Backdoor Attacks Pose a Real Headache for Cyber Security

Uncategorized,
15
Nov 2016

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Backdoors are a point of access which can be illegally installed to give hackers free and easy network access; they’re also very difficult to detect.

Unfortunately, for all computer users, backdoor hacks are a form of cyber-attack which is on the rise. And what’s particularly galling for businesses is that they’re becoming harder and harder to combat.

I’ve previously covered variants of backdoor attacks – such as the GlassRAT Trojan – but it’s time I took a closer look at how these backdoors operate.

What is a Backdoor Attack?

Gaining remote access to a computer network is a hacker’s dream, so anything that makes this a possibility will be pursued by hackers; a backdoor to your network is the most straightforward way of achieving this.

It literally is a ‘backdoor’ which hackers can use to come and go as they please without leaving any signs of forcing an entry. And with free rein to access your network, a hacker will seriously compromise the safety of your data and all your systems.

How Do Backdoor Attacks Take Place?

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What’s particularly tricky about backdoor attacks is the number of different strategies they employ to breach your defenses:

  • Software Exploits – Many pieces of software have backdoors built into them that only the developer is aware of. Sometimes this can be to help aid in maintenance, but there have also been reports of government agencies insisting ‘secret backdoors’ are installed to aid security. However, no matter how secret these backdoors are, there’s always the chance a hacker will discover them.
  • Malware – One of the most common methods of establishing a backdoor is through malware which first breaches the network before downloading code to setup a backdoor. As we’ve learned previously, malware can come in many forms such as email attachments and phishing.

Both these methods are troubling as they can take the form of a zero day exploit, so firewalls and anti-malware software are oblivious to these new security threats which leads to a period where the attack simply isn’t detected.

Secondly, the backdoor establishes the hacker with seemingly legitimate credentials and this fails to create any suspicion around the connections being made into your network, so they’re not easy to pick up and gives the hacker plenty of time to run riot.

How to Defend Against Backdoors

Although backdoors are tricky attacks that are difficult to counter, you can still protect your network by taking the following measures:

  • Don’t Forget The Old Methods – Firewalls and anti-malware software still have a place and can detect a high proportion of backdoor activity e.g unauthorized incoming traffic. Therefore, it’s not quite time to dispose of these quite yet otherwise you run the risk of a simple and quick hack taking place.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Cyber Crime as a Service – A New Threat

Security, Uncategorized, ,
08
Nov 2016

Computer crime concept

The latest evolution in hacking is here and it’s known as Cybercrime as a Service (CaaS) and it promises to create faster, more powerful hacks, but how?

Well, many people have a need to carry out hacking operations, but don’t have the technical skills to design or even launch these types of cyber-attacks. Therefore, there’s a niche in the market for those who do know how to design a piece of malware to monetize their skills. And this is what the foundations of CaaS are built upon – money and cybercrime.

How exactly does it work, though? And what does it mean for the future of cyber security?

What is CaaS?

Hacking has rarely been referred to as an ‘industry’ despite a few individuals willing to carry out cyber-attacks in exchange for money. However, with CaaS, hacking appears to be turning into an industry which means big bucks and nightmares for computer owners all over the world.

Say, for example, a disgruntled ex-employee wants to sabotage their previous employer’s website to cause disruption to their activities. Now, it’s highly unlikely that this employee would be skilled in the world of cyber-crime, so what would they do? Well, previously they would have tried reading a few online articles about hacking and then given up when they realized how difficult it was.

With the advent of CaaS, though, this ex-employee could easily purchase the software or the execution services of a skilled hacker. Naturally, this is a highly illegal act for both parties, so the resources for these types of services tend to be hidden on the dark web to lower the chances of identification.

Consumers can expect to find malware kits, access to infected computers and even botnet rentals which allow the initiation of Denial of Service attacks. Therefore, it’s somewhat of an Aladdin’s Cave for someone who is looking for quick, easy access to cybercrime e.g. exploit kits can be purchased for just $50 per day and, believe me, they can cause a lot of damage in one day.

