Cyber Security for Dummies
Cyber security has become an essential part of every company and person. Due to the increase in the number of illegal hacks carried out today, the need to protect your data from outsiders has increased. The goal of cyber security is to protect your data from all threats. I would like to present 3 types of attacks and some things to remember to protect ourselves and of course our companies.
“Cyber Attacks Are the New Normal”
How a Cyber attacker is “working”?
Most probably they look just like you and me. A cyber attacker, or cyber criminal works in an office or home like ours and they have the goal of making money from the access they get. The “new normal” is a phrase we hear a lot at the moment, and unfortunately, endemic cyber crime is the new normal.
There are several profiles for an attack based on target:
- Industrial Espionage is orchestrated by other states or companies to steal “Company secrets” like Sputnik Vaccine.
- State Espionage is “done” by other governments for stealing Industrial Secrets (CIA in China) or Personal Data related to public figures for future blackmails.
- For fun, you will see later in the article what the attacker will do with the info obtained. “Security is not a joke “ — hacker from Oradea.
What data must be protected in a company and at home?
- Company: Money, Business Model , Personal Data, Credit Card info, Company Image etc
- Home: Credit cards, Bank accounts, Investments, Personal Data like photographs or movies and “User and password”
How Criminals make money?
- Phishing attack: criminals will steal data to see if they can sell it or find a way to make money from it. But criminals are often criminal gangs, not individual actors, and are not the only threat to company data.
- Ransomware attack: first, the software allows attackers to control your computer, and then they can use it as they wish. They log in remotely as you and can start attacking other systems of the company. The second thing is the software we call ransomware, which encrypts all your data, takes it hostage, and then asks for a ransom.
- Scamming attack: The attackers will try to trick companies into sending money directly into criminals’ bank accounts.
Phishing attack
Phishing is mainly used to steal user data, like credentials and/or credit card numbers.
Test your Phishing awareness using this Quiz . How did you score? You can find more tips for better performance below.
There are few checkboxes for spotting a phishing email:
· Email “time “ — Unexpected, Unusual
· By sender? — Not known by you
· Grammar checks — Mistakes
· Urgency of the message — !!!! NOW!!!! Lost your opportunity !!!!
What we have to do / should not do?
- Click on links — NOT really, but hover over to inspect the link
- Open the attach — NOT at all :)
- Report to the Security Department — YES
- Delete it — YES
Ransomware attack
It’s a form of malware that encrypts the victim files and after this the attacker requests money for decrypting the data. This is what happens in companies, and it also happens to people who use home computers at home. However, for every 100 attacks, maybe two of them will attack you, so you really need to know how to recognise these attacks and what to do. This is the same as a phishing email.
There are a lot of examples in the last years and the most recent one is from November 2021:
History of Ransomware — answers are at the end of the article
- Ransomware is using symmetric or asymmetric cryptography for better “performance”?
- First ransomware attack was in 1989, 2005, 2008?
- In 2017 Win 10 was announced to be immune . It was cracked in 3 hours, 3 days , 3 weeks?
Scamming attack
One of the most common ways to steal money is to pretend to be one important employee from that specific company.
The German Group Leoni with shared services in Romania / Cluj was victim of this fraud attack. A fake email from the CEO asked the financial department from Romania to make a transfer of 40 million EUR in another account than the usual one. After this, the criminals transferred the money in 6 accounts in Asia and from there in other accounts. All the money was lost!
So..how to protect ourselves? — Things to remember
I hope you have a better understanding now of what information security is and the behaviour of cyber attackers. Here are the five most important things you should keep in mind:
First, treat all emails with caution. 80% of cyber attacks start from an email, so pay attention to these indicators to figure out if attackers are trying to fool you.
· Does the email make you curious about clicking on something?
· Was the email accidental?
· Are there time-sensitive elements?
· What will happen, the context of the email? Or, if you don’t reply immediately, will you miss something?
· Does the email trigger an emotional response?
Second, ignoring the attacker’s email is the first wrong thing. It’s important to tell the information security staff or IT team about it. Usually, you can press a button in your email client to report an email as phishing, or you have to forward the email to a certain email address, or you may need to call someone. Make sure you know how to report information security matters. See what can be reported, say something.
Third, there is a reason your company restricts the software you can install on your computer. This is because installing software is one thing that attackers benefit from, so that they can break into your computers. If you need a software or additional feature, you better contact your IT department instead of trying to find it on the Internet.
Last but not least you should take care also of your personal gadgets. Update SW version for all your devices constantly: TV, router, laptop / computer operating system , phone…
Fourth, before the world is truly sure that getting rid of passwords is the only way to prove to the computer that it is indeed your login, there are three things you can do to make your password more secure:
1. Use a unique password for each site and use a strong password. By using a password manager, you could manage easier a lot of passwords.
2. If any service or website you use provides you with two-factor authentication, 2FA or multi-factor authentication, MFA, go ahead and use it.
Remember, this is where you need a phone verification code, or you must approve in-app notifications and use a password. Once is set up, if your password is lost or stolen, the attacker will still be unable to log in as you. Attackers are looking for ways to attack 2FA and MFA. They do this by calling people and asking them to give them the number.
Fifth, don’t forget: a cyber attacker could be anyone and can act anytime.
Ransomware answers:
1. asymmetric cryptography
2. 1989
3. 3 hours
