Magazine menu Close Magazine menu

Trends

Latest stories

Small man wearing clothes associated with crime climbs into a trapdoor in another man's head

What does the rise of deepfakes mean for the future of cybersecurity?

  • min read
    • Imagine you're holding a video conference with a colleague or business partner in another city. You're discussing sensitive matters, like the launch of a new product or the latest unpublished financial reports. Everything seems to be going well, and you know who you're talking to. Maybe you've even met them before. Their appearance and voice are as you expected, and they seem to be pretty familiar with their jobs and your business. It might sound like a routine business call, but what if the person you thought you were talking to is actually someone else? They might seem genuine, but behind the familiar imagery and audio is a social engineering scammer fully intent on duping you into surrendering sensitive corporate information. In a nutshell, this is the disturbing world of deepfakes, where artificial intelligence is the new weapon of choice in the scammer's arsenal. What exactly are deepfakes? Among the newest words on the technology block, 'deepfake' is a portmanteau of 'deep learning' and 'fake.' The term has been around for two years, when it first appeared on a Reddit community of the same name. The technology uses artificial intelligence to superimpose and combine both real and AI-generated images, videos and audio to make them look almost indistinguishable from the real thing. The apparent authenticity of the results is rapidly reaching disturbing levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ54GDm1eL0 One of the most famous deepfakes of all was created by actor and comedian Jordan Peele, who made this video of Obama delivering a PSA about fake news. While this one was made for the sake of humor and to raise awareness to this rapidly emerging trend, deepfake technology has, unsurprisingly, been misappropriated since the very beginning. Its implications for credibility and authenticity have placed it squarely in the spotlight. The worrying consequences of deepfakes Wherever there's technology innovation, there's nearly always pornography, so it's little surprise that the first deepfakes to make waves on Reddit were videos which had been manipulated to replace the original actresses' faces with somebody else's – typically a well-known celebrity. Reddit, along with many other networks, has since banned the practice. However, as actress Scarlett Johansson said of deepfake pornography, while celebrities are largely protected by their fame, the trend poses a grave threat to people of lesser prominence. In other words, those who don't take steps to protect their identities could potentially end up facing a reputational meltdown. That brings me to the political consequences of deepfakes. So far, attempts to masquerade as well-known politicians have been carried out largely in the name of research or comedy. But the time is coming when deepfakes could become realistic enough to cause widespread social unrest. No longer will we be able to rely on our eyes and ears for a firsthand account of events. Imagine, for example, seeing a realistic video of a world leader discussing plans to carry out assassinations in rival states. In a world primed for violence, the implications of deepfake technology could have devastating consequences. Purveyors of fake news seeking to make a political impact are just one side of the story. The other is the form of social engineering that business leaders are all too familiar with. As the video conference example illustrates, deepfakes are a new weapon for cybercriminals. The world's first deepfake-based attack against a corporation was reported in August 2019, when a UK energy firm was duped by a person masquerading as the boss of its German parent company. The scammer allegedly used AI to impersonate the accent and voice patterns of the latter's CEO, someone the victim was familiar with, over a phone call. The victim suspected nothing and was duped out of $243,000. These uses of deepfake technology might seem far-fetched, but it's important to remember that social engineering scammers have been impersonating people since long before the rise of digital technologies. Criminals no longer have to go to such lengths as studying targets in great depth and even hiring makeup artists to disguise themselves; they now have emerging technologies on their side, as businesses do for legitimate purposes. Previously, successfully impersonating a VIP was much more difficult. Now, the ability to create deepfake puppets of real people using publicly available photos, video and audio recordings is within everyone's grasp. Can you protect your business from deepfakes? The common misassumption, that synthetic impersonation can never be nearly as convincing as the real thing, is the biggest danger of all. We live in a world where it's getting harder to tell fact from fiction. From the hundreds of millions of fake social media profiles to the worrying spread of fake news and the constant rise of phishing attacks – it's never been more important to think twice about what you see. Perhaps, after all, there is a case for a return of face-to-face meetings behind closed doors when discussing important business matters. Fortunately, there are other ways you can prepare your business for the inevitable rise of deepfakes without placing huge barriers in the way of innovation. To start with, 'seeing is believing' is a concept you'll increasingly want to avoid when it comes to viewing video or listening to audio, including live broadcasts. To untrained eyes, deepfakes are getting harder to tell apart from the real thing, but there are, and likely always will be, some signs due to the fundamental way AI algorithms work. When a deepfake algorithm generates new faces, they are geometrically transformed with rotation, resizing and other distortions. It's a process that inevitably leaves behind some graphical artifacts. While these artifacts will become harder to identify by sight alone, AI itself can also be used as a force for good – it can detect whether a video or stream is authentic or not. The science of defending against deepfakes is a battle of wills: as deepfakes increase in believability, cybersecurity professionals need to invest more in seeking the truth. A team of researchers in China recently published a method for using AI itself to expose deep fakes in real time. Another paper published by the same team figured out a way to proactively protect digital photos and videos from being misappropriated by deepfake algorithms by adding digital noise, invisible to the human eye. As the threat of deepfakes edges ever nearer, we can hopefully expect more countermeasures to follow suit. This article represents the personal opinion of the author.
QR code containing many everyday items such as a coat hanger, microwave and shopping cart.

