Tag Archives: Cybersecurity

Strengthening Core Infrastructure with Proactive Measures and Monitoring

October 21, 2024 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

This article was based on an interview with Mr Ramon Pinero, General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc, and Mr Jonathan Jackson, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry.

As digital ecosystems grow more complex, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes critical. BlackBerry, having transitioned from mobile devices to cybersecurity, is now one of the foremost companies leading the charge in safeguarding critical infrastructure, supply chains, and digital assets through emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). With cyberattacks growing in sophistication, BlackBerry’s focus on prevention and vigilance sets a new standard in cyber resilience.

The Financial Impact of Cyberattacks

The cost of a cyberattack is staggering. A 2024 study from BlackBerry revealed that the average cost of a single data breach has risen to USD 4.45 million. For industries such as healthcare, finance, and energy—where attacks can disrupt critical services—the cost can soar even higher. Beyond immediate financial losses, cyberattacks can damage reputations, erode customer trust, and lead to legal penalties or regulatory fines.

Woman in a Beige Coat Writing on a Glass Panel Using a Whiteboard Marker — Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich

In particular, ransomware attacks—one of the most prevalent threats—cost companies over USD 1.85 million per incident when factoring in downtime, recovery, and ransom payments. These costs are unsustainable for many organizations, especially smaller businesses. In the words of Ramon Pinero, General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc, “If we can prevent attacks from happening, it means that organizations don’t have to spend time and resources recovering from incidents.”

The Rise in Cyber Threats: A Call for Vigilance

BlackBerry’s Global Threat Intelligence Report highlights a surge in cyberattacks. Between April and June 2024, the company prevented 3.7 million attacks— a 53% increase from the previous quarter. Over 800,000 of these attacks targeted critical infrastructure, including the financial sector, energy grids, and healthcare. This increase undoubtedly underlines the importance of continuous vigilance across all sectors.

Prevention Through Proactive AI Solutions

Prevention should be at the core of any company, organization and city’s strategy in dealing with malicious attacks. That being the case, it’s also at the core of BlackBerry’s strategy when it comes to empowering customers. By embedding AI into its cybersecurity solutions, the company is emphasizing deterring cyberattacks before they cause damage. By acquiring Cylance, BlackBerry was able to incorporate predictive AI technology into its security systems, allowing it to proactively prevent cyberattacks instead of just reacting to them.

an illustrated image of a chip with an AI label on it powering a security system — AI-Generated Image by Copilot of an AI Chip embedded in a system

BlackBerry’s AI-powered defence mechanisms are particularly effective in securing critical infrastructure and supply chains. According to the Global Threat Intelligence Report, the company intercepts over 11,500 unique malware hashes daily, highlighting the pace at which new cyber threats emerge.

Supply Chain Security: A Critical Weakness

One of the most significant risks today lies in the vulnerability of software supply chains. BlackBerry’s June 2024 survey on supply chain cybersecurity reveals that more than 75% of software supply chains experienced cyberattacks within the past year. These attacks often target smaller, less secure suppliers as entry points to larger organizations, causing a cascade of damage.

Of concern is that 74% of these attacks originated from third-party vendors or suppliers that organizations were either unaware of or failed to monitor. As BlackBerry’s Vice President of Product Security Christine Gadsby noted, “How a company monitors and manages cybersecurity in their software supply chain has to rely on more than just trust.” In this landscape, prevention demands heightened visibility, continuous monitoring, and regular audits of suppliers’ security postures.

The Role of Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

For organizations without dedicated cybersecurity teams, BlackBerry’s Cylance Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provides critical support. The service offers real-time monitoring and rapid response to emerging threats, ensuring that businesses, especially smaller ones, are not left vulnerable.

According to Jonathan Jackson, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry, “BlackBerry offers MDR because not every organization can afford a fully staffed cybersecurity team,”. MDR enables companies to utilize sophisticated threat detection tools and professional analysis, allowing them to stay ahead of cybersecurity risks even without an extensive cybersecurity outfit.

Zero Trust for Critical Infrastructure

A zero-trust approach has become essential for protecting critical infrastructure. BlackBerry’s security solutions implement zero-trust architectures, where no device, user, or system is inherently trusted. This model is crucial for sectors like healthcare, finance, and energy, where the stakes are high, and breaches could lead to widespread disruptions.

cyber 4610993 1280 — Image from Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

“Zero trust is especially important for critical infrastructure because of the types of data and assets involved,” Jackson emphasized. By enforcing strict authentication protocols and continuous monitoring, BlackBerry’s solutions protect critical systems from both internal and external threats.

Resilience for Smart Cities and IoT

As cities become smarter, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their infrastructure, they become prime targets for cyberattacks. With IoT traffic systems, smart utilities, and public services forming the backbone of modern cities, a single cyberattack could cripple entire urban centres.

Companies like BlackBerry will play a critical role in safeguarding these environments, ensuring that IoT systems are secured and cyber-resilient. “As you have more connected systems, you increase the attack surface,” Jackson explains. AI-driven threat detection and real-time monitoring are vital to ensure that smart cities remain functional despite cheap to cyber threats.

