Рубрика: Cybersecurity

It was just a few days back, President Joe Biden had signed a sweeping $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill. Out of the amount signed, $1 billion has been set aside for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and a good chunk for cybersecurity as well. With SolarWinds and Hafniun attacks that shook the nation badly, the need to need to adopt new technology turns out to be the need of the hour.

The Biden administration has been formulating plans to rebuild the area of cybersecurity. One of the key steps taken by Biden is giving the top cybersecurity veterans the authority to lead administration positions. The funding is yet another step towards modernization and advanced security. Biden entrusted the job of coming up with new strategies on the cybersecurity experts. Though a lot is been left for the experts to decide, this is not going to be the only solution to rely on. A lot needs to be done.

There was a time when even the most significant cyber threats weren’t considered to be a wake-up call. Agencies, one after the other got hit drastically but the right step never made its way. All of this threw light on how much could have been done to prevent the attacks that we get to witness today.

The pandemic came as a shock for everyone. The change in how things have transformed – be it working from home on relying on online platforms for even the minutest need, leaves everyone with no option but to accept the reality. The pandemic served to be a platform for more risks and cyberattacks. Just like financial markets have regulatory bodies, it is now time to bring in bodies that’d cater to the same in the case of cybersecurity. The SolarWinds attack is no less than a realization as to what could be the extent of cybercriminals. Also, the SolarWinds attack and the Hafnium attack talk volumes about why cloud adoption should accompany Zero Trust. The cybercriminals are proficient in targeting even the most basic vulnerabilities followed by learning to infiltrate them in more sophisticated ways. The funding that the current administration is planning in this area can pave the way for reviewing technology in place by the federal agencies. Better decisions can now be taken – is it necessary to revamp the infrastructure entirely? What technology should be deployed and so on?

What could be the possible steps that the federal agencies can take?

• A Zero Trust mindset could yield the necessary results. Following this, the NSA released guidelines that’d help agencies embrace a Zero Trust mindset.
• Deploy simple but impactful solutions such as multi-factor authentication and patching. With this, it is very much possible to protect the most basic vulnerabilities.
• Certain attacks could be prevented by using cloud systems. With cloud systems in place, the users stand the ability to update the security measures and also automatically patch vulnerabilities across a vast network of servers.

The Biden administration insists on how the people should unite and leverage the best technology and innovations to tackle problems that threaten us all. With securing the IT infrastructure being a priority, it is now time to provide the agencies with the right resources.

The post How Biden’s Administration is Revamping US Cybersecurity appeared first on Analytics Insight.

Hacking is done to gain unauthorised access to any computer system to perform malicious activities. Once the hacker has access to the system, he can steal sensitive information or even delete files. Hacking is illegal when done without permission. Hacking systems without adequate permission or indulging in any other activity associated with hacking is a serious cybercrime and can lead to extreme consequences.

However, hacking performed with the permission of the network owners falls under the wing of ethical hacking. It is done to determine the vulnerabilities and security risks in a computer system.

Generally, renowned software companies hire ethical hackers to hack their systems and find weak points or vulnerabilities in their applications. This allows them to employ preventive measures to prevent malicious activities and reduce risk factors. Almost every top tech company practices this as a precautionary measure against legitimate hackers with nefarious intentions.

Given the growing risk in the current digital age, the cybersecurity and information security markets are witnessing rapid growth worldwide.

To cater to the sector’s requirements, there is a requirement for professionals like Ethical Hackers, Security Analysts, Security Officers, etc., to protect company information. Among all, it’s the job of an ethical hacker that receives the highest salary.

If you have been considering pursuing ethical hacking as a profession, here is everything you need to know. The article includes everything from eligibility to the highest ethical hacking salary, and the various ethical hackers can take up in India.

Who is an Ethical Hacker?

An ethical hacker is a certified and skilled professional hired by top software companies for their excellent non-technical and technical skills and expertise, helping the company identify and deal with vulnerabilities on target systems and networks. They are network and computer experts who have proficient knowledge of various operating systems, hacking techniques, and processes to detect possible threats. This makes them an essential part of IT security. The government also hires ethical hackers to prevent the compromise of national security features.

There are both white hat and black hat hackers in the market. But what separates them is how they work. An ethical hacker will work with the permission of the network owners. They will comply with the rules of the network owners and take into account the country’s laws. A white hacker’s sole aim is to assess an organisation’s security standing. Black hat hackers, on the other hand, use illegal means to get access to a system. So, there is a considerable risk of facing legal charges.

White hackers in the formal security industry are generally referred to as cybersecurity specialists. Here are the roles and responsibilities or duties of an ethical hacker:

1. An ethical hacker is responsible for meeting with network owners to discuss the security system.

2. Ethical hackers conduct thorough research of the company system to understand the possible penetration site and network structure.

3. An ethical hacker develops scripts suitable for testing the vulnerabilities of the network system.

4. They conduct various penetration tests on the network of the organisation.

5. Ethical hackers identify and record breaches and security flaws.

6. They identify the areas requiring high-level security.

7. They review the security network to find any possible issues.

8. Ethical hackers create suggestions for necessary security upgrades.

9. They formulate penetration test reports to present to the client.

10. The ethical hacker performs various penetration tests after the implementation of a new security.

Eligibility Criteria for Ethical Hackers

To land an ethical hacking position in a reputable firm, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology. Candidates must obtain a PG Diploma in Software Development – Specialisation in Cyber Security to take up ethical hacking as a career. Further, if you have a PG Certification in Cyber Security from a reputed institute, it will help you attack lucrative opportunities from top companies in the IT sector.

