Рубрика: Cybersecurity

In the internet-dominated world, more people are online than ever before. According to DataReportal, almost 4.7 billion people use the internet worldwide in 2021. Just imagine all the data they generate daily. So, naturally, internet users want to know how third-party websites are using their data.

Since more and more people are concerned with digital privacy and online behavior, it has become clear that the internet community is asking the ultimate question: can privacy online be guaranteed?

Nowadays, more and more companies are working around the clock to inform internet users about data protection and privacy in their efforts to inform, educate, and empower people to protect their privacy and private information.

Third-party companies are constantly collecting your data, but there are numerous ways to protect your data and privacy. You can make it your number one priority to control your digital footprint and keep your online activities to yourself.

How protecting private data became an issue

Back in the day when the internet was created, it was supposed to help connect people and provide them with the information they need. However, the only personal service at the time was email, and it was mainly used for personal communication.

No one talked about online privacy or protecting personal information online in the past. However, things considerably changed the moment personal desktop computers became a necessity. The internet became much more than just an online place where you could find the information you needed.

Once internet users started using the internet connection for personal correspondence and financial transactions, things went south. That was how digital threats like cyber-bullying, malware, blackmail, and identity fraud became regular menaces.

Sharing on social media doesn’t help

Modern internet consumers like to think they are in charge of everything, including their privacy and personal information. However, the rise of social media claims the exact opposite.

Even though there are options that allow internet users to hide their traveling information, online purchasing habits and behavior, financial and private information, shopping patterns, and so on, people still willingly disclose personal and private information on blogs, social media network posts, etc.

Almost every internet user has a Facebook account, and they use countless online services to communicate with their friends, find love, buy things they need, play games, listen to music, the list goes on and on.

The more they share and reveal their personal information online, the more they become prone to hacking, slander, cyberbullying, stalking, and an entire range of threats, such as identity theft. But, unfortunately, that is where the real problem lies – most internet users aren’t aware of the cyber threats that lurk in every corner of the internet.

How third parties gather data online

The biggest for-profit companies like Facebook and Google gather your data for profits and marketing reasons. They collect information about internet users online regarding the things they like, brands they trust, websites they frequent, the whole deal.

The thing is that they are doing it in stealth mode, without using any invasive methods or noticeable techniques. They can gather all the information they need on internet users by simply monitoring and tracking the websites they visit and the terms they search for.

Based on the gathered data, they can provide internet users with targeted ads and marketing campaigns for specific products, services, etc. There are also websites called data aggregators that sell collected user data to third-party websites, businesses, and companies.

If you ever used the internet to buy some item, your information was captured and stored online. On the other hand, government agencies can also access your information by monitoring and tracking your online behavior and activities.

How to stay anonymous online

It is possible to increase your anonymity online, but no one can guarantee your privacy or anonymity, for that matter. If you wish to remain anonymous online, you need to know what data is used to track your online behavior.

What can you do to become more private online? Well, first of all, we suggest becoming more aware of the things you post voluntarily. Try to maintain a low profile and avoid exchanging your personal information for discounts or other temporary offers. Also, you can try new tools, such as replacing Google Chrome with browsers like Brave or Mozilla Firefox. Then, you can always opt to browse in Incognito mode, which might not do a lot, but it helps to stay away from some annoying tracking. Finally, you can use a VPN app like Atlas VPN to encrypt information about your online activities. Additionally, this tool will mask your IP address, meaning that online entities will no longer know your approximate geo-location.

Conclusion

No matter how tech-savvy you are or how hard you try, third-party websites will still find a way to track your online behavior and get pieces of your private information. It’s just how the internet works these days.

However, you can increase your privacy in many different ways and make it harder to collect your data on them. One thing is certain – the number of tools for helping you remain anonymous will continue to grow as more and more people are becoming aware of privacy issues and the fact that they are being tracked and monitored online.

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The New National Cyber Security Strategy is the first of its kind in Indian history

The Government of India is planning to unveil a new cyber-security strategy this year. The Union Government has been working on the National Cyber Security Strategy for a long time and the entire world is looking up to how the strategy will evolve.