Cyber Resilience Through Prevention

As the cyber threat landscape evolves, prevention and vigilance remain the twin pillars of a robust cybersecurity strategy. Whether protecting supply chains, critical infrastructure, or smart cities, solutions like BlackBerry’s Cylance AI offer a blueprint for building resilience in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

AI-Generated Image by Copilot of A cyber resilient Kuala Lumpur

By staying proactive, monitoring vulnerabilities, and implementing zero-trust architectures, organisations can prevent breaches before they occur. As BlackBerry’s research shows, the key to true cyber resilience lies in constant vigilance and a commitment to prevention—because in today’s world, one breach could mean the difference between success and disaster.

This article was written based on an interview session with Mr Ramon Pinero, General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc and Mr Jonathan Jackson Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry.

Ramon Pinero
General Manager BlackBerry AtHoc

Ramon Pinero is the General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc, where he oversees all aspects of the critical event management business. With more than 20 years of experience in crisis/emergency management (CEM) technologies, Ramon brings a deep understanding of both product development and customer success.

With a passion for technology and deep roots in emergency response, Ramon continues to advance BlackBerry AtHoc’s position as the market leader. He is focused on driving strategy, fostering innovation, and enabling AtHoc’s technology to make an even greater impact—helping more organizations increase their resiliency and save lives through fast, accurate communications before, during, and after critical situations.

Jonathan Jackson
Senior Director, Strategic Technical Sales APAC at BlackBerry

Jonathan Jackson (JJ) is the Senior Director, Strategic Technical Sales APAC for BlackBerry. With over 20 years of experience, he helps organisations manage their cyber risk, leveraging the best of breed solutions to stop cyber attacks. JJ is a staunch advocate of protecting data and privacy and is a frequent spokesperson on cyber threat intelligence in Australia and all across APAC.

Business, Editorial

Developing and Enhancing Cyber Resilience in Core Infrastructure

October 14, 2024 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

This article was based on an interview with Mr Ramon Pinero, General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc, and Mr Jonathan Jackson, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry.

As we increasingly depend on digital systems for everyday operations, the security of our critical infrastructure faces unprecedented challenges. Cybersecurity, once a consideration largely confined to the tech sector, now plays a central role in safeguarding industries like transportation, healthcare, energy, and smart cities. BlackBerry, a company once synonymous with mobile devices, has shifted focus to become a key player in cybersecurity, integrating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to bolster infrastructure resilience.

Pivoting Mobile Leader to Cybersecurity Powerhouse

BlackBerry’s journey from a hardware pioneer to a cybersecurity leader was driven by recognizing a shift in the global digital landscape. Cybersecurity has evolved into an essential growth market in an interconnected world with myriad endpoints—from smartphones to autonomous vehicles and IoT sensors.

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BlackBerry recognized this early and made a strategic decision to focus on software and services. “We saw an opportunity to make a strategic decision to focus on software and services in cybersecurity as a growth market,” noted Jonathan Jackson, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry. This shift positioned the company to lead in two critical areas: cybersecurity and embedded systems, which are crucial in protecting modern infrastructure.

AI and Machine Learning: BlackBerry’s New Arsenal

At the core of BlackBerry’s transformation is its acquisition of Cylance, an AI-driven cybersecurity firm. The integration of Cylance’s AI and machine learning capabilities has empowered BlackBerry to prevent and respond to emerging threats. The nature of AI allows for predictive security, meaning that BlackBerry’s systems can anticipate and stop attacks before they materialize.

“Cylance AI is embedded across the full security stack of BlackBerry’s portfolio today,” explained Jackson. This approach is crucial in a world where cyberattacks evolve constantly, with AI even being used by malicious actors to generate never-before-seen threats. By using AI to fight AI, BlackBerry ensures it remains a step ahead of cybercriminals, leveraging technologies like deep learning to predict and prevent threats to critical systems.

Emergence of Smart Cities and the Need to Build Cyber Resilience

As smart cities emerge worldwide, they bring with them a host of new security challenges. The interconnected nature of smart city infrastructure—where traffic systems, public services, and energy grids communicate in real time—expands the potential attack surface for cybercriminals. BlackBerry’s embedded systems, designed to secure IoT devices and smart city infrastructure, are vital in protecting these increasingly complex environments.

pexels pixabay 219692 — Photo by Pixabay

BlackBerry has already made significant strides in securing automotive systems, with their technology being used by 24 of the top 25 electric vehicle manufacturers. This same technology, paired with AI and machine learning, is essential in smart cities, where the attack surface is ever-growing. “As you have more connected systems, you increase the attack surface of that system,” the company pointed out. Ensuring that these systems are secure is vital to maintaining the resilience of smart cities.

As the attack surface increases, the question of cyber security incidences changes from an “if” to a “when”. This is where policies such as Zero Trust can help. However, smart cities will also benefit from the implementation of threat intelligence and managed detection and response (MDR) solutions.

