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Suraya Casey

Suraya Casey is a freelance writer, editor and content strategist based in New Zealand. Her interests include cybersecurity, technology, climate, transport, healthcare and accessibility.

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Four ways to prepare your business to secure AI and interconnected technologies

  • Digital transformation
  • min read
    • Of all business investments today, interconnected technologies – the growing network of devices, systems and applications connected to the internet and to each other – are the most vital and challenging. From artificial intelligence (AI) to data spaces to internet of things (IoT,) interconnected tech is letting enterprises gather more data, automate processes and make better decisions. While this 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' is propelling change in every industry, it also brings new risks and challenges in securing enterprises and safeguarding customers. Kaspersky's new research aims to help businesses stay ahead of the changes interconnected technologies bring, published in this 2024 report, Connecting the future of business: How leaders should prepare for using and securing AI and interconnected technologies. About our interconnected tech research Kaspersky surveyed 560 IT security leaders in six regions – North America (US,) Latin America (LATAM: Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Mexico,) Europe (Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland,) Middle East and Africa (META: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and United Arab Emirates,) Russia and Asia-Pacific (APAC: China, India and Indonesia.) Respondents were either aware of or involved in cybersecurity decisions about interconnected technologies. They worked in organizations with at least 1,000 employees across many sectors. We asked how they're introducing and securing AI, web 3.0, data spaces, digital twins, augmented reality (AR,) virtual reality (VR,) 6G and internet of things (IoT.) Four interconnected tech preparation strategies With the scale of change these new technologies will likely bring, organizations must have strategies to prepare to adopt and secure interconnected tech. We found organizations that felt ready to secure interconnected tech tended to adopt four strategies: Embracing security by design principles, training and upskilling their workforce, upgrading their cybersecurity solutions and striving to meet regulation and standards. Here's a little more on each strategy. 1.    Adopting security by design principles Integrating cybersecurity into each stage of the software development lifecycle makes secure-by-design software and hardware more resilient to cyberattacks. Our research found leaders focused on integrating cybersecurity into development processes – dubbed Security by Design Promoters – were also better prepared to secure interconnected technologies. 50 percent of Security by Design Promoters felt prepared to secure interconnected tech, compared with 26 percent of the rest. Leadership teams can start promoting security by design by asking where in their design processes cybersecurity expertise is usually first involved. They may also play a role in ensuring budget for security testing during design. 2.   Training and upskilling your workforce With the right cybersecurity education, staff can be a formidable line of defense against cyberattacks. Building a cyberaware culture requires a strategy that empowers employees to gain knowledge and put it into practice. Our research found Training and Upskilling Promoters – organizations prioritizing training and upskilling their people – were better prepared to secure interconnected tech. 55 percent of Training and Upskilling Promoters felt prepared to secure interconnected tech, compared with 25 percent of the rest. Leaders we surveyed shared cybersecurity education approaches that worked well. They favored regular programs covering topics like cybersecurity policies and common cyberthreats, phishing simulations to identify further training needs and awareness campaigns sharing best practice and real-world cyber incident examples. Leaders also emphasized user-friendly security policies, greater collaboration with the IT and security teams and demonstrating good cybersecurity practice from the top. Leadership teams can support training and upskilling the workforce by asking how often employees receive cybersecurity training and how the organization measures their understanding. 3.   Upgrading cybersecurity solutions More devices connecting to the internet means more ways to attack. As businesses adopt these technologies, they need more advanced cybersecurity solutions, such as those with enhanced access controls, encryption and regulatory compliance. Our research found Advanced Cybersecurity Adopters — organizations focused on upgrading cybersecurity solutions — are better prepared to secure interconnected tech. 55 percent of Advanced Cybersecurity Adopters felt prepared to secure interconnected tech, compared with 22 percent of the rest. Advanced cybersecurity solutions let your business adapt to evolving threats, meet new regulation and protect critical data. The leadership team should ask what the organization knows about threats that suggest upgrading cybersecurity solutions, how to minimize the impact of upgrading solutions on workflows and how to ensure employees can use the upgraded tools effectively. 4.   Meeting regulation and standards To avoid legal problems or reputation damage, your cybersecurity practice must meet changing standards and legal requirements. Our research found organizations prioritizing meeting new regulation and standards — Regulation Promoters — are better prepared to secure interconnected tech. 40 percent of Regulation Promoters felt prepared to secure interconnected tech, compared with 27 percent of the rest. To better meet regulation and standards, leadership teams can ask if the organization already meets all security regulation and standards, and if not, which to prioritize. You might also look at how to use cybersecurity compliance processes to build customer's digital trust. Interconnected technologies bring huge business opportunities but also a new era of vulnerability to serious cyberthreats. With more data collected and transmitted, cybersecurity measures must get stronger. Organizations can use these four strategies to safeguard critical assets and fortify customer trust amid a growing interconnected landscape. Leaders must also resource cybersecurity well enough to enable access to new cybersecurity solutions that can meet interconnected tech's oncoming challenges.
interconnected technologies ai, occupation, professionals, people wearing helmets, industrial