An ethical hacker must have expertise and sound working knowledge of Linux servers, Microsoft, Virtualization, Cisco network switches, Citrix, and Microsoft Exchange. Adequate knowledge of the latest penetration software and tools is essential to succeed and stay ahead of the competition.

Why should you pursue Ethical Hacking as a career?

With the rise of online thefts, ethical hacking has become one of the most popular career options. An increasing number of breaches and cybercrimes have been reported in recent times. As per Gartner and Accenture’s surveys, the Information security market is expected to reach $170.4 billion by 2022, and nearly 68% of business leaders worldwide feel that cybersecurity risks are growing.

Thus, there is a growing demand for ethical hackers in various industries like government organisations, IT sectors, law enforcement, departments in National intelligence, financial institutions, etc. In fact, business organisations need ethical hackers to keep their information protected. It is with this increasing demand that the ethical hacking salary in India is quite lucrative. But before taking up the profession, one must be aware that the position does not just require educational qualifications and technical skills but also honesty, strong ethics, and most importantly, a willingness to learn to combat challenges.

Ethical Hacking: Skills Required

An ethical hacker must be proficient in networking databases, system handling, and operating systems. They also require soft skills required to communicate to the clients’ the problems in the organisation’s security and suggest the most efficient upgrades. Apart from these, they must possess knowledge of:

1. Network traffic sniffing

2. SQL injection

3. Orchestrate various network attacks

4. DNS spoofing

5. Exploiting buffer overflow vulnerabilities

6. Password guessing and tracking

7. Session hijacking and spoofing

An ethical hacker must have a creative mind because black hat hackers continuously look for opportunities to exploit a system in ingenious ways. They should be able to think like a black hat hacker and work with software testing teams to protect and prevent such security breaches.

Ethical Hacker Career Path

With the increase in computer hacking, government organisations, financial institutions, and renowned companies recruit skilled, ethical hackers to keep their information safe and secured. There is no shortage of ethical hacking jobs in India. As per the 2019/2020 Official Annual Cybersecurity jobs report, the demand for information security personnel will lead to an estimated 3.5 million unfilled jobs being created globally by 2021. The industry will witness a 350% growth by 2021. In India, the number is expected to rise by 77,000 in the next five years. Technical hackers can look for top companies like Dell, Google, Wipro, Reliance, Infosys, and IBM to land the highest-paid ethical hacking jobs in India.

However, an ethical hacker needs to have a legit Bachelor’s degree in information technology or an advanced diploma in network security.

Salary bands in ethical hacking vary greatly based on the companies you work for, experience levels, and educational qualifications, among other factors. Currently, the average ethical hacking salary in India is ₹501,191 /year for entry-level positions. In contrast, hackers with higher academic qualifications and excellent work experience can get up to ₹3 million annually.

A candidate who possesses the required skills and educational qualifications can pursue any of the following positions:

1. Data Security Analyst

Average Base Salary: ₹480k /year

Data security specialists or analysts are responsible for planning and executing the protection of the data present on the organisation’s computers and networks. They work closely with the employees of the organisation to educate them about security protocols.

2. Network Security Engineer

Average Base Salary: ₹517k /year

A network security engineer is responsible for maintaining the security of various networking systems of an organisation. He maintains the security system developing possible plans to bring the system back to normal even after problems created by hackers, attacks, natural disasters, or other means.

3.Security Auditor

Average Base Salary: ₹691k /year

As a security auditor is responsible for providing security audits of the systems. Once done, he needs to give a detailed information report of the organisation system to the owner. This helps the network owners to make necessary changes to improve their system. A security auditor has the choice of either work alone or as a part of a team.

4. Cyber Security Analyst

Average Base Salary: ₹525k /year

A cybersecurity analyst works together with IT professionals to check on the organisation’s security measures and controls. They are responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating the network solutions by identifying the system’s vulnerability and infrastructures before any attack. Also, they perform various tests of security assessment and risk analysis to help keep the information secure. Companies hire security analysts to prevent breaches and cyber-attacks, which enables them to preserve their financial health and brand image. Since the professionals have adequate knowledge about the security procedures, they protect the company from future lapses and intrusions.

5. Penetration Tester

Average Base Salary: ₹595K/year

A penetration tester has to test various IT system procedures to identify possible system flaws. They perform a penetration test to identify the potential vulnerabilities and improper configuration by hacking into the network system and computers. These professionals are also responsible for keeping a record of their activities and discovered vulnerabilities. A penetration tester job requires competent testing skills and expertise since they employ cutting-edge testing tools to break into the systems.

6. Information Security Officer

Average Base Salary: ₹1180k /year

An information security officer is the senior manager of an organisation responsible for maintaining the enterprise strategy. They implement strategies to ensure the safety of information and technology assets. He aids the organisation staff in developing, implementing, and maintaining procedures that help reduce information leaks.

Future Scope of Ethical Hacking

The job of an ethical hacker is challenging. They help companies find possible security leaks in their systems and protect them from potential threats. They are expected to document all the steps undertaken carefully to determine the vulnerabilities in a system. Further, they might have to spend hours writing reports in clear and concise language for network owners. However, not all ethical hacking is confined to penetration testing. Many ethical hackers write examining computer codes to look for flaws.