Zero Trust and Critical Infrastructure

One of the cornerstones of BlackBerry’s approach to cybersecurity resilience is the zero-trust framework. As applied to critical infrastructure—whether it’s power grids, transportation systems, or hospitals—this model ensures that no entity within the system is inherently trusted. Instead, all systems, devices, and users must continuously authenticate their identity to access sensitive data or systems.

This level of scrutiny is essential in industries where the stakes are highest. Ramon Pinero, General Manager of Blackberry AtHoc emphasizes, “Zero trust is important especially for critical infrastructure because of the types of data and assets that are in critical infrastructure,”. In an era where cyberattacks can have catastrophic real-world consequences, securing every aspect of infrastructure is paramount.

Collaborating to Bridge the Skills Gap

The challenges of securing critical infrastructure are further compounded by a global skills shortage in cybersecurity. BlackBerry’s collaboration with the Malaysian government exemplifies how partnerships can help address this gap. Through the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Cyberjaya, BlackBerry is training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, with a focus on AI, smart cities, and IoT security.

The initiative aims to develop local talent capable of addressing emerging cyber threats, ensuring Malaysia’s infrastructure is both secure and future-ready. As more countries invest in smart city technologies, this collaboration model could serve as a blueprint for other regions looking to build cybersecurity resilience into their infrastructure.

The Power of Prevention

While responding to cyberattacks is critical, BlackBerry strongly emphasizes prevention. Their Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, powered by Cylance’s AI, help organizations that may not have in-house security teams by offering continuous threat monitoring and proactive security measures. With the ability to predict and prevent attacks, BlackBerry’s MDR solutions ensure that businesses and critical infrastructure providers can focus on operations without worrying about constant cybersecurity threats.

A smart city that is secured digitally — AI-Generated image by Copilot of a smart city that is secured digitally

In their approach, prevention is key. “If we can prevent attacks from happening, it means that organizations don’t have to spend time and resources recovering from incidents,” Ramon further emphasized. This proactive mindset is essential in today’s world, where the consequences of a successful cyberattack on critical infrastructure can be disastrous.

A Cyber-Resilient Future

As emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and IoT continue to shape the future of infrastructure, ensuring that these systems are secure is more important than ever. BlackBerry’s strategic pivot from hardware to cybersecurity positions it as a leader in building resilient infrastructure, whether it’s in smart cities, healthcare, or automotive industries.

By focusing on prevention, embedding AI into their solutions, and addressing the cybersecurity skills gap, BlackBerry is helping organizations and governments alike secure the digital systems that power our world. In doing so, they ensure that critical infrastructure remains resilient in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape.

This article was written based on an interview session with Mr Ramon Pinero, General Manager of BlackBerry AtHoc and Mr Jonathan Jackson Senior Director of Strategic Accounts at BlackBerry.

Ramon Pinero
General Manager BlackBerry AtHoc

Jonathan Jackson
Senior Director, Strategic Technical Sales APAC at BlackBerry

Jonathan Jackson (JJ) is the a Senior Director, Strategic Technical Sales APAC for BlackBerry. With over 20 years’ of experience, he helps organisations manage their cyber risk, leveraging the best of breed solutions to stop cyber attacks. JJ is a staunch advocate of protecting data and privacy and is a frequent spokesperson on cyber threat intelligence in Australia and all across APAC.

Business, Contributed

Cloud, Connectivity, AI, Security: What SMBs Need From Technology

August 8, 2024 Varinderjit Singh Leave a comment

Small and medium businesses are different from their larger competitors because the chief strategist in many SMBs is often still the owner or the founder.

The challenge for SMB owners is therefore often to understand the technological trends that might apply to their business. This can be complicated, in part because the rate of change in technology is high.

Yet many of these technology areas, such as access to mobile devices and the growth of cloud services, have special relevance to SMBs. Integrating technology should therefore be a central part of any SMB strategy, rather than an option, even for very small companies. The technology is needed to meet customer demands for better experiences, to ensure that businesses and customers can transact quickly, and because being online makes it easier and faster for SMBs to open up new global markets.

Employees of SMBs have similar expectations and the same driven goals of the business owners. They believe that having the right technology improves their productivity, helps drive business growth and increases flexibility in a hybrid working world.

At the center of how SMBs can leverage technology are four trends around mobility, AI-enabled services, and cloud automation, all under a security umbrella.

Taking teams to the next level of productivity, flexibility and customer satisfaction will require businesses to find a balance between implementing emerging technology and training employees to use this technology to provide personalized experiences for customers.

How do each of these technologies support and influence SMBs?

Connectivity

Slow and unstable connectivity is a major obstacle for a distributed workforce that relies on device technology to collaborate and to provide value to customers. Even as 5G continues to be rolled out around the world, WiFi 6E is already offering advanced connectivity in many countries. SMBs can make their investments in WiFi 6E and 5G today, to take advantage of higher-bandwidth, ultra-low-latency connectivity, and high-speed connectivity to the cloud. It’s worth noting that 5G deployments are accelerating around the world, and WiFi 7 is already on the horizon. SMBs should at least understand where these might fit into their existing and future strategies.