What Does CaaS Mean for Hacking?

mobile phone crime concept of thief stealing money when mobile phone is on insecure network

CaaS is making hacking much more accessible for the average computer user whereas, before, it was purely the preserve of those who had the skill to design malicious software and carry out sophisticated attacks. This means that we can expect to see an increase in attacks in the future, so safeguarding your networks is more important than ever.

One of the most troubling aspects of CaaS, though, is that when a service becomes a business it drives competition amongst the vendors. And this means that those hackers who are designing exploit kits and various other hacking tools are going to have to up their game to remain in the market.

Therefore, we’re going to see a rapid evolution in the capabilities of hacking tools, so expect faster and more devastating attacks which are harder to stop. In order to protect yourself from these enhanced attacks you’re going to have to ensure that your cyber security protocols enhance visibility of such attacks and prevent them taking hold of your systems.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Malware is Evolving and Getting Harder to Stop

Security, Uncategorized,
01
Nov 2016

new-hempacks-logo

We like to think that once a cyber-attack takes place that a solution will be found. However, malware is evolving and becoming harder and harder to stop.

In Q1 2016, Kaspersky prevented just over 228 million malware attacks and this is a   figure which has been increasingly rapidly for the last few years. In fact, several years ago, it would have been unlikely to see pushed 228 million malware attacks in an entire year.

Malware, therefore, remains big business for hackers so, naturally, they’re constantly looking to upgrade their weaponry to beat the firewalls and antivirus software we rely on. And it’s a digital arms race which the cyber security experts are struggling to keep up with.

Let’s take a look at why malware is getting harder to stop.

Ransomware Arrives

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One of the most reported evolutions in the malware landscape has been the rise in ransomware attacks such as Locky.

Ransomware is a form of malware which encrypts users’ files and then demands a ransom to decrypt them. Being a relatively new form of malware, knowledge regarding their build and execution capabilities is somewhat limited, so this is making them particularly difficult to combat.

What’s also crucial to the success of ransomware is that the majority of attacks are routed through anonymous Tor servers which mask the attacker’s true IP address. This means that identifying the hackers becomes very difficult and they’re able to continue operating impeded and improve their malware. And this evolution of existing ransomware is best demonstrated by the Locky Trojan which began as a .DOC file, but is now being identified as a .ZIP archive in order to evade detection.

Targeted Attacks

Malware has, traditionally, followed the same execution regardless of which network it has been deployed upon. However, hacking groups such as Poseidon are now ensuring that their attacks are, after the standard breach, able to customize the attack depending upon the network.

Poseidon maps their victims’ networks and harvests all the available credentials to ensure they can gain the maximum privileges on the network. And the reason for this customized attack is because Poseidon is actively hunting the computer which operates as the local Windows domain controller. If the hackers are able to take control of this computer then they will have free rein over the entire network.

It’s this type of attack which is a cyber-security firm’s worst nightmare as it involves extensive research into the intricacies of individual networks. This is very time consuming and underlines how hackers are actively looking to make themselves more powerful.

Long Term Evolution

adwind-rat-console

One of the biggest problems with Malware is that certain strains are constantly evolving into new strains. The best example of this is the Adwind RAT (remote access tool) which first appeared in 2012 as a tool for online spying.

Originally debuting under the name Frutas, it evolved into Adwind, Unrecom, AlienSpy and JSocket over the next three years. Starting off as a Spanish language piece of software, it soon received an English language interface which allowed it to spread worldwide.

All these changes have allowed the Adwind RAT to enjoy a long career and cause so many cyber-attacks. By actively changing its exterior appearance and name, it has fooled firewalls and antivirus software to leave security experts scratching their heads.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The 4 Biggest Myths of Computer Security

Security
25
Oct 2016

Computer security. Isolated on white with clipping path for laptop.

The fear of losing control of your computer network results in good security practices, but it also leads to half truths about security being shared.

And when myths about computer security begin to circulate, they soon begin to take on a voice of authority. This results in businesses taking these myths as facts and concentrating resources on areas of computer security where it’s not necessary.

To help you avoid falling into this scenario, I’m going to show you the 4 biggest myths of computer security.

1. All Security Threats Are External

It’s common to assume that all security threats originate from outside your organisation, but the truth is that sometimes the biggest threats are within your business. After all, those individuals that already work for your company have much freer access to your systems.