The next big business challenge: How organizations are preparing to secure AI

  • Data and privacy
  • min read
    • Of all investments today, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming enterprises, enabling them to provide improved services, automate processes and make better decisions. Business leaders must invest in the right tech at the right time, and have the people and systems in place that can guarantee success. AI will change most industries but also brings new risks and challenges in securing enterprises and safeguarding customers. Kaspersky's new research aims to help businesses stay ahead of the changes AI brings, published in this 2024 report, Connecting the future of business: How leaders should prepare for using and securing AI and interconnected technologies. About the interconnected tech research Kaspersky surveyed 560 IT security leaders in six regions – North America (US,) Latin America (LATAM: Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Mexico,) Europe (Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland,) Middle East and Africa (META: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and United Arab Emirates,) Russia and Asia-Pacific (APAC: China, India and Indonesia.) Respondents were either aware of or involved in cybersecurity decisions about interconnected tech such as AI, web 3.0, data spaces, digital twins, augmented reality (AR,) virtual reality (VR,) 6G and internet of things (IoT.) They worked in organizations with at least 1,000 employees across many sectors. Kaspersky asked how they're introducing and securing AI and other interconnected technologies. Here's what the research revealed. AI is organizations' significant focus for the next two years AI is becoming a cornerstone for organizations striving to stay ahead thanks to its ability to foster innovation. In cybersecurity, AI offers predictive analytics and greater adaptability. Goldman Sachs says global investment in AI will reach 200 billion US dollars by 2025. AI is more than a technology. It's a strategy that lets organizations navigate today's complex business environment. AI adoption Nearly all organizations surveyed have already adopted (54 percent) or plan to adopt AI within two years (33 percent.) Respondents see Generative AI (GenAI) as valuable for improving security technologies' performance. Goldman Sachs economists Joseph Briggs and Devesh Kodnani say GenAI could boost global labor productivity by more than one percentage point yearly once its use becomes widespread. IT companies worldwide are upskilling their workforce and undertaking GenAI pilots to avoid falling behind. IT giants Accenture pledged three billion US dollars to data and AI investment, while French tech firm Capgemini is putting two billion Euros towards GenAI over the next three years. Securing AI 49 percent of organizations said they were extremely well, or well prepared, to secure AI. Almost 50 percent think AI is slightly or not at all hard to secure. Compared with securing other interconnected technologies, most organizations felt more prepared to secure AI. In responding to Kaspersky's survey, the head of cybersecurity at a Brazilian bank said, "I mostly don't find security problems with GenAI. We already understand how to run and train it." While many organizations feel confident in their ability to secure AI, a little over half felt less than well-prepared to secure AI. These businesses need to do more to prepare for the inevitable scale-up of AI-based technologies. AI makes digital trust and data compliance indispensable AI introduces new challenges and complexities in protecting sensitive data and maintaining digital trust. Digital trust is an aspect of customer trust. In Kaspersky podcast Insight Story, emerging tech security expert Malek Ben Salem described digital trust as, "Our confidence that our privacy is protected and secured, the reliability of digital transactions and how sure we are of the identities of those we engage with." Tech researchers