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Tag: Cyber Security Challenges

Cyber Security Challenges for Online Retailers in Holiday Season

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On November 30, 2022

In Security

With the holiday spirit on a high, it is the season for shopping.

Online shopping has taken over as the preferred method of shopping due to a change in consumer behavior. Since more and more people are choosing to shop online, businesses are shifting to online retailing to take advantage of the opportunity. However, this has also given a chance to cyber criminals to exploit vulnerabilities and trick users into fraud.

Given the rising cyber threats, here is a list of cyber security challenges online retailers need to be aware of this holiday season:

  1. Botnet Attacks: A botnet attack is an attack where a large number of internet-connected devices are infected by malware and are then used to launch cyber attacks as a bot network. Botnet attacks against online retailers or e-commerce sites usually involve advanced bots to bypass their cyber security system. An advanced bot is trained to imitate human behavior when accessing a browser. One of the most common forms of botnet attacks is Traffic Overload or DDoS attack. A large network of bots sends multiple redundant requests to the server of the online retailer site to cause traffic overload. As a result, the server is not able to receive requests from the customers resulting in Distributed Denial of Service. These attacks are majorly used to disrupt the business during peak shopping season.
  2. Unauthorized Account Access: These attacks rely on credential theft to access users’ or retailers’ accounts. User accounts typically include gift cards, discount vouchers, and stored financial information such as credit card details. While this can result in financial loss for users, threat actors can also target retailers using intercepted user accounts. They can make fraudulent purchases using merchants’ simple financing options over the holiday season.
  3. Malware/ Ransomware: As the holiday season is a busy time of the year for retailers, cybercriminals try to disrupt operations by installing malware or ransomware. Attackers may exploit vulnerabilities in the code or may run a social engineering attack to hack into the system.
  4. Redirection Attacks: Cybercriminals analyze online retailer websites to find vulnerabilities they can exploit. Once they find a vulnerability, they utilize this chance to insert malicious code injections. These codes are generally added to the payment page of the website. When a user clicks on this malicious code, he is redirected to a fake website that is built to mimic the original payments page. The user is requested to provide financial details to make the payment & finalize his purchase. These details are sent by the server to a threat actor who can use it for financial or credential theft.

Online retailers need to be cautious to prevent these attacks. Common preventive measures include installing regular updates to patch vulnerabilities, implementing access management strategies, promoting multi-factor authentication for user accounts, etc.

To know more about cyber security challenges for online retailers, contact Centex Technologies. You can contact Centex Technologies at Killeen (254) 213 – 4740, Dallas (972) 375 – 9654, Atlanta (404) 994 – 5074, and Austin (512) 956 – 5454.

Cyber Security Challenges For Businesses

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On October 29, 2022

In Security

Combating cyber security challenges is all about staying ahead by taking preventive actions before any threats exploit the system. It is important as a cyber security threat can not only result in a reputational or monetary loss but also cause a complete financial bust after the business pays the penalty. In order to adopt proper preventive actions, it is important to understand the cyber security challenges that businesses face.

Here is a list of the biggest cybersecurity challenges for businesses:

  • Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence plays a parallel role in cyber-attacks & their prevention. Research and modeling can be used to make AI systems learn to detect anomalies in the behavior pattern of events. AI systems can be used to create defensive tools such as biometric login. However, in a parallel scenario, the same characteristics of AI systems are exploited by hackers to execute a cyber attack.
  • Technical Skills Gap: There is a huge gap between the available cybersecurity professionals and the number of vacancies. This emphasizes on the marked inability to employ cybersecurity professionals at a speed that matches the rise of new vulnerabilities. As cyber-attack techniques have become more sophisticated, it has become imperative for organizations to hire employees with the right skill set. A simpler solution is to train existing staff according to the organization’s requirements to prevent cyber attacks and combat vulnerabilities. Additionally, companies heavily invest in making the system and network robust by implementing new advanced technologies, but effective implementation and use of these technologies require a skilled and trained workforce.
  • Cloud Risks: It has become a common practice for companies to move their sensitive data to cloud services. However, the effective movement of data to the cloud needs proper configuration & security measures. Organizations need to ensure the security of the platform along with the security of the organization’s data from theft & accidental deletion over the cloud. If not taken care of, cloud services can pose a major cyber security risk. In order to avoid these risks, organizations need to implement solutions such as firewalls, multi-factor authentication, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), etc.
  • Ransomware Threats: It is the most common type of cyber threat that is growing at a fast pace. Ransomware encrypts files or blocks access to the victim’s system or network. Once the access is blocked, the hackers demand ransom for re-allowing access. This can result in the loss of critical data, financial loss, and productivity loss.

For more information about cybersecurity solutions, contact Centex Technologies. You can call the following office locations – Killeen (254) 213 – 4740, Dallas (972) 375 – 9654, Atlanta (404) 994 – 5074, and Austin (512) 956 – 5454.

What Is Harly Trojan & How it Affects Android Users?

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On October 28, 2022

In Security

After Joker, there is a new addition in the line of Batman villain-themed malware, named “Harly”. Named after the fictional girlfriend (Harley Quinn) of “Joker” in the Batman series, this trojan can be defined as an auto-subscriber that works under the pretext of legitimate android apps.

To begin with, let us understand the basic difference between Joker & Harly Trojan.

  • Apps developed under the Joker series did not possess any malicious code. Instead, they worked by offering legitimate services to lure the target users into downloading the app from Google Play Store. Once the app was downloaded, it would download the malicious code on the victim’s phone. This code could send expensive SMS messages to premium rate numbers from the victim’s phone.
  • On the contrary, Harly is a step ahead. The apps contain the malicious code required to function and thus do not depend on remote CCS (control & Command Server). This makes Harly trojan difficult to detect.

The reach of Harly trojan can be estimated from the fact that over 190 apps in Google Play Store are infected by this trojan, and infected apps have been downloaded more than 4.8 million times.

How does Harly Trojan Work?

The functioning of Harly trojan can be understood as a step-wise process.

  • The trojan is distributed using android apps in Google Play Store.
  • Cybercriminals download legitimate apps available in the play store.
  • Malicious code is injected into the app code while retaining the original functioning of the app.
  • The altered app is uploaded to the play store under a different name.
  • When user downloads this app, the app decrypts the malicious code & launches it.

The purpose of the code is to gather information related to the target device, such as device configuration & network. Based on these details, the malicious code fetches a subscription list for the victim & signs him up for paid subscriptions.

Can Harly Sign Up The Victim For Subscriptions Bypassing SMS Or Call Verification?

A standard safety measure deployed while activating paid subscriptions is to send a verification code via SMS or over a phone call. But, Harly trojan is capable of bypassing this security measure.

To begin with, it disconnects the Wi-Fi on the mobile device & connects it to the internet using the mobile service provider’s network. Following this, it opens hidden windows to fetch user details for subscription. The trojan then gains access to the messages and intercepts the code sent for verification.

How to Stay Protected Against Harly Trojan?

A few preventive measures & diligences can help in avoiding falling prey to Harly trojan.

  • Thoroughly review the testimonials before downloading any app & avoid apps with negative feedback.
  • Avoid installing unnecessary apps on your mobile device.
  • Use open code apps as it allow users to inspect the code. Malware code hidden in the source code can be found easily.
  • Place a spending limit on your mobile phone & keep an eye on your subscriptions.

For more information about cybersecurity solutions, contact Centex Technologies. You can call at the following office locations – Killeen (254) 213 – 4740, Dallas (972) 375 – 9654, Atlanta (404) 994 – 5074, and Austin (512) 956 – 5454.

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