service providers are not always on-site with their customers, and it is much more convenient, efficient, and effective for them to support their customers remotely.

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic more and more employees are working from home. More than half of the workers who have started working from home since the pandemic had no prior experience with teleworking. In terms of remote management & monitoring, it’s very different and challenging to manage someone who works in an office environment vs working from home.

 

Typically, employees access IT systems from a controlled environment, such as from within an office on a known and trusted network. But when IT staff works from home, they use personal uncontrolled devices or shared computers on uncontrolled networks to access sensitive corporate or government information, for which compliance regulations often apply. It becomes challenging for IT admins to manage several branch offices, each with different requirements and safety measures, instead of managing a central location. Home networks are less secure than office networks and have weaker protocols with higher chances of cyber-attacks unless proper measures are taken. A single vulnerability can crash a network and put an entire company at risk.

 

Remote worker management checklist:

With many organizations extending their work-from-home policies, security practices are more important than ever. FBI has reported a 400% increase in cyberattacks since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting SMBs. It is therefore imperative that security teams get better at controlling network access.

At a minimum, IT professionals should apply here below tips to not only protect their systems from cyber intrusion but also to secure their remote environments for employees or customers and better educate end-users about the risks.

 

  • Educate about phishing threats: 91% of successful data breaches start with a phishing attack, which means almost all cyberattacks are instigated from a malicious link or attachment that is only effective if an employee hasn’t been educated/informed about risks and fraud related to the scam. It is important to keep employees informed of the latest threats and train them to remain vigilant towards cyber threats. Cybercriminals are currently exploiting the fear of COVID-19 by focusing on relevant topics. Through understanding the problems with their current security strategies, employees can improve their habits and help form a strong security perimeter for their organization.

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  • Integrate a patch management program: Patched software is safe software. It’s a process of managing a network of computers by regularly performing patch deployment to keep computers up to date. As it’s important to prevent employees from running old versions or even end-of-life software at home. Exemplary technology partners make it possible to automate the installation and updates of the software via third-party providers. Patch management fixes all vulnerabilities on your software and applications that are susceptible to cyber-attacks, helping your employees strengthen their cybersecurity.
  • Enhance your home wireless network: When protecting home networks, it makes sense to think a little outside the box. For example, how secure are the employees’ router settings, and which IOT do they use that are connected to the home network? Wi-fi comes with lots of security issues and a vulnerable router makes a vulnerable access point. Securing home routers will allow users to keep stock of all connected devices. This requires a thorough inventory of all networked devices.
  • Multi-layered security: Keeping your business protected against cyber-attacks is a challenge therefore, multi-layer security—also known as the “multi-level security” approach to cybersecurity is the best solution for organizations. Layered security is a network security approach that uses several components to protect your operations with multiple levels of security measures. This can start with user training, followed by URL or script blocking, then file scans and integrity monitoring, and so on. Even if an attacker breaks through a line of defense, the next one is ready to stop intruders from breaching your networks.
  • Have a disaster recovery plan (DRP) ready: If all else fails, a robust disaster recovery plan will ensure you get up and running as quickly as possible. It’s a well-documented and structured approach that describes how an organization can quickly resume after an unplanned incident. It must include a plan for business continuity, protecting sensitive data, minimizing financial losses and disruption for end-users, and a plan for responding to incidents to comply with all relevant regulations. Similarly, companies should ensure that their technology and service providers understand the importance of protecting this type of unknown environment.

 

At this point in time, nobody knows what the “new normal” will look like. For many companies, the biggest challenge lays in finding the right balance between remote and in-office work, followed by learning how to manage remote teams and facilitating effective collaboration. All these skills will take time to master as IT professionals are learning and adapting as they go. Companies must ensure security and business continuity at the same time in this new hybrid world.

Convention 108:  The European Data Privacy and Protection Day

Data Protection The European Data Privacy Day

Last Tuesday, January 28th, the European (annual) Data Privacy Day, 40th anniversary of Convention 108 &15th Data Protection Day, was celebrated among the global Data Protection community.

After many years of negotiation, the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data (Convention 108) was open for signature on 28 January, the date on which we now celebrate Data Protection Day. This day of action and information is launched following the initiative of the Council of Europe and aims to raise awareness of the handling of personal data. The focus is on data protection, so that as many companies, authorities, associations and people who deal with data protection as possible become clear about the importance of data protection.

 

In today’s digital society, user’s personal data is being collected either by companies or by the government. Especially with the emergence of Big Data, governments and businesses are able to collect and process large amounts of data, leaving millions of people unaware and uninformed about how their personal information is being used, collected or shared. Thus, each year a large number of organizations worldwide support this day of action in regard to protect consumer’s fundamental rights and freedom and to sensitize every European for the privilege of protecting their own privacy.

 

Here below are few tips from on how users can protect their online privacy and devices:

 

  • Moving through everyday life completely anonymously is next to impossible these days. Whether on the phone, shopping in the supermarket, booking a vacation, visiting the doctor or surfing the web – a lot of personal data is gathered. Partly obvious, but often even without our knowledge. Therefore, if you visit a web page where you have to enter sensitive information, make sure that the address in the browser matches the page you are trying to access. If the URL is a random arrangement of letters and numbers or looks suspicious, do not enter any information.

