Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity in telecoms – now needed more than ever
It comes as no surprise that the telecoms industry ranks among the worst in handling and fighting cybersecurity.
Although telcos have made immense leaps in protecting their networks and customers, the weak link resides among its employees and executives who poorly manage their passwords and access to their data.
Almost 43 percent of telecom companies have suffered from DNS-based malware in 2019 alone, noting that a staggering 81 percent of these companies were sluggish with their response, waiting three days to apply critical patches to remove the breach, a report by US-based cybersecurity firm, EfficientIP.
These attacks are costing organizations a lot of time and money, mainly due to their slow approach of handling data breaches, relatively requiring an average of three employees to collectively spend over 17 hours per attack.
“Last year, a single DNS attack cost a telco organization $622,100. This year, the research shows telcos lose an average of $886,560 from each DNS attack, an increase of 42 percent in just 12 months,” the report highlighted.
This is exactly why network operators are considered fertile ground for hackers far and wide, as each attack costs almost $600,000 on average to remediate.
In parallel, the target placed on a telco’s head attracts the most complex and sophisticated cyberattacks since they hold sensitive data for their thousands and even millions of customers.
“With a large part of their customer base operating online, strong network security has become a business necessity for the entire telco sector in general. Ensuring consistency and reliability in service is a crucial step towards providing elevated customer satisfaction,” the EfficientIP report highlighted.
This damage not only hits an organization’s pocket, but also its reputation among customer bases. According to the report:
- 45 percent had to close down specific affected processes and connections.
- 38 percent suffered cloud service downtime.
- 33 percent reported a compromised website.
- 31 percent endured in-house application downtime.
- 30 percent reported sensitive customer information stolen
On the darker side of the spectrum, cybercriminals are targeting telecoms employees by blackmail and recruiting insiders within the company to leak information.
“Cybercriminals often use insiders as part of their malicious ‘toolset’, to help them breach the perimeter of a telecommunications company and perpetrate their crimes,” a report by Kaspersky highlighted.
According to the report, hackers rally disaffected employees through underground channels, or by blackmailing staff using compromising information that they’ve gathered from open sources, a classical Trojan horse behind enemy lines is applied here.
Almost 28 percent of all cyberattacks, and 38 percent of targeted attacks (state-sponsored, or competitive) involve criminal misgivings from insiders.
“The human factor is often the weakest link in corporate IT security. Technology alone is rarely enough to completely protect the organization in a world where attackers don’t hesitate to exploit insider vulnerabilities,” the intelligence report stated.
If it is an attack on a cellular service provider, criminals will seek out employees who can provide fast track access to subscriber and company data or SIM card duplication/illegal reissuing. If the target is an Internet Service Provider, the attackers will try to identify those who can enable network mapping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
According to numbers by SpyCloud, a US-based cybersecurity firm, 74 percent of employees, including C-level executives, working for Fortune 1000 telecom companies are reusing passwords across multiple work and personal accounts. Some of those sites will eventually be breached if they haven’t already.
These weak links can be identified by the human tendency to reuse the same passwords for multiple platforms and accounts, which when compromised, allows hackers to effectively implement a domino effect on that person’s whole online presence.
This is backed by research done by Verizon, which placed compromising or weak passwords as the number 1 method of account takeovers (ATO).
These attacks also take the form of a method called credential stuffing, where hackers flood a company’s servers using bots to try and steal credentials across a high volume of accounts in a short amount of time.
“Credential stuffing attacks may come years after a site is breached. Stolen credentials are typically kept within a tight circle of criminals for the first 18-24 months after the breach, to be extensively monetized with more sophisticated targeted attacks before being sold in combo lists on the dark web,” the report from SpyCloud highlighted.
There are numerous ways employees can defend themselves against a plethora of attacks, which should be encouraged by organizations to create a cybersecurity culture within the ranks.
Don’t click on suspicious links
We’re all used to seeing spam emails, messages and ads online, while they might look harmless, they might hold many sinister implications beneath.