Lt. Gen Rajesh Pant, the Cybersecurity Strategy Coordinator at an event in the Prime Minister’s Office. Gen Rajesh Pant said that this strategy would holistically cover the entire ecosystem of cyberspace in India.

“The vision of this strategy is to ensure safe, secure, resilient, vibrant, and trusted cyberspace,” he added.

The new cybersecurity strategy will serve as a guideline to handle every aspect such as governance, national data resources, building indigenous capabilities, and cyber audits. This national cybersecurity strategy will deliver 80-odd outputs. The theme of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) Dialogue was ‘Cyber Security in the New Normal’.

“Pandemic has shot up the cybercrimes in India by 500 percent and Indian is one of the top 3 attacked countries in the world as far as cyber-attacks are concerned”, said Rajesh Pant.

The cybersecurity law is more significant as India is one of the radars targeted by cybercriminals. Since India does not have a law on cybersecurity, this new national cybersecurity strategy ensures a full-fledged cybersecurity law. There is also a significant amount of threat from the emerging new technologies such as drones and IoT devices. The government has come up with this new national cybersecurity strategy to make sure that cyberspace is safe, secure, and trusted.

The Cyber Security Strategy Policy 2013 is likely to throw more light on the appropriate response mechanisms concerning cybersecurity in government and other sectors. This cyber law is keenly awaited developments in the Indian cyber laws jurisprudence.

Cybercrimes such as phishing, identity theft, and fraud, have massively increased in the past year. These cybercrimes are difficult to characterize. And so cybercriminals have been taking advantage of the dark web, this new national cybersecurity strategy can help reduce these kinds of cases. Hopefully, 2021 is likely to see the government focusing on more effective ways of trying to fight against cybercrimes.

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Form spam is not only annoying, but it can be detrimental to your business. Spambots scour the internet every second, looking for weaknesses in your security. If one can get through, you could suffer a devastating malicious attack on your system. Cyberattacks can cripple businesses, so rock-solid cybersecurity is a must for any company. In the past, CAPTCHA was the go-to tool to prevent spam. Yet, it was a cumbersome system that frustrated users and is now dead. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent spam without CAPTCHA. Let’s take a look at a few so that you can beef up your security against form spam.

Use Session Cookies To Your Advantage

There are many other ways to determine whether a user is a bot other than filling out blurry forms. One of the most effective ways is by using session cookies. That way, you can track how long each user spends on your website.

The general rule of thumb goes like this:

• Humans tend to spend a good bit of time on your site as they read posts and consider your services.

• On the other hand, Bots will only spend a few seconds on your site before submitting a form.

Using cookies is a non-invasive way to check if your users are human or not. The significant problem users had with CAPTCHA tests was how intrusive they were. There were even studies conducted portraying how negative CAPTCHA was for conversion rates. On average, around 15% of users would abandon a site if presented with a CAPTCHA test. With session cookies, you can double-check your forms without bothering your users.

Block Spam IP Addresses

Hundreds of spambots can originate from one IP address. Once you determine which IP address is sending you loads of spam, block them! You may not be aware of how easy it is to block an IP address from your website. Here’s what you need to do:

• Head into the settings for your website editor.

• Select notifications.

• Click show smart tags for user IP addresses.

And just like that, you’ll know the IP address of every email that gets sent to you. From there, all you have to do is identify the IP address or addresses that are sending you spam. To block them, you can either:

1. Ask for help from your web hosting company to block the IP address.

2. Download a security plugin that allows you to block the address.

Blocking IP addresses is another non-invasive security measure to prevent spam. Your users won’t have to do anything, and you can get rid of those pesky spambots.

Implement Double Opt-In Forms

For your most important forms, such as user creation and selling products, a double opt-in is a great idea. It might take a bit of time to do, and it requires some effort from your users, but it’s well worth the effort. A double opt-in form works like this:

1. Your user enters their phone number or email address.

2. You send a verification code or link to their contact information.

3. A physical user must follow the link or enter the code to verify that they’re a human being.

Bear in mind that you don’t need to do this for every single form on your website. If a form simply allows you to download a free video or PDF, for example, you won’t need one. Double opt-ins are extraordinary security measures to protect your critical forms. Try to use them sparingly, though, as they do require an extra step from your users.