McKinsey's 2022 Digital Trust report said 70 percent of people trust companies to protect their privacy, but most companies aren't meeting their expectations. Data breaches, unauthorized access and privacy violations can erode digital trust and lead to reputation damage, lost business and regulatory consequences. Building digital trust takes time but is essential to users' confidence in AI. How AI impacts digital trust AI lets organizations collect and store more data about customers, operations and interactions. This wealth of data helps gain insight but also means more risk of breaches. AI facilitates sharing data between devices, networks and organizations. Data sharing aids collaboration, efficiency and innovation but also means more opportunities for unauthorized access. As it is relatively new, organizations may struggle to be clear about their practices and security around AI. Without clear communication, trust may break down. Top ways organizations are improving digital trust and compliance Adopting zero-trust frameworks is organizations' top response to the need to improve digital trust, with 81 percent already using or planning to adopt zero-trust within two years. Other actions include pursuing data privacy and cyber resilience regulations (74 percent) and digital sovereignty initiatives (73 percent.) Kaspersky's research found companies introducing zero-trust frameworks are better prepared to secure AI and other interconnected technologies: 51 percent of zero-trust framework early adopters said they were extremely well-prepared or well-prepared to secure these technologies, compared with just 27 percent of the rest. The zero-trust canvas: Painting the future of cybersecurity The rise of AI is opening the door for organizations to break with all traditions that don't work for today's tech realities. Traditional cybersecurity is vulnerable to insider attack because it relies on trusting those within a network's perimeter while viewing outsiders as suspicious. Enter: Zero-trust frameworks. The head of IT at cloud provider Searce said, "The zero-trust security model is the only framework that works. The traditional security model can't do the job, especially for interconnected technologies." Under zero-trust frameworks, every user and device must undergo continuous multi-factor authentication (MFA) and authorization, regardless of their trust level. Users and devices get the minimum access needed for their tasks, with constant monitoring of user activity, device behavior and network traffic. Regulation and compliance With each territory having different data protection and privacy legislation, global organizations find it hard to achieve consistent standards around AI. 62 percent of leaders find compliance certification hard. They want to see standardized compliance processes across regulations and say online tools and platforms, with clear guidelines, would further simplify certification. Handling growing challenges and preparing to secure AI With the scale of change AI will likely bring, organizations must have a strategy to prepare themselves to adopt and secure it. Kaspersky research uncovered four effective strategies to ensure readiness to secure AI and other interconnected technologies: Adopting security by design principles, training and upskilling your workforce, upgrading your cybersecurity solutions and meeting regulation and standards. The full report, Connecting the future of business, details each strategy. Interconnected technologies like AI bring huge business opportunities but also a new era of vulnerability to serious cyberthreats. With more data collected and transmitted, cybersecurity measures must get stronger. Organizations can use effective strategies to safeguard critical assets and fortify customer trust amid a growing interconnected landscape. Leaders must also resource cybersecurity well enough to enable access to improved cybersecurity solutions that can meet oncoming challenges.
ransomware brazil, computer screen with code