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  • Use a VPN and make sure that you remain anonymous online. A VPN helps you to hide your IP address and gives you anonymous access to the Internet. Even tough your data is visible, a VPN encrypts it entirely, routes your connection through secure remote servers, and masks your IP address. With its protective shield, your online data is difficult to crack and almost impossible to track.
  • Implement a Multifactor authentication (MFA) / Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA). It’s an authentication method in which a user is granted access only after confirming the identities required of users by combining two different factors: something they know, something they have or something they are. If at least one of the components is missing or incorrectly specified during an authentication attempt, the identity of the user will not be established with sufficient certainty and access to the asset will be protected against identity fraud.
  • Whether smartphone, tablet or PC, you should always have an up-to-date virus protection and a firewall. Windows itself has rudimentary virus protection on board with Windows Defender, which is activated by default. However, it does not always do well in laboratory tests. If you don’t want to afford a full-fledged Internet security suite with a combination of firewall, virus protection and surf protection, you can have something similar cheaper or for free.
  • Connecting on a free WiFi can be attempting for anyone. But we must acknowledge that these networks are not secure enough to use when logging into secure systems or transmitting sensitive information (financial data, credit card numbers, etc.). We must access to this sensitive data via their secure connection at home or enable 4G for a secure connectivity outside.
  • Use a password manager to create secure passwords. A good password management is the key of cyber protection. Access to the applications containing crucial data must be protected with a strong password that contains at least eight characters, among which there must be capitals, low case letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid using same password on multiple applications / websites / online accounts. Instead use a secure password when you visit a new website / application.

 

The right to the protection of personal data, is a fundamental right laid down in Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental rights and in article 16 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the EU. The right to the protection of personal data may be considered as one of the most important human rights of the modern age. In fact, topics such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine and Deep learning, Internet of Things, Ubiquitous Computing, Surveillance and Data Transfer are examples that demonstrate the need for a right like this. This right also preserves the dignity and self-determination of an individual.

 

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Credential Stuffing Attacks: How to Protect Yourself

GLOBAL INTERNET USERE 2020

 

As we look forward to the hopefully great year ahead, let’s rewind a year that seems to have more episodes than Game of Thrones. Companies all across the globe were put into a huge test followed by a rapid shift from office working to home-office prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly overnight, organizations worldwide had to enable remote workforces to support their business requirements. COVID-19 has in many ways unleashed a new set of challenges and/or accelerated existing challenges, such as ransomware, data breaches, API attacks, cyber-fraud and unemployment frauds, within global enterprises.

 

It’s clear-cut that technology and security teams struggled in 2020 to respond as quickly to the changing environment as did the cybercriminals, who took advantage of an environment of unexpected change, extraordinary shifts in employees’ working process, and technology used by governments and worldwide companies.

 

Akamai reports that global internet traffic has grown by as much as 30 percent in 2020, while Statista observed that only in October 2020, online traffic across 20 different industries increased by 1.5% compared to the reference period in January 2020. Online transactions increased by 26.7 % compared to 2019. Another report from Cisco predicted there will be 5.3 billion total Internet users (66 percent of the global population) by 2023, up from 3.9 billion (51 percent of the global population) in 2018. That’s nearly two-thirds of the global population with Internet access.

 

The internet has gained more popularity in 2020, internet users are currently growing at an annualized rate of more than 7%, equating to an average of more than 875,000 new users each day. With this massive increase in the global internet traffic, Akamai is seeing over a hundred million of these attacks every day, with a peak of nearly 300 million a day, only in its own customer base. On the one hand, the internet is serving humanity, on the other hand, it has become the best place of like phishing, fraud, identity theft, Email Spoofing, bullying, cyberstalking, Malware, computer viruses.

 

In the history of cybercrime, the global coronavirus pandemic has added the credential stuffing problem to it extend. For those who don’t know, in this attack method, a cybercriminal tries a large number of stolen credentials on multiple websites. In order to gain unauthorized access to as many user accounts as possible to carry out attacks or fraudulent activities.

 

Transactional bots are getting popularity among hackers, as they act as agents on behalf of hackers. Bots aren’t typically created to compromise just one individual computer, they’re designed to infect millions of devices. An attacker first identifies websites with valuable accounts such as credit institutions, online shops, etc. In the Darknet, he then acquires lists of stolen login data and rents a botnet to automatically check the account list on the advised website. If a credential stuffing attack is successful, the attacker either sells the new, validated access data in the darknet or uses it himself. With the stolen data, fraudsters can then, for example, log into third-party accounts and carry out financial transactions.

 

Attacks like these often have very unpleasant consequences for the concerned companies and institutions, Application failures due to impaired web performance (73%) and recovery costs (63%) are among the greatest burdens, but also lower customer satisfaction, lost sales and financial losses (all-around 40%) have a significant weight (Akamai).

 

Here below are the few possible ways to protect yourself against credential stuffing attacks.

Protecting yourself from credential stuffing is pretty simple if you use the same password security tips that security experts have been recommending for years. For effective protection against bot attacks, it is recommended in the first step not to reuse the passwords, use a password manager, enable two-factor authentication, and get your leaked password notifications.

