What Is Identity Theft?

It is a malicious activity that seeks to impersonate another person. There are different reasons: to commit fraud, obtain data, practice cyberbullying, or obtain financial benefits through blackmail. Do not think that only famous people or politicians suffer from it, since to avoid being a victim of this type of threat, it is best not to let your guard down and always maintain certain precautions.
Keep in mind that spoofing can be done relatively quickly. For example, by creating a fake profile on a social network and acting like you are the person you say you are. This threatens anyone’s security and reputation since the account impersonating the identity could issue, for example, a defamatory statement that affects the prestige of the affected person or the distrust of those they know.
Furthermore, the usurpation can be carried out through account theft. The most straightforward technique is a brute force attack, which aims to discover the password by trying thousands of combinations until the correct one is found. If it is weak, the attacker can succeed and guess the password. Once you have gained account control, you can change the password and recovery methods. Any data or information contained in the account would be available to you.

How To Detect Account Hijacking?

There are different ways to detect that an account hijacking has occurred. Some are indirect, meaning the offender has done something involving you. For example, you could receive a call from a collection agency demanding the payment of a debt in your name or see the granting of a mortgage or loan rejected.
You may receive a confirmation email for renting an apartment or that you have made a particular purchase in a store you have never visited. Money will also likely disappear from your bank account if the criminal has taken it. And on social networks, you could see posts on your profiles that you have not made, such as a photo of people you do not know or data from your private life.
Another way to detect impersonation is by trying to access your account. If you have tried different methods and cannot enter, you may face a robbery. Before considering this situation, you must have exhausted all the alternatives. Consider this the last possible scenario since you will likely have forgotten the password.
You could also appear registered on numerous Internet platforms or, directly not have access to those you already had previously. For example, you try logging into your account from a website to view streaming content or an online store, and you can’t. You exhaust all password recovery options and still get no results. In this context, you are likely to face identity theft.

Steps To Follow In Case of Identity Theft

If you suffer from it, you cannot sit idly by but keep calm because this situation has a solution. Also, remember that both the platform where the usurpation took place and the State Security Forces and Corps will be willing to help you. We recommend following these steps to facilitate quick and effective action:

Document what is happening

It would help if you documented what is happening before you report phishing. Try to review and exhaust all the options offered by the platforms to recover your account. You must come with unequivocal proof of your situation. Get copies of possible emails, messages and screenshots of criminal acts.

In case you are unsuccessful in the recovery and have collected enough evidence, it is time to report. Get in touch with the platforms. For example, you will find links to all the available social networks on the Internet User Safety Office website. These direct you to the pages dedicated to reporting impersonation so that you will always have their support. 

Alert your friends and family.

You must notify your contacts of what is happening. Not only will they witness what happened, but you will also alert them that you do not control your accounts. In this way, you avoid misunderstandings with those you appreciate, an additional problem that can lead to identity theft. In addition, they can help you maintain control over your profile by alerting other people.

Go to authority

If you know you are being the victim of a case of identity theft, do not hesitate to go to the authorities. The Police or the Civil Guard has units specialized in cybercrime. They are instrumental in severe cases where it has not been possible to recover your profiles in other ways or if crimes are committed using your name.

Remember that platforms like Facebook or Twitter allow you to report a possible usurpation. They will study your situation and act accordingly while the authorities investigate what happened and look for the people responsible. Usually, you will recover your accounts in a short time.

Guidelines To Prevent Identity Theft

Prevention is the key to protecting yourself from identity theft. Luckily, there are different guidelines that you can follow to save yourself from this severe problem. In addition, many are easy to apply but unquestionably effective.

Do not show your passwords in public.

Showing your passwords publicly is a grave mistake. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have a golden opportunity. They won’t have to go to any lengths to impersonate you, as they know how to access your profile. This is a situation that you can easily avoid by being careful. Also, if someone asks for your credentials, wait to provide them.

No platform will ask you to give them your password, which they usually inform. So, in the face of this type of request, the best option is to remain cautious and not give any information. Remember that prevention is the key to browsing safely. Just as you wouldn’t give a stranger your home address, don’t give out your account passwords either.

Do not enter secure pages.

Secure pages have different certificates that demonstrate the measures they take. One of them is the HTTPS protocol ( hypertext transfer protocol secure ), which protects the integrity and confidentiality of your data. If you enter a website that does not have it, avoid registering with them.

To check if it uses HTTPS, click on its address. It should start like this: https://. If it is not present, you are on an insecure page, potentially dangerous for you. The owner may not have activated this protocol, but try to prevent the consequences before dealing with them.

