Cyber Security

The Malicious Money Making Machine

November 6, 2014 — Leave a comment

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Is it worth it? This is a simple question we are very likely to ask the hackers all over the world. Is it worth of all the risk? Apparently, it obviously is. The recent Symantec findings in this field have shed some additional light on this matter. It turns out that hackers move in the quite usual business ways.

They are in the constant search for the profit itself. Now, prepare yourself for the huge surprise. One Android bot network, which has more than 100,000 mobile devices under its direct control, cumulates more than $3 million net profit per year. How about that for the ground shaking change?

Can you imagine what it can do with 10 or 100 million infected mobile phones? We are talking about millions and millions of dollars flowing like rivers in the cyber world. It seems that the hackers are more alike modern businessmen, than the traditional idealists and anarchists hoping to change the world itself.

We have identified the primary motive for the hacker’s actions. Now, all we have to do is to ruin their malicious business. How? In the first place, we should increase the costs associated with their businesses by improving our cyber security measures. To decrease its profitability, in order to increase our security.

Beware WoW, Here’s The Cyber Blow!

November 6, 2014 — Leave a comment

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What a bitter surprise. Is there nothing holy or sacred to the modern day hackers? They have dared to strike where it hurts the most. The very gaming world is under an attack, now. It turns out that the World of Warcraft players have to fight the most serious cyber enemy so far. The WoW Trojan has arrived.

This Trojan harvests all what is related to your WoW account in a smooth and undetectable way. In this game, there is no restart option. What is even worse, you cannot save your current position regarding your account and upload it later when it is more convenient for you. For instance, when this Trojan is long gone.

So, who is responsible to deal with this menace? The Blizzard or the players themselves? Here is a completely new level for you to play. It seems that we have to accept the fact that the hackers now move in the most unpredictable ways and in the most unusual cyber places, such as this one. Right?

Then, on the other hand, you simply cannot avoid asking yourself what is there for a hacker to gain from the gaming Trojan? Perhaps, this is our biggest trouble. We need to know what they are attacking in order to defend it properly, in the very first place. We definitely need some Cyber WarCraft warriors, that is for sure.

No Name Is (Never) To Blame?

November 4, 2014 — Leave a comment

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We are in the good mood today. We are not going to keep you waiting. Here it is straight to the point. Here is the catch. You have better chances to prevent a serious malware attack with a non name antivirus software solution, than with a well-known brand name in the world of the top cyber security.

How could that be? Are you surprised or shocked? Or maybe, a little bit of both. There is actually quite a simple solution for this unusual phenomena. The hackers are doing their best to avoid the most popular and widely used antivirus software on the market. There is nothing wrong with your protection.

However, the malware in this case is specially designed to overcome the most common protection systems. Now you get it. The so-called no name software is not necessarily better compared to the major brands in this field. Nevertheless, these no name guys are not so heavily exploited as their well-known counterparts.

It turns out that the less likely paradox we could possibly think of is our best available protection. Yet, this could be a nice indication in which direction we need to change. Both hackers and cyber guardians do their best to move in the most unpredictable ways. Think about it. You may find it being extremely useful.

Malware of Arabia

November 4, 2014 — Leave a comment

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For quite some time the Arabic IT infrastructure has been spared from the malware horror. The biggest obstacle for the malicious software was the language itself. Nevertheless, according to the recent findings of Symantec in this field it seems that the things are to change in this part of the world.

Nowadays, there is more than Malware Lawrence of Arabia roaming the cyber lands in search for new victims. In this sense, the hackers are truly embracing the United Colors of Benetton philosophy. They do not care about race, color or religion. All they care and want is profit, no more no less.

What they are willing to do in order to get it is a completely different thing. On the other hand, this does not have to be a necessarily bad thing, does it? It is about time for us to unite and fight the cyber menace together as we are supposed to do from the very first moment. Learn from your enemy.

This timeless saying can be traced back all the way to the Romans. If hackers can put their differences aside, why should we act differently? It is only a matter of time, before hackers reach every single corner of the globe, regardless of the language or cultural barriers. You have been warned, haven’t you?

Online Fraud A Story Untold

November 3, 2014 — Leave a comment

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Sometimes, a bad news can bring you good and unexpected results. According to the findings of one of the most recent surveys the online frauds in the UK alone cost more than £670 million. In other words, that is almost one billion dollars, give or take. Then, how come this can be a good news for us?

Well, it turns out that the strongest motivation for the most serious actions in the field of cyber security comes from our wallet, and not from our concerns. The more it costs, the more likely is that we will finally do something about it with the truly effective results. This is our point you should accept.

This is obviously a way we like to think. With no severe financial damages we do not bother even to blink. It is a paradox, but in order to improve our security, we can only wish for more devastating financial effects of the cyber attacks. That will teach us a lesson better than any cyber security course.

Finally, someone will realize that is better to invest one million in the proper IT security measures, than it is to lose one billion in the aftermath of a serious cyber attack. We do not wish for some bad cyber luck, we only want to do something about the timely, affordable and above all cyber security prevention.

