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Wi-Fi Security: The Threats We Face and How to Stay Safe Wi-Fi security is essential for businesses and individuals alike. Secure your Wi-Fi with the help of the tips given. Wi-Fi security can protect your business from breaches. Today, it is very easy to connect to the Internet. In fact, most of us are connected to the Internet at all times. We use mobile devices, personal computer systems, gaming systems, and even our cars to do so. While some of these systems use wires and others use proprietary communication methods, we shall focus on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi security issues. Many people lack awareness when it comes to Wi-Fi security which is why it is a topic that requires more consideration. As the number of devices connected to the Internet is constantly growing, it is essential to implement security strategies to minimise the risk of exploitation. Taking some precautions in the configuration and use of your devices can prevent malicious activities. Let’s dive right in. What is Wi-Fi and How Does it Work? Wi-Fi is a play on Hi-Fi or High Fidelity which is the quality of sound. Although it is not a direct pun as there is no quality of wirelessness, Wi-Fi is wireless and uses Radio Frequency instead of wires or fibre optics. A wireless or Wi-Fi network uses a radio frequency signal in lieu of wires to connect devices such as computers, printers and more to the Internet as well as to each other. Wi-Fi signals can be picked up by any device that has wireless capability within a certain distance in all directions. Simply put, it is a means for providing communication on a network wirelessly using Radio Frequencies. Data is passed and encoded as well as decoded using the 802.11 standards-compliant antennae and routers. Wi-Fi processes data in the Gigahertz range, which is the 2.4 and 5 GHz ranges as of now. So, contrary to wired networks, anyone can “touch” your communications media. This can lead to multiple security issues. What is Wi-Fi Security? Protecting devices and networks connected in a wireless environment is called Wi-Fi security. In the absence of Wi-Fi security, networking devices such as wireless access points or routers can be accessed by anyone using a computer or mobile device as long as they are in the range of the router’s wireless signal. In essence, Wi-Fi security is the act of barring unwanted users from accessing a particular wireless network. Moreover, Wi-Fi security, also called wireless security, tries to ensure that your data is only accessible to the users you authorise. Wi-Fi Security Protocols There are 4 main wireless or Wi-Fi security protocols. These protocols have been developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance which is an organisation that promotes wireless technologies and interoperability. This organisation introduced 3 of the protocols given below in the late 1990s. Since then, the protocols have been improved and have stronger encryption. The 4th protocol was released in 2018. Let’s have a look Wired Equivalent Privacy: was the first wireless security protocol. It used to be the standard method of providing wireless network security from the late 1990s to 2004. WEP was difficult to configure and used only basic (64- / 128-bit) encryption. This protocol is no longer considered secure. Weakness - There are many weaknesses in WEP such as key recovery attacks, initialization vector reuse, dictionary attacks, and fragmentation attacks. Due to this WEP is no longer considered to be secure and has been since replaced by WPA and WPA2. Wi-Fi Protected Access was developed in 2003. It delivers better and stronger (128-/256-bit) encryption compared to WEP by using a security protocol known as the Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). WPA and WPA2 are the most common protocols in use today. However, unlike WPA2, WPA is compatible with older software. Weakness - One weakness of WPA is that it uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol encryption algorithm which can be compromised by an attacker that can capture and analyse a large number of packets which will allow them to identify the key used to encrypt the packets. Another weakness is the pre-sharing of key for authentication. This means that the key must manually be entered into every device that connects to the wireless network which is inconvenient for users and can also create potential security vulnerabilities if the key is not managed properly. Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 This later version of WPA was developed in 2004. It is easier to configure and provides better network security compared to WPA by using a security protocol called the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Different versions of WPA2 protocol are available for individuals and enterprises. Weakness - WPA2 has the same weakness as WPA in that both of them use a pre-shared key for authentication. Other than that, WPA2 is vulnerable to certain kinds of attacks like dictionary attacks and brute force attacks, if a user uses a weak password for the pre-shared key. WPA2 is also susceptible to vulnerabilities in the underlying Wi-Fi standard such as the KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack which was discovered in 2017. Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 is a new generation of WPA that has been designed to deliver even simpler configuration and even stronger (192-/256–384-bit) encryption and security compared to its predecessors. It is meant to work across the latest Wi-Fi 6 networks. WPA3-Personal makes use of a 128-bit encryption key that is communicated to both the AP and the client before a wireless connection is established. It implements Forward Secrecy Protocol which improves key exchange and resists offline dictionary attacks. WPA3- Enterprise uses a 192-bit key-based encryption and also uses a 48-bit initialization vector that guarantees a minimum level of security. Weakness — WPA3 has the same weaknesses as WPA2 Wi-Fi Security Threats There are many threats to Wi-Fi security. Some of them are listed below: Tips for Wi-Fi Security Luckily, there are a number of things that you can do to reduce the risk of the Wi-Fi security threats listed above. The best time to start checking these to-do tips off your list is