Avoid strange links

If a link takes you to a web page with misspellings, bad presentation, or that does not have the HTTPS protocol, you may be in a false one. Suspicious links can reach you through social networks, email, SMS or WhatsApp messages. If you do not know its origin or the sender must be correctly identified, do not enter them.

Use two-step authentication systems.

Your security always starts with having a strong password with a robust code (a combination of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). However, a two-step authentication system is a perfect complement to deter any criminal from accessing your accounts. Creating several protection barriers gives you greater security and peace of mind.

An example of this authentication system is the one used by banks and some web pages. The first part is a password, which you must provide, and the second consists of a code sent to your mobile phone by SMS message. This makes it difficult to remove an account since your device is needed to verify access. You can also verify your identity by email, a security question (to which only you know the answer) and biometrics (facial recognition, fingerprint, etc.), among others. In short, try to act proactively to avoid impersonating Internet identity. These situations can get complicated and lead you to lose your accounts on the network. Always resort to the platforms to find a solution and report to the Police or the Civil Guard to avoid greater evils.

The post Identity Theft On The Internet – The Keys To Respond appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

Two-factor authentication ( 2FA ) is a “strong customer authentication” measure that checks whether an electronic payment transaction is legitimately made. The 2FA consists of a first factor for the identity of a user, which consists of a username and password, and a second, independent factor. The latter must either be something that only the rightful owner of an account can know, possess or be.

This ensures that potential hackers find it difficult or impossible to access third-party data. The 2FA promises users greater security against unauthorized access and data misuse. But does 2FA only offer advantages, or does it also entail risks?

The Two-Factor process is a clear opportunity.

Modern solutions generate one-time passcodes via tokens and apps or also use the biometric functions of smartphones and tablets. These processes usually run isolated on a second device. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a hacker to complete signing into an account that is not theirs or authenticate for a purchase they are not authorized to make without access to that device. With 2FA, an additional difficulty for attackers is that passcodes are tied to the original session. This means that even if login data is read, hacked passwords cannot be used again in a new session. Therefore, the benefit of multiple authentications against hacker attacks is undisputed and an opportunity in the digital age. However, the implementation and use of authentication measures play a crucial role in ensuring that users are protected.

And As A Possible Risk.

The “Default” Password

Risks often arise from users not handling their data responsibly enough. It is enough to choose an insecure or uniform password for several accounts. Especially when a user selects a password for more than one service and changes it only rarely or not at all, he is exposed to the risk that an attacker who hacks any of these services will gain access to many of the user’s access points with the same password.

Security Versus Usability

Another aspect that should be considered when discussing the risks of IT security solutions is user-friendliness. In terms of mobility and flexibility, token solutions stand out positively from alternatives. However, they have deficiencies in handling, safety, and cost. A token must be assigned to a user; if the latter loses the device, time-consuming workarounds for temporary access would be necessary. Also, tickets are expensive due to their short lifespan of three to four years. In addition, a token’s flexibility is limited because the user must carry it with him at all times. In this case, usability suffers from security.

To increase user comfort again, “adaptive” two-factor processes are used. To do this, providers use IP or MAC addresses or locations that users automatically transmit for authentication. As a result, they share access to accounts and payment options without the user having to interact. For him, the registration or authentication is reduced to entering his name and password – which is not in the sense of a 2FA. Thus, the aspect of usability beats that of security.

Biometric Distortion

Other risks can arise in the area of ​​biometric systems. Physical characteristics are individual, but they do not automatically protect against misuse. If a system is not geared towards recognizing that someone is alive, a photo of a face or eye can be used to trick it.

A test by the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) showed that placing a contact lens over a photo of an eye was enough to replicate the shape of a natural eye. This is how you fooled the iris scan of a smartphone. Even fingerprint scans are not entirely secure; fingerprints are left everywhere, especially on your smartphone. As a result, this practice already brings the key to the lock with it.

However, it must be mentioned that technical processes are constantly being further developed, and there are now biometric systems that reliably recognize whether a photo is just being held in front of the camera or whether the natural person is standing in front of it in three dimensions.

The Best-Case Scenario

Two-factor authentication offers an undisputed benefit: it verifies whether e-commerce transactions are legitimate. Through the generation of one-time passwords, TANs, or unique biometric features, it is individual and thus effectively protects against hacker attacks in several steps. However, 2FA is only as secure as the developer makes it or the user adheres to it. A genuinely secure 2FA must not switch down by a factor on its own to increase usability, as in the case of adaptive two-factor methods.