Use reCAPTCHA

In today’s age, reCAPTCHA is the successor to CAPTCHA forms. Ever since Google killed off CAPTCHA, they’ve been using reCAPTCHA as a replacement. It works similarly to a CAPTCHA test, without all the hassle.

Instead of a blurry block of text, users simply have to check a box that confirms they’re not a robot. Checking this box takes only a second, making it far more convenient than CAPTCHA tests. A reCAPTCHA box will help you filter out copious amounts of spam from your website.

Summing It Up

By now, you should know of more than a few ways to prevent spam without CAPTCHA tests. CAPTCHA may be gone, but there are many viable replacements in its wake. Spambots may constantly be changing and evolving, but our security measures are as well.

The post How to Prevent Form Spam without Captcha? appeared first on Analytics Insight.

The latest mass ransomware attack has claimed US$70 million from 1,500 companies across the world. Investigators believe that a Russian-based cybercriminal group, known as REvil, has started a string of ransomware attacks to create a massive impact on businesses worldwide. The huge demand for US$70 million was posted on one of the dark websites by the Russian-linked gang, REvil. REVil is known as one of the most popular and prolific extortionists from the dark web.

REvil is known for its ransomware attacks all over the world with demands ranging from US$45,000 to US$5 million from companies for the decryptor key to unlock scrambled networks. It provides ransomware-as-a-service which means REvil develops the network-paralyzing software to compromise the systems of victims and earn millions of dollars of ransoms in the process. The Russian gang consists of an affiliate structure that makes it very difficult for investigators on determining the leader of the cyberattack.

REvil, is said to have broken into a Miami-based IT firm known as Kaseya for a data breach and this ransomware set off a long chain reaction that paralyzed several hundreds of companies across the world rapidly. The gang demanded US$70 million to restore all confidential data within a short period of time. Sweden had to close down its 800 Coop supermarkets due to the inoperative cash machines while the schools and kindergartens of New Zealand got affected. Multiple state railways, schools, travel companies, credit unions, and pharmacy chains also were affected by this ransomware attack. Reuters logged in to the payment portal and had a chat with an operator who mentioned that the price is still US$70 million. REvil selected the long US weekend to take time and spread across businesses over five continents without the presence of any employee.

The FBI is involved in the full-fledged investigation of the horrific cyberattack with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as well as other US federal agencies. The US President, Joe Biden, has ordered to seek the source of whether the cyberattack has taken place from Russia. The UN Security Council has also held its first formal public meeting on cybersecurity concerns.

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In the world of cyberattacks, ransomware attacks are not a new thing. But over recent years, the rate of such attacks are increasing at a tremendous rate. The attacks have risen by 40% to 199.7 million cases across the globe, as reported by cybersecurity experts. Such attacks create tough and complex challenges for growth as every industry whether it is a technological company or healthcare organization, is not safe from these attacks. These have been constantly adding more and more losses to the organizations. Thus, to avoid the loss which is resulting from such attacks, every organization must take crucial steps such as adopting the Zero-Trust model which includes significant security regulations.

Ransomware attacks take place 4,000 times every day across the globe. The process includes malware that infects a target computer and an attacker that encrypts valuable data and then sends the victim a notification demanding a ransom payment to release access to it.

In such circumstances, A zero-trust model is an important defense mechanism that helps in blocking ransomware. Therefore, the adoption of the zero-trust model is one of the most effective ways to prevent ransomware attacks. The zero-trust security is built on the principle “never trust, always verify”. This security strategy would help in preventing the attacks of ransomware by preventing it from spreading across the operations while keeping the operation running.

The Zero-Trust model also ensures that the customer IT assets are completely hidden away from the customer and only the applicable internal and external users will be provided access to what they require. The other users on the internet or network would be unable to get knowledge about the presence of these IP addresses.