Device speed and functionality will continue to match this high-speed connectivity, and users will continue to seek out ever more productive designs that match lifestyle, work style, and mobility. An example of a device that is made for such high-speed connectivity is the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4 operating on Windows 11 Pro. Simplify your workday and improve productivity with Windows 11 Pro With AI-powered experiences, intelligent workflows, and unmatched personalization, you can do it all on your Windows 11 Pro device. From features to get organized in a snap to fast performance and smart videoconferencing, Windows 11 Pro devices help you improve productivity anywhere. It has a built-in secondary screen offering alternative and distinct functions. Such an innovative device requires high-speed connectivity so that employees will be “always available” and “often on”, working flexibly to accommodate their personal lives.

Cloud automation

Cloud automation, and cloud applications, are an easy entry point for many SMBs that are looking to speed up or otherwise improve their business processes. As data, apps and workloads continue to expand into the cloud, SMBs will be able to automate simpler tasks, programs and customer services. Efficient automation of data analytics, customer feedback and trends or smarter scheduling can free up more time for teams to focus on creative growth engines.

The cloud also allows more SMBs to consider Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) options. While often being more cost-effective, hybrid cloud solutions will be more future-proof and allow for greater scalability through flexibility. IDC has predicted that the growth of cloud services among APAC SMBs, for example, will continue through to 2025.

AI services and products

AI services are increasingly playing a role in helping businesses address common challenges such as staffing, security monitoring, financial management, and tailoring services to customer needs.

Some SMBs are now incorporating AI chatbots to provide round-the-clock resources for employees, adding convenience for those seeking answers to common questions about employee benefits, scheduling, insurance, vacation availability and sick time.

Companies that adapt smartly to incorporate AI-enabled services and products have a competitive advantage. AI and machine learning can provide real-time targeted data analysis, allowing employees to do creative and social media tasks that AI simply cannot credibly do. This, in turn, frees up time for innovation, and product and service development – investments that can be made without sacrificing current revenue and cash flow.

Securing the IT ecosystem

Across all these technologies sits security, from the devices all the way through to cloud access. Remote and hybrid work styles have already changed the nature of security risks, with many organizations, including SMBs, now allowing employees to have flexibility in where they work and use their own devices. As more services move to the cloud, access security risks also increase, and while cloud service providers can provide secure access inside their data centres, access between a business’s devices and the cloud can still attract cyber security risks. Threats are very real and lack of adequate protection can have devastating effects, but best practices and solutions exist to mitigate those threats.

SMBs must strategically implement the appropriate infrastructure, cloud automation and AI tools that will help their business scale. Businesses of all sizes demand client and data centre infrastructure that enables growth rather than restricts it. As technology rapidly evolves, businesses need the ability to integrate new technologies and workloads efficiently and seamlessly, often within resource, budget and capital boundaries.

For SMBs, this sometimes represents new challenges, but they can leverage the experience and investment made by larger companies, peers, partners and competitors, and with the right business and technology strategies in place, they will have the advantage of being more dynamic and responsive to growth opportunities.

Editorial

Interview: Password Hygiene & Staying Secure with Trend Micro

July 15, 2024 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

This is a transcribed interview with Sage Khor, Presale Technical Manager at Trend Micro. It is intended as a companion to our editorial “How Your Bad Password Hygiene is Putting Everything At Risk At Home and At Work“.

Password Hygiene has become an increasingly popular topic among cybersecurity experts and IT managers especially in light of the marked increase of data breaches occurring on a daily basis. We spoke to Sage Khor, the Presales Technical Manager at Trend Micro to better understand password hygiene and its impact on personal and organisational data security.

SAGE KHOR

PRESALES TECHNICAL MANAGER,
TREND MICRO MALAYSIA

With more than 15 years in IT as a solution consultant and architect, Sage Khor has diverse experience in IT Infrastructure, Cloud & virtualization, and information and data security. He specialises in cloud and virtualization security and has in-depth knowledge of cyber security. He also has experience dealing with diverse customer environments ranging from various industries such as FSI, oil and gas, telco, conglomerates, real estate& more.

Q: “Password hygiene” seems to be a new concept when it comes to keeping safe on the internet. What is it and how does it help in staying secure online?

Sage Khor: Password hygiene refers to best practices and habits individuals and organizations should adopt to maintain strong and secure passwords. Maintaining good password hygiene is essential to online safety. It encompasses aspects such as password creation, account variation, refraining from sharing passwords, and implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Q: We’ve had guidelines and best practices that ask us to change our passwords every so often. It’s easy to enforce this at an organizational level, but how about when it comes to our personal passwords?

Sage Khor: There are several ways how individuals can practice good password hygiene:

Create long passwords. It is recommended to create a password that is longer than 6 alphabets.
Create strong passwords by using a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, and avoid personal information (birthdays, addresses), and simple patterns.
Create unique passwords for each account.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as it adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step beyond an individual’s password.
Do not recycle passwords for multiple accounts.

Safeguarding data from cyber threats can also be done with the help of a security platform like Trend Micro’s ID Protection which helps secure personal information from identity theft, fraud, and unauthorized access.