In addition, 2FA is not a guarantee of security. If you enter your data on a fraudulent website, even a particularly secure procedure can no longer protect against unauthorized access. Every user must handle their data responsibly.

The post Two-Factor Authentication – Opportunity Or Risk? appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

The Risks You Can Face From Investing

Influenceable risks

Entrepreneurs often run their business in rented premises, and sometimes, the landlord terminates their lease. The entrepreneur has to deal with the search for new premises and may have to interrupt his business for some time. Or the supplier may cease to operate, begin to supply goods or services in degraded quality, or significantly increase prices. These are all unpleasant situations, but the entrepreneur can solve them to influence them.

Partially Controllable Risks

As an example of a partially controllable risk, we can consider, for example, the current situation – the COVID-19 pandemic. This period has been incredibly complicated for several entrepreneurs around the world, and sometimes it has completely “broken down” plans. Skillful entrepreneurs have found a way to solve the situation and ideally turn the situation into an advantage. Some restaurants reoriented their business to delivery, some coaches began broadcasting their workouts online, and some taxi drivers started driving food and other goods instead of people. Entrepreneurs do not know how to influence a situation with a pandemic, but in part, they know how to change their business concept.

Uncontrollable Risks

In this category, we can include changes in laws that impact business, taxes, employment, customs, licenses, concessions, etc., but also an increase in interest rates in banks on business loans or stricter conditions for providing business loans. Another example could be changed in the market or competition with not entirely pure intentions. And these circumstances make it difficult for entrepreneurs to change or adapt to them.

So it is clear that you cannot wholly eliminate business risk, but you can reduce it. Successful business owners have long understood that they should spread the risk, so they invest some of their money. They invest in a sector other than their business. Therefore, all circumstances need to be considered when choosing it. If you do not dare, you can contact an experienced financial intermediary.

Slovak entrepreneurs often invest in local bonds and bills of exchange. “Unfortunately, such an investment is not always safe, and it is often even riskier than their business. Few of them realize that they are essentially lending funds to another entrepreneur. And so, it is essentially what the company does with the borrowed money. With bills of exchange and bonds, they often have no guarantee that they will get their money back.

Of course, if they lend money to a prosperous company that generates long-term profit, grows, and owns real estate, the funds will likely return to them even at a profit. “In practice, however, these investments often have no coverage, because the companies that issue them are newly established with a registered capital of 5,000 euros and therefore have virtually no guarantee. For larger companies that issue bonds, the risk can be well hidden from the layman, for example, in the form of subordinated debt. Therefore, it is appropriate to be careful when investing funds and be more interested in details and substance than just marketing and the promised profit percentage.

How To Invest With Lower Risk?

When investing either through the Individual Portfolio or the Active Managed Portfolio, as an investor, you ultimately have a spread of investments in several hundred shares and bonds of large companies. Therefore the risk is very widely spread. Suppose you decide to invest in this way, in addition to owning your company. In that case, you become a co-owner of major global companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Pfizer, Coca-Cola, Tesla, Johnson & Johnson, Invidia, Berkshire Hathaway, and the like. You also become a co-owner of government bonds, both European and US bonds.

The post How To “Protect” Your Business? appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

This made many business owners turn their attention to various aspects of their business, including their physical security and ensuring that they don’t come under the threat of criminal activity.

However, how do you successfully achieve a completely secure business?

Whether you’re the proud owner of a fresh start-up business, or you’re a longstanding CEO, it’s very likely that you’ll agree – protecting your business premises inside and out can seem like a minefield. Yet, with technology growing all the time, we are now presented with various incredibly smart business security systems.

That’s why we’ve put together 5 essential physical security measures your business needs to implement today, below.

Access Control

As a business owner, you need to be informed at all times on who is entering your business and whether they are visiting with the right intentions. This includes having some form of access control on your premises.

For maximum peace of mind, we advise going further than just the traditional lock and key. Join the many business owners across the UK that have decided to opt for more high-tech options.

Access control enables you to control who has access to your property and provides you with the ability to restrict access and ensure that only authorised personnel can visit you. Should you need to remove access, simply change it in a few clicks.

Exterior Lights

If you’re looking for an affordable, yet effective method of physical business security, exterior lights are an excellent choice.

The threat of being seen is enough to completely put off any potential criminals trying to break into your business. Therefore, by choosing to invest in automatic, motion-sensing lights you’ll illuminate anyone who steps within a certain proximity of your business.