 

By using a unique password for each online account, you can protect all of your accounts at once. Because even if one of your passwords gets leaked, it can’t be used to sign in to other websites. As remembering strong unique passwords, for each account you have, is a nearly impossible task, the use of a password manager is recommended. It can not only remember your passwords but also generate strong unique passwords. Additionally, don’t ignore the 2-factor authentication. It is much more difficult to hack your account if you’re using two-factor authentication on it. As it adds an additional layer of security to the authentication process, it harder for attackers to gain access to your devices or online accounts.

 

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The Most Common Myths About Cybersecurity

cybersecurity

Cybersecurity issues are becoming a day-to-day struggle for businesses. cybersecurity statistics reveal a huge increase in hacked and breached data from sources in 2019. according to the Ninth Annual Cost of Cybercrime global study by Accenture, security breaches have increased over the past year with 11% and over the past five years, security breaches have increased by 67%, according to Accenture’s global survey. But even in the age of digitalization, there are still numerous myths surrounding the topic of cybersecurity. This article underlines few common myths around cybersecurity.

 

Myth 1: Nobody wants to hack me! I’m not anybody important!

Reporting on cyber attacks often gives the impression that it only hits the big ones. Small business must pay attention to cyber security and stop thinking they’re not even worth being attacked, and their size doesn’t make them the perfect target. Even those who often have fewer resources for security solutions or who are targeted by criminals in the event of mass attacks are a worthwhile goal. Hackers will be focusing to gain access to the data of SME in order to steal consumer information along with their credit card details. According to Accenture research, forty-three percent of cyberattacks are aimed at small businesses, but only 14% of them are prepared to defend themselves. Small businesses make up to 13% of the entire cyber security market, surprisingly small businesses invest less than $500 in cyber security.

 

Myth 2: Cybersecurity is only IT department’s problem

Most organizations are approaching cybersecurity totally wrong. Of course, the IT department is primarily responsible for the implementation of security standards and the implementation of protective measures. However, business leaders, either they run a small-medium company or an international corporation, they can’t just leave everything at their IT department and technology systems, instead to make a safer workplace and to protect their valuable assets, they need to make IT department work in collaboration with the rest of trained employees and give their management support to identify key risks, imagine potential threats and develop a plan for safe work environment.

 

Myth 3: My Antivirus software is enough to protect me

Your antivirus software is helpful and to fight against malicious software and viruses but they don’t stop the attack from happening. But the “threat landscape,” is changing and today’s hackers are way more sophisticated than you may think. They are finding new ways around antivirus software and to go mostly undetected to circumvent privacy. Even with antivirus software installed, you still need to be careful and wary of your online activities. Therefore, it is very important to take security measures that match your business requirements and your risk situation.

 

Myth 4: I have a Mac computer, they don’t get viruses

It’s true that Macs don’t get as much malware as PCs. However, it’s a BIG lie that they are 100% safe, they do get viruses, and beyond that, they’re getting more than ever. During the first quarter of 2019 alone Mac malware jumps more than 20% in three months, massive uptick in adware. A report from Malwarebytes claims, with detected threats up by more than 60% from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019, and adware becoming more prevalent with an increase of over 200% for the same period. The threat of malware has increased for Mac users in a short space of time.

 

Myth 5: Hacker attacks can be detected instantly

Did you know that the average time to identify a breach in 2019 was 206 days (IBM)? The average time to contain a breach was 73 days (IBM). It represents a great danger for business as longer hackers can access your systems undetected, the further they can go in their attack and cause some major damages is therefore all the more important in order to be able to react quickly in an emergency.

By conducting routine assessments and Continuous monitoring of potential vulnerabilities in your organization, you can save money, mitigate the damage of breaches, and perhaps even identify vulnerabilities before a breach takes place.

 

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Is Your Digital Business 100% Secure?

Is Your Digital Business 100% Secure?

Digital transformation is creating unprecedented opportunity for organizations today. Along with its far-reaching impact and significant changes in business models, it also comes with unprecedented risk. There are companies that are completely digital. Digital technologies such as mobile, cloud and IoT make it possible to offer new conveniences to customers, operate more efficiently than ever and gain other benefits. With the changed way of working, the demands on security have also changed, as those same technologies have also open doors to a new and special type of cyber-attacks. Here below are few security guidelines that must be carefully considered in pursuing digital initiatives.

 

Cybercrime: The Importance of Prevention!
One of the best and reliable way to guard your company against cybercrime is by educating and informing your staff about cybercrime prevention. It wasn’t long ago that data theft was classified as a social phenomenon somewhere between fun and crime. But cybercrime has now developed into a growth market – in a negative sense.
In a there  2020 Cyberthreat Defense Report, CyberEdge Group found that 81% of surveyed organizations were affected by a successful cyber attack in 2019. The average downtime due to a ransomware attack was 16.2 days in Q4 of 2019 compared to 12.1 days in Q3.
As more and more data is available digitally, the total volume of criminal activity increases. Computers and smartphones are affected equally. Therefore, by teaching your employees to recognize warning signs, you could also enhance your cybercrime prevention strategy.