A Quick Peek into the Terrifying World of UPI Frauds UPI frauds have grown exponentially in recent years. Take a look at how UPI fraud happens and the different varieties of UPI fraud. While the world moving online has led to great strides in improving our quality of life and making payments easier, it has also opened up new avenues for cyber fraud such as UPI scams. Although online payment systems have made cashless transactions very easy, they have also made us vulnerable and created new opportunities for online fraudsters. Today, all you need to send and receive money is a UPI ID and a pin. Sadly, UPI frauds are a common occurrence these days. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs data, there was a 15.3% rise in cyber fraud complaints between the first and second quarters of 2022. However, if we educate ourselves and remain vigilant, we can greatly reduce the risk of falling prey to UPI fraud. What is UPI and How Does it Work? UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is an instant payment system that has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It facilitates inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions. Users can make simple bank transactions with the help of a mobile platform using a UPI pin. UPI makes it very easy and quick to conduct mobile transactions with just one click by making use of a certified digital payment app like GooglePay or Paytm. Now, what is a UPI fraud? Well, any type of threat or malicious act that involves using UPI and fooling a victim into paying money or making a transaction is called a UPI fraud. How do Hackers Execute UPI Frauds? Hackers generally tend to follow a set pattern when it comes to phoney transactions and UPI fraud. Some of the steps are as follows: Common Types of UPI Frauds Let us now take a look at the different ways in which UPI scams and UPI frauds take place: Tips to Prevent UPI Fraud Here are some basic Dos and Don’ts that you can use to help yourself avoid UPI scams: Reach out to us today & let’s talk about how we can help you! Website: https://secureu.in | E-mail: contact-us@secureu.in | Contact us: Instagram, Twitter Youtube & LinkedIn

Why Companies Need to Promote Cybersecurity in the Workplace Cybersecurity in the Workplace is essential to keep companies secure. Leaders should promote cybersecurity in the workplace to avoid becoming victims of cyberattacks. For small businesses, moving online is the perfect way to develop their brand and help open up new opportunities for distributing their products and services. But going online also means that the company is now vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This is why owners need to consider creating robust cybersecurity policies in addition to creating a website and digital marketing strategies. This is where cybersecurity in the workplace comes in. Though cyberattacks are harmful to everyone, they are particularly detrimental and often, even deadly, for companies. When companies are attacked, they not only lose their own data, personal information, and money, but also their customers as well as their private data. This leads to a loss of reputation which cannot be mitigated. It is reported that up to 43% of all online cyberattacks target small businesses as they are less likely to have a good cybersecurity team on hand. Small businesses also tend to overlook the online security aspect of their business. The good news is that there are many cybersecurity firms like SECUREU that can help businesses minimise online risks and secure themselves regardless of the size of the company. What is Cybersecurity in the Workplace? Cybersecurity means protecting different electronic systems, networks, and data from unauthorised access or theft. This includes steps taken to prevent, detect, and respond to cyberattacks. Cybersecurity also relates to protecting against other risks such as data breaches, phishing scams, and malware. A company’s employees are its most valuable asset, and yet cybercriminals may see them as the path of least resistance into an organisation. Cybersecurity in the workplace intends to put a robust security education program in place to protect your employees — and by extension, your company — from falling prey to cyberattacks. Through cybersecurity in the workplace, you can protect your company’s sensitive information by ensuring that cybercriminals cannot get past your employee firewall. Importance of Cybersecurity in the Workplace? Cybersecurity awareness in the workplace is more important now than ever before. Although the idea of cyber threats leads to thoughts of hackers attacking an organisation’s systems or stealing data, the most significant weakness in workplaces happens to be the employees. 