Security Cameras

When it comes to running a business, it’s important that you have your eyes on all areas, at all times. Yet, of course, this is impossible for one person to single-handedly do!

Many CCTV systems will operate 24/7 and will allow you to observe various different business locations across different towns and cities from one central location.

Car Park Security

If you are aiming to limit unwanted visitors and potential threats, there is one place you need to secure first. Your car park is a surprisingly vulnerable area of your business, especially if people are free to enter and exit as they please. Therefore, this is where proper security precautions are needed most.

Vehicle security barriers will limit access to your car park down to authorised vehicles only. This simple addition will not only secure your business further but will also eliminate threats such as ram raids and the carrying and detonation of explosives.

Train Your Employees

Did you know that more often than not, security breaches come as a result of employee negligence? Sadly, when employees are not made aware of the importance of keeping business premises secure, it is easy to become relaxed and therefore increase the threat to your business.

Therefore, it is important to take the time to train and educate your employees on business safety and security and make sure that they are aware of all they need to do day-to-day.

More often than not, businesses are on the ball with investing in other forms of security systems however many forget physical security. Yet, your network security is only as secure as the physical security system in your business. Even if you invest in an outstanding firewall, this won’t stop intruders from entering your business premises and stealing equipment. We hope the above has given you some further insight into the importance of physical security systems and what aspects you should invest in first.

The post 5 Essential Physical Security Measures Your Business Needs to Implement appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

What does this mean for companies? If you are stuck with the traditional approach to security, it is time to restart your security initiative to reflect a limitless computing environment. The IoT is very different from IT, and it is essential to focus on the network and the overall data environment rather than the specific device.

The IoT Is Simply The Next Phase Of IT Security

Nothing could be further from the truth. Connected devices and systems represent a more decentralized approach to computing and cybersecurity. Moving to the IoT requires a substantial conceptual leap for IT teams as they are no longer the buyer or device owner.
The problem is that IT teams are trying to use the same tools and approaches when Fort Knox was founded. You approach a business problem as an IT problem. The IoT is not about laptops and smartphones, and it’s not about protecting user networks. It’s a whole different world that revolves around protecting business processes and data.

Business leaders who understand IoT realize that taking a holistic, data-centric approach rather than making everything more complex can make cybersecurity easier.

IT Should Oversee The Security Of The IoT

Typically, when IT is responsible for the security of the Internet of Things, it uses conventional tools, technologies, and approaches to the task. This “one-size-fits-all” approach often leads to disappointing results. The IoT goes beyond the limits of traditional computer systems. Data resides on various devices inside and outside a company and flows through many other points of contact.

But there is another, sometimes bigger, problem. With IoT spanning teams, departments, and companies, it’s easy to put up with an isolated approach to cybersecurity. In some cases, different groups dealing with security issues can duplicate or even inadvertently use conflicting methods – and ultimately leave an organization unprotected.

Alignment between IT and cybersecurity teams is even more critical in the age of IoT. This requires close collaboration between CIOs, CSOs, and CISOs. You need to analyze, identify all of your resources, and understand how, why, and where data is being used. Only then can you design a framework that is optimized for the IoT. This may require hiring or retraining people with the right skills and expertise.

Traditional Security Tools And Strategies Will Protect Us

The castle-and-moat approach to cybersecurity can actually “undermine” IoT security. While still valuable, malware protection and other traditional tools were not designed for managing data streams across sensors, edge environments, and modern multipurpose devices.

This does not mean that an organization should remove these protections, and it just needs to redesign them and add new features as they become available. This could be, for example, data encryption during transmission or tools for network monitoring that detect when data is particularly at risk. It could also be setting up separate networks for different types of data. Even if someone hacks a device or system, they may not get anything of value.

AI can find IoT devices on a network, including previously hidden devices, ensure they have received critical updates and security patches, and identify other potential problems. Machine learning enables IoT devices to be grouped based on security risks without additional security software and manual processes. This approach allows for risk assessments of when devices function “normally” or “suspiciously” and helps enforce IoT guidelines.

It’s All About Protecting Your Device

The application of conventional IT security thinking to the IoT opens another trap. IoT security requires a broader approach that includes network authentication, connectivity, clouds, and more. “It is time to stop thinking of IoT devices as small PCs. Most of these devices are simple and dumb,” says Utter.

Thousands or tens of thousands of IoT sensors and devices make it impossible to protect everyone in an intelligent business, supply chain, or city. While it’s essential to cover a medical device or car from hacking attacks, many connected sensors and devices have read-only components that cannot be compromised. As a result, enterprise IoT security measures must revolve around more complex relationships between systems and data.