However, with the growing need for ethical hackers in various industries, a talent gap is expected in the coming years. As per the World Economic Forum (WEF), “nowhere is the workforce-skills gap more pronounced than in cybersecurity.”

Harvard Business, in their review, commented on the plight, “The majority of chief information security officers around the world are worried about the cybersecurity skills gap, with 58 per cent of CISOs believing the problem of not having an expert cyber staff will worsen.”

As more and more businesses are realising this, almost every industry is looking to hire ethical hackers to keep their information safe and secure from possible breaches. Therefore, it is the need of the hour for aspirants in these fields to upskill themselves adequately to attract promising job opportunities.

Author Bio:

Pavan Vadapalli, Director of Engineering @ upGrad, an ed-tech platform in India which provides data science, machine learning courses. Motivated to leverage technology to solve problems. Seasoned leader for startups and fast moving orgs. Working on solving problems of scale and long term technology strategy.

The post Ethical Hacking Salary in India in 2021: For Freshers & Experienced appeared first on Analytics Insight.

Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent and they are only likely to increase over the coming years. From both a personal and a professional point of view, we need to be able to defend ourselves from cyber attacks to keep our important data safe. Let’s take a closer look at how we can best prevent them.

Why are We Seeing More Cyber Attacks?

One of the first reasons why we are seeing more cyber attacks is simply because there are more people online than ever before. This creates more opportunities for those who wish to engage in cybercriminal activities. Where they might have once struggled to find someone who had the weaker defences needed to break through, there is now more of a chance that they will be able to track down someone who has a computer or network that is not properly protected.

This is especially true in the world of business. It is rare to find a company that does not rely on its computers in some way for its operations. Even retail units and other small businesses will need to have some sort of computer system to track appointments, stock or asset management, and a wide variety of other functions. However, smaller businesses might not be able to afford the high levels of security that a nationwide brand will – and this leaves them vulnerable and open to cyber attacks.

This is unlikely to change soon, and we therefore need to make sure that we are committed to preventing cyber attacks as best as we can. Let’s take a closer look at some of the changes you could make.

(Image Source: Pixabay)

Use a VPN

A virtual private network, or VPN, is a great option when trying to prevent cyber attacks. According to this article, 2020 saw a rise in people working from home but still needing to access documents and other resources in the company’s network. This led to a rise in Cloud VPN usage, especially as many people were having to work on home devices rather than ones provided to them by the company.

Making use of a VPN in your everyday internet browsing is a good habit to get into. Gamers also find value in VPNs for everything from private-server-based games like Rust to massive-multiplayers like Fortnite. One of the main functions of a VPN is to mask your IP address so you are not traceable through your online actions. Whether you are browsing from home or from a public Wi-Fi space, you are going to be able to protect your device more effectively than if you were to be without one. A VPN provides much-needed encryption and privacy on what might otherwise be an unsecured network, protecting your data and keeping you safe from prying eyes.

Anti-Virus

You need to make sure that you have some sort of anti-virus software on your machine. In this day and age, not having one is foolish as they offer far too much protection to be ignored. There are plenty of free and subscription options out there so you should be able to find one that works best for you in terms of cost. Even a free anti-virus has a comprehensive layer of protection that will be able to protect your device.

Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways in which they plant cookies, viruses, and infections on a computer. An anti-virus is a key line of defence against that, and regular scans will help to prevent your computer from becoming infected.

Know What to Look For

Often, preventing cyber attacks in an issue of education. We need to make sure that we adequately understand what needs to be done to identify and defend against cyber attacks. Careless mistakes such as weak passwords, clicking dodgy links, and responding to strange emails can all be incredibly costly.

We need to make sure that we fully understand some of the basics when fighting against cyber attack, and if we have employees then it is vital that they understand too. Learning how to conduct yourself online and how to spot a potential cyber attack will give you the skills to get out of a situation that could end badly for you.

Cyber attacks will only get more sophisticated, but luckily the defences for them will also only get better. Therefore, it is important that we all do our bit to learn how to defend ourselves from such attacks. Though a link or a website might appear innocent enough, they might be dummies for something much more malignant. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have the knowledge and protections in place to help defend your devices and your data. Analyse your current set-up now, and consider making changes if you think it is a bit weak. There is always going to a new practice you can introduce.

The post Cyber Attacks Are Here to Stay: How to Prevent Them? appeared first on Analytics Insight.

Challenges like ITOT convergence, cloud migration, and web application security continue to be major concerns for security leaders as organizations in India transition to remote working environments. A study by the Data Security Council of India revealed that 58% of cybersecurity threats that organisations in India encountered were due to risks posed by emerging technologies. With digital transformation compressed into a short time during the pandemic, it’s clear that the threat landscape is becoming more complex. This has often left CISOs frustrated as IT teams fast forward new technology initiatives before fully considering the security risks.

The best way for security leaders to regain control and ensure that security is weaved into the fabric of an organisation’s infrastructure is to transform into a Business Aligned CISO. Less than half of the security leaders surveyed in a recent Forrester study commissioned by Tenable reported that they align business objectives to cyber risk priorities. It is a challenge for business leaders to view cybersecurity as a value driver. However, CISOs can help business leaders see value in the trust, security, and resilience that come from strong cybersecurity capabilities.

Below are practical ways that security leaders can not only secure critical new technologies but also present an effective case that they are adding value to the business.