3 quarters of breaches happen due to human error or negligence which is why internal threats are often more important than peripheral peril. Negligence enables hackers to use the most rudimentary techniques to get access to confidential information, thus proving that workplaces have threats on the inside as well as the outside. Most organisations tend to forget that hackers do not generally target an organisation’s technology but rather the employees through phishing emails that look like normal business communications. The RSA Anti-Fraud Command Center has stated that there is a new phishing attack every 30 seconds. Organisational leadership and management now realise the importance of cybersecurity in an organisation and are coming to terms with the fact that their environment can only be secured by keeping cybersecurity in the workplace in mind. To truly stave off cyber threats, organisations need the participation and collaboration of each and every function and human resource regardless of their vocation or arrangement of employment. The 2018 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report showed that 4% of employees click on phishing links and thus introduce the workplace server to a severe risk. More often than not, organisations rely heavily on designated security staff to perform special security tasks which limits the other staff’s contribution to cybersecurity in the workplace. Cybersecurity in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility and emphasis on workplace cybersecurity culture is paramount. How to Improve Cybersecurity in the Workplace? To promote cybersecurity in the workplace, leaders need to remind employees that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. You can use the tips given below to help keep your workplace safe online and improve your organisation’s defence and minimise the risk of attack. Reach out to us today & let’s talk about how we can help you! Website: https://secureu.in | E-mail: contact-us@secureu.in | Contact us: Instagram, Twitter Youtube & LinkedIn

Network Security: One of the Most Important Aspects of Business Security Today’s network architecture is intricate and the environment is full of ever-changing threats with attackers constantly trying to find and exploit vulnerabilities. Many areas are prone to having vulnerabilities including devices, data, applications, users, and locations. This is the explicit reason why a vast number of network security tools and applications exist. These tools and applications help address individual threats and exploits along with regulatory non-compliance. A few minutes of downtime can greatly damage an organisation’s bottom line and reputation, this is why it is essential to make sure that network security measures are firmly in place. Enterprise networks are generally big and complex and rely on a number of connected endpoints. Although this is good for business operations and makes workflow easier to maintain, it even presents a security challenge. Flexibility of data transport in a network means that if a malicious actor gains access to your network, they can easily move around and cause a lot of damage without your knowledge. Such network security threats can make your organisation very vulnerable to data breaches. What is Network Security? Network security is a subset of cybersecurity. It is a group of technologies that protect the usability and integrity of a company’s infrastructure by warding off the entry or propagation of a wide variety of threats within a network. Network security architecture comprises tools that defend the network as well as the applications that run on it. Good network security strategies implement many lines of defence that can be scaled and also automated. Every defensive layer imposes security policies that are decided by the administrator. Network security protects your company’s network from falling prey to data breaches, intrusions, and other threats. It consists of both hardware and software solutions along with processes or rules and configurations related to network use, accessibility, and overall threat protection. Why is Network Security Important? Network security is a crucial aspect to take into consideration when you are working over the Internet, LAN, or another method, regardless of the size of your business. Although no network is secure against attacks, a stable and well-planned network security system is necessary for protecting client data. Efficient network security systems allow businesses to reduce the risk of becoming prey to data theft and sabotage. Network security can help protect workstations from harmful spyware and also ensure the security of shared data. Network security infrastructure provides multiple levels of protection to avoid man-in-middle attacks by dividing information into several parts, encrypting these parts, and transporting them via independent paths, thus preventing eavesdropping. Being connected to the Internet means that you may get a lot of traffic. Huge amounts of traffic can cause instability and lead to vulnerabilities in the system. Network security boosts the reliability of your network by preventing lags and downtimes through constant monitoring of any suspicious transactions that could sabotage the system. How Does Network Security Work? When addressing network security, there are many layers to consider across an organisation. Attacks can occur at any layer in the network security layers mode, thus hardware, software, and policies need to be architected to address each area. Network security generally consists of 3 types of controls: Physical, Technical, and Administrative. Let’s take a look at them: Network Security Risks Networks face many risks in the ever-changing digital world. Here are a few of them: What Are the Types of Network Security Solutions? Let’s take a look at some of the different ways that networks can be secured: How Does SECUREU Provide Network Security? SECUREU understands the need for secure and impenetrable networks which is why our team works very hard to ensure its safety. Let’s take a look at how we secure your network: The security of your network is one of our biggest priorities and responsibilities which is why you can rest assured when our team is working on securing your network. Reach out to us today & let’s talk about how we can help you! Website: https://secureu.in | E-mail: contact-us@secureu.in | Contact us: Instagram, Twitter Youtube & LinkedIn