The day ransomware nearly stole thousands of young people’s data in São Paulo

  • Data and privacy
  • min read
    • There's an awesome purpose behind São Paulo, Brazil's 121 youth justice centers, Fundação CASA: Every day, they work with teenagers who have committed offenses and been given a court-ordered chance to learn to change their ways. But with 5,000 teenagers accessing a network of some 10,000 devices, Fundação CASA's information security and cybernetics team must manage a tinderbox of cybersecurity risk daily. 24 hours to escape a ransomware attack is the latest film in Tomorrow Unlocked's hacker:HUNTER Behind the Screens series. Fundação CASA's cybercrime fighters tell how they foiled a ransomware attack in a day, successfully safeguarding their young clients' personal data. There's much any organization or business can learn from their winning formula. Young people sentenced to learning When young people commit a criminal offense in São Paulo, the courts may sentence them to rehabilitation through learning how to escape criminal behavior patterns. That's where Fundação CASA comes in: They deliver that education on behalf of the Department of Justice and Citizenship. Meanwhile, the private data of the 5,000 teens who attend one of Fundação CASA's 121 centers must be kept secure. Julio Signorini has worked for Fundação CASA for over 20 years. He says, "As they're taught by the state, the teens' data comes under the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA.) There's always a risk their data may be leaked." What is ransomware? There are many ways the young people's data could be leaked, including deliberate cyberattacks. Julio says, "A constant threat for us is ransomware: Malicious software that encrypts your data and demands you pay to recover it." To spread ransomware, attackers use social engineering to find users' vulnerabilities. Then the malware can spread across the network, eventually encrypting files and demanding a ransom. Ransomware is a growing threat. Kaspersky software detected over 21,000 ransomware strains and saw attacks rise 63 percent between 2021 and 2022 as a proportion of total attacks. Rapid response foils attack Julio explains how Fundação CASA's most recent ransomware incident began. "A young person brought in a compromised USB flash drive from home." Alex Christy Rogatti, Fundação CASA's Head of Security, remembers the day well. "It was a tense time because it was our first experience with ransomware, but we addressed it in one day." Julio says their fast response started with their young client's good decision to report something unusual. "The young person noticed his device behaving strangely and contacted our service desk, who quickly escalated the case to our information security and cybernetics team." Alex explains what happened next: "We isolated the infected device and recovered encrypted data on that device and our network. We isolated the malware so it couldn't spread further." Should you pay the ransom? Not every organization responds so fast and effectively as Fundação CASA. Proving there's no low cybercriminals won't sink to, 2023 saw some particularly vicious ransomware attacks, like a ransomware gang breaching Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania, US, then leaking stolen photos and personal details of breast cancer patients. It's the severity of cases like these that tempts some victims of ransomware to pay their captors. Fundação CASA's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Odenilson Dos Santos Bonfim says, "Paying the ransom should be the last option. First, there's no guarantee they'll let you unencrypt your data when you pay. Second, paying the ransom encourages more ransomware. Third, you'd share financial information they may use in a scam or financial crime in future." To help ransomware victims and deter these kinds of attacks, Kaspersky is a found partner of the No More Ransom initiative. It offers free ransomware decryption tools and advice on how to prevent and deal with ransomware attacks. Reducing business vulnerability to ransomware Odenilson thinks there's much business can do to prevent more cyberattacks of all kinds. "We maintain an always up-to-date environment, with effective solutions for monitoring data and preventing any type of attack." That a user first raised the alarm about this attack shows the importance of a cyber-aware organizational culture. Odenilson says, "It's fundamental to encourage awareness, good market practices and publicize information security and cybersecurity information to your whole team and organization." How the ransomware attack on Fundação CASA was stopped echoes the importance of their work showing young people alternatives to a life of crime. By doing the right thing thanks to knowing what to do, one young person kickstarted the process that safeguarded their peers' precious personal data. The quick thinking and coordinated action of the service desk and information security and cybernetics teams shows how strong relationships make strong cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity predictions 2024, a bright bridge leads to the darkness

