Cyber crime is likely to increase, despite the best efforts of government agencies and cyber security experts. Its growth is being driven by the expanding number of services available online and the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals who are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with security experts. With the right level of preparation and specialist external assistance, it is possible to control damages, and recover from a cyber breach and its consequences.
While security researchers and companies go through the collection of hacking tools contained in the data dump that the Shadow Brokers failed to sell, Symantec has tied hacking tools from WikiLeaks’ Vault 7 documents to “Longhorn,” a cyber espionage group whose activity they have been following for years. The encrypted file containing the data was already available for download, but the group has now released the key required to decrypt it. For those of you who lost track, Shadow Brokers is the name given by an individual or group that has claimed to have hacked the Equation Group – a threat actor that has been linked with the US National Security Agency – and has previously leaked exploits and hacking tools.
An app that lets Aga cooker owners remotely control their ovens could be hijacked by hackers, a cybersecurity researcher has claimed. Ken Munro of Pen Test Partners was thinking of upgrading his Aga when he found vulnerabilities in the apps used to control the newest models. It means ovens could be turned on or off, though not in a way that makes the cookers dangerous. Aga has said it has contacted the third party that provided the system.
A torrent file is being used to infect unsuspecting users with malware that conducts a distributed password attack against WordPress-powered websites. The dangers of torrenting are by no means new. In this particular campaign, a user searches to download a movie or software without paying for it. Their favorite search engine yields some relevant files. But the sites hosting them don’t have anything to do with seeding torrent files.
North Korea may have been behind last year’s $81 million heist at the Bangladesh central bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, according to new evidence.
How to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Information Technology Crimes
For detection and prevention, time is of the essence
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5 common symptoms of cyber crimes and their corresponding responses.
1. You try to log in to a website and cannot log in even though you know your username and password are correct.
Response: Give the website a few minutes and try to log in again. If you can log in, change your password immediately as a precaution. As always, be sure to use strong and unique passwords.
If you still are unable to log in, contact the service provider or website immediately. Most online providers provide some way to notify them that your account has been hacked through methods such as a phone number, online forms, or an email address.
2. A business or website announces their user accounts or passwords have been compromised.
Response: Change your username and password immediately. This is why using a unique password for all of your accounts is so important. If you did use this username and password for other accounts you will need to change each of these accounts as well.
3. Your computer is running programs you never installed.
Response: Make sure you are running the latest anti-virus software. Run a full scan and if the anti-virus finds any suspicious files follow the instructions to remove them.
4. You noticed unauthorized credit transactions on your statement.
Response: Contact the credit card provider immediately and ask to have this account cancelled. They should be willing to issue you another account and card for free. You will also need to discuss with them which transactions you did not make.
5. You receive a statement from your health insurance company with claims for treatments you did not receive.
Response: Call your insurance provider and explain you believe there has been some type of fraud with your account. Be patient because fraud cases can take a while to resolve.
Intrusions happen, threats emerge and your security operation needs to be at its peak efficiency. Anglo African solutions can quickly intercept threats and thus help in avoiding data breaches. For more information about cyber security kindly contact Anglo African on 2331636 or by e-mail at contact@infosystems.mu