Emails such as these usually appear as a form of claiming a prize from a competition that you haven’t even signed up for; if you have any shred of doubt about it, then just stay away from it, since it might contain malware that could wreak all kinds of havoc on your computer.
Listen to your PC updates
Our computers never fail in nagging us to install that latest update, which is why you need to fight the urge of clicking on that “postpone” button and do it right away. Always keep in mind that the majority of these updates are security related, and remember that the infamous WannaCry malware spread due to devices not being patched.
Avoid the 1-password-for-all tendency
Many people have a tendency to reuse the same password on all their platforms and accounts to eliminate the need of memorizing dozens of passwords. This approach should be avoided. If criminals figure out your password, your other accounts will fall under threat.
There are a number of security apps and software that enable you to localize your passwords in one place, away from the cloud, and tend to use password generators for each platform to keep passwords fluctuating on a regular basis.
Two-factor verification
Also known as 2FA, is simply adding another layer of security to your accounts. The most popular approach is receiving a text message on your phone with a code that you need to enter. This makes it harder for hackers since you’ve essentially removed one integral piece of the puzzle.
Mindful of public Wi-Fi
Many shops, bars, malls, restaurants and the like offer free WiFi, which is more often than not considered prime hunting ground for data. Thus, one should be weary of what they connect to while on that network.
Unsecured Wi-Fi networks could lead to the theft of your private data or devices being hacked.
The underrated power of VPN
Virtual Private Network, or commonly known as VPN, can be used in a plethora of ways to keep yourself away from the threats that surface online. Access your home network remotely or to limit your ISP from seeing what you are doing, or to browse safely on public Wi-Fi.
As many other services, there are a number of VPN services that tailor to specific needs, so do your research, pick the one that suits your behavior online and start using it religiously.
Backups and encryptions
How many times has an electronic device failed you, and made you wish that you had backed up the data? Which is why it is a necessity to back up your sensitive data and things you have been working on recently; thus, if something does happen, you can continue unhindered by the unfortunate loss of your device.
And the same applies for encryption.
While many people underestimate the importance of encryption, it is exactly here where hackers will look to exploit that weakness. So, get into the habit of encrypting anything you deem as sensitive data.
While all of these are being done on an individual level, it is up to organizations to increase awareness as well as encourage employees to remain careful and cautious about their online behavior, which will help foster a cybersecurity culture for all.
When it comes to ensuring the highest levels of cybersecurity for any establishment, password management in network security is one of the most paramount factors in guaranteeing security. As one of the essential cybersecurity measures, password management is a critical element for any online activity, whether for software or hardware. Everything is protected with a password.
What is Password Manager and How does it Work?
To those not familiar with the concept, password management’s significance exceeds the creation of a strong password to protect your data or account. It is a cybersecurity system. A system that manages any saved login credentials, all while guaranteeing a safeguarded relocation of data from one device to another. When coming up with a valid password, a few factors must be taken into account, such as the potential of being exposed to high risks and identity theft.
For any establishment, the correct password manager helps to monitor any activity and amounts of logins for servers people work on. As a software application, it is developed for storing and managing online credentials. With the increased available platforms and programs requiring safety credentials, the risk of losing or forgetting a password has never been higher. User password management, such as Google password manager, helps users with a handful of passwords for essential web applications.
By providing the needed digital space to generate and store any, and all passwords in one location, password management in network security keeps any data safe and secure in various ways, including biometrics data.
Why Use Password Manager?
Through the encryption of users’ logins, a reliable password manager protects your credentials and cannot be accessed until the master password is submitted. In this case, no password is stored on the device itself or even on the manager’s servers. While some might think that storing all of your important passwords in one place might be hazardous, the truth is, password managers are the safest bet to safeguard all your passwords, as the chances of a password manager being breached are extremely low and almost very unlikely to happen.
Without getting into all the technical terms as to why password managers are the safest option, these applications can be perceived as the lesser evil. While users will still need to create one master password – preferably to be long and a bit complicated – it will guarantee the protection of any login credential for any account or credit card information.
