by Anika D | Apr 4, 2022 | Cybersecurity, General
Cyber attacks are the new age ” war” as the data is crucial. Whether you’re a common person, a startup, a bank, or any organization, you can always welcome attacks. In this new age era, everyone stores all the valuable information on the Cloud. The exchange of every detail is with the help of the internet; it’s crucial to protect it more than ever. So, to avoid all this; keep reading to know seven serious cybersecurity mistakes you’re probably making.
#1 Using a Single Password for all the Accounts
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It is probably the most common and ignored mistake people make. If you’re using a strong password for all the important accounts, all your accounts are at risk if one of them is compromised. In 2020 identity theft was up by 42%, compared to 2019. So, use different and strong passwords for all the crucial accounts.
#2 Skipping Updates
Skipping authorized necessary software updates on phones and laptops can prove dangerous. As US banks are getting ready for attacks from Russian hackers, the professionals have advised individuals to be alert too. If you’re not updating software regularly, your system becomes vulnerable and easy for breaching. So, update it timely.
#3 You Always Click on “Agree”
It’s obvious as one can’t read and go through everything and then click on “I Agree” on internet pages. But, it can be very dangerous and bring malicious viruses to your account. So, before clicking “I agree” next time, type:
- On a Windows PC, press Control + F.
- On a Mac, press Command + F.
Now, type in terms like “third party,” “GPS,” “tracking,” and “data.” You will find out if there is any data permission. With the US becoming a 6G power, it will welcome some great attacks, and you must take steps with alertness.
#4 Using Unprotected wifi
Using unprotected wifi to work on crucial information is dangerous. For example, suppose you’ve started a venture, and your startup needs a website. While accessing the website, you’re on public wifi. Hackers can easily decode your location with data and ruin your website. So, avoid using public wifi or using VPNs while doing it.
#5 Not Keeping Track of all Online Accounts
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Cybercrime is Up by 600% after COVID 19, and at this rate, you can’t think that you’re safe. So, keep track of all your social media accounts as they have your contact details, payment info, and other valuable data. So, having old unused accounts means someone can hack the information. So, take some time, track them all, and delete the unused ones.
#6 Don’t let every App run Your System
The computers and phones come with loads of pre-installed apps. You may never check them, thinking they are safe, and you can’t delete them. But, this puts your information at risk. Many professional hackers can attack these apps to attack your system. So, keep checking and delete them timely.
#7 Depending Solely on Antivirus
Businesses suffered 50% more cyberattack attempts per Week in 2021, and you may think that antivirus is enough. Well, it is not. It would help if you had a firewall, third-party solutions, and staff training. Also, your home computers must have robust firewalls.
by Anika D | Mar 3, 2022 | Cybersecurity, Information Technology
The western nations imposed several severe sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. As a result, banks are ready as they’re predicting revenge in the form of cyberattacks or cybercrimes. So, let’s discover all the buzz around this news.
So, What’s the News?
Last Saturday, the scenario between Russia and the West became very intense. The United States and its allies blocked Russian central banks from the SWIFT international payment system. Also, they moved the decision to place restrictions on the Russian Central Banks reserves.
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Western countries and the United States were already aware of the tension increasing between Ukraine and Russia. So, cyber security was taking all measures to stop cyber crimes from Russia and its supporting nations. As a record, 58% of cyberattacks from nation-states originated in Russia, according to Microsoft. So, the response is quite apparent.
A Serious Threat to Banks – Cyberattack ?
Earlier Microsoft warned of a destructive cyberattack on Ukrainian computer networks, and soon after, the attack on Ukraine began. So, with all the western countries opposing Russia’s moves. So, what kind of cybercrime can western countries face as a retaliation?
So, all the activities going on for a few months and its response has made the Global Banks a target for a cyber breach. They have begun with robust cyber security staff, training, advance monitoring, and clearing all bugs for any data leaks. Banks are especially preparing for ransomware, malware, DoS attacks, theft, and data wiping.
Various popular banks like Citigroup Inc (C.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) have refused to share their course of action for dealing with any potential threat.
Even though banks have a robust cybersecurity plan, they are on alert for dealing with any attack. But unfortunately, a minor carelessness can cost too much.
Response of Famous Personalities
Some of the influential personalities presented their say on the matter. Already cybercrime is 600% up after COVID, and such robust growth of attacks is a little problematic. So what did some famous people say:
According to Valerie Abend, who leads Accenture’s global financial services security group, “Banks are incredibly prepared. They have taken out their playbooks, and it’s practice, practice, practice.”