“You really have to start with the basics,” emphasizes Utter. “That means that you have to create a zero trust framework.” In this new order of IoT, the network is the thing – and all sensors, devices, systems, and data have to be viewed holistically. “By classifying data, setting up zones, and creating whitelisted applications and processes, it is possible to identify the right protective devices and tools for the right task.”

This means, for example, that one has to move away from a traditional model in which all sensors and devices are integrated into the same network. Instead, a company can benefit from organizing its systems according to business tasks, data security, and trust levels. It is then necessary to create network nodes, departments, or zones and implement tools and protective devices that meet the security requirements.

Manufacturers’ Safety Precautions Are Critical

The prevailing mentality is that vendors need to build strong safeguards into their products. And if there is a patch, the user has to rush to install it after installing it. Unfortunately, this is a flawed concept in the age of connected devices. That’s not to say that security shouldn’t be built into products. It just isn’t to say that an organization shouldn’t consider the safety of IoT device providers as the primary form of protection.

Because many sensors are just “dumb endpoints” that are replaced and not patched, even when it comes to more complex devices, “most companies use IoT components and never update or patch them.” The problem is that firmware patches and upgrades become a nightmare for thousands of networked devices.

The bottom line? Security on the device becomes much less critical when data and network controls are in place. The IoT requires a broader overarching strategy that spans all device manufacturers. Ultimately, protecting the IoT doesn’t have to be a chore.

Also Read: Internet of Things [IoT] – Simple Gadget or The Start of a Revolution?

The post The Top Myths Of IoT Security appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

In this sense, it is important to know its basic operating characteristics and, even more importantly, to make responsible, ethical, and safe use of the Internet.

Possibly you think that everything on the Internet is free … and nothing is further from this reality. Our payment currency is our data and all the information about our behaviours on the network, such as connection times, contacts, location, interests, habits, …

Internet Security

We use the Internet in our day to day, whether to search for information, entertainment, work, learn new things, and in its most widespread use, to communicate. Social networks, blogs and web pages have taken over our devices, and their use keeps us permanently connected with our entire environment. We only need a device and an internet connection.

We share photos, documents, videos or any multimedia material. We send emails. We carry out banking operations. We keep all of this on our mobiles or personal computers. We practically carry our lives in our pockets. We usually save all our information in the cloud or a hard drive without worrying too much about our privacy. The “bad guys” know well and take advantage of getting hold of all this information for bad purposes.

Surfing the net can have serious consequences, from accessing false or malicious information, exposing ourselves to virus or malware threats or receiving spam emails.

Become an Internet Security Specialist

With the arrival of 5G technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), we connect all kinds of devices or devices to the network and each other, making the physical world unite with the digital one, and with this, threats are multiplying.

The digital world is already here and is growing at an exponential rate. That is why it is necessary to take a series of measures to make our experience on the Internet as pleasant and safe as possible. Of course, this entails a series of actions that we are not used to and require minimum knowledge that guarantees us security and privacy.

The free antivirus that we find on the Internet is not enough. In many cases, they do not warn us of the threats, and the best option is a good subscription antivirus. This can help us a lot in this work.

But beyond an antivirus, there are other methods to protect our privacy and security, Proxy, VPN or Firewall like prywatnoscwsieci are concepts that surely you are not familiar with, but their use provides us with a high degree of security, that if, remember that there is nothing or no one who guarantees us one hundred percent security.

The post Why Do We Need To Be Internet Security Specialists? appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

What is PCI Compliance?

When a cardholder swipes their card or dips it, their card’s information is electronically transferred to the merchant’s POS terminal. This information remains with the merchant, and they have to keep it safe. In order to provide essential security to the cardholder’s data, the payment card industry defined a standard of data security, abbreviated as the PCI DSS. These standards define how the cardholder data is stored, processed, and accepted. The security standards council in charge of defining the requirements was made on 7th September 2006. Improving the maintenance of security of the transactions involving card information is the council’s top priority, and the conditions have been updated accordingly. The SSC that governs PCI policies was formed by the major card associations, such as Visa, Mastercard, Discovery, etc.

Who does PCI DSS apply to?

Businesses that store, process, or transmit cardholder information need to be PCI compliant.
What are the Penalties of Non-compliance?
The penalties that the involved parties may face for non-compliance are entirely at the credit card associations’ discretion. Card associations can charge from $5000 to $100,000 to the acquiring bank, or in other terms, the merchant account provider. The fine is usually passed onto the merchant. Also, following the fine, the MSP can increase your transaction costs or may terminate your contract with them altogether. Facing a fine for non-compliance for small businesses can be disastrous. Therefore, knowing how vulnerable you are to PCI regulations based on your MSP contract is necessary. Most MSPs help maintain PCI compliance for merchants, and it’s best to sign up with such a provider.