COVID-19 made QR codes huge, but what’s their future?

  • min read
    • If you've visited a restaurant or store recently, chances are you've seen and used the ubiquitous small squares that make up a QR code. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the small squares that make up a QR code became ubiquitous. Our exposure to these codes was never higher, nor their value clearer. But how did we get here? Why are QR codes today's technology of choice for navigating our lives? Let's step back to Japan, 1994. Where QR codes began Automotive components manufacturer Denso Wave had a frustrating problem on their supply line. They were using bar codes on their components that workers had to scan for information they needed. But bar codes became limiting for the company because of the small amount of information each could hold. The company gave one of their young engineers, Hara Masahiro, the task of developing a solution. Bar codes are one-dimensional (read along one axis,) but Masahiro's creation was two-dimensional: Read horizontally and vertically. It increased the information held from just 20 characters to 7,000. The speed these new codes introduced to manufacturing created its own problem. Technologist Simon Raik-Allen explained it to me like this: "Imagine a conveyor belt with all the products going past. You want a camera to see which products are where. If they go too fast, the camera won't read it." Since then, eagerness to adopt QR codes in business and personal lives has varied. Asia has been the keenest adopter, with QR codes playing a central role in digital payments. In China, consumers use WeChat or Alipay apps to make some 90 percent of mobile payments, and both use QR codes to facilitate the transaction. In Africa, M-Pesa has started to incorporate QR codes into its text message banking service. In Europe and North America, uptake had been less enthusiastic – until now. A 2015 TechCrunch article called QR codes "frustrating" and a "laughing stock." Brands eager to plaster QR codes wherever they could and the likes of QR code tattoos led to perception the codes were a gimmick. The user needing to download a QR code scanning app may have contributed to this sense of needless novelty. In 2017 things changed. Phone manufacturers began incorporating QR code scanners into camera apps so users didn't need to download an app. Improvements in mobile technology letting scanned links open more quickly also played a part, according to Joe Waters, author of QR Codes for Dummies. These improvements planted the seed that allowed the technology's quick adoption in the pandemic when the need became clear. Waters says, "People now want as little contact as possible with everyday objects that may spread germs." This poses a novel question: Will our newfound familiarity with QR codes lead to new uses in the coming months and years? How should business and tech leaders be thinking about QR codes? The Future of QR codes Large retailers like Amazon have started experimenting with QR codes to track and for payment in their physical stores. But opportunities are opening for retailers of all sizes, especially around demonstrating sustainability and environmental credentials. Fashion label Another Tomorrow uses QR codes on labels to give consumers more information on the clothing item's sustainability. Provenance uses blockchain to make supply chains transparent, with QR codes for consumers to see evidence of what the brand claims. The 2021 'right to repair' EU law means consumer electronics manufacturers must add a QR code for more information on the product, like how loud it is. Securing QR code-reading for business Data security is a pressing concern with widespread adoption of QR codes. Consumers and businesses may not have known the security risks as they rapidly adopted the technology in the past 12 months. David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky, says "A tainted QR code might ask a user to download a malicious app containing malware. The malware could then steal personal information." Businesses can reduce their risk by using a reputable, up-to-date QR code scanner. It also pays to raise awareness among staff and customers of malicious QR codes, for example, advising they consider whether a code looks tampered with before scanning it. The battle for a new technology's acceptance is won when the audience understands what it does that no other technology can do. The pandemic gave the QR code a chance to show it was no gimmick. Business should expect to see QR codes used more widely and creatively, and consider how those game-changing 7,000 characters could help them do business better.
paper dead shredder

Is paper dead?