ITOT Convergence

Last year, a ransomware attack on a pharmaceutical organisation, led to a 24-hour pause in global operations across its manufacturing units. Threats such as these reinforce why the modern attack surface requires security leaders to consider vulnerabilities not just in IT networks but also in the OT environment. The previously noted Forrester study showed that 67% of cyber attacks on Indian organisations were also related to OT networks. The problem is that while adversaries are scanning all of these environments to find the easiest attack approach, legacy vulnerability management methods are limited to scanning traditional IT environments – so OT assets and risks often remain invisible.

Few organisations currently manage OT and IT with the same staff and resources. These areas have traditionally operated in different “worlds” with different priorities. The growing pains associated with bringing together the physical and digital worlds can be a challenge. The IT/OT convergence trend is not only driving the integration of IT tools with OT solutions, but it also requires alignment of strategic goals, collaboration and training; and this is only the beginning of the challenge.

IT staff are typically concerned about data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Because IT was the front line in identifying, mitigating and reporting cyber attacks, the IT environment had to constantly evolve. In contrast, OT staff work in an operational environment where stability, safety and reliability are top priorities. More than in any other part of the business, time is money in the OT world. As an example, it is estimated that the cost of unexpected downtime of a car factory is $22,000 USD per minute.

Changes to OT such as upgrades and patches are viewed as serious business risks that will impact business continuity instead of security improvements.

To effectively gain support from the business, CISOs need to steer away from focusing on the “threats posed by ITOT convergence” and towards a conversation about the benefits of cybersecurity for increasing reliability and improving security, with minimum downtime. This can be achieved by implementing technical solutions that not only address external threats but also monitor conditions arising from critical OT concerns like human error. Using a cybersecurity tool that can address this key vulnerability will provide major operational benefits.

Dev(Sec)Ops

DevOps and security teams have historically been known to work in silos until the end of the development process, resulting in friction between both teams. This is because security is often an afterthought in a race to roll out products and services to market, not leaving enough time to address the potential vulnerabilities that may arise. This is another pain point for CISOs in maintaining control and alignment. CISOs need to convince other executives that security is necessary for the development process and that integrating security as part of that process will not prevent DevOps teams from achieving their goals.

CISOs can change the old ways of DevOps working by “shifting left” to include security processes earlier in the application development planning process. Focusing on ongoing problem prevention, rather than late problem detection, helps both security and DevOps teams work effectively.

Using a risk-based security tool can actually accelerate the DevSecOps cycle by reducing the number of failed builds that are caused by security test failures and also reduce the number of rebuilds due to new security events. Efficiency, cooperation, and speed will win DevOps support for cybersecurity.

Cloud Migration

With increased cloud migration in India, the number of breaches and cyberattacks have increased to 696,938 in 2020 alone – making cloud security a priority. However, traditional cloud security that depends on agents, is hard to manage and activate in environments that have network micro-segmentation. This has made cloud security even more challenging for the CISO.

To achieve success, CISOs should focus on solutions that can discover and assess dynamic assets based on a licensing model adapted for what is actually in use. This provides effective cost management.

Evolving to be a Business Aligned Security Leader

Organisations are operating in digitally sophisticated and rapidly changing environments. Nearly every business, across every vertical, now relies on technology advancements in a constantly changing environment. This reliance on technology means cyber risk now equates to business risk. It also means that modern CISO can no longer focus on just tactical security issues. Instead, security leaders must assure that security is aligned with the business strategy and goals.

Author:

Adam Palmer,

Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at Tenable

The post Technology changes are moving at the speed of light: Are CISOs ready? appeared first on Analytics Insight.

The issues of information security are now of concern to many heads of corporate IT departments. Interestingly, 7-10 years ago, zealots of total security were condescendingly called “conspiracy theorists.” But now, every business owner is concerned about this. Today’s threats are much more complex and much more serious than we are ready to imagine.

Global companies have survived large-scale cyberattacks by powerful malware like BlackEnergy, TeleBots, CryptoLocker, and others in the last five years. Such malware attacks critical infrastructure enterprises — the energy sector, financial organizations, transport, software, and pharmaceutical companies. That is why corporations actively implement some practices that protect from cyberattacks and ordinary information leakage. And we are ready to tell you more about them!

Identity And Access Management

Identity & Access Management (IAM) technologies provide all of the company’s applications with a single identity management service, which greatly simplifies users’ lives and increases security.

The correct operation of this technology goes like this:

1. Each user has an account to which the authority is assigned.
2. Each user must be identified and authenticated, similar to going through security in a business center.
3. Instead of a passport, employees need a login and password to enter. And instead of a pass, a session will be created, and a security token will be issued.
4. The application will have to verify that the security token presented is not expired, not revoked, and the specified rights correspond to the requested access.

The IAM unifies the management of identity, authentication, and user access control so everyone will receive only the data that is required by the position.

Biometric Identification

Biometric identification is a system that allows the IT department to:

• Get a biometric sample of a specific person;
• Deduce biometric features from the received data;
• Compare biometric features with those contained in control templates;
• Determine the degree of similarity.

Biometric systems can be divided into two classes, namely:

1. Mono-biometric systems — a single biometric modality, algorithm, or sensor (for example, face ID, dactyloscopy, or voice recognition).
2. Multi-biometric systems — multiple biometric modalities and/or sensitive sensors and/or algorithms (for example, face ID + handwriting recognition or dactyloscopy + hand thermography).

