Almost every day we hear about new hacker attacks and vulnerabilities discovered in popular systems. And how much has been said about the fact that cyberattacks had a strong influence on the election results! And not only in Russia.
It seems obvious the need to take measures to protect our devices and Internet accounts. The problem is that until we become a victim of a cyber attack or face the consequences of a security breach, the existing threats seem abstract. And resources for the modernization of protection systems are allocated on a residual basis.
The problem is not low-skilled users. On the contrary, people have the knowledge and understanding of the need for protection against threats. But the priority of security tasks is often low. Cloud4Y will try on the Captain Evidence costume and will once again remind why digital security is important.
Ransomware Ransomware Trojans
At the beginning of 2017, many IT publications called ransomware Trojans one of the main cyber security threats of the year, and this forecast came true. In May 2017, a massive ransomware attack hit countless companies and individuals who were invited to “donate” to the attackers huge amounts of bitcoins in order to recover their own data.
Over the course of a couple of years, this type of malicious program has become very, very widespread. This kind of cyberattack worries many experts, because it can spread like a wildfire. As a result of the attack, files are blocked until a ransom is transferred (an average of $ 300), and even after that there is no guarantee of data recovery. Fear of suddenly becoming impoverished by a certain amount or even losing important commercial information will surely be a powerful incentive not to forget about security.
Finance Becomes Digital
Apparently, the idea with the transition of a significant part of society to cryptocurrency is pushed back, at least for a while. But this does not mean that our payment methods are not becoming more digital. Some use bitcoins for transactions. Others are switching to Apple Pay or its equivalents. Keep in mind the growing popularity of apps like SquareCash and Venmo.
Using all of these tools, we provide a variety of programs with access to our accounts, and the programs themselves are installed on several of our devices. Most of these applications have various digital security certificates, and this is another reason to be especially vigilant with the software, devices, and even
cloud providers . Negligence can make your financial information and accounts vulnerable. Follow the rule of separation of gadgets into personal and corporate, create a system for protecting employees and their workstations when accessing Internet resources, use other financial information protection systems.
Games are filled with money
Work with finances is increasingly affecting the gaming plane. How many of your friends increase the enjoyment of the game through small transactions? How often do you hear stories about how a child emptied a parent's wallet by buying a bunch of “necessary goodies” in an online game? Somehow quietly went through the stage when we just bought games and played them. Now people connect these games to bank cards and payment system accounts in order to be able to quickly make in-game purchases.
In some gaming areas, this has long been the norm. Moreover, on one of the sites dedicated to the review of casino games on mobile devices, it is explicitly stated that the use of their games and applications is unsafe, since there is a threat of theft of personal and financial data.
Currently, such a disclaimer is felt not only on casino platforms, but also in games in general. Thanks to mobile applications and console games, we often use bank accounts. This is another vulnerability that we hardly think about. It is important to make sure that the devices and programs that you use are as safe as possible.
Smart devices add new risks
This is a big topic that can be devoted to an entire article. The advent of smart devices that are constantly connected to the cloud can jeopardize all kinds of data. One
study that examined the most serious cybersecurity threats of the year indicated that internet-connected cars and medical devices are the two main risk areas.
This should give you some insight into the dangers of using smart technologies. Cases have already been recorded when hackers stopped smart cars on the road, and the idea of the misuse of smart medical devices can also scare. Smart devices are cool, but their insecurity is a serious problem that prevents the spread of such technologies.
Your digital signature may fall into the wrong hands
Many companies use electronic digital signatures to receive various government services and EDI. Many individuals also have ES. Someone needs it to work as an individual entrepreneur, someone needs it to solve everyday issues. But there are many hidden risks. To use an electronic signature, it is often necessary to use additional software that can introduce security risks, and the holder of an electronic signature requires special care and discipline when working with a signature.
The loss of the physical medium of the electronic signature can lead to tangible financial losses. Yes, even if you do not lose,
there are risks . Therefore, it is critically important to observe all safety precautions. Alas, practice shows that the banal rules "do not transfer your electronic signature to a third party" and "do not leave the electronic signature inserted in the computer" are almost not respected. Just because it is inconvenient.
Remember that the information security specialist is directly responsible for what is happening in the company. And he is obliged to make sure that the most reliable and safest of the available digital technology products are introduced and used in business processes. And if not, make every effort to increase the level of digital security. If the EP belongs to you, then treat it the same way as with your passport.
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