Bot Threat: Security Alert!

Malware, Virus, Phishing, Trojan, Bugs, and now Bots! The IT industry is constantly at war with these malicious mechanisms hackers use but the enemy numbers continue to increase at a great speed. According to Check Point 2013 Internet Security Report, Bots pose as the second biggest threat to data security after web apps. With as much as 63% companies infected with bots in 2013, it sure is a security alarm for information security professionals.


What are Bots?

Internet robots, or simply bots are daunting programs that are automated to reside in a computer and infect it. They are remotely controlled by cyber criminals who can strike in a number of ways including stealing data, launching DDoS attacks and distributing spam or malware. When these propagate on their own in a chain reaction to infect other computers, it becomes a botnet.

Is WhatsApp Free of Cyber Crime? Think Again!

If you're using an Android mobile phone, chances are that you're in regular touch with your dear ones through WhatsApp? So what's the big deal, you might ask? Well, it’s now a matter of concern and users must be very careful about the information they share on this instant messaging app - WhatsApp. No form of digital communication is entirely secure nowadays, including mobile chat applications. By using miscreant apps and a few scripts, anyone can steal your chats and can check what you talked about with anyone.

A Dutch Security Consultant found out that all the WhatsApp chat logs are saved in the phone's SD card which is easily accessible and readable by other apps because of the way Android allows sharing of data between apps.

Any database which is saved on an Android SD card can be read by any other Android application if the user allows it to access the SD card and this is not at all a big task because majority of users allow access to everything on their mobile devices by default. This information was shared  by Bas Bosschert in one of his blogs. Further Bas Bosschert explained the answer to "What do we need to steal someone's WhatsApp database? For this, he highlighted that we just need a place to store the database, and an Android application which uploads the WhatsApp database onto a website." 

Biggest Data Breaches in 2013

Headlines every other day in 2013 were covered with stories of how hackers managed to steal millions of worth of data and get away with it uncaught. Despite increased awareness and higher spending on IT security in 2013, attackers found loopholes to penetrate into systems and wreak havoc. CEH Training is one of the defense practices which is a must for enterprises nowadays to get equipped in. Every organization must have one dedicated Certified Ethical Hacker,  if not a security team, to ensure that their confidential data is safe from all angles. Here we highlight some of the biggest data breaches in 2013 that taught us all some important lessons:

Adobe

Adobe had the shock of its life when approximately 3 million personal records of their users, and nearly 150 million passwords including source code of Adobe software products was stolen. This data breach showed the world how vast the scope of a data breach can be and what ramifications an organization has to endure if their security systems are not in perfect order.

Twitter

Another big shot faced the heat when it reported unusual access patterns of some users. An investigation carried out revealed that 250,000 usernames, passwords and emails were at potential risk. Passwords were then reset for these accounts and users were notified. From this incident, Twitter learnt the lesson and started using two-factor authentication to tighten security.  

NSA

Probably the most talked about breach of not only 2013 but in the history of IT, is one of the U.S. National Security Agency. It caused such an uproar and outrage in general public that it proved to be catastrophic for the agency. Edward Snowden was the man behind the operation which uncovered U.S. government's spying and monitoring activities of its citizens.

Cyber Attacks a Major Threat to Businesses

An industry wide survey of technology and healthcare firms conducted by Silicon Valley Bank, exposed some noteworthy revelations and thought patterns in the corporate world. Almost half of the respondents in this survey unanimously thought of cyber attacks being the most serious threat to their data and business continuity. The research was based on responses from 216 professionals from different organizations.

A whopping 98 percent companies admitted to maintaining or even increasing their IT security resources. Almost half of them are planning to devote more resources this year to deal with online attacks. Another revelation that surfaced was that these resources are more likely to be invested in preventive policies rather than in preventive infrastructure. That means staffing security professionals, CEH Training in Ethical Hacking and monitoring is gaining higher importance than keeping the right infrastructure in place, indicating that they are planning for dealing with such attacks.

The main reason why this problem is being viewed as such a huge threat is because the possibility of enterprise operations being disrupted are magnified. With intellectual property of the organization at stake, close to 60 percent of respondents believed it to be a serious issue. Overall, it was deduced from this report that while many companies were confident of being able to secure their information assets in future, they were more concerned about the security measures taken by their crucial partners, vendors and distributors.

Companies are ready to take on attackers albeit they utilize the right resources that can effectively and efficiently safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of critical business information. Koenig Solutions offers various IT security courses for those who would like to build ammo against malicious intruders and hackers. 

Emerging Career Paths in IT (Information Technology)

The new wave of information technology industry is not only riding programmers and developers on its back, but also giving rise to a few emerging career paths in IT. The technology industry is a raging bull that is spreading its reach far and wide across the globe - even in other sectors, related directly or indirectly to IT. New fields such as information security, virtualization, data center administration etc are some of the upcoming career options that are highly lucrative and different from the run of the mill IT jobs. However, your next question might be where do I get relevant qualification for these job options? The answer is simple. You need a regular engineering or computer science degree and specialized training or certification in a particular domain/technology in order to validate your skills. 