Biometric tools generate detailed reports about who entered and exited a building at a certain time. The systems can also send notifications to a smartphone or e-mail if one of the employees leaves the doors open or doesn’t leave their account after work.

Tracking Systems

It is difficult to imagine a company without internal and external video surveillance. This tracking system allows you to:

• Improve the efficiency of security systems (if cameras are placed at all entrances and exits);
• Monitor the activity of employees (if cameras are placed in offices and other work areas).

Modern CCTV cameras have become more functional and create excellent video quality even in the dark. Additionally, technological advances have made camcorders more compact. It is the perfect solution for business owners who want their security equipment to be subtle.

Information Security Policy

Before starting a new business, its owner should consider creating a general security policy. It includes a set of documented security guidelines, rules, procedures, and practices that govern the management, protection, and distribution of valuable information.

All employees are required to undergo training, where they are told standard rules of conduct. For example:

• Do not use personal devices to connect to the corporate network;
• Do not download any applications on corporate computers;
• Do not share your identifiers with third parties, etc.

As people say, forewarned is forearmed, so it is best to inform employees in advance what actions are strictly prohibited in the workplace.

Technological Complex

Four main areas represent the modern software market for protection against various types of external threats.

1. Antivirus programs work both by the signature principle (detection of malicious code) and the heuristic analyzer. It means that code detection is based on several specified indicators and conclusions about the application’s danger level.
2. Corporate firewalls are often used in conjunction with network intrusion detection, which controls information flow in a computer network.
3. Personal firewalls analyze traffic on a specific PC.
4. Advanced programs of the Host Intrusion Prevention class use a system of proactive PC protection against any types of threats. It is based on the analysis of the behavior of information system components.

All these areas effectively fight certain types of threats and represent a single complex of reliable protection against various intrusion types.

Conclusion

To draw the conclusion, one can say that the enterprise security system is the first thing to think about for business owners. It is best to do this at the very early stages of creating a company. It is always easier to plan a security system than to implement it in a working enterprise, breaking the established procedures.

Some companies use minimal security measures — for example, external video surveillance and admission with badges only. However, in this case, the security department will face data theft sooner or later. That is why it is worth thinking about creating a full-fledged protective complex and using several advanced corporate security technologies, which we listed in the article.

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The recent Facebook data breach indicates that it is high time to ensure data security

Data is the blood and soul of industries today. The abundant data available online is both used and misused by entities. As we say every coin has two sides, so does the digital space that we love so much. How many of us do not use social media? Can this even be considered as a question? We are now available more in the virtual world than in reality. Social media has changed the way we spend our time on screen. But are we aware that we are generating tons of data on these internet platforms and that they are vulnerable enough? Probably not.

Companies and social media giants leverage these data to enhance personalized user experience. Data analytics has become a norm to achieve business growth these days. But what we usually ignore is to have better strategies for data security and privacy. Data leakages in companies are not something new. We had witnessed the Justdial data leak almost a year back. Currently, the spotlight is on social media giant Facebook, since the personal data leakage of 533 million FB users.

Is Facebook Trading the User Data?

Sundar N Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC, says, “This might be just an extension of an earlier incident with Facebook in 2019. The exposed data was based on API permission that would allow anyone to query a user’s number. So far, the motive of publishing the data online is not clear, as there is no financial incentive in giving out the information for free. However, it is also not a new trend that Check Point is seeing.” Check Point is a leading cybersecurity solutions provider. Further, he mentions, “The main damage is that information about half a billion users has been leaked and is available online including their phone numbers, email addresses, and location data.”

Facebook stole the headlines once the humongous data leakage was exposed in the public domain. The leaked data was uploaded in open hacking forums for free and according to reports, the CTO and Co-founder of Hudson Rock, a cybersecurity company found the hidden data online. The leaked databases included personal information including gender, date of birth, mail ids, relationship status, place of work, and even phone numbers. As Mr. Sundar stated, Facebook had done this earlier in 2019 too, when millions of contact numbers were stolen from the site by violating its data privacy policies. The recent reports revealed that Mark Zuckerburg’s contact and bio details were also present among the leaked data.

The Facebook data leak draws our attention towards ensuring personal cybersecurity through securing the data we have given to such digital platforms.

How To Secure Your Data Online?

With surging cases of data breaches and data security concerns, users should consider investing some time in understanding ways in which they can protect their personal information and prevent the data from hacking. Mr. Sundar reveals some tips users can leverage to protect data and says, “Share and create awareness with your own family, the leak with Facebook has updated users’ details and it means that phishing campaigns might include messages from the closed people around you which can trick users easily.” Other tips include activating Second Factor Authentication on all important applications. He warns the users by reiterating, “Don’t access links from messages or emails. If you get emails from the service provider, you should manually enter the official website.”

Let us see what are the important steps to ensure data safety-

• Strong passwords and two-factor authentication can save the data from getting access to an extent.
• Consistently update the privacy settings and report any suspicious approach.
• Using a VPN will ensure that the information and conversations you have are encrypted and goes through a safe channel.
• Keeping your system up to date with necessary anti-virus and anti-malware software.
• Do not exchange personal information to apps that say that you can see how you look like in 30 years or other clickbait statements.
• Block those supercookies, which seem harmless but can get hold of your personal information and cannot be deleted automatically.
• Do not share your location on social media websites unless it is critical.
• Using your social media profiles to log into other websites could lead to data breaches.

The bottom line is that it is better not to share your personal details and limit feeding sensitive data to the online platform.