Growing cyberthreats for business leaders to keep on top of in 2024

  • Safer business
  • min read
    • Just as things seemed to be settling down post-pandemic, 2023 turned out to be a year of global political upheaval, conflict and climate catastrophe. Recession impacts and rising prices for business basics like electricity have seen closures rise and start-ups decline. Congratulations are in order if your organization still has its head above water. The last thing any business needs in 2024 is a highly damaging and costly cyberattack or data leak. IBM's 2023 Cost of a Data Breach report found, "The average cost of a data breach reached an all-time high in 2023 of 4.45 million US dollars," having increased over 15 percent in the past three years. Keeping track of how cyberthreats are changing and adjusting your cybersecurity strategy and resourcing accordingly will help businesses avoid the punishing cost of a breach. Here are some of the changing and new threats Kaspersky researchers think you should prepare for in 2024. AI-related threats AI and other interconnected technologies – think augmented reality (AR,) 6G, data spaces and more – made a huge splash for business in 2023, and we'll soon be releasing some exciting new research about the impact of their widespread adoption. On top of that, we think these changes will loom large for AI in 2024: 1.    AI tools will make scams more convincing Scammers use many techniques to get past our defenses. AI tools can now effortlessly create stunning images, even designing whole landing pages. Malicious actors will, of course, use these to craft more convincing materials for fraud, like fake marketing emails and login screens. Expect fraud-related cyberthreats to increase. What to do about it: Improve your employee cybersecurity awareness education to help them become more vigilant to potentially fraudulent content. Use robust antivirus software to block scam emails and warn about suspicious websites. 2.    Concerns about pre-trained AI models will rise As more organizations start using AI chatbots and large language models (LLMs) to help professionals with their work, privacy and security concerns around the data fueling these models will rise, especially in large businesses that deal with a lot of information. And for good reason – training common LLMs often relies on public datasets containing sensitive information, raising uncertainty about whether corporate data fed into these models will stay confidential or be used to train the model further. What to do about it: Businesses must adopt policies limiting how employees can use AI products and educate staff about these policies to reduce the risk of data leaks. They may also adopt Private Large Language Models (PLLMs) – these models are trained only with datasets owned by the organization using them. 3.    AI regulation will ramp up More countries and international organizations will join efforts to regulate AI in the coming year, especially African and Asian nations that are engaged in discussions but haven't yet begun regulating AI domestically. Those already involved will expand regulation, adopting more specific rules, for example, around creating training datasets and using personal data. With their experience developing and using AI, businesses can offer invaluable insight for discussions on AI regulation. Policymakers worldwide are actively seeking input from businesses, academia and the public on shaping AI governance. In 2023, the Bletchley Declaration promoted greater uniformity in AI regulation. But with rising geopolitical tensions, cooperation between countries may reduce, derailing efforts to keep it consistent. What to do about it: Ensure your business is staying ahead of developments in regulation and planning for how it will comply. Take opportunities to get involved in developing AI regulation. More 2024 AI security predictions from Kaspersky researchers Financial services threats 4.    Fraudsters will target direct payment systems Cybercriminals will exploit increasingly popular direct payment systems like Brazil's Pix, the US's FedNow and India's UPI for fraud. We'll also see more clipboard malware – malware that steals data users copy to their clipboard – designed to attack new direct payment systems. Mobile banking trojans will increasingly exploit these systems as a quick and efficient means of cashing out ill-gotten gains. What to do about it: Direct payment systems have enormous benefits for business but must be appropriately secured. Businesses can also educate customers to help reduce their likelihood of accidentally downloading clipboard malware or mobile banking trojans – often disguised as legitimate apps in trusted app stores. 