CEH V8 Training and Certification is meant for those aspirants looking out to make a career in enterprise and network security to protect business critical information from cyber threats and unscrupulous intruders. The job responsibility of Certified Ethical Hackers is to always be two steps ahead of black hat hackers so as to build a strong defense mechanism against their attacks. 

VMware Training is designed for professionals who wish to gain expertise in virtualization domain. Streamline your internal and external business processes and save time, money and energy using VMware technologies.

Raising the Bar with IT Certification Upgrades

Do you know that more than 500 new viruses are being discovered every month? Take into account that only 50,000 viruses have been cataloged so far and the number of new threats on the internet are increasing exponentially every year. Given this data, it is safe to say that defense mechanisms are far too inadequate as compared to the ever growing threats. However, all is not lost. Individuals with CEH Training find out new ways that hackers employ to inject viruses into your systems. Security experts have to be twice as crafty as hackers in order to be a step ahead of them. Therefore, it is essential to always be updated and get your knowledge upgraded from time to time.

IT certifications are worthless if you do not upgrade your current set of skills to the latest industry trends. CEH V8 Training is the latest in information security. Other technologies are also improved at regular intervals depending upon market demands and changes. It is up to an individual to constantly update skills if they wish to remain productive in this volatile technology industry. Speaking of new trends, virtualization has also taken the world by a storm.  The best way to stay ahead in this field is to get VMware Training. It is one of the best technologies that helps you maintain and leverage your data centers. Productivity and efficiency will know no bounds if you get certified with such progressive IT courses.

Koenig Solutions offers these IT training programs along with 200+ more courses to choose from. If you wish to raise the bar of your IT career and potential, IT certification upgrades are a must. So get set to make a mark and zoom forward in your career. 

Is There a Way Out of Password Woes?

The last month saw many high profile cases of hacking attacks including the famed New York Times and Washington Post outages. A password cracker program oclHashcat-plus was used to break into NY Times website. This free to download program has the ability to crack passcodes up to 55 characters long. How long will we take to understand that it's the underlying infrastructure that needs to beef up rather than the tired passcode system. Every hacker is after your data and there are hundreds of effortless and hassle-free ways for them to do so.

So you thought two way authentication is the answer to your password woes? Well, think again. A Trojan named Perkele infects not only your PC but also your mobile device to steal passcodes sent to your mobile for verification. This Trojan can wreak havoc for online banking customers. Banking institutions need to think beyond just authenticating the user and strengthen their online banking platforms from within. CEH Training makes you a Certified Ethical Hacker who knows all tricks of unethical hackers.

Do you know what they attackers with your stolen passwords? They update rainbow tables thus making it progressively easier to break other passkeys. Once cracked, they use it coupled with your email addresses to spear phishing attacks. And in no time, they possess a lot of information about you which can cause damage to your finances, reputation or even steal your identity.

Fly High with a Career in Information Security

The NY Times website went down for almost two hours a few days back. Even the Washington Post site and two other media URLs were attacked this week by Syrian hackers. With new instances of compromised integrity and privacy making headlines every day,  most organizations are now aware of the importance of securing their data and applications. Web applications are more vulnerable than ever. This scenario has opened doors for IT professionals towards a lucrative career option - Network Security.

 For those still confused about where to start, this guide will help you make inroads into amazing career opportunities. Getting certified and regularly upgrading your skills is the first step to a rewarding career in this field. Here are a list of beginner level courses that you can go for depending upon your inclination:

CEH: EC-Council's CEH Training (Certified Ethical Hacker) certification is the buzzword for security professionals nowadays. This training program equips individuals with potent skills to safeguard networks and systems so that they can thwart cyber attacks. Students learn various tools and penetration testing techniques that ensure a strengthened information backbone of an organization.  

Security+: CompTIA's entry level vendor neutral IT certification can also help you make a mark in this domain. Some companies even mandate this credential in candidates applying for a job in the InfoSec area. Aspirants pursuing this certification are taught how to secure networks at the operational, application, information and infrastructure level.

CEH: The Best Security Certification

The IT world, as far and as expansive it may have become, is still struggling with one concern: Cyber Security. A far reaching and unrestrained world wide web opens up a can of worms which becomes difficult to manage and curtail. Although technology mills have been working overtime to introduce security mechanisms that defend corporate as well as personal networks, it all depends on people who must understand the need for this web security. The onus also lies with organizations that should also focus on recruiting IT security professionals or ethical hackers. The brighter side is that with greater awareness, companies are now realizing the importance of cyber security and taking measures to fill the gap by hiring experts.

The Best Security Certification

CEH v8, or Certified Ethical Hacker with its latest version 8 is probably the best security certification around nowadays. Koenig Solutions offers CEH training for those looking towards a promising career in this domain. Demand for ethical hackers and penetration testers in on the rise. This is the perfect opportunity for IT aspirants to opt for a CEH course and be in the right place at the right time. Certified Ethical Hackers are responsible for testing system and network security by ethically hacking into them and uncovering loopholes. Intelligence agencies and government bodies are also hiring professionals for the same.

Now you know which course to select if you wish to make a mark in the field of cyber security. 

For more information, visit at http://www.koenig-solutions.com/