  • min read
    • For retailers, predicting customers' future wants and needs is crucial – especially in this era of disrupted supply chains. I hope you won't recognize this story as something that might happen in your business, but it demonstrates how soon retailers of all sizes could find themselves in a new future. I bought a blouse recently from a traveling vintage clothes seller. Picture several racks of bright retro outfits set up under a caravan awning with a changing room crafted from tie-dyed blankets. Incense hangs in the air, as does the ringing of tiny bells attached to the seller's impossibly long hair, jingling as she wanders around after customers, straightening coat hangers. To pay, I offer cash, but she instead presents me with a beautifully calligraphed sign showing her bank account details. Given the riskiness of this practice, I offer a moment of security education. She tells me she's in the habit of giving out her bank details because it means more sales, and keeping enough change around is hard when you're always on the road. Even those on the fringes are moving towards electronic payment for its convenience and customer preference, albeit sometimes not in ideal ways. When it comes to meeting customer expectations in how your transactions happen, are you ready for a future where paper money, receipts, plastic cards are a thing of the past? Could your retail business work in a world where all money is changing hands by smartphone? Among Kaspersky researchers' privacy prediction for 2023 is that we'll keep seeing smartphones and other smart devices encroaching on activities once dominated by paper and plastic cards. A future where all we'll need is a smartphone seems close when we're paying by near-field communication (NFC) like Apple or Samsung Pay or QR code like Swish, or using apps to show COVID-19 testing and vaccination status. What does this mean for paper and plastic transactions? And what privacy and security issues should business consider when it comes to doing it all by smartphone? Environmental reasons to stop using paper and plastic Some might say the sustainability drive to eliminate paper and plastic in business transactions is overplayed. While both have significant environmental impacts, business transactions are not a major source. Meanwhile, electronic transactions can be responsible for much energy use and the equipment used will ultimately become resource-heavy and hard-to-recycle ewaste. Gen Z, Millennials and those younger will do much to avoid adding more plastic and paper to the world. Regardless of environmental impact, consumer demand for more convenient paperless and cardless transactions will only grow. Processes likely to move to smartphone apps Digitized identity documents look set to be the next big frontier for smartphones. It's already been a common approach to declaring COVID-19 testing and vaccination status worldwide, but soon passports, driver licenses, student IDs and more will be made available through apps. Germany started using app-based ID cards in 2021. Around the same time, Apple announced several US states would make digital identity cards and driver licenses available using Apple Wallet. ID stored on phones brings convenience and risk. A well-implemented system would let stores verify customers' age without seeing personal details they don't need, like home address – also known as 'zero trust' security. Digitized IDs could also speed up know-your-customer (KYC) procedures when applying for a loan with a smartphone. But using a smartphone to store growing amounts of personal data introduces 'single point of failure' security risk. Those who develop and commission smartphone software like apps must ensure top-notch device security and privacy-preserving data storage. Cardless cash withdrawal at ATMs is taking off around the world, especially where bankcard fraud is more common, like India. Smartphone apps enable cardless withdrawals, for example, scanning a QR code on the ATM screen with a payment app like Google Pay, or using near-field communication (NFC.) Again, these transactions aren't without risk. Speaking to price-comparison service Bankrate, Ricardo Pina, founder of personal finance blog The Modest Wallet, said, "Since bank cards are being replaced by phones, criminals will now be more enticed to target and hack your phone to mine your data, information and even change your phone and bank app settings." When will paper and card transactions become history? Those who run businesses that experience higher overheads thanks to processing cash, cards and printed receipts may dare to dream of a world where these go the way of the 'check.' Ubiquitous throughout most of the 20th century, many banks have stopped issuing and accepting these. Check payment is expected to be extinct by 2026. Those old enough to remember when checks were commonplace might think they'd disappeared years ago. But sometimes these methods strongly persist in parts of an economy that need them for specific reasons. A few years ago, a friend and I hiked the five-day South West Coastal Path in Cornwall, UK – and yes, it was glorious. This part of the UK is far from any major city. We were surprised to notice most bed-and-breakfasts  accepted only cash or check. Once we understood the area's geography, we paid by check wherever we could. Traveling on foot and far from towns, it seemed unwise to part with cash we might need. These businesses told us they didn't take card payments because they only had customers in summer, making point-of-sale machines uneconomic. Similarly, can smartphones – and reliable access to affordable data to operate apps – be all things to all people in all places? While access to mobile technologies has certainly enabled greater economic participation from marginalized people, we can easily overestimate how many can and will use these technologies if we use them or see them used around us often. Pew Research estimates around 85 percent of the US population owns a smartphone, but in China and India, it's lower at 70 percent. While China leads the world in mobile payment adoption, smartphone ownership numbers don't tell us how many people could use their smartphone for payments – for example, successfully download and register to use payment apps, and access data when needed. Cash transactions still account for far more business than many people think – in 2021, customers used cash for over 20 percent of point-of-sale transactions globally, according to the International Currency Association. Many businesses wouldn't survive losing 20 percent of their sales. There is also the inevitable backlash against smartphones because of negative mental health impacts, seeing some choose to quit or radically reduce how much they use them. It seems paper- and card-based identity and payment options will be with us much longer than we think, if the lifecycle of check payment is anything to go by. For small business, alternative point-of-sale card payment providers are fast making accepting cards more affordable, making paying by card even more ubiquitous without reducing security. When it comes to taking payment, it 'pays' to be flexible and listen to what your customers want, rather than focusing on what suits your business. Meanwhile, keep an eye on evolving technology making retail transactions simpler and more affordable.
cybersecurity predictions