Q: What is good “password hygiene”?

Sage Khor: The first line of protection against hackers is a strong and secure password as hackers will find it more difficult to decipher longer, more complicated passwords.

Weak passwords can be easily predicted. Avoid using the same or simple passwords like birthdays or dictionary words for multiple social media accounts or other internet accounts.

Password Login page AI Generated Image with Copilot — Image Generated with Microsoft Copilot

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all internet accounts. Adding an extra layer of security to authentication makes it far safer than using just one factor.

Verify the privacy and security settings on internet accounts. Though they enable a degree of security for both users and the companies, the default settings that platforms set up are designed to enable the collection of pertinent market data from their users.

Another method of ensuring password hygiene is by utilizing a password manager to help you create, save, manage and use passwords across different online services. When you have to keep track of so many online accounts, a password manager is the best way to encrypt and store your passwords safely. However, it is also important to be vigilant when deciding on a password manager. The most reliable password managers will use industry-standard encryption methods and can keep your accounts safe from hacking. But good cyber hygiene practices will still come to play if you want to ensure your computer is free from malware and safe from hackers. One other aspect to consider is also taking steps to be aware of common social engineering tactics that can deceive users into divulging their master passwords.

Q: Is there a way for us to have password hygiene on an individual basis?

Sage Khor: Practising good password hygiene is vital to ensure that all accounts remain safe. Thus, it is important to be aware of the necessary steps you can take to create a strong and safe password. By introducing a higher level of complexity to your password, you can lower the chances of being hacked or having your accounts compromised.

When creating a strong password, refrain from using predictable letters or numbers in sequence (e.g qwerty, abcde, 12345) but instead combine letters, numbers, and symbols to form a password of at least eight characters. Similarly, you should always avoid creating passwords that include any easily found personal information. Most importantly, stop reusing passwords on all your accounts or have similar passwords across different accounts. Creating complex and varied passwords is ultimately one of the more important steps when it comes to password hygiene.

Q: How about when it comes to organizations?

Sage Khor: Password hygiene is crucial for organizations to protect themselves from data breaches and unauthorized access. Similar to how you should apply the best password hygiene practices in your personal accounts, it is important for organizations to also ensure the right structure and policies are in place.

Put in place complex passwords. While this may seem like a given, it may come as a surprise that many today still enforce popular passwords that are hackable. In the same way, you would create complex passwords for individual accounts, you will want to ensure the strength of passwords in your organization through the creation of long passphrases (at least 12 characters) instead of short passwords. Passphrases are easier to remember and more secure than single words. With proper IT policies in place, there should also be enforcement and systems that disallow the reuse of passwords.

Organizations should be using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as it adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second factor, like a code from a phone app, to access accounts in addition to the password. Enforce two-factor or MFA for online banking/transactions and log-ins into key online portals/systems.

Practice the 3-2-1 backup rule. If a data breach occurs, it is critical to maintain at least three copies of company data in two different formats, with one air-gapped copy located off-site.

Lastly, awareness training programmes should be established to help educate employees on password hygiene best practices and prevent cases.

Q: We’ve talked about password hygiene quite extensively. How does this factor into basic cybersecurity? Can we make things simpler to implement and keep up with?

Sage Khor: Password hygiene is a key component of every cybersecurity strategy that serves as a fundamental defence against unauthorized access, data breaches, and identity theft. Begin adopting a zero-trust mindset and framework by continuously verifying identities. Through this, organizations can enhance their cybersecurity posture by focusing on continuous verification of access and authentication, thereby reducing the risk of data breaches.

To make password hygiene easier to implement and maintain, organizations and individuals can adopt password management tools that streamline the process of creating, storing, and updating passwords. Additionally, providing education and training on password best practices can help raise awareness and encourage users to prioritize strong password hygiene.

Q: In the worst-case scenario, if an individual’s password is compromised, what can he/she do? How do we prevent data from being compromised?

Sage Khor: There are various steps that can and should be taken to address this. The most immediate step you should take is to change the password that has been compromised. You can create secure passwords using a password manager that allows users to generate unique and strong passwords for each account. Additionally, set up an MFA which requires additional verification methods beyond just passwords. Began monitoring all account activities for suspicious behaviour or any breach of access.

Close-up Photo of Guy Fawkes Mask — Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+

Q: What about organizations?

Sage Khor: Going back to how password hygiene is crucial for organizations, it is important to note that unauthorized access to sensitive data can result in financial losses, reputational damage, and legal consequences. To prevent this, organizations should take the necessary steps to implement MFA and conduct regular software updates to protect organizations from known vulnerabilities that attackers might exploit. Organizations should be proactive in using the available tools such as password managers paired with the right training for employees to protect their data.

Implementing a zero trust security model will also be an essential step for the prevention of future cybersecurity breaches. By viewing every access request as a possible danger, this strategy will help enhance an organization’s cybersecurity posture and proactively meet regulatory and compliance requirements.

Q: How do multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods affect password hygiene? Can we rely more on MFA methods instead of changing passwords? How secure is MFA?