 

Hardware Security Is a Must!
When it comes to protecting your device, wo-factor authentication (or 2FA offer a whole new level of security for your personal or business devices. It’s a software-based system that send you a text message or email to confirm your identity. In addition to 2FA, you should also invest in a degree of physical protection for your secure hardware in order to prevent disasters. You may also get a tailor-made insurance coverage for your devices. Protecting the hardware alone is too short-sighted. Ultimately, it’s about the corporate data, some of which is stored on the device, some in the cloud somewhere on the network.

 

Secure Basic Configuration

The basic settings for  Internet-enabled devices such as smartphones and laptops include the security settings in the device. These can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Apps and operating system should always be kept up to date on one device. The automatic setup for installing available updates is indispensable, because many attacks come via known security holes on the devices.

 

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Protecting organization’s and customers’ personal data is vitally important to the success of any organization. Encrypting that data is one of the best practices to be on the safe side. In case of remote working, sending emails with sensitive data represents a huge risk. It could be intercepted or seen by a third party. If you encrypt the data attached to an email, it will prevent an unintended recipient from viewing the information. Also, be sure your device is set to have all stored data encrypted in the case of theft.

 

Avoid Public Hotspots!

Working on a free WiFi can be attempting for employees who pay for their own data plans. Public hotspots in a café or in the airport are often unencrypted. Employees must be aware that these networks are not secure enough to use when logging into secure systems or transmitting sensitive information (customer data, credit card numbers, etc.). They must access to companies’ data via their secure connection at home or enable their 4G for a secure connectivity when they are on travel.

 

Regularly Perform a Backup Copy

Regularly back-up important data and information. Determine which data should be backed up, how often it should be backed up and where the copy will be saved. Keep this backup in a safe place and make sure it is always disconnected from the network. Also, if you notice that you have been infected, immediately disconnect from the network.
Also, keep information on your computer that is not connected to the network or on paper, such as important e-mail addresses and phone numbers, or information about your Internet service provider.

 

Cyber Crime Insurance

Cybercrime insurance is suitable for protecting companies against the consequences of IT attacks. Either the attack is internal or external, it can lead to a complete shutdown of operations and digital business activities to a standstill, resulting in downtime costs. In these cases, cybercrime insurance steps in and pays the costs. Extendedand personalized policies also bear the expenses incurred for data recovery or legal advice. In short, crime policies cover the direct loss of your funds, whether through maleficence, employee dishonesty or social engineering. So that things don’t get out of hands, business must take basic protective measures.

COVID-19: How to Fight Against Cybercrime in the Home Office Environment

COVID-19 cyberthreats

 

Covid-19 pandemic has forced many employees to work from home. Organization must not only stay productive but also safe. The Covid-19 outbreak has officially been categorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, meaning in the current situation, many companies are not only faced with the challenge of enabling their employees to work in the home office, but also to protect them and all systems against the increasing cybercrime.

 

As organizations are shifting more and more of their business online, a wide variety of cyberattacks have been recorded since the pandemic began – from attacks on the World Health Organization (WHO) to steal information to mass phishing emails and spam campaigns targeting home office workers. It doesn’t only stop there; cyber criminals have even created websites with domain names related to Covid-19 to take advantage of user fears and concerns and launch ransomware attacks. Therefore, prevention is always better then repairing damages afterword.

 

Here below are few tips that companies should and must take into account in every home office environment in order to protect fromcyberattacks.

 

Cybersecurity training for employees

Mostly neglected in many companies, employees training on cybercrime related topic is highly recommended. Once your employees are well informed about cybersecurity and home office, they are able to detect any risk that can endanger the security of the company  and  reduce the risk of opening the door to criminals.

 

Install and setup Access controls

No matter whether you are running a small, medium or large business, Access control really is ideal for almost any business scenario to prevent data leaks or unlawful data access. With access control, you can easily keep track of all statistics related to who access your company’s data. A good setup of access control combines authentication and authorization.

This setup determines whether a user should be allowed to access the data or make the transaction they’re attempting. A user with a certain role will only be able to see files that are necessary in order to complete his tasks via data access control. In other terms, a user with restricted data access will not be able to see or shear any other corporate data.

 
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Reinforce security settings for emails

Ensure your email security settings by putting strong passwords and secure login. Implement scanners or other tools to filter spams along with email encryption tools. Mostly, engage all employees to take part in education around email security and how not to fall in trap of phishing attacks. This way, employees can take measures to guarantee the security of their email accounts against known attacks and avoid being a victim.

 

Access to company networks only via VPN

Make sure that all of your employees who access your corporate network use VPNs. Without VPN access, no employee should be able to view company data, because with a VPN, corporate data is virtually impossible to be view by outside forces, keeping the private information — private.

 

Allow access to SaaS applications only through the corporate network

Ensure that SaaS applications are only accessible to remote users via the company network and that they cannot access the applications directly from there home or any other public Internet. With your security solutions, you gain insight into all data traffic that accesses your services in the cloud. Most SaaS providers provide such access to their services; however, you may need to enable some settings for this to work properly.

 

Keep your software updated

Make sure to update your software on your device when prompted. Cybercriminals frequently use known exploits, or flaws, in your software to gain access to your system. As these updates often include fixes to security vulnerabilities, a regular check on them is highly recommended in order to avoid becoming a cybercrime target.

 

Keep your device safe

It may sound very basic but it’s very important to keep an eye on your device along your surroundings! Lock your device when you step away from it. And never leave sensitive or confidential information at your desk, like post-it notes with your password written on them or USB drives. Don’t give anyone remote access to your device if you feel unsure.