What are the Levels of PCI Compliance?

Based on the volume of Visa transactions and merchant processes in 12-months, four categories of PCI compliance levels are defined. The transaction volume is based on all the credit, debit, or prepaid transactions that the merchant does through their DBA. Suppose a merchant has more than one DBA. In that case, the Visa acquirers have to aggregate the volume of all the transactions involving the whole entity to determine the level of PCI compliance needed. In case the data is not aggregated at the entity level, card associations will assign all individual DBA’s levels of PCI compliance based on their transaction volume. Visa has the authority to elevate the level of any merchant they feel needs to maintain a higher safety protocol. The defined merchant levels are;

• Level 1: Merchants that process more than six million dollars every year, through any channel of processing, fall into this category. Other than that, any merchant decaled by Visa to meet these standards also has to maintain level 1 of PCI compliance.
• Level 2: Merchants falling in the transaction volume range of $1 million to $6 million per year, irrespective of transaction channel, need to meet this requirement level.
• Level 3: Merchants who have a yearly transaction volume from $20000 to $1 million through e-commerce need to maintain level 3 of PCI compliance.
• Level 4: All merchants that process fewer than $20000 in e-commerce and $1 million through any channel in a year must maintain this level of PCI compliance.

What is a Payment Gateway?

Payment gateways act as connectors between the merchant and the acquiring bank. These gateways take inputs from multiple applications and transfer those to the associated banks. These gateways communicate with the banks through the internet, a dial-up connection, or private-leased lines.

What are the requirements of PCI Compliance?

There are a few basic steps that are necessary for PCI compliance. However, based on the type of business a merchant has, there can be other defined steps. The four basic requirements for any business maintaining PCI compliance are;

• Determine the type of PCI validation (or level).
• Based on the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, ensure all the requirements such as penetration scans, employee training, and external vulnerability scans.
• Businesses should maintain annual attestation of compliance.
• Through an Approved Scanning Vendor, complete and report all scans’ quarterly results.

Does Law mandate PCI Compliance?

Other than in a few states, such as Nevada, Washington, or Minnesota, the government does not regulate PCI compliance. But once a merchant decides to process payments through credit or other alternatives involving cardholder data, the merchant agrees to follow the card brand’s rules. Brands such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and JCB mandate PCI compliance for transaction safety.

Also Read: A Guide To Making Better Business Decisions

What is a Vulnerability Scan?

A payment system needs to be secure against hacking and data leak threats. An automated tool is used to detect the payment provider’s system for any possible vulnerability. This scan is non-intrusive and is based on the web applications and networks involved in the payment system. It is a small tool that does not need the merchant to install anything on their system. This exposes any weak spots that hackers might use to get customers’ information or leak data. There are specifically approved scanning vendors that are accepted for PCI compliance.

What are the Risks of Non-compliance?

As previously stated, in most cities, PCI compliance is not mandated by law. But not complying with PCI can lead to many liabilities such as fines, card replacement costs, audits, and damage to brand reputation in case of a breach. There can be a series of costly and unpleasant consequences resulting from a bit of carelessness. Furthermore, you may be liable to pay more to your payment processor due to the lack of compliance.

The post PCI Compliance Explained appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

However, there are some things that you can do yourself to help improve your cybersecurity and make your current defenses perform better.

Knowing what methods and devices that cybercriminals use to infiltrate devices and software can make your life easier when it comes to avoiding an attack and protecting yourself. Not opening suspicious links or sending money to people you don’t know when asked to can be relatively easy ways to avoid malware, such as Trojans or viruses, getting into your computer systems. As well as that, here are a few more tips you should follow to protect yourself and your data when online.

You should start to take more responsibility for how you use the internet

You need to be careful of what you download and always make sure that your network is secure. Ensuring you have a secure network stops Advanced Persistent Threats (also known as APTs) from occurring and getting a hold of any data that might be entering or leaving your device.

It’s one of the many reasons why you should never do a money transaction over the internet when using public Wi-Fi, as they are unprotected networks and can be infiltrated by hackers easily. 

You should also change your passwords regularly

This is to stop hackers from gaining access to any accounts you might have that will allow them to get to your sensitive data. Just because your personal cybersecurity is strong, it doesn’t mean to say that the company with whom you’re trusting your data does.