What a year of changing cyberthreats can tell business

  • min read
    • For business leaders, knowing what's changing in cybersecurity helps you recruit the right people with the right skills today for what you'll soon need. Kaspersky's 2022 Security Bulletin (free download) analyzes which attacks their global cloud service Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) has detected, blocked and disabled over the past year. There are some numbers your business will want to know about. 15 percent of users had a malware attack Kaspersky Security Network blocked malware-class attacks on some 15 percent of users in 2022, or around 1 in 7. This shows just how common malware is. The malware class of attacks covers familiar cybercrime tools like viruses, trojans and ransomware. The countries where Kaspersky's software blocked the most malware attacks in 2022 were Tunisia, Taiwan and Algeria. 506 million web-based attacks Web-based attacks result from users downloading files that then trigger a cyberattack. These might come from websites made by cybercriminals, infected online resources within user-created content (like online forums) or legitimate resources that cybercriminals have hacked. Cybersecurity education can be a powerful tool in preventing web-based attacks. Heathrow Airport has a novel staff cybersecurity education that carefully targets those needing it most with 10-minute online learning modules. 1.4 million cryptocurrency mining attempts Cryptocurrency mining is very much on the rise. Kaspersky Security Network detected around 1.4 million attempts to install mining software in the past year. Mining means digitally solving complex mathematical problems that verify cryptocurrency transactions, which also earns cryptocurrency. It slows devices and uses much electricity. In November 2022, Kaspersky announced they'd seen a 230 percent growth in cryptocurrency mining in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the same period in the year before. 102 million attempts to visit malicious URLs Malicious URLs are a common tool in 'phishing' attacks – when cybercriminals send emails inducing recipients to click on links, downloading malware. Endpoint security is vital in protecting against phishing, as is employee cyber-awareness. 377,000 attempts to steal money These attacks were often in the form of 'banking Trojans'. In early 2022 a particularly sophisticated money-stealing Trojan popped up that masquerades as a banking app and imitates phone conversations with bank employees. The app fooled many, highlighting the need to teach employees 'cyber hygiene' – like remembering to pause and think before downloading anything. Those who provide legitimate apps or financial services might also reflect on how they can show customers their products are trustworthy. These big numbers in cybersecurity over the past year show how threats to business are growing and changing. Cybercriminals always find new ways to get through consumers' and employees' defenses. By combining hiring the right people with robust cybersecurity education and strong security solutions, your business will greatly reduce its chances of a serious attack succeeding. Then, you can spend your time on what you do best.
supply chain attacks