5 Cybersecurity Tips – Lesson Learned From The Cyber Security National Day

A life without Internet is unthinkable for most people today, I belong to those percentage of people, but having a secure internet navigation is very essential. The international “Computer Security Day” held on 30thNovember sensitized worldwide people to cyber security.

 

Since serious threats to personal data are high at all time. Everyone, including individuals and businesses of all sizes, needs to remain diligent in protecting themselves from hackers and data breaches. Scammers of all sorts bombard us through pop-ups, viruses, e-mails, phone calls and even the businesses we visit every day.On average, every 60 seconds, 1,861 people are impacted by cybercrimes such as malware and phishing attacks, cybersecurity company RiskIQ revealed in its Evil Internet Minute 2.0 report, it means there is now more need for action than ever before.

 

Although we think people are far more sensitive to the risks of online behaviour, the results of a new study by McAfee show that many become more careless at Christmas time. Nearly half of all respondents admit that the financial pressure of the time has led them to be more careless when shopping online. For example, they use unsecured Wi-Fi connections when shopping online or buy items from online retailers whose authenticity they are not entirely convinced of.

 

But to be more secure against data theft and hackers, you do not have to be a proven IT expert. Andreas Volkert, Internet expert at McAfee, has the following simple tips that users can practice in order to surf on Internet more securely and not experience any horrible surprises when it comes to Christmas shopping on the Internet:

 

  1. Recycle is good – but not for PASSWORDS

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to use the same password for several or even for all of your accounts. If you sign up for various online forums with low security standards with the same password, such as for the e-mail and PayPal account, this can have disastrous consequences. In order to better remember passwords, we are often tempted to use the simplest and shortest possible letter combinations. The number of characters changed as well as a hacking tool that tries millions of passwords in no time and finds the right password. Having a password of 15 characters is better than eight.

 

  1. Caution with the WLAN

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The use of public Wi-Fi may seem like a good idea – especially if you do the Christmas shopping and urgently need an Internet connection, for example, to compare prices in the store with those on the Internet. But if consumers are not careful, they may unknowingly divulge their personal information, such as credit card information, to cyber criminals snooping on the network. If transactions require public WLAN, you should use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to ensure a secure connection.

 

  1. Think before you CLICK:

One of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to target victims is to use phishing emails often by using templates of official senders such as Internet merchants. For example, consumers can be fooled by cheap Christmas promotions, clicking on links that could lead to malware, or accessing a fake website designed to steal personal information. If the business seems too good to be true, it’s always best to look directly at the merchant’s website.

 

  1. Delete, Delete, DELETE

Of course, despite all security measures, the emergency must not be ruled out. Should hackers overcome against all measures and find their way into your e-mail account, what would they find? One should be aware of what personal information is stored online. The best way to prepare for an emergency is to delete all sensitive data that is no longer needed from the account. Whether bank statements, tax data or very private photos – what is no longer there, hackers cannot steal and exploit.

 

  1. Brows SAFELY

Use comprehensive security protection such as McAfee Total Protection, which can help protect devices from malware, phishing attacks, and other threats. This solution includes McAfee WebAdvisor, which can help identify malicious websites.

These measures alone do not guarantee complete security to protect the online identity from cybercrime. However, they close the biggest security holes that can be exploit by hackers. Thus, an important step is taken to be safe for Christmas and to enjoy the reflective time with friends and family.

Most Common Hacking Techniques Used by Cyber Criminals

In 2017, the world went head over heels: several cyberattacks caused billions of dollars worth of damage. Global market leaders and global logistics giants first became aware of security vulnerabilities in their systems and the vulnerability of their Operational Technology (OT). NotPetya and Petya, WannaCry and the Industry malware have shown that no industry is immune to serious attacks.
Fixing known IT vulnerabilities should be a standard practice in business – but often it is not. The processes between IT security and IT operations do not always work smoothly. If and when patching, no one is subjected to control. And then it happens: Malware spreads in minutes across the world, business processes come to a standstill and companies are overnight in the focus of international coverage. It “burns” from now on equal to an unknown extent.

 

Cybercrime is becoming an increasingly profitable business through automated and low-budget tools used by hackers. For example, a research conducted by IBM shows that global cost of data breach only in 2017 was $.141 million.The success of companies, in nowadays digital competitive era, depends on smoothly functioning IT systems. But new methods of attack require flexible, reliable protection measures. What precautions the seven most common attack techniques fend off, shows this article.

 

 

Widespread networking and digitization enable malicious attacks in a new dimension by exposing applications, business data, operational infrastructures, and the reputation of even well-known global companies. Hence, some IT security officers and board members had to take their hat off because of serious incidents. The cybercrime challenge is often intensified by reduced IT budgets and resources. Many organizations are no longer equal to today’s onslaught of cyber-attacks.

 

Recent attacks

 

Although cloud-based applications offer many business benefits, they also create a wealth of complex challenges and new risks. Hackers feel at ease in this fast-paced, ever-evolving environment. Often, they fool the attack on a specific target – and strike in a completely different place. To do this, they use seven techniques to cause maximum disruption and maximize their profit. These are malicious bots, web fraud, phishing, malware, DDoS, credential stuffing and ransomware.

