Adapting to a Remote Workforce
The survey reveals a massive shift toward remote and homebased work environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While a majority of 63% of organizations had up to a quarter of employees working in remote/at home environments before the crisis, a whopping three quarters of the same organizations report that over 75% of their workforce is now working from home. A majority of organizations say they successfully expanded capacity to fully support the expanded workforce in seven days or less. While 79% of organizations believe they had adequate WFH security preparations, two-thirds of organizations in this survey are concerned with the security risks by users working from home. The top security controls in place to protect remote work/work from home are anti-virus/ anti-malware solutions, firewalls , virtual private networks and multi-factor authentication (User awareness ranks highest on the list of key security challenges facing organizations that are increasing their remote workforces. This is followed by accessing through home or unsecure public networks and the use of personal devices Malware, phishing, unauthorized user/device access, and unpatched systems were identified as top attack vectors due to employees working from home. Among applications contributing to productivity and collaboration, organizations have the most security concerns with file sharing, web applications,video conferencing and messaging A majority of confirm they enforce the same level of security controls for all roles that access remotelyNearly three-quarters of organizations allowed access from personal, unmanaged devices to support work from home, while at least 27% see this scenario as a significant security risk. A majority of 54% confirm that the COVID pandemic accelerated migration of workflows to cloudbased apps. Organizations are most concerned with protection of sensitive data, especially when accessed by unmanaged endpoints followed by added exposure to malware .Two-thirds of organizations see remote work environments having an impact on their compliance postureThirty-eight percent of organizations expressed they see higher productivity and other benefits from remote work. Only 16% see lower productivity. A majority of 84% of organizations consider it likely (44% very likely) that they will continue increased work from home capabilities in the future, taking advantage of increased productivity and other business benefits. A majority of organizations expect budgets for remote workforce security to increase over the next 12 months). For a quarter of respondents, these security budgets will stay flat and only see budgets shrinking. The study, titled Future of Secure Remote Work, aims to better understand the challenges that organizations faced in transitioning to remote work, while uncovering the state of their cybersecurity readiness, as well as the shifts in their priorities, policies, and investments as they prepare for a hybrid work environment that is likely here to stay.
Emerging 5G Application
5G is not just an evolutionary upgrade of the previous generation of cellular, but it is a revolutionary technology envisioned that will eliminate the bounds of access, bandwidth, performance, and latency limitations on connectivity worldwide. 5G has the potential to enable fundamentally new applications, industries, and business models and dramatically improve quality of life around the world via unprecedented use cases that require high data-rate instantaneous communications, low latency, and massive connectivity for new applications for mobile, eHealth, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, smart homes, and the IoT. 5G is about a new communication system that includes a mostly framework and an entirely new core network that aims to improve wireless connections worldwide. It also includes the concept of multiple access for connectivity technologies like satellites, wi-fi fixed-line and cellular/ With IoT-enabled devices in mind, 5G connects more devices at higher speeds and makes things like lag nearly non-existent. As a result, 5G creates an excellent user experience irrespective of what application, device or service you touch. technologies are characterized as a low-cost, low-power consumption solution. They thrive on deep and broad coverage indoors and outdoors. They deliver secure connectivity and authentication, are easy to deploy to any network topology and are designed for full scope scalability and capacity upgrades.Businesses, city developers and other industrial organizations can connect more devices with better capability for much less — all with the power of 5G adaptability at their fingertips. As proposed by the gsma mobile IoT refers specifically to cellular low-power wide-area technologies using licensed spectrum bands. Both 3GPP Narrowband IoT and Long-Term Evolution Machine-Type Communications technologies are integral to the new 5G era of smart communications. Cellular LPWA paves the path to 5G with undisrupted information flow. These 4G technologies are expected to continue under full support in 5G networks for many years and releases to come.3GPP technologies like 4G LTE and 5G help businesses expand the reach of their IT and OT networks across hard-to-reach areas and require both an easily scalable deployment strategy and architecture.Think of smart energy solutions in factory warehouses, where floor managers must remotely regulate power usage and environmental conditions for facilities and equipment across multiple sites for thousands of connected devices. IoT makes this possible with ease.Existing cellular networks are adapting to the growing need to service the many billions of new devices requiring connectivity solutions that make the grade primarily in business dimensions and technically.Enterprises deploying either NB-IoT or LTE-M are future-proofing their IoT projects. When 5G rollouts become commonplace, these two mobile IoT standards will continue integrating seamlessly into upcoming 5G releases. With 5G IoT, facilities will continue improving to send critical upgrades to entire networks without freezing functionality, halting operations or overloading servers.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Attacks
Cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, which are considered immutable. However, the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies has encouraged cybercriminals to find innovative ways to attack the underlying blockchain. One of these ways is 51% attack”, which has evolved in recent years and has been quite successful. Numerous 51% attacks have taken place in recent years. In August 2021, Bitcoin SV (BSV) slid about 5 per cent value after an attack. Another Bitcoin fork, Bitcoin Gold (BTG), suffered a 51% attack in 2019. Ethereum Classic (ETC), which forked from the original Ethereum blockchain after the infamous DAO hack of 2016, has seen 51% attacks several times. A hack in cryptocurrency can be many things. In simple words, if an attacker is able to exploit some area of a chain, smart contract, exchange or illegitimately withdraw cryptocurrency, it would be deemed as a hack or stealing. cryptocurrencies are encrypted using blockchain technology, which is a public ledger that helps verify and record transactions. Blockchain is constantly reviewed by a network of users, which makes it difficult to hack.When it comes to blockchains that use proof of work , 51% of attacks involve the attacker being able to gain control of more than 50 per cent of the hashing power. By doing so, he or she is able to manipulate the data in the blockchain,. it’s almost impossible to pull that off in established blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This phenomenon has been experienced by some small chains that are not really decentralised, he added.attacks help hackers use one digital token more than once by duplicating the file. 51% attack enables them to rewrite transaction history and carry out double spends. In a double spend, transactions are erased once the goods are received. This means that the tokens can be used again. Each crypto account is locked down by unbreakable cryptography and a private key — a string of letters and numbers — that serves as an identification code for each crypto account holder. But hackers have shown that blockchains are not immutable.poorly coded smart contract can be hacked by someone sending certain instructions to it. In short, the smart contract itself can be hacked, but not the blockchain.If hackers get access to a wallet, they will be able to crack the private key to the account, which is another way of crypto hacking.the data in the blockchain is immutable. Even in these hacks, the blockchain is mostly not compromised, he added.Many countries have deemed crypto hacking illegal. The most common types of crypto hacking are phishing and social engineering attacks. However, when it comes to 51% attacks, there are not many laws that prevent miners from taking control of more than 50 per cent of a network’s computing power.Though rare, more devastating attacks happen where smart contracts get hacked or exploited, giving the hacker access to large parts of a crypto company's accounts and systems, said Huobi Global. “They are able to steal crypto tokens worth millions at one go,” he added.However, hackings can be goodwill gestures, too. For example, when a hacker does it to point out a security vulnerability in a smart contract so that a spiteful person does not hack and steal the funds, causing losses to everyone.