Why is Security Important in Cloud Computing? To prepare for future success, businesses need to switch from on-premise hardware to the cloud to meet their computing needs. The cloud gives enterprises access to more applications while improving data accessibility to help teams collaborate better and provide easier content management. As organisations move toward their digital transformation strategy, they need to implement cloud security and integrate cloud-based tools and services into their infrastructure. Cloud security, also called cloud computing security, is a collection of procedures and technology that has been designed to tackle external as well as internal threats to business security. Digital transformation and cloud migration mean different things to different organisations, but both are driven by the same idea: a need for change. As enterprises get used to these concepts and head towards optimising their operational approach, many new challenges arise when they try to balance productivity levels and security. While new technologies enable organisations to advance their capabilities outside of on-premise infrastructure, transitioning to cloud-based environments can have severe adverse impacts if it is not done securely. Finding the right balance requires knowledge of how modern-day businesses can benefit from the use of cloud technologies while implementing the best cloud security practices. Why is Cloud Security Important? As most organisations are using cloud computing in one form or another these days, cloud computing security is critical to protect them. Gartner had predicted that the worldwide market for public cloud services would have grown by 23.1% in 2021 due to the high rate of adoption of public cloud services. While companies continue to migrate to the cloud, it is essential to understand the security requirements for data to remain safe. The responsibility of data asset security and accountability does not lie with third-party cloud computing providers who manage the infrastructure. Most cloud providers follow best security practices while proactively protecting the integrity of their servers. Yet, businesses need to make their own considerations when protecting data, applications, and workloads running on the cloud. As the digital world continues to evolve, security threats keep getting more advanced. Many of these threats target cloud computing providers because of an organisation’s lack of visibility in data access and movement. If organisations fail to take steps to improve their cloud computing security, they can face substantial governance and compliance risks while managing client information, irrespective of where it is stored. Regardless of the size of your business, cloud security is an important discussion that you need to have. Cloud infrastructure supports almost all facets of modern computing in all industries across multiple fields. Successful cloud adoption depends on putting satisfactory countermeasures in place to defend against cyberattacks. Irrespective of the type of cloud your company operates in, cloud security solutions and best practices are necessary to ensure business success and continuity. What is Meant by Cloud Security? Cloud computing security, or cloud security, is a set of policies, controls, procedures, and technologies that work in tandem to ensure the security of cloud-based systems, infrastructure, and data. These measures are designed to protect cloud data, support regulatory compliance and protect the privacy of customers. It also ensures user and device authentication, data and resource access control, and data privacy protection. Cloud computing security can protect a company’s data from distributed denial of service attacks, as well as malware, hackers, and unauthorised user access. Cloud security can be configured to meet the exact needs of the business. As these rules can be configured and managed in one place, administration overhead is reduced and IT teams can focus on other areas of business. The way cloud security is delivered depends on the individual cloud provider or the cloud security solutions in place. Implementation of cloud security processes is a joint responsibility, however, and should be taken care of by the business owner as well as the solution provider. What Are the Four Areas of Cloud Security? Cloud Security Risks Cloud computing security risks usually fall into one of the following categories: The aim of cloud security is to decrease the danger posed by these risks as much as possible. This is achieved by protecting data through encryption and other means, managing user authentication and access and remaining operational in the event of an attack. How Does SECUREU Provide Cloud Security? Cloud security is a concern for many businesses, which is why we at SECUREU aim to provide comprehensive cloud computing security solutions. Our experts analyse your cloud infrastructure and scan them to find security loopholes. Once vulnerabilities have been found, we monitor the system for other security events that may occur during the assessment. We ensure that all the IAM are set properly and no misconfigurations are present in the settings as well as in the cloud infrastructure. To make sure that your cloud infrastructure is as safe as possible, we check the requests coming to the cloud and ensure that it is not publicly accessible. Our team ensures that the sensitive data in your cloud cannot be leaked and that your business can operate without any hitches.