 

  • A malicious bot is a malware designed to steal information or infect a host which is often used well before the actual attack. It helps to later distribute the malicious code or is part of an exploit kit. According to Verizon’s latest Data Breach Investigations Report, botnet attacks were used in 77% of web application security breaches. Click here to read 5 top botnets attacks of 2017.

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  • Web-based attacks are those that make use of web-enabled systems and services such as browsers and their extensions, websites including CMS and the IT-components of web services and web applications. In this type of fraud, hackers often resort to man-in-the-browser injection and distribute a trickbot via phishing, drive-by-download or SMB ports. Then a Java script is inserted into the e-commerce or banking pages in the user’s browser. This way, attackers gain credentials and can rob bank accounts.

 

 

  • Phishing email messages, websites, and phone calls are designed to steal money. Cybercriminals can do this by installingmalicious software on your computer or stealing personal information off of your computer or trick their victims into clicking on a link that infects their system with malware. Alternatively, the link points to a fake website that steals personal information. Last year the total share of spam, only in mail traffic, was 56.63%.

 

 

  • In Credential stuffing type of hacking, hackers secure user credentials by breaching a system, and then attempts to use those credentials with other systems by using automated tools. Users who use same passwords for different accounts and use multiple times are likely to have their credentials stolen.

 

 

  • DDoS attacks range from a reckless prank to targeted actions for protest or revenge, to theft or blackmail. Ransomware is also a major problem here, encrypting the victim’s data and demanding ransom for decryption. Attackers often use easy-to-access DDoS tools that interfere with service availability and enterprise performance. There are currently four major attack types: TCP Connection Attacks, Volumetric Attacks, Fragmentation Attacks, Application Attacks. The most dangerous DDoS techniques combine volumetric attacks with targeted, application-specific attacks.

 

 

Possible Countermeasures

 

To guard against these attack techniques, security experts recommend a robust Web Application Firewall (WAF) as a safeguard against cyber-attacks. A modern WAF allows the victim an offensive counter-stroke with sophisticated bot detection and prevention. This is crucial because most attacks are started by automated programs. A WAF assists the security team in identifying login attempts that are not made through a browser. It analyzes the behavior and takes into account factors such as the location of the IP address, the time of day and the number of connection attempts per second.

WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL

With the right WAF solution, your organization gains a multilayer defense that uses both direct and indirect methods for preventing and mitigating bot damage:

  • Direct: The direct method works by actually detecting and responding to bad bots using threat intelligence and bot classic cation for newly discovered bots.
  • Indirect: Indirect protection mitigates or thwarts the actions of bots (e.g. account takeovers), without having to actually detect the bot itself. A combination of both delivers comprehensive protection of your enterprise’s critical web assets.

 

Also important: The data in the browser and in the mobile application must be encrypted throughout. Then the information remains protected during both use and transmission, and each interception attempt yields unreadable data. As an added security measure, encryption of the form parameters on the client side can be enforced. Automated tools for credential stuffing then have difficulty completing the login page correctly. When the bots provide unencrypted credentials, a system alert is triggered informing the security team that a credential stuffing attack is taking place.

In addition, companies should define policies that allow users to change their passwords on a regular basis and report potential incidents and attacks to the IT department. This is true even on suspicion that you have just clicked on a malware link or received a phishing email.

 

Conclusion

In the race between companies and cybercriminals, a fast and reliable detection of threats is crucial. Greater transparency, context knowledge and control are therefore essential for the protection of infrastructures, applications and sensitive data. Companies need to adapt their strategy to protect applications with modern security tools and focus their resources on warding off attacks by malicious hackers. Only then will your business run smoothly, quickly and safely.

2017 Digital Evolution Report – CyberCrime, Digitization, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence

Cyber-crime, Smart-Cities, Digitization, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence are those words which really got the hype on the platform of IT in 2017. Cybercriminals have smacked many companies many times. Digitization is progressing despite lame internet connections. Blockchain became Gold Chain and Artificial Intelligence is experiencing an incredible revival.

Key Technologies 2017

Ransomware: The ransom and the cyber blackmailer

 

Ransomware remains a leader in digital security threats. According to ITRC Data Breach report, in 2015 more than 177,866,236 personal records exposed via 780 data security breaches, and the previous mentioned number lift up to 30% in 2016 with security breaches arising on multiple fronts, companies, healthcare systems, governmental and educational entities, and individuals started to realize how real the threat of cybersecurity attacks was. 2017 so far, was a very highlighted year for cyber-crimes. 519 Cyber-attacks were placed from Jan 2017 until September 2017 affecting financial sectors, health-care sectors, gaming companies, containing information about credit cards, health data of billions of people around the world. With all these attacks phishing, spying on webcams or networked household appliances (IoT) remain risky.

 

Very popular in this year’s cyber attack list are the #wannacry and Equifax data breach attacks. These attacks unbaled 300000 computer systems for 4 days and affected financial data on more than 800 million customers and 88 million businesses worldwide and more than 45% of all detected ransomware.

Cyber policies are currently very much in vogue, but in which cases of damage do these insurances actually comes in? ABA, American Bankers Association, explains how companies should best go about finding a suitable policy and what makes good cyber insurance.