Sage Khor: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods enhance password hygiene by adding an extra layer of security, reducing the risk of cyber-attacks and unauthorized access. MFA requires users to provide multiple authentication factors, making it more challenging for cybercriminals to compromise accounts solely through passwords.

While MFA is not completely foolproof, it is considered one of the more reliable measures as it can be combined or implemented with single sign-on (SSO) and passwordless login options to reduce the efforts of users, while also increasing the efficiency and management of users and businesses.

Q: Google, Apple and Microsoft are talking about a future that relies less on passwords and more on things like biometrics or “passkeys”. What is Trend Micro’s take on this?

Sage Khor: Trend Micro emphasizes the importance of strong passwords, MFAs, and restricting access to only corporate networks. These recommendations align with the concept of biometrics and passkeys, which can provide stronger security measures compared to traditional passwords.

ed hardie RMIsZlv8qv4 unsplash — Photo by Ed Hardie on Unsplash

Unlike passwords, passkeys are not susceptible to phishing attacks or theft because the private key never leaves your device.

Passkey offers enhanced security by providing digital keys that are highly resistant to phishing and brutal force attacks, effortless logins through secure storage on a device for easy access with a tap or PIN, and seamless cross-device functionality for a hassle-free user experience.

Q: Will having alternatives like biometrics and “passkeys” make it harder to get compromised online? Does it bring a better level of cyber resilience to organizations?

Sage Khor: Having alternatives like biometrics and “passkeys” can indeed make it harder to get compromised online, enhancing cyber resilience for organizations. Biometrics, such as fingerprint scans and facial recognition, offer more secure authentication methods that are difficult to replicate, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. “Passkeys” meanwhile eliminate the need for traditional passwords, simplifying the login process and enhancing security by using alternative means of authentication.

Through this organizations can significantly improve their cybersecurity posture, making it more challenging for cybercriminals to compromise accounts and systems. Biometrics and “passkeys” provide a higher level of security and resilience, helping organizations protect sensitive data and mitigate the risks associated with traditional password-based authentication methods.

Android, Mobile

Android Users! Your Data Could Be Compromised Due to “Dirty Stream” Exploit

May 7, 2024 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Android users, your data could be exposed thanks to an implementation flaw in popular apps. Microsoft has recently published a bulletin exposing a critical flaw that could be present in a large amount of applications. Microsoft estimates that the flaw could be in over four billion apps.

The vulnerability, given the moniker “Dirty Stream”, lies in the ability of potentially malicious apps to exploit and abuse Android’s content provider system. This system is designed to enable secure data exchange between apps on Android devices. The data exchange typically employs security measures like permissions, uniform resource identifiers and file path validation to ensure data security. However, sloppy implementation has led to a backdoor ripe for exploitation.

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In Microsoft’s research, the incorrect use of the communication layer that allows communication between Android apps, known as “custom intents, can lead to sensitive areas of the app being exposed. This will allow hackers and malicious actors to access and inject malicious code into the app. Attackers can potentially take over the app entirely, access sensitive user data and intercept private logins.

Microsoft is not just exposing the exploit. It has worked proactively with affected developers, alerting them of the potentially vulnerable apps. Some of the apps identified in the report include Xiaomi’s File Manager and WPS Office. Both apps have large user bases. The former boasts a user base of over a billion installations while WPS Office has about 500 million. The companies have deployed fixes to address the issue.

Google has also been alerted. The search behemoth has updated its app security guidelines. The changes highlight common implementation errors that could lead to the security bypass.

Business, News

BlackBerry CyberSecurity Centre of Excellence Launched in Malaysia

March 26, 2024 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Launch 2 — From L-R: Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Mohamad Salim bin Fateh Din, Chairman, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Azam Baki, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, His Excellency Wayne Robson, High Commissioner of Canada, Yang Berhormat Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications of Malaysia, Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Honourable Mrs. Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Mohamad Fauzi bin Md. Isa, Secretary-General, Ministry of Communications, Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Raja Nushirwan bin Zainal Abidin, Director General, National Security Council, Mr. John J. Giamatteo, Chief Executive Officer, BlackBerry at the grand opening of the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE).

BlackBerry is probably a brand that most Millenials are familiar with. The first thing to come to mind is keyboard-laden smartphones with one of the most secure operating systems – BlackBerry OS. However, since the company’s unfortunate rounding up of its mobile business, BlackBerry Limited (previously Research in Motion) has been hard at work carving out a new niche for its security expertise as a Cybersecurity company. In fact, the company has been prospering in this nice with acquisitions of companies like Encription in the UK to enhance its cybersecurity offerings.

“In this digital age, the global need for innovative cyber security solutions continues to grow. I’m pleased that Canada’s expertise in this area is helping to create a safer cyberspace in Malaysia. Today’s announcement by BlackBerry is a clear example of how Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy is supporting efforts to reduce and address security threats in the region,”

The Honourable Mary Ng, Canadian Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.