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Swarthmore Group’s senior manager of fixed income portfolio, Steven Schweitzer, said there would be some revengeful measures by Ukraine and its allies. However, the least costly thing is some cyber-attacks.
The global head of intelligence at the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, Teresa Walsh, expressed her views too. She said it wouldn’t be wise not to prepare for some retaliation. The Ukraine and allies have been giving signals in general issues for now. She asked everyone to be cautious of cybercrimes. Walsh also said that the preparation must begin now and that no one should wait for the crises.
Bottom Line
So, with all the buzz going around for months, western countries are protecting their valuable data at all costs from cyberattacks. Although banks are powered with strong cybersecurity, some careless glitches can still cost a lot. Also, It has been advised to write an effective cyber security strategy action plan for private businesses too.
by Anika D | Feb 12, 2022 | Cybersecurity, General
On Saturday, Microsoft warns Ukraine of destructive malware in their government and private systems. It was revealed as the Russian troops were massed at the borders of Ukraine and many government agencies had their websites defaced.
It is possible that the malware can copy and leak confidential information from the government systems in Ukraine. The mastermind behind the malware is not clear, but agencies point fingers towards Russia for this cyberattack. The reason for this is the tension across the Ukraine-Russia border these days.
According to New York Times, the code appear and deploy shortly after talks stalled among Russian diplomats, the U.S., and NATO. Further, Microsoft claims that the code looks similar to ransomware and designed to render targeted devices inoperable.
What is the Solution to Malware Detected on Ukraine Systems?
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Microsoft stated that all companies should investigate to know the origin of the malware. Also, every company should implement the defense through malware to protect data.
A Ukrainian security official told Reuters that the government believes the hackers are connected to Russia. They further stated that Russia’s intelligence services carried out the cyberattack on government websites in Ukraine. But, Moscow denied the involvement in cyberattacks against Ukraine.
How to Protect the System from Cyberattack?
According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Report, about 28% of data breaches are connected to malware. It threatens every organization and is becoming more common every day. Countries and companies should both work hard to prevent their data from destructive malware.
Further, there is no solution to cyberattacks, but you can detect the malware and protect your system with smart moves. Here are some tips for you to save your computers or laptops from cyberattacks.
- Always choose a strong password for your private and confidential data files.
- Try to include at least eight characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a symbol in the password.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on your system, such as a PIN or security questions in addition to a password.
- Do not save the password on your browser or your system. It is better to remember the password in mind.
Keep in mind that no software is completely safe against malware. But the software vendors regularly update their products to make them more defensive against viruses or cyberattacks. Install and update anti-virus software on your system to protect them from potentially destructive malware. Also, never share your password with anyone.
Conclusion
Malware infections can be devastating for organizations. By interrupting critical workflows and stealing or encrypting crucial data, it can cause serious financial and reputation damage. Protect yourself and your business from cyberattacks with effective cybersecurity. Also, perform regular backups to offline storage and keep changing your passwords to make sure your system is free from viruses.
by Linda Rawson | Feb 5, 2021 | Cybersecurity, Information Technology
A cyber-resilient mindset is different from a cybersecurity mindset, although they are complimentary. Cybersecurity has often been an afterthought in System Engineering. It always surprises me to read through diagrams or models and discover not one mention of cybersecurity. Criminals will exploit humans and systems to bring the system to its knees and cause massive revenue loss.
Security in System Engineering has a lot to do with WHO is involved more than vulnerabilities. The most important thing for System Engineering security is in changing the culture to embrace security. No exceptions. Security must be built into the project at the beginning.
Implementing a DevSecOps approach ensures that security, development, and IT Ops teams work toward a joint security goal. ~ Linda Rawson
The People are Not the Process.
DevSecOps is agile in nature, and the people are still involved but not in the same capacity as they were in the Waterfall model. In DevSecOps, the people are not the process: The pipeline, the set of phases and tools that the code follows to reach deployment, defines the process.
The phases include Build, Test, and Deployment and prefer automation over manual methods. Build automation consists of the tools needed to grab the code and compile it. Test executes the automated test cases, while deployment drops the build into its destination. It means using static analysis tools that check the portions of code that have been changed versus scanning the entire code base.
The People Monitor the Process and Respond to Process Failures
Training hardware and software developers regularly on new cyber-attack techniques and exploitation vectors is essential to application solution security. Security and quality assurance policies need to be promulgated among the team to make development standards unambiguous and clear for everyone. Defensive Coding Practices result in more complicated code but writing code while thinking how an attacker might think, reduces vulnerabilities, and therefore reduces risk.