Android Penetration Testing: An Important Step to Protect Mobile Security Android applications are often chosen over desktop applications by users because of their ease of use and accessibility. Additionally, there are a wide variety of applications present for Android devices. If Android applications are not secured, they pose a serious threat to users and their privacy. Unsecured Android applications can result in major financial losses due to the openness of the android ecosystem. So, what can we do? How can Android applications be secured? Well, the answer lies in penetration testing. Android penetration testing, to be precise. Rigorous testing of Android applications through Android penetration testing is one of the best ways to ensure the security of your application and thus, ensure the security of your users. What is Android Penetration Testing? The process of finding security vulnerabilities in an Android application is known as Android Penetration Testing. It is an orderly approach where a penetration tester will attack an Android application using various methods and tools to find weaknesses in the application, and make sure it abides by security policies. Android Penetration Testing aims to find and fix vulnerabilities in Android applications before they can be exploited by cybercriminals. Security issues usually pertain to data theft, information leaks, etc. There are two types of Android Penetration Testing: static code analysis and dynamic code analysis. Let’s take a look at them. Static Code Analysis: This method involves investigating the code as a part of the development cycle for the application. The penetration tester attempts to find vulnerabilities during the implementation or design phase itself. White-box tests are conducted to find static code vulnerabilities such as SQL injection flaws, buffer overflow, etc. The issues found are fixed before the app is made available to the masses. In short, it is used to study an already packaged application and find code weaknesses without having direct access to the source code. Dynamic Code Analysis: This method involves testing the Android application when it is running or in its execution state. Both white-box and black-box testing can be used in dynamic code analysis. The advantages of this method are finding runtime errors like null pointers and buffer overflows, finding reflecting forms of dependency, and inspecting each polymorphic state of the application. To summarise, Dynamic Analysis is used to find ways to manipulate application data while the application is running. Why Do We Need Android Penetration Testing? As most modern android applications are used for commercial purposes, healthcare, banking, and more, these applications tend to hold sensitive information. Any security vulnerabilities need to be detected and fixed by penetration testers to mitigate security risks. ParkMobile is a company that created an app for cashless parking in the US. It is still battling a class action lawsuit from a 2021 mobile app data breach that affected 21 million users. The payment application, Klarna, had an application flaw that caused users to log into random accounts of other customers. This led to the exposure of private and sensitive information, including credit card information. New vulnerabilities surface every day and Android Penetration Testing is essential to avoid fraud attacks, data leaks, and more. It is necessary for companies that want to go live with new apps without having to worry about being attacked or having to face legal issues. You can also use Android Penetration testing to evaluate the developer team’s work and check the IT team’s response since tests can uncover vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in the back-end services used by the app. Top OWASP Mobile Risks The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Foundation gives security insights and recommendations for software security. The OWASP Mobile Top 10 list contains security vulnerabilities in mobile apps and provides the best practices to help remediate and reduce these security problems. It is a crucial list that can help prioritise security vulnerabilities in android applications and build good defences that can withstand static as well as dynamic attacks. Android Penetration testing can help mitigate these risks leading to the creation of secure apps that can withstand a wide range of cyberattacks. Android Penetration Testing is an important step in ensuring the safety of your users and their personal data. What are the Best Practices for Android Development? Android app developers need to face immense pressure to move faster to meet deadlines which may cause them to push security to the back burner. It is important to focus on security during the development of apps, however, and so here are 4 common areas of security failure that can be easily addressed: Open-Source Tools for Android Penetration Testing Android Penetration Testing has many challenges that are not generally found in standard web application and infrastructure tests. To overcome these, some great open-source mobile security testing tools are available. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Top 10 Best Cybersecurity Practices to Follow Each Day Do you leave your car unlocked after parking it? Or maybe you go to bed without locking your front door? You don’t, do you? Because, after all, it is much better to be safe than sorry. The same logic can be applied to your information, i.e. your private data. Your information can be shared across the Internet easily at the speed of light. In fact, someone halfway across the world can steal your data without batting an eye. The online world is a dangerous place that all of us must navigate. Poor security practices can put your data — and by extension, you — in the hands of some very shady people who will not hesitate to harm you. Be it managing a website or keeping your devices protected, safe security practices are an essential facet of life in the 21st century. It’s time to pay closer attention to what safe cybersecurity practices in the digital world mean to you. What is Cybersecurity and Why Does it Matter? Cybercrime cost the world $6 trillion in 2021, By 2025, this amount is expected to increase to $10.5 trillion. Though the Internet allows us to access a whole trove of information and resources, it also allows malicious entities to target us. And this goes far, far beyond getting spam emails that try to get your bank details from you. These days, cyber attacks cannot be thwarted simply by antivirus software or firewalls. This is why everyone needs to inculcate good cybersecurity practices in their daily digital behaviour. Cybersecurity is a set of processes, frameworks, and tools that have been created to protect devices, networks, data, and programs from hackers. Cybercrime is a problem that is relevant to all of us today and implementing good cybersecurity practices is an essential first step to take to avoid falling prey to cyberattacks. Why Do We Need Good Cybersecurity Practices in Daily Life? According to experts, 80% of cybercrime frauds occur due to a lack of good cybersecurity practices. In order to protect yourself from malicious actors, you need to know how to conduct yourself online in the digital space. You need to be aware of what good cybersecurity practices are and what actions make you unsafe and leave you open to being exploited. Not following the best cybersecurity practices can spell disaster for you. It is possible for your bank information to be stolen, or even your identity. Hackers may attempt to collect your private data and sell it. Some possible cybercrimes are To prevent yourself from being stuck in such a situation, we have compiled a list of 10 cybersecurity best practices to help you be safer as you navigate your way through the online world. Top 10 Good Cybersecurity Practices to Follow: Another good cybersecurity practice is to always download files and software from verified sources to avoid malware, virus, and hacker attacks. Avoid using peer-to-peer networks and remove file-sharing clients that are already installed on your devices. As most P2P applications have worldwide sharing turned on by default when you install them, you risk downloading viruses and other malware onto your systems which can lead to your personal information being leaked. What to Do After a Cyberattack? Despite following good cybersecurity practices, it is still possible to fall victim to a cyberattack. Immediately after a cyberattack, you may need to disconnect from the Internet, disable remote access, install any pending security updates or patches, and change passwords. After that, let the proper authorities know by reporting the incident. Contact banks, credit card companies, and other such financial services where you have accounts. You may need to place holds on accounts that have been attacked and report that someone may be impersonating you after stealing your identity. File a report with the local police so that there is an official record of the incident and report identity theft. You will have to contact additional agencies depending on what information was stolen. Following the best cybersecurity practices cannot guarantee that you will never be attacked, however, it reduces the probability of being attacked and can even thwart attacks in some cases. To ensure your online safety, make sure to follow these tips.