 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): What needs to be changed?

 

Companies only have a few months left to prepare for the new European #DataProtection Regulation. On 25 May 2018, all companies managing personal data of citizens of the European Union will be required to comply with the new regulations and requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This regulation will impose significant new obligations on companies that manage personal data, as well as severe penalties for those who’ll violate these rules, including fines of up to 4% of global turnover or € 20 million highest amount being withheld. But what is to change concretely? Here is a “Guide to compliance with the EU GDPR” and a framework to become step by step GDPR-fit.

 

Digital Transformation: Slow Internet connections as a brake pad

 

Digitization is progressing, but most users still complain about slow Internet connections. Despite the 7th place in the worldwide internet ranking, Belgium is still far behind the world’s fastest internet country. Notwithstanding all the shortcomings of the national IT infrastructure, companies are dealing with the technical and organizational challenges that result from the digital IT transformation.

 

The crazy rise of Bitcoin

 

In the period of a year the value of bitcoin has been multiplied by ten. A bitcoin was worth “only” 1000 dollars on January 1, 2017 … and 8000 dollars ten days ago. In April 2017 Japan officially recognised bitcoin and virtual currencies as legal methods of payment. You should know that Bitcoin represents less than 50% of the money supply of all cryptocurrencies in circulation. this is partly explained by the network situation and the rise of the Ethereum currency. Even if bitcoin is a legal in the vast majority of countries around the world, only a few governments have recognized the legal status of bitcoin in a particular regulatory manner.

 

IoT Projects: The 5 Biggest Mistakes and the Five Steps to Success

 

Closely linked to Digital Change is Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 projects. Pioneers already pointed out the four biggest mistakes in IoT projects. If a company wants to exploit the potential of the IOT, it means a lot of work and often frustration – the technical, commercial and cultural challenges are manifold. Until an IoT solution is successfully established on the market, many decisions have to be carefully considered.

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But how does an IoT project succeed? Four steps are needed to make an IoT project a success.

 

Blockchain: The new gold chain

The blockchain is a much-debated technology with disruptive potential and three key characteristics: decentralization, immutability, and transparency. It could help to automate business processes, increase the security of transactions and replace intermediaries such as notaries or banks. Blockchain turns out to be the silent revolution that will change our lives. On top of that, it can turn into a gold chain for early adopters.

 

Cloud: Companies use public cloud despite security concerns

For years, companies have avoided the public cloud, as it is difficult to get a grip on in terms of security. However, this year, companies in the EMEA region increased their investment in the public cloud despite ongoing security concerns and lack of understanding of who is responsible for data security. However, caution is still needed to provide attacks such as wannacry.

 

Artificial intelligence

In 2016, Gartner put artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning in first place in its forecast for 2017, stating that this trend was really pronounced during 2017. Briefly 80 % of companies have already invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, one out of every 3 deciders believes that their organization needs to spend more on AI technology over the upcoming years if they want to keep pace with their competitors. Artificial intelligence penetrates into all areas of life. But how does it work?

One example is the automated and personalized customer approach to AI. With personalized campaigns and individual customer approach, the marketing of the future wants to win the battle for the buyer. As a rule, the necessary data are already available in companies, but the resources and software tools for their profitable use are not.
In 2018 Businesses will have an availability of AI-supported applications and should therefore focus on the commercial results achieved through these applications that exploit narrow AI technologies and leave the AI in the general sense to researchers and writers of science fiction;

 

The future of the human worker

AI systems can be used without a doubt. The world is becoming increasingly complex, which requires a thoughtful and wise use of our human resources. This can support high-quality computer systems. This also applies to applications that require intelligence. The flip side of AI is that many people are scared about the possibility of smart machines, arguing that intelligence is something unique, which is what characterizes Homo Sapiens. Not only that but many people still think that Artificial intelligence is the new threat to employment. It will replace the man and steal all the jobs. And they thinks that the future is dark.

Yet technological progress has never caused unemployment. On the contrary, since the industrial revolution, employment has multiplied. But, always, with each progress, fears resurge. Today, it is artificial intelligence that scares, or is used to scare. Economic history, and economic science therefore invites us to remain calm in the face of technological progress in general, and artificial intelligence in particular. By allowing the invention of new things to be exchanged, by stimulating entrepreneurship, it is not a danger but only an opportunity.

 

DATA based business models

Data Driven Business Model puts data at the center of value creation. This central place of data in the Business Model can be translated in different ways: analysis, observation of customer behaviour, understanding of customer experience, improvement of existing products and services, strategic decision-making, and marketing of data.

These data can be gathered from different sources, generated directly by the company, processed and enriched by various analyses and highlighted by data access and visualization platforms. Once data is collected, It’s essential to manage the multiple sources of data and identify which areas will bring the most benefit. Tracking the right data points within an organization can be profitable during the decision-making process. This allows an organization’s management to make data-driven decisions while amplifying synergy within the day-to-day operations.
As for revenue models, these can be based on a direct sale of data, a license, a lease, a subscription or a free provision financed by advertising.

 

Discover 10 tips for Cybercrime Prevention

As a business holder, you are aware that it is important to be well insured. Your building, your equipment, and possibly your staff: each one has an adapted insurance. There is, however, one area that small-medium companies do not always think about: protecting their company’s information, knowledge and data. Yet, their importance is crucial.