The Zero-Trust model helps the IT managers to fully conceptualize the systems and resources to secure appropriate least privilege and safe access to accurate devices. It also provides controlling powers and threat investigation skills which are required to prevent systems from ransomware.

Ransomware Zero Trust security model intensifies the IT protection posture through the following:

• Blackening of private applications
• Network Segregation
• Zones of Trust
• Foundation Management
• Behavioral biometric

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Cybersecurity is attracting more attention than ever. Not just in headlines but also among policymakers, business leaders, academics, and the public. With the growing dependence on technology, successful cyberattacks are becoming more common. Cybercriminals keep themselves updated with the latest technological developments and find loopholes to attack smoothly. The escalating problem of cybersecurity has led to several companies developing and investing in new cybersecurity tools.

Analytics Insight presents the top cybersecurity funding and investments made in Q2 of 2021.

Netskope

Amount Raised: US$300M

Transaction Type: Not specified

Key Investor(s): Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sapphire Ventures, and others

It is a software company that helps organizations understand online activities, protect data, stop and respond to cyber threats. The company provides governance of all cloud usage in the enterprise and protects threats in cloud applications, cloud infrastructure, and the web.

Deep Instinct

Amount Raised: US$67M

Transaction Type: Series D

Key Investor(s): Chrysalis Investments

Deep Instinct is a cybersecurity company that uses deep learning technology in its services. Its solutions protect against zero-day threats and APT attacks with unmatched accuracy. It safeguards the enterprise’s end-points against any threat, whether or not it is connected to the internet.

Deduce

Amount Raised: US$10M

Transaction Type: Series A

Key Investor(s): Foundry Group and True Ventures

Deduce provides real-time analytics to protect businesses and their customers from unauthorized account access, data leakage, and identity fraud. The company uses risk algorithms and behavioral analytics across the most comprehensive network of consumer identity data. It empowers its clients to harness the value of collective identity based on threat intelligence and cybersecurity.

Illumio

Amount Raised: US$225M

Transaction Type: Series F

Key Investor(s): Hamilton Lane, Thoma Bravo, and others

Illumio is a cloud security company that stops cyber threats from unauthorized communications through adaptive segmentation. The company is run by veterans with deep experience in virtualization and networking and provides a SaaS platform as enforcement against cyberattacks.

The post Top Cybersecurity Funding and Investments to Look Out for in 2021 appeared first on Analytics Insight.

India’s upcoming National Cybersecurity Strategy will introduce an element of sovereignty, and it will set guidelines for enterprises to address gaps in India’s ecosystem.

Lt. General Rajesh Pant, country’s National Cybersecurity coordinator, while speaking at Pursuit 2021, an industry event organized by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) said, an element of sovereignty will be incorporated in the national cyberspace to create a safe, secure, resilient, trusted and vibrant cyberspace for our national prosperity.

Pant says it is like a principle that addresses the entire ecosystem. So, it will address cybercrimes, capacity building, audits, research and developments, and all other aspects will be addressed. Several deliverables will be there. He also said that the strategy will accompany the theory of ‘Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)’, which puts the responsibility of cybersecurity on all involved sectors, including corporates, education, users, and governments. The policy is awaiting approval at the cabinet, and once it is approved it will make changes to the 2013 version and will be “futuristic” while addressing the “entire ecosystem” involved.

Pant added, the way 2021 has started, the year would be called ransomware. He says hitherto $1 trillion has been paid as ransom and there is a rapid increase in the scale of attacks. The financial sector will have to be more conscious and ensure that all the efforts required for strong cybersecurity are put into place. He suggested a model ‘zero trust architectures’ that is to be adopted. It is a network security model that suspects everyone near a network to be harmful.

It is hoped that the Personal Data Protection (PDP) bill will be introduced in the forthcoming monsoon session of the Parliament, said Pant. Like the European General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the PDP also offers for fining enterprises if cyber-attacks aren’t disclosed in time.

Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Today, most of the complex sectors like telecom, fall under the private sector. Major players like Reliance, Airtel, and Vodafone are in the private sector. In such cases, the private sector has to be equally prepared for the state-backed Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks, and in the private sector, the attack starts with an individual,” he said.