Another thing you can do is invest in multiple security services to keep you safe

Investing in services such as authentication services like nfc systems or in network security services to put up a stronger defense against APTs (which we mentioned before) can help protect your information really well. They put up a more robust layer to boost your security so you are better protected against identity fraud.

Using services such as operational security (or otherwise known as OPSEC) will give additional security to your systems as it will analyze the data entering and leaving your device and processes it to see if it will be useful to a hacker if grouped and analyzed properly to reveal more data about you. 

Final thoughts

While these are not all of the ways you can protect yourself against cybercrime, these methods can be quite easily implemented but can significantly improve your level of protection, and as such should be the first things you consider.

Also Read: The Art Of Cyber Risk Prediction And How To Stay One Step Ahead Of Cyber Attacks

The post Tips On How To Protect Yourself Against Cybercrime appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

The great popularity of Android is due, among other things, to the fact that the software is open to manufacturer-specific adjustments – contrary to Apple’s approach and its iOS operating system. That means, the open-source principle is followed, so to speak. Smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung or Huawei can change the menu structure or pre-install certain apps in the Play Store so that the system and Android devices get an individual touch. At the same time, Android is also a popular platform for third-party providers: Google’s Play Store currently offers its users over 2.5 million app versions from all imaginable areas.

Since Android is free software (open source) and at the same time it is extremely popular, the software is attractive to attackers. Any security gaps could therefore lead to data theft or even loss of control. We have therefore compiled the most important security tips for optimal security settings in Android below.

Measures to increase the security of Android smartphones

Install regular Android updates

Carrying out regular security and Android updates on the part of the user is particularly important, as these close known vulnerabilities in various Android versions. The risk of attack is reduced by constant updates. The current status of the security patch and updates is stored under the menu item “About the phone”, ie the last update installed on the Android device is displayed. However, this does not guarantee that some older updates are missing, and therefore known security gaps still exist. A gateway for malware is then open here. The additional installation of virus protection or antivirus software is therefore advisable to protect the smartphone from malware.

The reason for malware security gaps: Due to a large number of different smartphone manufacturers and their individually adapted Android versions, Android security patches or updates cannot be distributed centrally. The patches are therefore passed on by Google to the chip manufacturers and from there to the smartphone manufacturers. In some cases, the providers have to adapt the security updates to their end devices. Even old smartphones are no longer supplied with updates after a certain period of time. As a rule of thumb, one can state that the manufacturers ensure a steady supply of updated patches and updates for at least two years after market launch.

The Android app is recommended to track the security status of the Android updates on the respective Android system. It can be used to scan the Android smartphone – be it from the manufacturer Samsung, Huawei, or the like – for any missing updates. In this way, any update gaps that may arise can be closed; The smartphone and its software version are thus at the safest level.

Updates: Set up automatic updates for all mobile apps

The automatic update of apps not only increases performance and stability but also Android security. Under the “Settings” menu item, the “Automatic app updates” function can be found in the smartphone, with which you can download the latest version of the respective app. You can choose between three options:

• Don’t allow automatic app updates
• Update apps automatically at any time
• Allow automatic app & software updates only via WiFi

In principle, the second and third options are recommended, as you do not run the risk of forgetting to update the app. Depending on the monthly inclusive volume of the mobile phone tariff, the automatic update via WLAN may be the better choice to protect your smartphone. Of course, apps can also be updated manually, but there is a risk of forgetting important updates.

Install apps only from trustworthy sources

Among the huge number of apps available in the Google Play Store, there are a few dubious offers that contain malicious code. Google has installed a variety of measures to detect malware. However, it cannot be completely ruled out that individual apps of the Android version violate the specifications.

It is therefore advisable to deactivate the Android function “Installation of apps of unknown origin” in the menu. This ensures that only apps that are officially available in the Google Play Store and that are subject to the corresponding security standards can be installed on the smartphone.

There are also apps that can be used to specifically improve the security of the popular Samsung, Huawei, and other Android smartphones, such as antivirus apps. A scan of the app authorizations is also useful. Certain apps may have access to the camera or location data, for example, but this is not necessary for their actual purpose. You should check that before installing an app under “Authorization details” in the Google Play Store. The authorizations of apps already installed on the smartphone can be found under “Settings” in the “Apps” menu item.

Protection when surfing the Internet using a VPN tunnel

When surfing the Internet, you should exercise caution, especially with free WiFi offers. Data can be read out relatively easily via unsecured WLAN connections, and telephone calls can even eavesdrop with the appropriate tools.