And this takes them one step closer to accessing your secure data without all the hassle of breaking through firewalls etc. Therefore, in the case of a security breach you also need to look at your own employees as, for example, an individual who was missed out on a promotion can easily become aggrieved enough to seek revenge.

2. One Piece of Software Is All You Need

Too often, businesses feel safe in the knowledge that they have an amazing piece of software which is a one stop shop for all their security needs. And, yes, this type of software certainly makes things look neat and tidy, but what if a security flaw is discovered in that piece of software? Suddenly, all your security practices are at risk.

In order to avoid this, you should aim to have different pieces of software in place to deal with security threats e.g. firewalls, antivirus, mail wash etc. With this setup you can rest assured that it’s much harder for hackers to carry out a theft of all your data at once.

3. Windows Is Not Safe

Windows 10 has certainly come in for criticism regarding security and this has led many critics of Microsoft claiming that Windows is a liability in terms of security. However, this is a little unfair.

Whilst PCs running Windows are certainly at risk of more cyber-attacks than Macs, Microsoft are constantly monitoring security threats and issuing patches when necessary. What’s particularly unsafe about Windows is its users.

And this is because users of Windows ignore automatic updates too often. Perhaps this is because they’re too busy checking Facebook, but if they’re not careful their Facebook, and much worse, will be hacked before they know it.

4. Computer Security Is Too Confusing

Many PC users struggle to deal with security threats as they’re very defeatist when it comes to learning about the basics of computer security.  And it’s not a surprise when you consider the amount of technical jargon involved.

However, the basics of computer security aren’t too confusing, so there’s no excuse for not getting to grips with them. If your staff members are able to embrace the core concepts of computer security – good password practices, understanding the threat of email attachments – you’ll find that the risk of succumbing to an attack is reduced.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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7 Tell-tale Signs That You’ve Been Hacked

Security,
18
Oct 2016

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Anyone who sets foot online these days is at risk of falling victim to hackers, so it’s a good idea to know when you’ve been hacked.

After all, the sooner you realize you’ve been hacked, the sooner you can start working to remove the infection from your PC and make your data secure again. However, hackers are stealthy individuals and you may have to look a little closer than usual to catch them in the act.

And, to give you a helping hand, here are 7 tell-tale signs that you’ve been hacked.

1. Slow Internet Connection

If you internet connection has ground to a halt then this could indicate that you’ve been hacked. Due to an increase in network activity – caused by hackers using your bandwidth to commit malicious activity – this can render your normal internet access next to useless.

2. Unusual Access Times

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the times at which your network is accessed by new connections. In general, access during your normal working hours is to be expected, but new connections outside these times should be treated as suspicious. Hackers, you see, are likely to use automated software that is active throughout the entire day rather than between 9-5.

3. Disabled Antivirus

There are very few occasions that you would deliberately disable your antivirus, so if you notice that your antivirus software has been disabled this should start ringing alarm bells. And, for a hacker, if they’re able to disable your antivirus software, this allows them free rein to download all sorts of malware to your PC.

4. Unable to Log on?

One of the first things a hacker will try to alter on your system is your login credentials as this restricts your access and gives them more time to cause trouble. Therefore, if you’re absolutely sure that you’re entering the correct username/password combination, you need to consider that you may have been hacked.

5. Strange Cursor Movements

Due to hardware and software issues, your mouse may occasionally move without any user interaction. However, these are usually haphazard movements and certainly don’t double click on programs to open them. If you ever see your mouse ‘come to life’ on its own then it’s time to shut your PC down and call in the experts!

6. Fake Antivirus Messages

fake-antivirus-pro-security

You should always make sure that your network users are aware of the antivirus software that you’re running; this is because one way that hackers can target your PCs is through fake antivirus messages. These will usually advise users that a virus scan has been run and viruses detected that only this piece of software can remove. And this will involve being redirected to a website to download the “antivirus software”, but in reality you’ll be downloading nothing but malware.

7. Internet Searches Redirected

Hackers are keen to disrupt your activity for their own benefits and one way to do this is to redirect your internet searches to alternate websites. So, if you find your internet searches suddenly start taking you to dubious websites then there’s a good chance you’ve been hacked.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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