Why cybercriminals love to attack supply chains, and how to stop them

  • min read
    • The bigger the business, the more suppliers. And as businesses use more and more internet-connected devices like printers, point-of-sale terminals and even air conditioning, cybercriminals have more ways in. One way to stop cyberattacks is to invest in cyber defenses like software, people and training. Most large enterprises know they could be targets and have prioritized cybersecurity. So, many cybercriminals have turned to compromising smaller businesses that supply larger businesses to get to their real target. Tomorrow Unlocked's video Target the Supply Chain looks at supply chain attacks and how to prevent them, with supply chain attacks expert Eliza-May Austin, CEO and co-founder of  th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company.) What is a supply chain attack? A supply chain cyberattack is when cybercriminals compromise a smaller supplier of a larger business, intending to eventually attack the larger business. These attacks aren't new, but they're becoming more common and harder to detect. In Target the Supply Chain, Austin explains how cybercriminals stole 40 million people's card details from US retail giant Target. It started when an employee at Target's air conditioning supplier clicked a link in a phishing email, injecting malware into their system. In 2017, Kaspersky researchers found a 'backdoor' in the server management software hundreds of large businesses use. When activated, the backdoor let attackers steal data. Researchers notified the suppliers, NetSarang, who pulled down the compromised software and replaced it with a clean version. Sometimes, there is no clean version. Noushin Shabab, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky, says supply chain attacks can start in software development. "Cyberattackers can compromise software by getting inside software used by developers. That way, malicious code can end up on many businesses' networks." How to protect against supply chain attacks Austin's start-up works with suppliers to larger corporations to 'harden' (better protect) their whole supply chain from attack. She says, "We can prevent about 80 percent of attacks with basic cyber-hygiene. Make sure your software and hardware is up-to-date. Limit your 'attack surface' – if something needn't be online, don't put it online. Audit passwords, making sure they're complex. Have two-factor authentication. Employees can be the weakest link in a company, but with good cybersecurity training, they can be the strongest." Threat hunting also helps prevent supply chain attacks. Kaspersky's Nikolay Pankov says, "A sophisticated targeted attack can implant malware and stay under the radar for a long time. To prevent those attacks, you need experienced threat hunters." As getting these skills in-house can be challenging at the best of times, using a targeted attack discovery service is a good option for businesses of all sizes. Cybercriminals are nothing if not flexible and adaptable. They've adapted to growing cybersecurity awareness in enterprises by compromising smaller suppliers. But by using their growing cybersecurity awareness, larger companies can protect themselves even more by looking further afield and working with their smaller suppliers to protect both businesses.
cybersecurity predictions 2021

What does 2021 have in store for cybersecurity?