How Machine Learning Aids in Creating Secure Systems It may be a surprise for some to know that machine learning is used in cybersecurity, but there are many ways in which Machine Learning in cybersecurity can help create secure systems that can withstand a wide array of attacks. Let’s take a closer look at how machine learning can help cybersecurity. What is Machine Learning? You can define Machine Learning as a branch of Artificial intelligence (AI) that enables software applications to more accurately predict outcomes by using data and algorithms to imitate the way humans learn. An example of Machine Learning is image recognition. Using machine learning, a computer can recognise an object as a digital image, according to the intensity of the pixels in the image. Well, how does Machine Learning work? Machine Learning teaches computers to think the way humans do: by learning from past experiences. Machine Learning algorithms use historical data as input, explore it, and identify patterns in it to give an output that requires almost no human intervention. Nearly any task can be automated with Machine Learning. What are the Advantages of Machine Learning in Cybersecurity? Machine learning enables computers to review large amounts of data and find specific trends and patterns that may possibly be missed by a human. It can be leveraged to understand past cyber-attacks and develop more effective defence strategies and responses. Machine Learning can be used in many domains within cybersecurity to improve security processes, and help security experts quickly identify, prioritise, deal with, and rectify new attacks. As Machine Learning can automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, it can be used in cybersecurity to automate malware analysis, network log analysis, and even vulnerability assessments. Machine Learning algorithms can also be used in applications to detect attacks by analysing large data sets of security events and identifying patterns that show malicious activity. When similar events are noticed, they can be dealt with automatically by the trained ML model. Malicious emails can be identified with the use of the latest Machine Learning algorithm predictive URL classification models. Traditional phishing detection techniques lack the speed and accuracy that Machine Learning provides. How Can Machine Learning Help Cybersecurity? Having Machine Learning in cybersecurity is a good idea for a number of reasons. Using machine learning, cybersecurity systems can study patterns and use them in the prevention of attacks that are similar and respond to uncertain behaviour. It can aid cybersecurity teams in being proactive when it comes to preventing threats and responding to active attacks as they happen. Machine Learning in cybersecurity helps decrease the time spent performing routine tasks, thus allowing organisations to use their resources in more effective ways. Organisations are forced to regularly track and correlate a vast number of external and internal data points across their infrastructure and users. This volume of information simply cannot be managed with only a small group of people. This is where Machine Learning in cybersecurity can help. It can analyse huge amounts of data and recognise patterns and predict threats, all at machine speed. Some of the ways machine learning helps cybersecurity are listed below: The Future of Cybersecurity with Machine Learning Machine learning can help defend against the increasingly sophisticated attacks that hackers launch against corporate networks. Machine learning can be used in cybersecurity to respond to cyberattacks and defeat bad actors. A report by Capgemini Research Institute states that 61% of organisations say that they would not be able to detect critical threats without AI, whereas 69% believe that AI will be essential to respond to cyberattacks. The market of AI in cybersecurity is expected to grow to $46.3 billion by 2027. Machine learning technologies can help cybersecurity by detecting anomalies, predicting future data breaches, and even responding to them in real time. The uses of Machine Learning in cybersecurity are expected to improve with time. These technologies have already proven to be very useful in many cases like detecting fraud and scoring network risk. They are already being used to rapidly detect intrusions, identify suspicious behaviours, and also to detect malware. Limitations of Machine Learning in Cybersecurity: Machine Learning can make cybersecurity simple, proactive, cheap, and much more effective than it is right now. However, these things can only be achieved if the underlying data that the algorithms are trained on provide a full picture of the environment. Machine Learning and AI are completely dependent on the data that is provided to them. Thus, if the data is bad, the security provided by the Machine Learning algorithms will also be bad and ineffective. Machine learning is not risk-free. There may still be instances where security systems that employ machine learning may fail. However, the use of AI and Machine Learning in cybersecurity is expected to get much better with time. Reach out to us at SECUREU & let’s talk about how we can help you!contact-us@secureu.in | Website, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube