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Countries are making cybersecurity their topmost priority.

The digital age we are currently living in has fostered so many things around us. Handheld mobile phones, easy-to-carry laptops, internet-powered applications, etc. have helped us to shop easily, manage our finances, and so much more. Nonetheless, it has negative effects too, as the internet can be leveraged by criminals for cyberattacks. Hence, countries are focusing on having strong cybersecurity systems in place to ensure the safety of their citizens.

A country’s law can have a dramatic effect on cybersecurity. If a country is too lenient on its cybersecurity measures, it will become a haven for cybercriminals, leaving every citizen exposed to risks.

However, countries are ramping up their cybersecurity strategies, especially with the rise in the number of cyberattacks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a study by Comparitech, the USA has stepped down on the list of countries having the best cybersecurity. The five least cyber secure nations on the planet were Algeria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, and Iran. The list was topped by nations Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, and Japan. Delving into the information, Iran had the highest percentage of mobile malware diseases and Finland the lowest. With regards to financial malware attacks, Belarus was most awful while Denmark, Ireland, and Sweden shared the top spot. The nation where most telnet attacks started, which is something terrible, was China, while the least attacks were from Turkmenistan.

Given the expansion in complex threats from nation-states, for example, China, Iran, and Russia that the U.S. faces, this dramatic drop in the cybersecurity strength gives off an impression of being a reason for concern, according to cybersecurity experts. The U.S. is, clearly, an extremely prominent cyber target.

Further, Israel truly flaunts a flourishing technology area and the government plays a pivotal role in supporting this initiative. The government has a significant influence on Israel’s quickly developing cybersecurity industry. The Advanced Technologies Park in Israel’s city of Beer-Sheva is home to the country’s cybersecurity theory that unites an extraordinary blend of theoretical and practical cross-fertilization of private and public interests.

Japan too is in the cybersecurity race as it has the lowest infection rates for mobile phones all over the world. But that’s not enough to protect citizens against cybersecurity threats. Japan’s cybersecurity policies and systems are out-of-date, which then makes it very difficult for the government to mitigate threats. Despite all this, Japan is still regarded as one of the safest digital countries globally.

How can we forget China, which is competing fiercely in the AI race? In cybersecurity management too, China can be a tough competitor as recently the China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has given a draft three-year action plan to foster the country’s cybersecurity industry, assessing the area might be worth more than 250 billion yuan (US$38.6 billion) by 2023.

The draft comes as Chinese authorities increase efforts to draft regulations to all the more likely oversee data storage, data transfer, and personal data privacy.

India has made it to the top 10 in Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020 by ITU, climbing 37 ranks to a position as the 10th best country on the planet on key cybersafety parameters. The certification by the UN body of India’s endeavors on cybersecurity comes only in front of the 6th anniversary of Digital India on July 1. India is arising as a worldwide IT superpower, affirming its digital impact with firm measures to defend data protection and the online rights of residents.

Singapore too is one of the best cyber secure countries with a low percentage of 14% of telnet attacks. The nation boasts a strong legal and technical power along with some effective cybersecurity strategies.

Other countries like Denmark, France, Spain, etc. are competing in this cybersecurity race and emerging as superpowers by leveraging cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence.

The post Which Country Leads the Cybersecurity Race? appeared first on Analytics Insight.

Analytics Insight analyses whether IoMT can protect healthcare systems from cyberattacks

The Internet of Medical Things or popularly known as IoMT is considered to be an amalgamation of medical devices and applications that are connected to multiple healthcare IT systems through networking technologies. Recently, IoMT is thriving in the healthcare systems due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The strict protocols have created an immense demand for IoMT in 2021. The global market size of IoMT in healthcare systems is expected to reach US$142.45 billion with a CAGR of 28.9% by 2026. The share prices of some popular MedTech companies are also rising because of the cutting-edge smart connected devices.