The post We Are Not Yet Immune to Data Breaches. How Can We Protect Data? appeared first on Analytics Insight.

Even if you browse in Incognito mode, your data is being tracked.

For online privacy, if you’ve been trusting the incognito mode for browsing, think again. Google has been sued in California because it continues to track people’s data even in the Chrome browser’s incognito mode. Did that send a chill down your spine?

The name incognito has been etched in our minds in such a way that we instantly relate it to complete data privacy, that anything you do online via the Chrome browser will not be tracked, but now we know that it’s not all true. Even with the Incognito mode turned on, the Chrome browser will still permit websites and Google’s own services to collect data about your surfing habits during that session. Not just that, the default search browser that most of us use, Google, also continues to track our online behavior, linking everything to our IP address.

Was this offensive on Google’s part? Technically speaking, the company never claimed otherwise. When the Californian court refused to dismiss the case, Google told Bloomberg, “Incognito mode in Chrome gives you the choice to browse the internist without the activity being saved to your browser or device. As we clearly state each time you open a new incognito tab, websites might be able to collect information about your browsing activity during your session.”

Is There An Alternative To Chrome’s Incognito Mode?

Vivaldi is a web browser that’s built on the same Google Chrome engine and has all its extensions too, but with stronger privacy. Vivaldi’s equivalent of the Incognito mode is their Private Window. The default search engine in Vivaldi is DuckDuckGo, the search engine that is known for not collecting any personal information about its users. Vivaldi also makes sure that it stops any trace of your web activity from being left behind on the computer. It minimizes whatever is stored on the disk other than relying on the computer’s memory to store critical information, to ensure that there is not even the slightest trail of your activities being discovered later.

Talking about online privacy, Vivaldi has many privacy protections inbuilt. If you explore the Vivaldi settings, for example, under the privacy tab you will find the option to block the trackers and ads in any session. The search suggestion option, that tries to predict what you are searching for is also turned off by default for online privacy reasons. Unlike Google, Vivaldi does not store information like bookmarks or history. Even if you are using Vivaldi browsers on different devices, it will encrypt the information. This offers greater privacy.

There’s Also A Way To Protect Your Privacy On Chrome

If you want to stick with Chrome as your default browser, this is what you can do. DNS over HTTPS will mask the websites you visit from your internet provider and anyone who is trying to track your information. To turn on this feature, go to Chrome’s settings and search for DNS and find the secure DNS feature. Select a provider from the “with” dropdown window and ensure to select the option “with”.

Firefox also has this feature in its settings.

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Virtual CISO is a new trend in the business world. We are working in a digital world where organizations host several TBs of information that is both sensitive and confidential. Due to the value it holds for competitors and cybercriminals, information needs to be protected. For some time now, companies have been hiring for the role of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to establish and maintain the company’s data protection strategies and execute them to protect all the information and assets surrounding the various technologies used by the company. But, owing to remote working, many organizations have now started to shift towards a virtual CISO.

What Is A Virtual Chief Information Security Officer?

A vCISO is a security professional who uses their cybersecurity and industry experience to help businesses develop and manage the execution of the company’s information security program. Virtual CISO also helps in forming the company’s security strategy. The organization’s existing internal security staff will report to work in ordinance with the vCISO and their team to carry on a strong security program. Additionally, a virtual CISO is also expected to present the security strategy to the board, executive teams, auditors, and regulators.

The Role Of A Virtual CISO

In an organization, vCISOs can provide value by helping the overall information security program in the following aspects:

• Information security planning and management
• Organizational and management structure
• Initiatives affecting information practices
• Security risk management procedures
• Evaluation of third parties with access to the company’s data
• Coordination of audits by regulators

The Growing Need For A Virtual CISO

Companies are hiring virtual CISOs because of the amount of data that is being produced during a normal business day. But the growth in demand is due to the following reasons:

1. Cybersecurity is a big concern: With the rise in cyberattacks, data breaches, and cybersecurity threats, organizations are investing more to safeguard their data and intellectual assets. In order to formulate a comprehensive set of regulations, organizations are opting for vCISOs instead of a CISO to eliminate the process of hiring.

2. CISOs are expensive: According to salary reports, CISOs cost companies around $200,000 a year. CISOs are important and not every organization can afford to shell out so much. A virtual CISO allows companies to avoid the expense of hiring one in-house, full-time professional and only pay for the service.

3. Virtual CISOs have more experience: A vCISO has experience in implementing information security programs for diverse clients ranging across industries and business sizes, resulting in improved efficiency and accurate regulations.

4. Virtual CISOs can work from anywhere: Instead of hiring someone locally or paying for their move, vCISOs work as consultants from anywhere, giving the company more flexibility.

5. Virtual CISOs can adhere to the scope: Not every company will need the same information security services. Hence, vCISOs can alter the way they work according to the varying scope of businesses.

Responsibilities Of A Virtual CISO

If you are looking to shift from a CISO to a vCISO or looking for an information security officer for the first time, consider these responsibilities of a vCISO.

• Alter the existing strategies: Whether you are replacing your CISO with a virtual one or using the services for the first time, an experienced vCISO can provide valuable insights in reviewing the current cybersecurity strategies.
• Develop an efficient cybersecurity program for smaller organizations: Small and medium-sized businesses cannot often afford to hire a full-time CISO. A vCISO does the job and works part-time to provide a mature cybersecurity program that would otherwise not be possible for the business to come up with.
• Forming the right budget: A right budget can extend the flexibility of a company and remove unnecessary limitations. A virtual CISO can help organizations of every size by altering their current budgets and identify more ways to efficiently spend it and create a more secure program.