The company is also the cornerstone in a ongoing diplomatic agreement between Canada and Malaysia. With a rich 36-year diplomatic relationship, Malaysia is playing a part as country coordinator for Canada in establishing a free trade agreement with the region. This has led to Canada playing a key role in helping Malaysia address the skills gap as it strives to become the region’s leader in digital technologies.

“Being more than a facility to help train and upskill our national cyber workforce, the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has the potential to be an international destination to address emerging cyber threats. We can bring together Malaysian and Canadian universities, research institutions and skilled practitioners to share knowledge, threat intelligence and jointly develop methods and strategies to strengthen national and regional cyber-resilience.”

YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia

BlackBerry Limited is launching its Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence in Cyberjaya, Malaysia as a part of these efforts. The Center of Excellence is situated a stone’s throw away from Malaysia’s administrative capital and offices of MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation). The establishment of this Center of Excellence is also a part of a landmark deal between BlackBerry Limited and the Malaysian government inked at the recent APEC Conference in November 2023.

BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Launch 1 — Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, addressing the audience at the launch of the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

The BlackBerry CyberSecurity Center of Excellence will be focusing on the education, certification and capacity building focusing on the cybersecurity sector. It will also serve as a center for collaboration between Canadian and Malaysian institutions of education and research and professionals.

John Giamatteo BB Limited — Source: LinkedIN

“Building resilience to cyber-attacks requires a whole-of-society effort. The new Cybersecurity Center of Excellence stands as a testament to how nations and technology leaders can work together to address the dual challenge of cybercrime and skills shortages.”

John Giamatteo, CEO of BlackBerry Limited

The Center will also provide training in BlackBerry Cybersecurity Curriculum. This is a first for the region. It will offer a wide range of globally recognized courses and certifications to help train and grow the skilled talent available in the region. Naturally, the establishment of the Center of Excellence will also lend itself to the upskilling and training of the reported shortfall of about 12,000 cybersecurity professionals in the region. The curriculum offered at Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence will also include upskilling in areas such as Machine Learning and AI as well as highly specialised courses by the SANS Institute, Canada’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and other recognized partners. It will also be offering select scholarships to empower women in the cybersecurity arena.

Courses are already available for registration at the center. If you’re interested, you can sign up here. The first online course will be commencing in May 2024 with scholarships available for 3 qualified female leaders in cybersecurity in connection with the Toronto Metropolitan University. The first certification will be provided by the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst.

Lifestyle, News

Sophos Report Reveals Dwell Time Shrinks to Just 8 Days in 2023

September 2, 2023 Rae Lim Leave a comment

Cybersecurity company Sophos has recently released its Active Adversary Report for Tech Leaders 2023. The report highlights a few important findings about cyberattacks in the first half of 2023 as follows:

1) Decrease on Dwell Time

Dwell time is basically the attack detection speed of a computer security network. It is calculated based on the time from the start of a cyberattack to when it’s detected. Sophos found that the time it takes to detect a cyberattack has decreased. In 2022, it took an average of 15 days to detect an attack, but in 2023, this time has been reduced to just 8 days. For ransomware attacks, it’s even shorter, at 5 days.

2) Attacks on Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is a crucial part of a company’s computer network. According to Sophos, attackers now take less than a day (approximately 16 hours) to breach and gain control of AD. This is a concerning trend because having control of AD gives attackers significant power over the company’s systems and data.

3) Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware attacks were the most common type investigated in the report, making up 69% of cases. Most ransomware attacks occurred outside of regular working hours, with 81% of them launching their final damaging actions outside of business hours.

4) Detection Timing

Interestingly, the report shows that the number of attacks detected increases as the week progresses, with a notable spike in ransomware attacks on Fridays and Saturdays.

5) Security Tools

The report mentions that while there have been improvements in security tools and technologies, attackers are still finding ways to infiltrate networks. The key to better security is not just having the right tools but also actively monitoring for threats.

In conclusion, this report serves as a reminder that cyberattacks are evolving, and businesses need to stay vigilant and invest in both advanced security tools and continuous monitoring to protect their data and systems.

You can find more detailed information in the full article on the Sophos’ website.

Business, News

Mozilla Enhances Online Privacy with Firefox Relay Integration

August 30, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Navigating the online world while safeguarding personal information has become increasingly challenging. Mozilla’s response – Firefox Relay – has just received an upgrade that promises enhanced privacy protection in the digital realm.

In a bid to fortify online privacy, Mozilla has seamlessly integrated the Firefox Relay feature into the Firefox experience itself. Formerly an add-on, Relay acts as a protective barrier for users’ email addresses, shielding them from unsolicited marketing emails and potential data breaches. With this integration, users can conveniently utilize the Relay feature to safeguard their personal email addresses while navigating the web.

Meet Firefox Relay, a privacy-first and free product that hides your real email address

Acquiring this enhanced layer of online privacy is simple. Users need only possess a Firefox account to access the built-in Relay feature, available for free within the browser. Mozilla aims to make this feature available to millions of users over the upcoming weeks.

This integration lines up with Mozilla’s commitment to elevating the user experience by prioritizing privacy. The company introduced Firefox Relay functionalities earlier this year, allowing users to seamlessly interact with the tool through their toolbar, generate fresh email masks, and reuse existing ones. Notably, Relay ensures protection against web trackers, a significant step in preserving sensitive data.