You are most probably aware of the computer threat that is hanging around today. You may even think that only multinationals are concerned and have to take action in this area. This is not the case: every company, whatever its size or its activity, must guard against cybercrime.

Cybercrime Prevention

The tips below, developed by Belgian Cyber Security, are a good starting point to know how to protect yourself easily, as well as your business.

 

  1. Cyber threat awareness education

It is crucial for your company that your employees are aware of the various IT threats and the security measures to be taken. In the interest of your business, you should encourage them to use passwords correctly, to communicate and to store digital files in a secure manner.

If your employees only have access to the information they need to fulfill their function, the security risks are automatically reduced.

 

  1. Install antivirus and perform regular scanning

Antivirus is a must in your business! You may think that it is not necessary to install an antivirus because your PC has never been infected before? If you do not have an antivirus scan, you cannot say for sure. Your computer or that of one of your collaborators could indeed be infected with a virus for some time, without you being aware of it. Do you know that a free antivirus protects you from 5% to 10% of cyber-threats? A risk that you should avoid if you want your business to be secure.

 

What if you receive a virus warning?

 

  • Via your own antivirus: follow the steps suggested by your antivirus to solve the problem. You can certainly take this warning seriously.
  • Via a pop-up screen on the Internet: While you surf, never click on a pop-up screen that says your computer is infected. There is a good chance that this warning is false. Instead, close your Internet browser.
  • Via a program, you do not know: never click on warnings from programs you do not know. Close the screen and restart your computer.
  • Via e-mail or phone: Never trust companies, organizations or bodies that call you or send an e-mail to ask you to perform certain manipulations on your computer. Delete the e-mail or hang up

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  1. Keep your system up to date

Use automatic updates as much as possible. A series of programs and various browsers offer automatic updates. If you are using a paid antivirus software (also called security suite), then do not worry! The latter performs its updates automatically.

 

  1. Regularly perform a backup copy

Regularly back-up important data and information. Determine which data should be backed up, how often it should be backed up and where the copy will be saved. Keep this backup in a safe place and make sure it is always disconnected from the network. Also, if you notice that you have been infected, immediately disconnect from the network.

Also, keep information on your computer that is not connected to the network or on paper, such as important e-mail addresses and phone numbers, or information about your Internet service provider.

 

  1. Protect Data

The internal network of your company should in principle give access only to the websites necessary for the execution of your professional activity. This does not mean, however, that all websites for private purposes must be blocked. A good alignment with the members of the company is therefore important.
Nevertheless, a single visit to an unknown or falsified site can be enough to infect your computer. If the web address starts with “https: //”, you can surf safely.

 

  1. Use strong passwords

The longer your password, the more secure it is: numbers, capital letters and symbols make your password more difficult to hack. Plus, reusing the same password several times is not a good idea: if your data is hacked on a site, authors will generally try to use your password on other sites to hack your accounts. For smaller accounts where no banking or personal data is included, it is sufficient to use variants of the same password. Some examples of “less important” accounts: mailbox, social networks and web shops.

Changing your private account passwords once a year is a good idea. In the professional context, we recommend changing passwords even more often, given the sensitive information that circulates there.

 

  1. Secure your mobile devices and wireless Internet

The increasing use of mobile devices is a challenge in the field of security. It’s better to never make online payments or introduce important account passwords when working on an unsecured wireless network.

The BYOD (Bring You Own Device) concept is an increasingly popular approach, which nevertheless creates an additional cyber risk. Indeed, information specific to the company is thus disseminated and consulted on private devices. Draw the attention of your colleagues to the fact that the use of mobile devices entails additional responsibility. Always keep a watch on your mobile devices, check your environment before using them and immediately report theft or loss of a device.

An additional benefit of using a paid antivirus software: you can adapt the number of licenses to the number of users.

 

  1. Do not click any link, image, or video

You receive an e-mail from someone you do not know? Above all, check the sender. Do not open any links or attachments in your emails, even if they look genuine. Criminals use phishing to try to get your personal data for later use.

Some clues to verify the authenticity of an e-mail

  • Unexpected: You have no reason to receive a message from this sender
  • Urgent: a second request for payment, a friend in distress: phishing messages often ask you to act immediately.
  • Spelling errors: check the e-mail address of the sender. In general, it contains misspellings, but this is not always the case. In short, stay alert!
  • Title of civility vague: the title of greeting is very general and does not mention your name? In this case, it may be a falsified message.
  • Payment method: Phishing messages often require unusual forms of payment.

 

  1. Separate private and professional accounts

Do you use the same password for your private and business accounts? Very bad idea! For smaller accounts where there are no bank or personal data, it may be sufficient to use variants of the same password.

Also, give as little personal information as possible if you subscribe to newsletters, forums, etc. The less personal information you have on the Internet, the less likely it will be for you to use it.

 

  1. Delete accounts you do not use

Do you no longer use certain accounts or software? Delete them simply. The more opportunities for cybercriminals, the greater the likelihood of an attack.

 

It’s important to be aware of cybercrime threats, whether it’s on personal or company level, in order to react on them in an appropriate manner. If we ignore them, these security incidents can have a great impact on us, either as individuals or companies.

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