It is therefore advisable to set up a VPN tunnel (Virtual Privacy Network). The data is transmitted in encrypted form, so the data is safe from third-party access. The home router, for example, can also serve as a VPN server. Well-known router manufacturers such as AVM or Netgear have often integrated appropriate VPN functions here. Alternatively, there are free solutions for mobile surfing on Android, e.g. Opera VPN.

A VPN tunnel can be set up under Android in just a few simple steps: In the “Settings” menu, click on “Additional settings” and then “VPN”. Then it is sufficient to enter the connection data and the IP address of the server in the input window. You can then surf safely while on the move and pursue your online activities carefreely.

Theft protection on Android

In order to protect the Android smartphone from unauthorized access in the event of loss or theft, the manufacturer Google offers corresponding functions. If the smartphone is lost, it is not only annoying because of the hardware, it is also often the loss of valuable and personal data. The general rule here: Always leave the screen lock activated and carry out regular backups so that the most important things can be restored in the worst-case scenario.

With Android, there are also various options for controlling the smartphone remotely. Google allows location, blocking, and, in an emergency, deletion of the data on the end device. In addition, a message with a telephone number or email address can be displayed on the lock screen, which enables a potential finder to contact you.

A prerequisite for using the protection at Google is a Google account and an internet connection (mobile or WiFi) for the lost smartphone or stolen cell phone. In addition, the location function must be activated in the settings under the heading “Security”. The smartphone can also be encrypted here.

Conclusion – regular updates ensure a high level of security under Android

Even the basic settings of Android offer helpful functions for increasing smartphone security. The seamless installation of security updates and automatic updating of the apps are particularly important here. In addition, you should carefully check the origin of new apps and restrict unnecessary access permissions if necessary.

In order to contain the negative consequences of losing a smartphone, we recommend encrypting the data and activating remote access. In this way, sensitive data can be deleted afterward in an emergency. If you lose your smartphone, you should immediately change the passwords for websites and mail accounts that may have been automatically saved there. And should you actually have lost your mobile phone – which nobody wishes for you?

The post ANDROID SECURITY: WITH THESE SECURITY SETTINGS PROTECT YOUR SMARTPHONE appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

Security groups operate by collecting computer accounts, other users’ accounts, and other groups into simple and easy to manage units. Some rights and permissions are set up within the Windows Server operating system that permits specific tasks. 

Security groups are ideal at the instance level; however, you can assign up to five security groups when you start an instance in a VPC.

 Here you’ll learn how AWS Security groups work, at what levels do security groups provide protection, find security groups on AWS, Use multiple AWS security groups, and checkpoint AWS security solutions.

An AWS security group is a virtual firewall capable of controlling the incoming and outgoing traffic for your ECS instances. In short, the incoming and out of traffic flow from your model is influenced by both the inbound and outbound rules, respectively. 

How AWS Security Groups Work

The incoming and outgoing traffic from your instances is controlled explicitly by a security group that acts as a virtual firewall for your EC2 instances. Similarly, the incoming traffic to your model is controlled by the inbound rules, and the outbound rules govern the outgoing traffic from your instance. This means when you start an instance, more or one security group can be specified. Having the security groups, all your traffic that flows at the instance level is ensured to flow only via your confirmed ports and protocols.
When you start an instance, for example, on Amazon EC2, you need to designate it to a specific security group. You can also include rules for every security group that is responsible for the traffic to your instances.

At What Level do Security Groups provide Protection AWS?

Due to the EC2 instance associated with security groups, the AWS security group offers protection at the protocol and ports access level.

How to find a security group on AWS?

The following step will help you to find the security group on AWS;

• Open the EC2 console on Amazon
• Select the Security Groups in the navigation pane
• Copy the security group ID of the group that you are looking for
• Select the network connection in the navigation pane
• Paste the security group ID into the search part
• Check the results 

Using multiple AWS security groups

Using a maximum of five networks per interface, you can specify the number of security groups for each EC2 instance. Also, every model in a subnet in your VPC can be designated to another set of security groups. When traffic reaches the entire instance, Amazon EC2 benchmarks all the rules from the whole groups associated. 

Check Point AWS Security Solutions

Like any other security group, the AWS can fail to meet all the requirements for most institutions. Therefore, it is sure to preserve your firewall on any of your instances.
For example, the Checkpoint Cloud Guard platform offers a solution to the native security for Amazon environments.

Also Read: Physical Protections That Can Prevent Cybersecurity Risks

The post What are the AWS Security Groups? appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.