5.    Mobile Automated Transfer Systems (ATS) will spread worldwide Mobile Automated Transfer System (ATS) attacks are fairly new and involve banking malware making fraudulent transactions when the user logs in to their banking app. Mobile ATS has only been seen in Brazilian malware types but could go global in 2024. What to do about it: Those who make banking apps must ensure their security is capable of defending against Mobile ATS. 6.    Brazilian banking trojans will also keep spreading Cybercrime originating from Brazil is well-known to be growing. As many Eastern European cybercriminals have shifted focus to ransomware, Brazilian banking trojans will fill the void left by desktop banking trojans. Trojan Grandoreiro has already targeted more than 900 banks in 40 countries. Grandoreiro attacks start with a malicious link in a phishing email, including fake shared documents, utility bills and tax forms. It then harvests data using keyloggers, screen-grabbers or overlays on online banking login pages. What to do about it: Despite the growing sophistication, cybersecurity awareness education still helps employees and customers avoid falling prey to phishing. Businesses must also make sure users feel comfortable reporting their suspicions. More financial services cybersecurity predictions for 2024 Advanced persistent threats 7.    Creative exploits of wearables and smart devices will grow In 2023, Kaspersky discovered Operation Triangulation – a stealthy new espionage campaign targeting Apple devices. Kaspersky's investigation found five vulnerabilities in Apple's operating systems that affect everything Apple – from smartphones to wearable devices to smart home gadgets like Apple TV and Apple Watch. In 2024, we'll see more advanced attacks on consumer devices and smart home technology, including other operating systems. Devices like smart home cameras and connected car systems are attractive for threat actors because of their surveillance potential and tendency to run on outdated software, which makes them easier to attack. What to do about it: Secure your business Internet of Things (IoT) devices and ensure that if they don't need to connect to the internet, they don't. 8.    Supply chain attacks-as-a-service: Bulk-buying access There is a growing trend of attacking businesses through their suppliers. Small and medium companies that may lack advanced protection become gateways for hackers to access the data and infrastructure of big players. 2022 and 2023 saw breaches through identity management company Okta, which serves over 18,000 customers worldwide. What to do about it: Supply chain attacks expert Eliza-May Austin has great advice on preventing supply chain attacks in this Tomorrow Unlocked video: 9.    More attacks on Managed File Transfer systems Managed File Transfer (MFT) systems that let businesses securely exchange sensitive information with partners have become a cornerstone of organizational efficiency. But housing confidential information like intellectual property, financial records and customer data puts them in the crosshairs of cyber adversaries. MFT systems' intricate architecture and integration into business networks also means potential security weaknesses. In 2023, MFT system incidents involving MOVEit and GoAnywhere confirmed this. What to do about it: Undertake comprehensive reviews of your MFT solutions to identify and reduce security weaknesses. Implement robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions, encrypt sensitive data and build a cybersecurity awareness culture among employees. More advanced persistent threat predictions for 2024 With attention to where threats will likely grow, the year ahead need not be daunting for business. From getting ahead of AI regulation to improved cybersecurity awareness education, organizations of all sizes can stay secure even as threats grow.
supply chain attacks, retail, Austin, air conditioning Cybersecurity expert Eliza-May Austin speaking while seated in a lecture theatre