All Levels of Management Must Be Involved
Individuals from government stakeholders, operations, security, and development teams must be encouraged to have a cyber-resilient mindset. If you are proactive and think like a cyber attacker, you would do things differently instead of explaining why an attack occurred. In the case of an extensive enterprise system, why bank accounts were drained, or an airplane hit the ground.
Adopting Cybersecurity Practices
Adopting cybersecurity practices such as continuous integration, continuous delivery, and constant distribution has dramatically accelerated the speed at which organizations release and update applications. Security is no longer something that can be bolted on at the end of the development cycle but must be started by a proactive organization.
This blog was written by Linda Rawson, of DynaGrace Enterprises (dynagrace.com). For further information, please connect with Linda on LinkedIn, or contact her at (800) 676-0058 ext 101.
#systemengineering #cybersecurity #cybersecurityawareness #DevSecOps #infosec #security #mindset
by Dr. Jane Fitzgerald | Dec 12, 2020 | Blockchain, Emerging Technology
Blockchain is an encrypted distributed database that records data. It can also be explained as a digital archive of all transactions and contracts that need to be registered independently. One of blockchain’s key advantages is that it is accessible through hundreds of thousands of computers and not limited to one location. The technology has already started to threaten the financial services market and also establishes the digital currency for a Bitcoin transaction.
Image Provided by Pixabay
With Blockchain technology in the financial sector, participants can interact directly and transact over the internet without third party interference; these transactions via blockchain do not share participant personal information and create a transaction record by encrypting identifying details. Blockchain’s most thrilling feature is that it significantly reduces the risk of a data breach. In contrast to traditional processes, multiple shared copies of the same database are present in the blockchain. This makes it difficult to perform any data violations attack or cyber attack. With all the characteristics that resist fraud, blockchain technology can revolutionize various business sectors and make processes more intelligent, secure, transparent, and efficient than traditional business processes.
Benefits of Blockchain Technology
- Direct transactions that eliminate overheads and intermediary costs.
- Highly secure due to cryptographic and blockchain’s decentralized protocols.
- Increased time effectiveness due to real-time transactions.
- More transparent processes with proper record creation and tracking.
- Reduced risks related to cybercrimes, frauds, and tampering.
Applications of Blockchain Technology in Various Industries
Blockchain’s technology enhances many sectors such as Financial Services, Education, Government, Travel and Entertainment, Retail, and CPG.
Financial services
Blockchain technology, in many innovative ways, has already been implemented in the financial services sector. By offering an integrated trading lifecycle, blockchain technology simplifies and streamlines the entire process associated with asset management and payments, allowing all participants to access the same transaction data. It eliminates the need for brokers or intermediaries and guarantees accountability and effective transactional data management.
Healthcare
By increasing the privacy, security, and interoperability of the healthcare data, blockchain plays a crucial role in the medical sector. It can solve several interoperability challenges in the sector. The various organizations and people involved in the process can safely share data among themselves. By eliminating third-party intrusion, overhead costs decrease, and with secure encryptions, distributed databases store health records and digital signatures in blockchain to ensure confidentiality and authenticity.
Government
The technology of blockchain has the potential to change government processes and services. It can play a key role in improving data transaction challenges in the government’s current silo sector. The proper connection and sharing of data with blockchain allow better data management between several departments. It enhances transparency and strengthens transaction tracking and auditing processes.
CPG and Retail
The retail market could benefit greatly from Blockchain technology implementation. What the database will do is ensure that high-quality goods are genuinely authentic, prevent fraudulent transactions, find stolen items, enable virtual guarantees, manage loyalty points, and streamline supply chain operations.
Travel and hospitality
Blockchain’s application can change the travel and hospitality industry radically. Money transactions, storing key documents such as passports/other ID cards, reservations, and travel management, loyalty, and rewards can be processed through Blockchain.
Image Provided by Wikipedia
Key Challenges of using Blockchain Technology
Lack of understanding and knowledge of the technological concept are the main challenges of using it in non-financial services industries. The problems associated with the current legacy of corporate infrastructures and the lack of sufficient technological expertise are major barriers to blockchain’s widespread adoption. Adopting blockchain often means shifting culture from conventional ways of doing stuff, as it entails a significant change towards decentralizing the entire process. Compliance with current regulations and maintaining the privacy and protection needed for shared databases also adds to the key roadblocks in blockchain adoption.
The world of business will yet thoroughly explore the distinctions of the blockchain concept. Yet, we expect that the business world will soon see the vast potential of this technology with ongoing research and development in this field and to push a new wave of decentralized applications.