Does Your Business Need A Virtual CISO?

Now that you know the responsibilities and the benefits that a virtual CISO brings to the table, here is a checklist to see if a vCISO is a good fit for your company.

• Your company has sensitive information
• There’s a limited budget
• Your business requires tailor-made information security programs
• Your organization requires a specific skill set

If you nodded your head for all the above points, opt for the virtual CISO service. Start off and see if there is a need for internal support from the executive teams or the board. If you find the need for additional support along with the vCISO, then work towards hiring a full-time CISO to complete the work.

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In most companies, fraud is generally detected only after it happens. After that, the measures are implemented for its future prevention and protection. With the upsurge of technology and rising digitization, fraud detection, and prevention, before it happens, has become quintessentially necessary. Several companies believe that fraud detection is the best way to eradicate it from the environment and prevent a recurrence.

Below are the 20 significant fraud detection and prevention software companies that offer a safe environment for businesses to work and operate.

Fraud.net

Fraud.net is a leader in AI-powered enterprise risk intelligence. Its award-winning fraud detection platform helps digital businesses quickly identify transactional anomalies and pinpoint fraud using artificial intelligence, big data, and live-streaming visualizations.

ClearSale

ClearSale is a multinational company whose mission is to stop fraud without affecting the customer experience. ClearSale’s flagship solution is an end-to-end fraud management solution, combining advanced technology software, artificial intelligence algorithms, and manual review when necessary. While most fraud prevention solutions are built on scoring and filters, ClearSale simply approves or declines each order, backing every order with a financial guarantee if desired.

Riskified

Riskified is an all-in-one eCommerce fraud prevention solution and chargeback protection service for high-volume and enterprise merchants. Riskified offers a 100% chargeback protection guarantee on every order. Riskified approves, allowing their merchants to sell with confidence. It is the world’s leading eCommerce fraud-prevention company trusted by hundreds of global brands from luxury fashion houses and retail chains to gift card and ticket marketplaces.

Markmonitor

MarkMonitor, the world leader in enterprise brand protection and a Thomson Reuters Intellectual Property & Science business, uses a SaaS delivery model to provide advanced technology and expertise that protects the revenues and reputations of the world’s leading brands. Customers choose MarkMonitor for its unique combination of industry-leading expertise, advanced technology, and extensive industry relationships to preserve their marketing investments, revenues, and customer trust.

Kount

Kount’s best-in-class fraud prevention solutions protect the digital innovations of over 6,500 brands globally. Kount has earned recognition as the market leader in digital fraud prevention, with over 12 years of data informing their advanced ML/AI models. This patented technology prevents digital payments fraud, new account fraud, and account takeovers to increase revenue for digital businesses, acquiring banks, and payment service providers.

Sift

Sift is the leader in Digital Trust & Safety, empowering companies of all sizes to unlock revenue without risk. Sift prevents fraud with industry-leading technology and expertise, an unrivaled global data network, and a commitment to building long-term partnerships with their customers. Twitter, Airbnb, and Twilio rely on Sift to stay competitive and secure.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions

ThreatMetrix—now LexisNexis® Risk Solutions leverages comprehensive digital and physical identity intelligence, machine learning, and advanced big data analytics to accelerate risk management decisions and fortify fraud defenses for global businesses in over 100 countries. Its solutions combine innovative technology and intuitive analytics with more than 78 billion data records augmented by the digital identity coverage of the ThreatMetrix® Digital Identity Network to deliver a concise 360-degree view of risk at any point in the customer lifecycle.

iovation

iovation, a TransUnion company, was founded with a simple guiding mission: to make the Internet a safer place for people to conduct business. Since 2004, the company has been delivering against that goal, helping brands protect and engage their customers, and keeping them secure in the complex digital world. Armed with the world’s largest and most precise database of reputation insights and cryptographically secure multi-factor authentication methods, and safeguards tens of millions of digital transactions each day.

Signifyd

Signifyd, the world’s largest provider of Guaranteed Fraud Protection, was founded on the belief that e-commerce businesses should grow without fear of fraud. Signifyd solves the challenges growing e-commerce businesses persistently face: billions of dollars lost in chargebacks, customer dissatisfaction, and operational costs. Signifyd Guaranteed Payments protect online retailers supported by a full-service machine-learning engine that automates fraud prevention allowing businesses to increase sales and open new markets while reducing risk.

Forter

Forter’s integrated fraud prevention platform protects online merchants from fraud attacks and abuse at both the account level and the point of transaction. Forter protects more than US$130B in online commerce transactions for more than 500 million global customers. The company’s identity-based fraud prevention solution is formed through innovative machine learning technology, honed by ongoing expert predictive research and insights.

i-Sight

i-sight is a powerful case management platform that organizes and manages a company’s investigative process and provides the data to analyze results, prevent incidents and losses to protect the employees. i-Sight provides solutions for human resources, ethics and compliance, fraud, health and safety, and corporate security to name a few. It centralizes all case information to allow secure collaboration to boost efficiency and save time and money. Some of i-Sight’s notable clientele are EA Sports, Red Bull, Twitter, and the United States Olympic Committee.