Internet of Things (IoT) Attacks
Internet of Things is a catchall phrase for all the various internet-connected devices that are not traditional computers. This includes everything from fitness trackers and smart watches to smart refrigerators, headphones, cameras, washing machines, cars, traffic lights, airplane engines, and home security systems.As access to broadband Internet service grows and processors become more affordable, more and more gadgets with Wi-Fi capabilities are being created. Today there are billions of IoT devices in existence.this network of devices produces great benefits and convenience for users, but IoT devices can also be targeted by attackers as well as used to carry out cyber attacks. As with internet-connected computers, these devices are perfectly safe to use, but precautions should be taken to ensure they aren’t compromised.‘Internet of Things’ in, but developers have been playing with the idea of internet-connected devices since the early. In fact, the first IoT device was a modified soda machine made in that transmitted data about its inventory and the temperature of the drinks inside. This was a one-off prototype, and the widespread proliferation of IoT devices didn’t start for another 25 years. Two technologies helped pave the way for the mass manufacture of IoT devices: RFID tags and IPv6 IP addresses. RFID tags are small, lightweight electronic sensors that can transmit information without a power source, and they can be produced at very low cost. These tags can be as small as a grain of rice, and their use has been widely adopted in the industrial sector. RFID tags used in conjunction with IoT devices have been used to track inventory in a warehouse, parts on an assembly line, and even patients in a hospital. This practice has saved countless hours of labor. The industrial sector was also the first to use IoT-based security systems, incorporating devices like smart cameras and smart locks.the introduction of IPv6 addresses meant that the dwindling number of IP addresses for internet devices was a problem of the past, and helped open the floodgates for the mass production of consumer IoT devices. The ‘smart home’ concept has also been a major driving factor in bringing IoT devices to the hands of consumers, creating a heavy demand for things like smart home security systems, cameras, televisions, speakers (e.g. Google Home), lighting, and thermostats. the first one is the devices themselves. Devices with either a flawed or outdated design can present rich targets for attackers. In the past, device security was often an afterthought, so proper security didn’t get designed into the product. Newer devices with a proper security design can still have security bugs in their firmware, which requires that they be updated whenever these bugs are found. Applications and software present the third vector for IoT attacks.
Phishing Scams
Phishing is a type of online scam that targets consumers by sending them an e-mail that appears to be from a well-known source – an internet service provider, a bank, or a mortgage company, for example. It asks the consumer to provide personal identifying information. Then a scammer uses the information to open new accounts, or invade the consumer’s existing accounts. tech support scammers want you to believe you have a serious problem with your computer, like a virus. They want you to pay for tech support services you don't need, to fix a problem that doesn’t exist. They often ask you to pay by wiring money, putting money on a gift card, prepaid card or cash reload card, or using a money transfer app because they know those types of payments can be hard to reverse. Tech support scammers may try to lure you with a pop-up window that appears on your computer screen. It might look like an error message from your operating system or antivirus software, and it might use logos from trusted companies or websites. the message in the window warns of a security issue on your computer and tells you to call a phone number to get help. Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. But there are several things you can do to protect yourself. Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. They may try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful. Scammers often update their tactics, but there are some signs that will help you recognize a phishing email or text message. Phishing emails and text messages may look like they’re from a company you know or trust. They may look like they’re from a bank, a credit card company, a social networking site, an online payment website or app, or an online store. The email looks like it’s from a company you may know and trust: Netflix. It even uses a Netflix logo and header. protect your mobile phone by setting software to update automatically. These updates could give you critical protection against security threats. the email says your account is on hold because of a billing problem. The email has a generic greeting, “Hi Dear.” If you have an account with the business, it probably wouldn’t use a generic greeting like this. The email invites you to click on a link to update your payment details. While, at a glance, this email might look real, it’s not. The scammers who send emails like this one do not have anything to do with the companies they pretend to be. Phishing emails can have real consequences for people who give scammers their information. And they can harm the reputation of the companies they’re spoofing. Your email spam filters may keep many phishing emails out of your inbox. But scammers are always trying to outsmart spam filters, so it’s a good idea to add extra layers of protection. Multi-factor authentication makes it harder for scammers to log in to your accounts if they do get your username and password.
Enquire Now