Chloe’s Law

November 2, 2014 — Leave a comment

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Does it really have to be this way? Do we really have to suffer from something malicious in its nature, before we finally act in order to protect the future victims? Unfortunately, the cyber world follows the footsteps of the real world, it should not have. We had to see Chloe’s suffering in the cyber world, first.

And then, to do something about it in the real one. Now, you will think twice before you make any threats on Twitter or Facebook, or anywhere else on the Internet. Instead of six months you are very likely to spend up to two years for these cyber crimes in the UK. Even if no harm is to follow eventually.

Is this fair? If you are asking yourself this kind of a question, then Chloe a famous UK model who faced rape threats on Twitter can help you with that. The days when you could publish all kinds of things that come across your mind online are long gone. Every threat hurts, whether it is a real or cyber one in its nature.

We sure hope that one day we will be able to witness the namless laws, which will have nothing more than a series of simple meaningless letters and numbers. The day when we see that there are no names associated with the new laws will be the day when no victims will be required for their birth.

Cyber Ladies Will Save The World

November 1, 2014 — Leave a comment

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There is something that the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Microsoft itself know about the next cyber super weapon. Who could have thought that the solution to our cyber troubles comes on high fashion heels?

For what is worth, the growing number of female IT security experts is supposed to save the day. We are more than likely to expect an unprecedented demand for the new cyber security experts, especially the ones who prefer both top fashion and security codes. We have one more proof of our claims.

Microsoft has launched one of the biggest new talent program in India, with the special focus on young IT women. As a result, in the upcoming years Microsoft expects to build an army of one million IT ladies. No wonder, both the NPPD and the DHS share this enthusiasm for the new IT lady wave.

On the other side, we just cannot help ourselves wondering what could be the motivation for these unorthodox plans? It seems that women have some kind of a special cyber power, we are not quite aware about. Do not forget, one beautiful woman gave birth to the very first Trojan in our history.

Take My Life, But Don’t Take My Identity

October 30, 2014 — Leave a comment

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The findings of one of the most recent study about the worst fears among the Americans were at least to say shocking. It turns out that we are more afraid of an identity theft, than the massive shooting in our own neighborhood. In plain English, we are more afraid of loosing our identity, than loosing our own life.

How could this be? Is this a normal order of things? Well, if you have suddenly appeared from a time machine, this can be a huge surprise for you. We live in the cyber world, aren’t we? On the other hand, there is this question you simply cannot avoid asking when confronted with these findings.

What is a brief moment of death, compared to the endless life of misery caused by the loss of your identity, and its misuse? When you hear that so many people would rather give up their freedom, than spend a single day without a precious smartphone, then this is not such a big surprise at all.

The moral of this story just could not be more obvious, could it? We should not ask more of these questions we already know the answers to. No need to challenge the power of the cyber world. In a what if situation we are always to lose. Unless, we find a way to reach some kind of a harmony. A cyber harmony.

There’s No Such A Thing As A Free Malware

October 29, 2014 — Leave a comment

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If you think that the top malware solutions comes from the cyber kids, who are dying to prove themselves in the big and merciless world, then you have probably seen too many movies. There is an entire malware business industry, which is all about the Benjamins. There is no room for romanitsm among the cyber pirates.

One of the most brutal, but extremely lucrative malware schemes can earn you as much as $25,000 a day. This can be compared to the traffic of narcotics in the terms of financial efficiency. On the other side, in order to be successful you have to invest at least three million users on a daily basis.

The technicalities can be surprisingly simple. You steal the keys from someone’s home, and in exchange you can ask a ransom. Otherwise, your victim has no other choice than to ask for a new home. Translated in the cyber language, unless you pay a significant amount of money your data can be encrypted forever.

Therefore, it is the hackers’ way or the cyber highway. On the other hand, if this can be a comfort, the hackers are after the big lucrative fish. That means you can relax for a while. Unless, some cyber kid stumbles on you during his practice hours. Even the malware has its own price, which asks for a earning chance.

The CAID To Aid

October 27, 2014 — Leave a comment

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The UK National Child Abuse Image Database (CAID) is good to go. We can only say, finally someone has done his homework as it should. All of this time we were bitterly surprised to witness all over again how we try to fight untraditional menaces with the traditional means. It is supposed to be simple.

Fight the cyber disease with the cyber cure. This can be quite an educational story. Right? Can you imagine all cyber security experts working as one team? Can you imagine more of these databases with enough crime categories? How hard could it be? You can rest assured that the criminals play a different game.

Their favorite brand is definitely the United Colors of Benetton, for a good and obvious reason. We can learn from them. You can save the world with a single database. However, you can certainly change with the quite a few crimes related databases. The crime grows where it feels safe and strong enough.

The cyberspace should not be allowed to become or be one of these crime-friendly spaces. Yes, you can type and upload against the crime. The cyber warriors for a noble cause can make a difference. Our hats off to the UK cyber wizards, who are protecting the children in both real and virtual playgrounds.