Category: cyber security

Trusteer Rapport

Trusteer Rapport is a free security tool that’s often promoted by banks for online banking.

It’s advertised as an additional layer of security over and above anti-virus software. It is designed to protect confidential data, such as account credentials, from being stolen by malicious software (malware) or by phishing.

The software includes anti-phishing measures to protect against misdirection and attempts to prevent malicious screen scraping; it attempts to protect users against the attacks know as:- man-in-the-browser, man-in-the-middle, session hijacking and screen capturing.

Trusteer Rapport is installed as a browser extension.

This all sounds very good, but there are reviews on the Internet suggesting that Trusteer can cause computers to run very slowly, cause conflicts with your already installed anti-virus software and cause browser crashes.

Various financial institutions have been distributing the software to their customers via internet banking services.

This has included:- Bank of America, Société Générale,Tangerine, INGDirect, HSBC,The Royal Bank of Scotland, CIBC, Ulster Bank, First Direct, Santander, Standard Bank of South Africa, Nedbank, Scotiabank and more.

It is usually good advice to follow your banks recommendations, but do be careful if you install Trusteer and report any problems immediately to your bank. .

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The New Breed of Computer Takeover Compensation Scam

A computer takeover scam has been doing the rounds for years now, where a scammer will call, claiming to be from Microsoft or Virgin or

BT or a similarly well-known company, saying that your computer has been hit with a virus and that they can remove it for you remotely. When you let them take over your computer, they then try to take as much personal information as possible (logins, password, card payment details etc.) in order to steal your identity or steal from your accounts.  

However, according to Financial Fraud Action (FFA) UK, scammers are branching out by impersonating other firms or organisations, and offering to help with a slow computer or internet connection, or even claiming your information has been hacked and you are due compensation.

The Scam

Once the victim has handed over remote control of their computer, the fraudster will tell the victim that they may be entitled to compensation, or put them through to a supervisor who will appear to make an offer of compensation.

The scammer will say that they are sending the money and ask the victim to log into their bank account to check that it has arrived.

But the fraudsters will put up a fake screen to make it appear that the money has arrived. Meanwhile they will be working away in the background to empty your bank account.

They may ask for a bank passcode to be sent by text, which they will claim is necessary in order to process the refund. In reality, they need this to set themselves up as a new payee from your bank account and take your money.

How to Protect Yourself

The FFA recommends following these steps to ensure you aren’t duped by this version of the scam:

  • be wary of any unsolicited approaches by phone offering compensation
  • do not let someone you do not know have access to your computer, especially remotely
  • do not log onto your bank account while someone else has control of your computer
  • do not share one-time passcodes or card reader codes with anyone
  • do not share your Pin or online banking password, even by tapping them into a telephone keypad.

If you are in doubt, then call the organisation back on a number you trust; if they are legitimate they will help.

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Ticketmaster Data Breach Failings

Ticketmaster is a well-known global ticket selling business and they suffered a data breach starting in February 2018 and continuing through to late June.

A piece of malware on a customer service system operated by a third party had been exporting customer data to a scammer and Ticketmaster claim to have known nothing about this until June 23rd.

However, Digital bank Monzo did spot in April that customers’ cards were being compromised and warned Ticketmaster but “couldn’t get any traction” out of the company.

Monzo contacted all of its customers who had ever dealt with Ticketmaster – about 5,000 – and replaced their cards.

It also told banks that are part of the UK Finance group in April that it was aware of what appeared to be a significant data breach at Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster say they investigated at the time but found no problem. The fault was in third party software not Ticketmaster’s own software, but that doesn’t excuse their apparent lack of responsibility for their customers who were being compromised.

Ticketmaster eventually realised there was a serious problem and said customers who bought concert, theatre and sporting event tickets between February and 23 June 2018 may have been affected by the incident, which involved malicious software being used to steal people’s names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, payment details and Ticketmaster login details.

The breach also affects customers of two other UK websites owned by Ticketmaster: TicketWeb and the resale website Get Me In!

Ticketmaster claims that the data for less than 40,000 people was affected.

Ticketmaster could face questions over whether there was a delay in disclosing the breach after it emerged that some UK banks had known about the incident since early April.

Ticketmaster has subsequently warned customers: “We recommend that you monitor your account statements for evidence of fraud or identity theft.

Ticketmaster said it was offering affected customers a free 12-month identity monitoring service. There is a dedicated website at security.ticketmaster.co.uk, and customers can also email [email protected] for further information or to register their concern.

Companies need to protect their customer’s data, but also how they deal with such problems when they occur,  can affect the outcome as much as the details of the actual problem. Ticketmaster have not come out of this very well.

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The Impact of Cyber Attacks on Business

The impact of cyber-attacks can be bruising for a business with both short and long term effects to consider.

A 2016 survey of 428 businesses that have suffered cyber-attacks in the previous months.

You can see from the statistics above for 2016, that the biggest impact reported by businesses that have suffered from cyber-attacks is the provision of new measures to prevent further attacks. This can be costly but is essential to protect against further attacks.