How your air conditioning could start a cyberattack

  • Women and diversity
  • min read
    • Many big businesses know they could be cybercrime targets and invest in defenses like software and training. That's why cybercriminals are increasingly attacking through smaller suppliers who don't have the same knowledge and resources. It's called a supply chain attack. In Tomorrow Unlocked's second episode in the hacker:HUNTER Behind the Screens series, Eliza-May Austin, CEO and co-founder of th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company,) explains how US retail giant Target was attacked through a most unexpected device – the air conditioning. We ask Austin how businesses can prepare for supply chain attacks and how she thinks things are going for women in cybersecurity careers. In Tomorrow Unlocked's Hacker: HUNTER Behind the Screens video, you talk about the supply chain attack on Target in 2013. Why is this attack so important? Businesses must work with other businesses, which makes us all susceptible to a certain degree of risk. Take an airplane, for example. To go from concept to in the air involves hundreds of businesses, contractors and applications. It takes just one breach to compromise that trusted ecosystem. It's something we should all take seriously. Your business th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company) helps companies large and small harden their supply chains. How do you do that? There are many things businesses can do to defend against supply chain attacks. For example, we run penetration testing, consult on governance, risk and compliance and importantly, logging, monitoring and vulnerability management. Are businesses becoming more aware of supply chain attacks and responding appropriately? I can't confidently say yes, which is why I'm vocal on the issue. I recently asked a small-to-medium company (SMB) that supplies services to the medical sector if they'd considered how an attack would impact their clients' security. I was met with such bemusement you'd think I'd asked for a sandwich. What's the most common problem making businesses vulnerable to supply chain attacks? Not knowing how prevalent it is. But also, some businesses that do understand the issue's scale get overwhelmed by it. These attacks aren't always sophisticated – simple measures can go a long way. How did you get into cybersecurity? I moved from a degree in forensic science to a degree in digital forensics, did some internships and the rest is history. You don't need a degree to be in cybersecurity. Is the industry giving women equal opportunities to enter and succeed yet? I think this industry, like any, is what you make of it. Cybersecurity is a fantastic career choice for women and should be promoted as such. What could employers do today to attract and retain more women? I get asked this a lot, so I wrote 15 ways to attract more women to your technical cybersecurity team. I've included simple, practical things like considering the physical environment. For example, if employees have to crawl around on the floor to plug in a laptop, that may feel degrading when wearing a skirt. I also recommend being more open-minded about what kind of people you need: What is Ladies Hacking Society (LHS) and why did you found it? LHS is an awesome community of women who come together to learn from one another and teach each other hacking. I wanted to create a technical option for women because I found mixed events were not really mixed (mainly men) whereas women's events revolved around governance or high-level theory. It's a lot of fun and a great bunch of people. Which is the most important lesson from your 11 leadership lessons from terrible managers, and why? Lesson 3: A sense of humor matters. People tend to take themselves too seriously. Encouraging people to laugh and joke does wonders for team morale and gets people through stressful times. Let's all calm down and have a giggle.  
lighting up dark web, fraud, low enforcement

How police identify criminals selling data on the dark web

  • Data and privacy
  • min read
    • In the north of England, a team of officers are getting creative. They're finding ways to identify criminals selling personal data, fake COVID-19 vaccines and child sexual abuse images on the dark web. Tomorrow Unlocked's film Lighting up the Dark Web follows the UK's Yorkshire and Humber Regional Cybercrime Unit (RCCU) in their quest to unmask a crime ring selling personal data for fraud. What is the dark web? The dark web is a network of computers where web traffic is anonymized. Many use it to access marketplaces and other sites to commit crime. The dark web can also be used for good. Dissidents, whistleblowers and investigative journalists use it to communicate anonymously online, and others use it to avoid online data collection. The sale of personal data is big business on the dark web. The US's Federal Trade Commission reported consumers lost nearly $8.8 billion US dollars to scams in 2022. Linking dark web identities and real-world people In 2014, a trader called Data Pro was selling National Insurance numbers, dates of birth, credit card numbers and more on the dark web marketplace Evolution. RCCU suspected the source was a UK-based business. RCCU used 'slips' – when Data Pro occasionally used identifiable information – to link his clear web and dark web identities. How businesses can protect themselves from dark web criminals While the dark web seemed impossible to control in the past, law enforcement is now getting ahead. Businesses can also act to give fraudsters less opportunity to make dark web profits out of their data. First and foremost, protect your business's data from being stolen with strong data security practices, including encrypting your data and educating employees on how to avoid accidentally giving cybercriminals access. Your people are your most important security feature because most breaches start with basic errors like clicking a link in a rogue email or giving login details to someone who isn't who they said they were. If your data is already stolen and ends up on the dark web, dark web monitoring services like Have I Been Pwned may help you identify a breach and alert those whose information was stolen faster. As law enforcement becomes more cyber savvy, there are fewer places for cybercriminals to hide. Increasing international cooperation is also helping light up the darkest parts of the web. Businesses also have a part to play by reducing the opportunities for their data to be stolen and sold.
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About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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