A Worm Named Stuxnet What Exactly Did Stuxnet Do? In December of 2012, a virus named Stuxnet crippled Iranian nuclear facilities. In development since at least 2005, this virus was discovered in 2010 and is a prime example of a virus whose threat extends far beyond the digital space. What is Stuxnet? Stuxnet is a very powerful computer worm that first appeared in 2010 and which also happens to be the biggest and most expensive of this type of malware. It is known to have exploited previously unknown Windows zero-day vulnerabilities to infect a target system and spread to other such systems. Stuxnet primarily attacked the centrifuges of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities. Since then, it has been modified by cyber attackers, and this mutation has allowed it to spread to other energy-producing and industrial facilities. The original Stuxnet attack was aimed at programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that are used to automate machine processes. Although no country has officially owned up to creating Stuxnet, it is largely believed to have been created by the US and Israel in a joint effort. Stuxnet garnered a lot of media attention after its discovery, as it is the first virus known to cripple hardware and cause physical destruction of devices that have been infected with it. Iran’s nuclear programme was greatly crippled by Stuxnet, and owing to its aggressive nature, this virus accidentally spread beyond Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, it did not do much damage to external devices outside of the actual target locations. How Does Stuxnet Work? Stuxnet is a very complex and intrusive piece of malware. It has been designed to only affect targets that have certain configurations and cause minimal damage to other systems and devices. The targeted nuclear facilities in Iran were isolated and air-gapped from the global network, and so Stuxnet was probably transmitted through USB sticks that were carried into these facilities by agents. Stuxnet has code for a man-in-the-middle attack that can fake sensor signals and prevent a target system from shutting down due to unusual behaviour. Stuxnet is also abnormally large and written in multiple programming languages, and spreads fast. Three systemic layers are targeted by Stuxnet: Windows OS, Siemens PCS 7, WinCC, and STEP7 industrial software apps Siemens S7 PLC Windows systems were infiltrated by Stuxnet by exploiting several zero-day vulnerabilities like remote code execution. It utilised enabled printer sharing or LNK/PIF vulnerability executing the file when it was viewed in Windows Explorer. This malware can gain access at the user level as well as the kernel level. The device drivers in Stuxnet are signed by two public certificates, which enables it to access kernel drivers without the knowledge of the user. Because of this, Stuxnet could remain undiscovered for a long time. Once it has infiltrated Windows systems, Stuxnet proceeds to infect files that belong to Siemens industrial software applications and interrupts their communications. It modifies the code on PLC devices too. Stuxnet instals malware blocks in PLC monitors and repeatedly changes the frequency of the system. It alters the operation of motors by changing the rotational speed. Stuxnet also has a rootkit that helps the worm hide from monitoring systems. What Did Stuxnet Do? Stuxnet is reported to have destroyed several centrifuges in Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility by making them burn out. Since then, Stuxnet has been modified by other malicious groups to make it capable of targeting facilities such as water treatment plants, gas lines, and power plants. Stuxnet is a multi-part worm that is believed to have travelled on USB drives and spread through systems running Windows. This virus scanned every infected computer for signs of Siemens Step 7 software. Siemens Step 7 software is used by industrial computers used as PLCs that automate and monitor electro-mechanical equipment. Once a PLC computer was found, Stuxnet updated its code over the Internet and started sending damaging instructions to the electro-mechanical equipment controlled by the affected system. Simultaneously, it also sent false feedback to the main controller so that anyone monitoring the equipment would not have any idea of an attack being underway until the equipment began to destroy itself. Stuxnet’s History Though it had been in development since 2005, Stuxnet was first identified and reported in 2010. The first known version of Stuxnet is Stuxnet 0.5 [McD13]. In January 2010, the inspectors who visited the Natanz uranium enrichment plant noted that its centrifuges were failing at an unusual rate. They were unable to detect the cause of this failure at the time. Another five months passed and researchers found malicious files in one of the systems. The worm started spreading around March 2010, but its first variant was found in 2009. On July 15, 2010, the worm became widely known because of a DDoS attack on an industrial systems security mailing list. This attack has interrupted a necessary source of information for power plants and factories. Stuxnet spread in two waves. The second wave was more visible and less targeted than the first. It was during the second wave that Stuxnet came to be known to the public, as it was more aggressive and widespread. This worm managed to infiltrate and infect more than 20,000 devices in 14 Iranian nuclear facilities and destroyed around 900 