SAS

SAS Fraud Management is a holistic enterprise fraud management system that provides real-time integration of authoritarian systems, on-demand scoring, advanced analytics, rule writing, stimulation capabilities, alert management, and reporting. The company’s advanced analytical technologies reduce the occurrence of false positives and improve fraud detection rates which results in better customer service.

Column Case Management

Column Case Management is a privately-held software provider that specializes in case management. The company has developed a holistic approach to investigate fraud with software that provides centralized evidence collection and streamlines search functions. The use cases of Column Case Management’s processes are risk management, vendor audits, tracing and recovering losses, web, security, and digital identity, IP infringement, and theft, money laundering, schemes, etc.

IBM

IBM’s fraud detection resource, IBM Security Trusteer, helps companies detect fraud and seamlessly authenticate users across all the channels of the customer journey. Through cloud-based intelligence, based on AI and machine learning, Trusteer provides a 360-degree fraud detection platform for better customer service while providing protection against malicious users.

Xanalys

Xanalys specializes in providing software capabilities for threat assessment, investigative case management, and advanced crime and fraud analytics. These solutions help manage multi-jurisdiction major crime investigations, assess and analyze suspicious financial transactions, work on intelligence reports, and disclose evidence in a court-ready format for successful outcomes.

Agnovi

With Agnovi’s fraud case management software, investigators can effectively manage tips, complaints, and investigations for internal and external fraud. Agencies can manage fraudulent event data, record keeping, evidence, and compliance for investigations around insurance fraud, tax fraud, identity theft, and large-scale banking fraud. It offers customized automatic download of fraud reports with the e-mail confirmation, name capture of all involved parties to build cases, the ability to store all documents in a unified system, and the elimination of duplicate information.

ScoutCMS

Brand protection, insurance fraud, occupational health and safety, government fraud, and financial fraud are some of the few services ScoutCMS offers. This case management automates claims processes to increase profitability, detects, corrects, and prevents fraud, waste, and abuse, assesses government fraud cases in a collaborative and organized environment and enables investigators to assess complex financial fraud information.

FRISS

FRISS Fraud Detection at Claims enables claim segmentation, improves the customer experience with faster payment of legitimate claims, and automatically detects insurance fraud before claims are paid. The company’s AI-powered fraud detection software automatically detects suspicious claims, reveals networks and hidden patterns while safely automating business processes.

FraudLabs Pro

FraudLabs Pro is a fraud detection software that helps companies seal their online businesses from malicious fraudsters. It performs comprehensive fraud validation on components like geolocation, proxy, email, credit card, transaction velocity, etc to uncover fraud orders precisely. This software can also customize over 40 validation rules for efficient fraud protection.

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We’ve developed a comprehensive list of the top 10 cybersecurity certifications to boost your career

Nowadays, you can discover many cyber security positions on numerous job sites, each with a somewhat different title, such as information security analyst or data security consultant. Consider looking into cybersecurity credentials to help you get these jobs.

Here are the top 10 Cybersecurity Certifications:

1.Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA): This ISACA accreditation demonstrates your competence in identifying security vulnerabilities, devising and implementing controls, and reporting on compliance. CISAis one of the most well-known cybersecurityauditing certifications.

2.Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP):The cybersecurity professional organization (ISC)2’s CISSP certification is one of the most sought-after qualifications in the business. Getting your CISSPshows that you have experience in IT security and can plan, execute, and manage a cybersecurity program.

3.Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH):Ethical hacking, often known as white hat hacking, penetration testing, or red teaming, is the practice of hacking firms legally to uncover vulnerabilities before harmful actors do. It is possible to obtain it by proving your knowledge of penetration testing, attack detection, vectors, and prevention.

4.CompTIA Security+: The CompTIA Security+ certification is an entry-level security certification that confirms the core abilities necessary for any cybersecurity employment. You may demonstrate your ability to examine an organization’s security, monitor and safeguard cloud, mobile, and Internet of Things (IoT) environments, grasp risk and compliance laws and regulations, and identify and respond to security incidents with this certification.

5.GIAC Security Essential Certification (GSEC): Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) is an entry-level security accreditation for those with knowledge of information systems and networking. This certification confirms your knowledge of security activities such as active defense, network security, encryption, incident response, and cloud security.

6.System Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP): With this (ISC)2 intermediate security certificate, you can demonstrate to employers that you have the knowledge and abilities to design, develop, and manage a secure IT infrastructure. The exam measures your knowledge of access controls, risk identification and analysis, security administration, incident response, cryptography, and network, communications, systems, and application security.

7.CompTIA Advance Security+ Practitioner (CASP+): The CASP+ is intended for cybersecurity professionals who have demonstrated advanced abilities yet wish to remain in the technology field (as opposed to management). Advanced topics covered in the test include enterprise security domain, risk analysis, software vulnerability, safeguarding cloud and virtualization technologies, and cryptography approaches.

8.GIAC-certified incident handler (GCIH): Obtaining the GCIH confirms your knowledge of offensive operations, including typical attack strategies and vectors, and your ability to identify, respond to, and defend against assaults.

9.Offensive Security certified professional: The OSCP from Offensive Security has quickly become one of the most sought-after certifications among penetration testers. The exam evaluates your ability to compromise several target devices using a range of exploitation techniques and gives detailed penetration test data for each attack.

10.Certified Information Security Manager (CISM): The ISACA CISM certification validates your knowledge in the management side of information security, encompassing issues like governance, program creation, and program, incident, and risk management.

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