  • min read
    • Predicting the future is notoriously precarious. Who would have foreseen a year like 2020? Kaspersky's Global Research and Analysis Team reflect on this year in cybercrime and deduce what we should expect in 2021. Leaked patient records and COVID pressures in healthcare 2020 was the year everyone had a vested interest in new medical technologies' success. Cybercriminals attacked medical devices, hospitals and research institutions, intent on stealing COVID-19 vaccine insights. We also saw the first known directly fatal cyberattack: A patient died because ransomware infection of medical equipment caused care delays. Other cybercrime groups surprised us by ruling out attacking medical institutions. The cybersecurity community set up CTI League: Experts helping medical organizations respond to cyberthreats. Kaspersky gave healthcare organizations free access to tailored cybersecurity. In 2021, expect more attacks on COVID-19 vaccine developers attempting to steal critical data that could help other nations get ahead. Private healthcare organizations will further come under attack, as many don't have the resources to protect valuable patient data. With the transition to cloud computing, we may see patient data leaks from cloud services. Criminals can use personal data in hacked medical records to dupe people into revealing more. More healthcare industry cybersecurity predictions for 2021 Cybercriminals have learned about industrial networks Attacks on industrial networks will become more targeted. By watching randomly infected machines, cybercrime groups have learned organizations' IT setup and know how to exploit it. They can then on-sell network access to more sophisticated cybercrime groups who will take control of finance systems to steal cash. As many industrial control systems (ICS) use old operating systems, the end of support for systems like Windows 7 creates an exploitable loophole. We could see another significant, multi-industry crime campaign like WannaCry. As utilities and government services go through digital transformation they're more vulnerable to attack. Cybercriminals can use a government service as an entry point into industrial systems to disrupt services like public transport. In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions on working on-site delayed IT-system upgrades. During an attack, it may be harder for IT admins to regain system control quickly. Basic malware could spread and become more serious. Upgrading endpoint security and training workers are vital. More industrial cybersecurity predictions for 2021 Online education revolution brought new threats Education changed abruptly in 2020. 1.5 billion students took classes from home. Educators had to learn new skills, like running a class on Zoom or using TikTok lessons. For those who can access the technology, these new services enhance education. But they come with new threats. Learning management systems (LMS) like Google Classroom are exploding. And with growth comes cybercrime. We saw a staggering 20,000 percent growth in threats to online learning platforms between 2019 and 2020. Privacy usually involves getting the user's consent, but a child can't easily manage their privacy settings. Video will keep growing as a learning tool. About 60 percent of teachers use YouTube in the classroom. There's increased risk of exposure to age-inappropriate content, and new threats like Zoombombing could expose learners to harmful content. Games like Minecraft are a great way to make learning more interactive but exposes students to risks like cyberbullying, trolls and malicious files. Teachers must moderate content in their learning management systems, but with the popularity of social platforms and games for pupil engagement, the challenge has leveled-up. More education cybersecurity predictions for 2021 Poverty driving more financial cybercrime in 2021 In 2021, financial companies became less secure thanks to due hastily deployed remote working solutions. Some bought retail laptops that didn't match the security standards of the organization. Limited employee training, default configurations and remote access all contributed to increased attacks. There's rising extortion using distributed denial of service (DDoS) and ransomware. Targeted ransomware is the new normal for financial organizations. Criminals increased ransoms, emboldened by successful attacks and media coverage. To cover their tracks, they'll now expect you to pay in cryptocurrencies. People are often the weakest link, like in the failed attempt to infiltrate Tesla. Stay at home orders didn't affect cybercriminals: Brazilian cybercrime groups went global in 2020, expanding to Europe and beyond, including attempts to hack ATMs. Bigger crime groups are evolving their business models to boost profits by hiring more people within their virtual walls rather than outsourcing. To crack down on cybercrime, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control warned of sanctions for organizations facilitating ransom payment. Next, we predict sanctions against institutions and nations that don't combat cybercrime coming from their territory. More financial cybersecurity predictions for 2021 Crime gangs collaborating on advanced threats Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are the most dangerous kind of attacks, often seen in geopolitical clashes, intent on harming national interests. With the trend towards improved organization security and more people working from home, crime groups will exploit network technologies such as virtual private networks (VPNs,) using social engineering to get access. 5G is big news, with bogus stories of health risks and some nations limiting or banning Huawei products in their 5G infrastructure. Security researchers are examining Huawei and other 5G providers for implementation flaws. If found, they'll make the front pages. As more devices depend on 5G for connectivity, attackers will have more incentive to seek vulnerabilities to exploit. As ransomware becomes the weapon of choice for many criminals, we may see ransomware players' concentrate. In 2020 the Maze and Sodinokibi gangs pioneered an affiliate collaboration model. These bigger groups may combine to deliver APT-style attacks that overwhelm a target organization's system, to access specific data. We'll likely see attacks like these disrupt everyday lives. It could be an intentional attack on critical infrastructure like utilities or collateral damage from ransomware targeting big organizations we all rely on, like supermarkets, mail or public transport. More advanced threat predictions for 2021 Threats may be increasing, but fortunately, there's better education, technology and intelligence available today to help your organization stay secure and face the future.
by Innovating leaders.
Innovative tech.
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.

  • For all other countries