For those unacquainted with Firefox Relay, it offers practical solutions for various online scenarios. Users can generate temporary email aliases to safeguard personal emails, benefiting from the service’s email filtering that eliminates trackers before forwarding messages to the primary email ID. Whether it’s crafting transient emails or maintaining confidentiality on public platforms, Firefox Relay empowers users to embrace a more secure online experience, now more conveniently accessible than ever.

Lifestyle, News

Email-based Phishing Attacks Up 464% in H1 2023

August 16, 2023 Rae Lim Leave a comment

Acronis has published its Mid-Year Cyberthreats Report, revealing concerning trends in the cybersecurity landscape. The report highlights a 464% increase in email-based phishing attacks in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year.

Cybercriminals are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT to craft malicious content and conduct cyberattacks. Acronis states that ransomware remains a dominant threat to small and medium-sized businesses. This is mainly due to attackers leveraging AI-created malware to avoid detection by traditional antiviruses.

The cyberattack landscape is evolving

Acronis Mid Year Cyberthreats Report Top 5 Trends

In the report, Acronis also emphasizes the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks. These attacks utilize AI and existing ransomware code to penetrate victims’ systems and extract valuable data, making detection more challenging. Cybercriminals use public AI models to find source code vulnerabilities and develop attacks (including deep fakes).

Additionally, the study shows that phishing is the primary method cybercriminals use to steal login credentials. The use of large language model-based AI platforms has enabled cybercriminals to create, automate, and scale new attacks more efficiently. The report reveals a growing number of data stealers who exploit stolen credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Breaches demonstrate major security concerns

Acronis points out some major security concerns that contribute to successful breaches, including a lack of strong security solutions to detect zero-day vulnerabilities, delayed updates of vulnerable software, and inadequate protection for Linux servers. Moreover, some organizations fail to follow proper data backup protocols, which can lead to severe consequences during attacks.

Acronis encourages companies to take a proactive stance in cyber protection. A comprehensive cybersecurity posture requires a multi-layered solution that combines various security measures. This includes anti-malware, email security, vulnerability assessments, backup capabilities and more. The report also includes steps that companies can take to increase their cyber protection:

If you are interested to read the full Acronis Mid-Year Cyberthreats Report 2023, click here.

News

Downfall Vulnerability in Intel Chips Raises Security Concerns

August 11, 2023 Rae Lim Leave a comment

A recently discovered vulnerability in Intel chips, named “Downfall,” has the potential to expose millions of users to cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity researcher Daniel Moghimi, who is associated with the University of California and Google, discovered the major vulnerability. The vulnerability affects a large number of Intel chips produced over the last decade.

The vulnerability centres around the ability of malicious programmes to access data belonging to other applications. Therefore, it poses significant risks to user privacy and security. At the core of “Downfall” is the exploitation of the “register buffer” feature present in modern processors. With it, processors are able to optimise certain operations for faster execution.

What Is a Register Buffer?

Imagine a computer processor as a super-fast brain that helps your computer think and do tasks quickly. This brain needs to remember things temporarily while it is working, just like you might jot down a few things on a sticky note while solving a puzzle. The “register buffer” is like that sticky note – it is a temporary data storage place in the processor where it keeps important information for a short time to help with tasks. Sometimes, the processor may also keep sensitive information like passwords in the register buffer.

So here is the catch: if a hacker finds a way to look inside this register buffer, they might see your password or other sensitive information they’re not supposed to have access to. So, the “Downfall” vulnerability is like discovering a hidden crack in the wall next to the shelf where the processor keeps its sticky note. If someone figures out how to use that crack to take a peek at the content of the sticky note, they could get their hands on sensitive information such as your online bank password and more.

The Potential Impact of Downfall

As you can see, the impact of this vulnerability is far-reaching, particularly for the cloud computing industry. Many servers are using similar setups built on Intel and AMD processors to run workloads, it stands to reason that since the vulnerability affects a swatch of processors, these cloud setups and the businesses that use them could be at risk of a major breach. If these servers are susceptible to Downfall, hackers could have a field day, stealing sensitive information from high-profile organisations worldwide.

According to Intel exploiting this flaw is not exactly a walk in the park. While Intel acknowledged the issue, they mentioned the discovery of “Downfall” happened under very specific conditions – not exactly what hackers encounter in the real world. Newer Intel chips, including Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and Sapphire Rapids, are reportedly not susceptible to this vulnerability. You may check for the full list of affected devices here.

Preventing Vulnerability and Mitigation Strategy

Intel has released a microcode fix to patch up this vulnerability. While Intel claims that most workloads will not slow down, some specific activities such as heavy data processing might be affected. So, the trade-off here is between keeping your data safe and not compromising device performance.

The discovery of the Downfall vulnerability in Intel chips is a significant concern for cybersecurity. It showcases the delicate balance between performance optimisation and security, highlighting the need for continuous vigilance and adaptation in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

techENT