There are the short term issues:-

  • Bringing in expert technical staff to find out how the attack happened
  • Technical expertise needed to start to build defences against further such attacks
  • Extra staff to deal with recovery, communications with customers, legal ramifications etc.
  • Disruption to staff and service to customers

Then there are the long term effects:-

  • Reputation damage
  • Steps needed to restore reputation and customer confidence
  • Share price

It is better to build strong defences against cyber-attacks than simply trust to luck.

It is prudent to have plans in place for how to deal with such attacks as the FBI now say that it’s not a question of whether any organisation will be attacked, but simply when.

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UK Government Cyber Essentials Scheme

https://www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk/

The government says Cyber Essentials helps your business to guard against the most common cyber threats and demonstrate your commitment to cyber security

Self-Help for Cyber Essentials

The guide explains how to:

  • Secure your Internet connection
  • Secure your devices and software
  • Control access to your data and services
  • Protect from viruses and other malware
  • Keep your devices and software up to date

The Three levels of Engagement

Not everyone has the time or resources needed to develop a full-on cyber security system. So Cyber Essentials has been designed to fit with whatever level of commitment you are able to sustain. There are three levels of engagement:

  1. The simplest is to familiarise yourself with cyber security terminology, gaining enough knowledge to begin securing your IT.
  2. Basic Cyber Essentials certification.
  3. Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

1.     Self Help

The self-assessment option gives you protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber attacks. This is important because vulnerability to simple attacks can mark you out as target for more in-depth unwanted attention from cyber criminals and others.

2.     Certified Cyber Security

Cyber Essentials Certificate £300 approx. (+VAT)

Certification gives you peace of mind that your defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

In the process of obtaining Cyber Essentials Certification is simple, you can opt to buy as much or as little help as you need from the company you choose to certify you.

Cyber Essentials shows you how to address those basics and prevent the most common attacks.

  • Reassure customers that you are working to secure your IT against cyber attack
  • Attract new business with the promise you have cyber security measures in place
  • You have a clear picture of your organisation’s cyber security level
  • Some Government contracts require Cyber Essentials certification

3.     Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate

The cost for this is only available on application.

It has all the benefits of Cyber Essentials PLUS your cyber security is verified by independent experts.

Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. The advice is designed to prevent these attacks.

Cyber Essentials Plus still has the Cyber Essentials trademark simplicity of approach, and the protections you need to put in place are the same, but this time the verification of your cyber security is carried out independently by your Certification Body.

The more rigorous nature of the certification may mean you need to buy additional support from your Certification Body.

Cyber Essentials and Government Contracts

If you would like to bid for central government contracts which involve handling sensitive and personal information or the provision of certain technical products and services, you will require Cyber Essentials Certification.

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UK Government Cyber Essentials 10 Step Plan

 

This is a summary of the UK Government 10 step plan for Cyber Essentials, which is designed for organisations looking to protect themselves in cyberspace.

1.     Risk Management

Embed an appropriate risk management regime across the organisation. This should be supported by an empowered governance structure, which is actively supported by the board and senior managers. These should aim to ensure that all employees, contractors and suppliers are aware of the approach, how decisions are made, and any applicable risk boundaries.

2.     Secure Configuration

Identify baseline technology builds and processes for ensuring configuration management can greatly improve the security of systems. Develop a strategy to remove or disable unnecessary functionality from systems, and to quickly fix known vulnerabilities.

3.     Network Security

The connections from your networks to the Internet, and other partner networks, expose your systems and technologies to attack. By creating and implementing some simple policies and appropriate architectural and technical responses, you can reduce the chances of these attacks succeeding. Your organisation’s networks may use of mobile or remote working, and cloud services, makes defining a fixed network boundary difficult.

4.     Managing User Privileges

All users should be provided with a reasonable (but minimal) level of system privileges and rights needed for their role. The granting of highly elevated system privileges should be carefully controlled and managed.

5.     User Education and Awareness

It’s important that security rules and the technology provided enable users to do their job as well as help keep the organisation secure. This can be supported by a systematic delivery of awareness programmes and training that deliver security expertise as well as helping to establish a security-conscious culture.

6.     Incident Management

Invest in establishing effective incident management policies and processes to help to improve resilience, support business continuity, improve customer and stakeholder confidence and potentially reduce any impact.

7.     Malware Prevention

Malicious software, or malware is an umbrella term to cover any code or content that could have a malicious, undesirable impact on systems. The risk may be reduced by developing and implementing appropriate anti-malware policies as part of an overall ‘defence in depth’ approach.

8.     Monitoring

System monitoring provides a capability that aims to detect actual or attempted attacks on systems and business services. Monitoring allows you to ensure that systems are being used appropriately in accordance with organisational policies.

9.     Removable Media Controls

Removable media provide a common route for the introduction of malware and the accidental or deliberate export of sensitive data. You should be clear about the business need to use removable media and apply appropriate security controls to its use.

10.Home and Mobile Working

Mobile working and remote system access offers great benefits, but exposes new risks that need to be managed. You should establish risk based policies and procedures that support mobile working or remote access to systems that are applicable to users, as well as service providers.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/10-steps-cyber-security has further information.

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