It is well-known that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a plethora of opportunities for cyberattacks in multiple industries due to data explosion and excessive use of connected devices. Malicious hackers have selected MedTech companies also to search for weak links and demand millions of dollars of ransomware. It is, indeed, creating a lot of pressure on MedTech companies to enhance cybersecurity against malicious cyberattacks. Connected devices are insecure by design and attract the eyes of cyber-criminals because these IoMT MedTech devices consist of sensitive data as well as patient’s safety concerns with medical records. There is a record of almost 237 data breaches with more than 10 crore healthcare data had been exposed in 2020.

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These internet-connected healthcare devices are being immensely used in hospitals and clinics to ease the regular check-up processes of patients. IoMT in connected devices has reduced unnecessary medical visits by connecting patients to their respective doctors during the mentioned appointment. It also helps to transfer confidential medical data over a secured network. Smart connected devices such as wearables or monitors are contributing to telemedicine. Wearables include activity trackers, bands, sports watches, smart belts, sport headsets, and neuromodulation devices. These are helping the elder generation in staying fit and healthy through constant monitoring and detection of any unusual activity. Multiple connected devices are produced by eminent MedTech companies and are prescribed to use by health authorities.

There are three in-home segments of connected devices— Personal Emergency Response Systems, Remote Patient Monitoring, and telehealth virtual visits. There are five community segments as mobility, emergency response intelligence, kiosks, point-of-care devices, and logistics whereas six in-hospital segments include asset management monitors, personnel management measures, patient flow management, inventory management, environment and multiple innovative devices through IoMT.

COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented risk on the healthcare system. The eminent MedTech companies consider that IoMT has increased the risk of cyberattacks in the MedTec industry as well as hospitals because enormous volumes of data are not available for hackers. The potential risk is much more high and complicated in IoMT connected devices than the classic machines. The involved risks are denial of services during emergency cases, blackmail with patient’s information, stolen patient’s medical records, malfunction leading to death as well as lateral access to other departments. The more unprotected IoMT connected devices, the more chance for cyberattacks.

This can be mentioned that IoMT itself cannot protect the healthcare systems from cyberattacks in 2021. It is high time for the healthcare system to understand that IoMT consists of some major vulnerabilities. Thus, the healthcare system can install some hi-tech cybersecurity measures into IoMT devices to protect confidential medical data from the hands of hackers— screen all traffic to constantly monitor regular activities as well as unusual activities, Cloud-driven network infrastructure, blend of automation with procedures, implementing the zero-trust approach and many more.

Thus, IoMT can protect our lives through connected devices but MedTech companies have to protect IoMT from malicious cyberattacks.

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In response to an ever more sophisticated and dangerous threat landscape, Dubai has become the first emirate in the UAE to apply standardized cybersecurity to industrial control systems (ICS). The move was in response to a decade-long series of cyber attacks targeted at various companies.

According to a representative of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), the new standards will lead to a safer, more secure country. For more details on this long-needed upgraded protection for the UAE industry, keep reading.

What is DESC?

DESC was created in 2014. Its reason for existence, as described by law, is to create strategies to repel cyber-crime targeted at governmental and quasi-governmental institutions in Dubai. The bottom line is to prevent death, destruction, and interruption to the economy. The stated goal of these efforts is “Establishing Dubai as a global leader in innovation, safety, and security.”

Some might feel compelled to point out that, as a Wikipedia-certified enemy of the internet, the UAE does not approach this topic with clean hands. Of course, we in the West need to be careful at any aspersions cast since both the UK and USA are members in “good” standing on the same list.

After seven years of watching various state actors and private entities take potshots at their industrial infrastructure with a variety of malware, the recent announcement about new ICS security standards serves to let the world know Dubai industry is now prepared to flex muscles in its own defense.

What is ICS?

Why the sudden focus on industrial controls? Well, it’s not really sudden. The process of developing and rolling out comprehensive responses to cyber-attacks, unfortunately, takes time. And after a series of high-profile attacks that began in 2012 and continue today, the emirate realized that it was only a matter of time until something went bad in a big way.

What exactly is the ICS? The term industrial control systems is a catch-all term used to refer to a variety of systems, networks, controls, and devices deployed to operate and automate industrial processes.

