Cybersecurity is the defense against harmful assaults by hackers, spammers, and cybercriminals against internet-connected devices and services known as cybersecurity.
Organizations employ this technique to guard against ransomware attacks, identity theft, phishing scams, data breaches, and monetary losses. You only have to look around to notice how reliant on technology everyday life relies on it, compared to previous generations. Benefits of this trend include almost instantaneous access to information on the Internet as well as the contemporary comforts offered by Internet of Things ideas and smart home automation technologies.
HUR hackers launch a massive cyberattack that cripples Russian infrastructure
Attacking more than 800 Russian computers, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) cyber experts destroyed vital military and financial data, shut down operations, and severely damaged infrastructure.
Military intelligence sources in Ukraine informed Kyiv Post that between Monday, September 23, and Thursday, September 26, computer experts from the country’s military intelligence (HUR) launched cyberattacks against over 800 servers spread throughout different parts of the Russian Federation.
One of the news site’s contacts said that HUR’s cyber corps entirely erased all records and information kept on the impacted servers, which belonged to financial, administrative, and military organizations that assist Russia in its activities against Ukraine.
“The activities of service providers and customers across numerous sectors have come to a partial or total stop due to the loss of data and documents. The insider added that recovering lost data will cost a lot of money and effort, further exposing the inadequate technical infrastructure of the Russian Federation to the local populace.
It was observed that all of the data on the compromised servers was lost and could not be recovered.
Russia’s digital networks and infrastructure have been subjected to continuous attacks by Ukrainian intelligence hackers in recent weeks.
On Monday, September 23, experts launched a cyberattack that stopped the functioning of two significant Russian Federation banks, Rosselkhozbank and the Moscow Credit Bank. As a result, internet banking services and mobile applications were rendered inoperable, as per a source from HUR. As of right now, the technical staff of the banks are unable to predict when services will resume.
HUR cyber experts broke into Russian TV firm servers on August 22, which led to the broadcasting of videos on many local stations that depicted the realities of the fighting in Ukraine.
Working with the hacker collective “VO Team,” HUR targeted Russian internet networks and infrastructure on September 6, allegedly damaging 18 servers in all, according to a source who spoke with Kyiv Post. What the abbreviation “VO” stands for is not evident.
The Russian federal center “Osnovanie,” which certifies digital signatures used by small businesses and individuals, was hacked on September 13 by HUR cyber specialists and the VO Team. As a result, users were unable to access the service for more than a week, and a message stating, “Your certificates are in safe hands,” was left on the website. The Ukrainian armed forces will be supported by the money raised from the sale of your data.
Almost 50% of working adults have fallen victim to cyberattacks or scam
Nearly half of respondents to a recent global study said they had been the victim of a fraud or cybercrime.
In a global survey of 20,000 working individuals, 45% said that a hacking effort or fraud had exposed their personal information, including email or bank account details.
In fact, over half of respondents acknowledged that, in both their personal and professional life, they respond reactively to cyberthreats (45%) rather than proactively defending against them (44%).
Furthermore, respondents stated that artificial intelligence is to blame for the success (66%) and sophistication (72%) of online frauds and phishing efforts.
According to a recent international poll, over half of participants had been the target of a fraud or cybercrime.
To explore the worldwide effects of cyber insecurity, both personally and in the corporate sphere, Yubico commissioned a global survey in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. Respondents came from the US, UK, Australia, India, Japan, Poland, Singapore, France, Germany, and Sweden.
In the last year, half of the respondents (50%) said they had been the target of a cyberattack at work. Of them, just 25% stated their employer had responded by mandating cybersecurity training moving forward.
Twenty percent of individuals whose personal information was compromised claimed that one or more of their personal accounts, such as email or bank accounts, had been successfully breached by a cyberattacker.
One in five of the respondents disclosed that the company they work for only updates their technology and security policies on an “as-needed” basis.
Merely 25% of respondents stated that their employer had taken action by mandating cybersecurity training going ahead.
Finding the subtle aftereffects of lucrative hacks and scams, 22% of respondents reported financial loss and 30% expressed skepticism about the safety of their personal data in the future.
Additionally, of the 50% of respondents whose personal credentials had been leaked due to a breach or data leak, social media account passwords were the most frequently affected (44%).
What makes these hacking attempts so effective?
Artificial intelligence, according to respondents, has made internet frauds and phishing efforts more complex and effective.
According to the study, 39% of respondents think that the safest method for safeguarding accounts and data is only to use a username and password.
It is indeed the most popular method of account protection among responders.
As per Derek Hanson, vice president of standards and alliances at Yubico, “passwords are inherently insecure, even though they have been the standard method for logging into accounts and securing information.” People frequently use weak passwords and reuse them for various accounts, which makes it possible for hackers to access numerous accounts with only one login. Furthermore, individuals are frequently duped into disclosing their passwords by the advanced nature of contemporary phishing scams. The least secure data security method is using a username and password to safeguard accounts and information.
According to the study, 39% of respondents think that protecting accounts and information with just a username and password is the most safe approach.
Nevertheless, the most popular method for “rescuing” data from people who reported intrusions at work was to simply reset the password and login for all corporate accounts (30%).
Furthermore, 20% of respondents said that their employer only changes its security and technology guidelines “as needed.”
Remarkably, respondents stated that the procedures in place to secure information at work are stronger than those protecting their personal information (70% vs. 63%), which is concerning given the absence of current cybersecurity policies at work.
Social networking and payment app credentials are the most often hacked personal passwords.
In light of this, it’s no wonder that for respondents throughout the world, getting hacked on their personal accounts (24%) is the top cybersecurity dread keeping them up at night.
The results show that individuals believe their data is secure. But the survey’s findings demonstrate the reverse,” Hanson stated. Worse still, a lot of people have been conned and successfully hacked on several sites. Social media accounts belonging to nearly half of those affected have been compromised. While this is noteworthy in and of itself, it’s particularly concerning in light of the fact that social media accounts frequently contain sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and correspondence with friends and family. Almost half admitted that they’re reactive to cyber threats, rather than proactively protecting against them, in their personal lives (45%) and at work (44%).
COMMON COMPROMISED PERSONAL PASSWORDS
- Social media account password – 44%
- A payment app password – 24%
- Online retailer account password – 21%
- A messaging app password – 17%
- Banking app password – 13%
- Video streaming service password – 12%
- Insurance account password – 7%
- Medical patient portal password – 6%