centrifuges. Although Stuxnet didn’t cause a lot of damage outside its target area, it provides an example for later malware that targets various infrastructures. Modified versions of Stuxnet target non-nuclear facilities as well. The Offsprings of Stuxnet Stuxnet had a massive influence on the development of future malware. While the creators of Stuxnet reportedly designed it to expire in June 2012, the legacy of Stuxnet survives in other malware based on the original code. The “offsprings” of Stuxnet are as follows: Duqu is a group of computer malware that also exploits zer0-day vulnerabilities in Windows. Based on the Stuxnet code, it was created to log keystrokes and collect data from industrial facilities, possibly to launch an attack later. It is very similar to Stuxnet and also targets Iranian nuclear entities. Like

A Quick glance at antivirus Antivirus software, as the name suggests, is a program that has been developed to combat the threats that viruses pose. These programs detect viruses and malicious software in the system and then try to remove them from the affected computer system. Antivirus software work as a type of preventative measure as well. So they not only remove a virus from a system but also attempt to stop viruses from affecting your system in the future. These days antivirus software is essential to having a secure and safe system. Let’s take a closer look at it. Virus and Malicious Software A virus is any type of unwanted program that enters a system without the knowledge of the user. It can self-replicate and spread. Viruses perform unwanted and malicious actions that harm a system by affecting its performance or affecting the user’s data and files. Malicious software, also known as malware, is code that has been created to harm computers and laptops and the data present on them. Devices can get infected with malware by accidentally downloading malware that is attached to an email, hidden on a flash drive, or even just by visiting a sketchy website. Once malware makes its way into your system, it can steal your data, encrypt it and make it inaccessible, or even completely erase it. How Does Antivirus Software Work? Antivirus software is specially designed to recognize and remove viruses and other malware from your system. They work by quarantining and/or deleting malicious code and preventing malware from causing damage to your device. These days, antivirus software updates itself automatically to provide better security against newer viruses and malware. Typically, when you install an antivirus on your system, it runs as a background process and scans computers, servers, and mobile devices to detect and inhibit the spread of malware. Many antiviruses include real-time threat detection and protection along with system scans that monitor device and file systems to look for potential risks or vulnerabilities. Basic Functions of Antivirus Software: Some antivirus software will notify users when an infection is detected and ask them if they want to clean the files while others perform this task automatically in the background. Generally, antivirus software must be given privileged access to the system to thoroughly scan the system. This means that antivirus software itself can often be a preferred target for attackers. Researchers have found that remote code execution and other serious vulnerabilities exist in antivirus software products in recent years. What Can Antivirus Software Protect Against? Antiviruses don’t just block viruses. Good antivirus software can help protect a system in the following ways: It should be noted that antivirus software is not only meant to protect systems from attacks carried out via the internet. Viruses can also spread through the use of portable storage devices. A person can plug one of these devices into a computer somewhere and then later bring it home and plug it into a computer with no online capacities and spread some sort of malware in this manner. Good antivirus software programs should come with recovery tools. No antivirus program is flawless and a recovery system will help users get rid of malware that has bypassed an antivirus program’s defenses. Which Antivirus Should I Use? In operating systems that run Windows and Apple computers, antivirus software is usually included for free. If you ensure that the built-in antivirus is switched on, your computer will immediately be safer. Often, new computers will come with a trial version of some antivirus product installed, such as Norton, or McAfee. You can use those but keep in mind that once the trial version expires, you will have to pay to continue using the antivirus. There are cases when attackers use free anti-virus to breach the system of unsuspecting users, so make sure you use reputed paid anti-virus. With so many products available in the market, you should conduct your research to find a product that best meets your requirements. Should I Use Antivirus Products On My Smartphone Or Tablet? If you only install apps and software from official stores such as Google Play or the Apple App store, you don’t need to install antivirus on your device. You should also set apps and even your device itself to update automatically to immediately get new security patches. Reach out to us at SECUREU & let’s talk about how we can help you! Website: https://secureu.in | E-mail: contact-us@secureu.in | Contact us: Telegram, Twitter Youtube & LinkedIn