In the modern world, ICS is an integral part of the critical infrastructure in almost every industry, including transportation, water treatment, energy, and most manufacturing facilities. As with other OPEC members, the health of the UAE and Dubai’s economy goes hand-in-hand with oil production. It’s no surprise that saboteurs have focused their efforts in this direction over the years. A single successful large-scale attack would have devastating effects.

That’s why the DESC is focusing so intently on protecting ICS.

Rolling Out Solutions

Since ICS is non-existent in Dubai in the private sector, the new cybersecurity standards are targeted strictly at four government entities, in this case, airports, the national oil company, electric and water authorities, and the road/transport authority.

Surprisingly, most ICS software and hardware for these institutions are independent of the internet, which is likely the reason there have been no catastrophic security incidents to date. But the world is changing and the security challenges of digital transformation are unavoidable. The day is not far off when these entities will face even more online risk.

The reality is that it’s hard to stay offline completely in the modern world. That’s why DESC is taking proactive steps to guard against hackers at the gate. The new standards were developed by studying already existing guidelines like ISO 27001 for general information security standards and payment compliance guidelines like PCI DSS, which has increasingly been adopted to secure customer data by invoicing and payment platforms. Meetings to try and get ahead of any problems related to implementation will be held beginning in April and the new standard takes effect in November.

The five primary security threats addressed by the new standards are:

1. Phishing: This tried and true approach to tricking their way into a network through fake emails has gotten more sophisticated of late. Modern phishers use AI to recreate past successful breaches and even generate convincing voices to perpetrate phone scams. To keep pace, several enterprise-level virtual private networks have started combating phishing attacks by automatically detecting when you visit a malicious website – using AI.

2. Ransomware: Last year ransomware became a major player as hackers went after schools, colleges, hospitals, and even city governments. This is a brilliant move since these entities often pay the demand in order to keep public services functional. Expect the bad guys to continue this trend and likely up the ante. State and federal governments, consider yourself warned.

3. The IoT: The Internet of Things has brought a whole new level of connectivity to the world. The internet no longer includes only websites but now you have to consider the millions (billions?) of smart devices that have been added to the mix and – oh, by the way – created a pandemic of security issues along the way.

4. Inside threats: One of the biggest security threats to any organization comes from within. Some estimates say that as many as one-third of all breaches are a result of employee error or outright bad intentions.

5. AI hacking algorithms: Artificial intelligence advancements don’t just mean the good guys are getting smarter. It also means that bad guys now have algorithms that are learning to attack networks without guidance.

Hackers have already enjoyed success for many years when it comes to breaches and attacks that undermine the indicators that define small business profitability but have yet to fully master the kind of enterprise-scale ICS penetrations that could upset the larger economies of a nation or even the globe. Below are a few notable incidents that we’re unable to come to full fruition, though not for lack of effort.

A History of Threats

One of the earliest and continuing threats to Middle Eastern oil and gas production has come from Iran in the form of the Shamoon virus, versions 1, 2, and 3. Shamoon 1 annihilated several thousand computers at oil and gas refineries in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. A wave of similar attacks was carried out in 2016 and 2017 by the updated Shamoon 2, and again in 2018 with Shamoon 3.

The rogue code in an industrial virus known as Triton, deployed by hackers in 2017, sought to disable safety systems designed to prevent industrial accidents. Had this attack been carried out successfully, the end result could have been devastating explosions and loss of life. It was the first time that malware carried with it a threat to human life.

These are just a few examples of cyber-attack incidents that struck a little too close for comfort to the Dubai government, which decided it was time to act. Thus DESC was born.

The Bottom Line

Even though the United States has become energy (oil) independent in recent years, it doesn’t mean that attacks on Middle Eastern industry have no effect on the world. When Dubai takes concrete steps to fortify itself from enemies and hackers, it’s a good thing for everyone.

DESC is already consulting with other emirates in the UAE to bring their ICS up to specifications also. Though absolute security will never be achieved, the more people and organizations looking to thwart the bad guys, the better.

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