The ideal password managers to download are backed by two-factor authenticators, where users are asked for a one-time code alongside the password whenever a new login into a new device takes place.
Password Management Best Practices in Network Security
In terms of obtaining the highest level of protection for network security, few practices are applicable to almost anyone to ensure the highest level of user password management.
1. Training
Training the team and raising awareness of potential password threats is one of the most important things to consider. Team members working on network security have to understand the risk of cybersecurity and the importance of implementing the right measure to protect and secure any account credential.
2. Enforcement of Reliable and Strong Passwords
Enforcing the creation of strong passwords and establishing they follow the best practices for network security to protect the network and its data while respecting the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of the network’s computer systems.
This includes performing a thorough network audit, deploying network and security devices, disabling file sharing features, updating antivirus and anti-malware software, securing all routers, using a private IP address, and finally establishing a network security maintenance system.
3. Multi-factor Authentication
Endorsing your password management with two-factor authentication is like adding another solid layer of protection to your accounts and their passwords. Multi-factor authentication ensures that only people responsible for the network have access to its sensitive data.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Cybersecurity space to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.
We are all well aware of the troubles opening a fishy link can lead us to. Luring users to click on a given link has been of one the well-known techniques to get access to the device, install virus and malware or even go as far as creating a full ransomware attack. To protect your computer and private information, there are multiple techniques to check links without opening them. What is important though is never to open the link if it is suspicious.
Visually Inspect the Link
When you are not dealing with a shortened URL, the best way to go thoroughly through the link to see if there is any spelling mistake. Attackers usually tend to change a minimum number of letters so that you are unable to tell the difference. For instance, things like www.goagle.com instead of www.google.com should catch your attention with the second ‘o’ of Google replaced with an ‘a’.
Verify that Links in an Email Come from a Credible Source
Emails are the best sources for phishing attacks. These kinds of attacks are used to steal some sensitive information such as passwords and credit card information. The best way to avoid these kinds of attacks is to authenticate the sender. For that purpose, do not only check the name of the sender, you need to double-check the email the sender is using. In general, attackers use credible sender names with emails which do not correspond to the promoted identity. Next time you get an email from your bank like “XBank”, check that the sender email is person@Xbank.com rather than person@anyothermailclient.com.
Use Link Checker or Link Scanner
Many websites actually provide link checking or link scanning features. This is a very neat technique to simple check the link before clicking on it.
VirusTotal
www.virustotal.com is an excellent website for this task. This online tool practically does the job of an anti-virus. When you go to the website, you have the possibility to analyze files and URL for malware or any other security breach. Once you submit your file or enter the URL, the website will use different tools and software, then provide you with a detailed output from each of these tools. If you are unsure if a given software is credible enough, you can compare it to the output of other platforms on a single website.
Use a Short URL Expander
Sometimes attackers try to shorten URLs to hide any malicious intention. Analyzing shortened URL is not straightforward. To overcome this problem, copy the provided URL without opening it and use specific websites that actually expand the provided URLs. Then, you can analyze the original URL for possible security breaches. Many websites are there to do this task. Just search for “short URL expander” on your search engine and use the top provided websites.
Upgrade your Anti-Virus with Internet Security Features
Anti-virus software is commonly used to protect personal computers from viruses and other malware. While these are available for free, you can easily upgrade them to include internet security features for a small monthly fee. This will bring major improvement to your internet browsing experience including custom-made safe browsing tools.
Use Google Transparency Report
Google provide a nice tool to check for the safety of websites. To do so, visit https://transparencyreport.google.com and enter the URL in question. The Google source will then provide you with a safety report of that website.
Simply Hover Over the Link
The nicest solution is kept to the end. When you hover over a link in your email client or web browser, a small square appears including all the information related to the chosen URL. These details can be used to give a preliminary indication whether to trust the source.
Final Thoughts
Suspicious links are everywhere! To make sure they don’t catch you by surprise, follow the highlighted and you’ll be safe to go.
“Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Cybersecurity space to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.”
Cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) are two very trending topics at the moment. AI has been the pivotal elements modifying business strategies, improving decision-making processes, and triggering automation in every industry in the world. The latest sentience debate is a clear indicator on serious and advanced AI is becoming nowadays. Cybersecurity is the other important element of today’s technological world. With an increasing reliance on data and the move to online services that require an individual’s biometrics, security essential in preventing data thefts and associated cybercrimes. AI has undeniably improved cybersecurity practices by allowing a real-time analysis of internet traffic to discover possible threats at the earliest and take defensive actions. This important learning process hides however several disadvantages of AI in cybersecurity.
What Are the Downsides to AI in Cybersecurity?
The touted advantages of AI in cybersecurity are real and very useful. However, the increasing adoption of AI solutions for security is actually causing problems at different levels.
Hackers Use AI as Well
When it comes to maturity in technology, hackers are the best at it. These individuals sitting behind computer screens logging data and doing advanced analytics to identify any loophole or vulnerability they can use to their benefits. The use of AI as far as cybersecurity is concerned is a double-edged sword. It is actually a race of who can develop a better algorithm that caters better to the data which is circulating online. In this sense, the use of AI is a big threat to security.
Another issue is that while a company is analyzing and learning from data to discover threats, a hacker is concurrently analyzing the company’s cyber-defense mechanisms and policies to find “open doors’ that will take it into the system to complete the intended attack.
Data Confidentiality
AI algorithms are associated with the analysis with large volumes of data, a key requirement for the developed algorithms to produce accurate outputs. The data a company deals with contains normal traffic related to daily transactions and activities, but also sensitive information related to the clients including their biometrics and personal information. What happens to our data when it goes to the AI-agent though is another thing. Protecting the data is key when AI is used for cybersecurity reasons. The secrecy of the clients’ data should not be compromised for any reason.
Increasing Need for Data
The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving with ingenious attacks and threats emerging every now and then. Browser-in-the-browser attacks and increasingly advanced ransomware attacks have been notable examples in 2022. In order to discover attacks at a later stage, the AI algorithm needs to have data to do the proper training. The increasingly dynamic environment with threats emerging and evolving will lead to a surge in the required volumes of data, which can potentially not be readily available to have a fast response to the attack itself. Whether it is the ability of AI to keep track of the exponential growth in data or the availability of data for the AI-algorithm to produce results is a big disadvantage of this approach for cybersecurity
Will Cybersecurity be Replaced by AI?
With the drive towards more and more automation, it is questionable whether this can be applied as well for cybersecurity practices. AI can certainly assist in processing and learning from data and produce insights. However, the real decision maker in such as sensitive area where no errors can be tolerated is the cybersecurity expert himself. The only way for AI to replace cybersecurity is when it becomes sentient or developed enough to think and act like humans do. There is still a long way for that to concretize.
Explainable or interpretable AI is a key intermediate step in reaching this target. First, we need to understand how AI produces results. Proper cybersecurity practices require a reduction in bias while optimizing the performance of the algorithm.
How Will AI Affect Cybersecurity Jobs?
The adoption of AI will certainly cause major shifts in the cybersecurity job market as in the case in other industries, but probably at a smaller scale. The level of skill and experience needed to thwart cyberattacks will safeguard the need for security experts to provide the final decision regarding suspicious data patterns.
On the other hand, the incorporation of AI will call for new skilled workers that can manage and optimize the performance of the algorithms. Another alternative would be for existing workforce to be upskilled and retrained to handle the new analysis tools.
Summary
As data is becoming the basic unit for decision making, AI has invaded all industries and businesses, including cybersecurity. Companies are starting to incorporate learning algorithms to their offered services in order to have a more intelligent management of the different security threats. However, the role of AI in cybersecurity should be considered with enough judgment. The addition of AI would increase the complexity in the data management process, notably in terms of data privacy and the continuous need for more data.
“Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence space to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.”
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Ian Terblanche, Global Strategic Sales & Channel Director at Sigfox
