What are the Basics of PC Exploits?

Best Practices, Company Updates, Cyber Security, Disaster Recovery, Ophtek, PC Security, software exploits, , , ,
02
Apr 2019

 

At the center of all unauthorized access to your computers or servers is a PC exploit. What are these exploits, though, and how do you protect against them?

Without the presence of an exploit, hackers find themselves in a position where gaining access to a victim’s PC is incredibly difficult. However, it suddenly becomes a lot easier if there’s an exploit available that they can take advantage of. It’s probably becoming clear, very quickly, that it’s crucial that you, as a PC user, also know about the existence of these exploits. Unfortunately, the level of knowledge that the average organization has regarding the nature of exploits is disturbingly low. And that’s why so many businesses fall victim to PC exploits.

If, however, your organization can begin to understand even the basics of PC exploits, then you stand to make your IT operations considerably more secure.

What is an Exploit?

The simplest way of looking at an exploit is by describing it as a hole in a security gate. Once hackers become aware of this hole then they can easily bypass your security by climbing through the hole impeded. If we’re talking slightly more technically, then this hole isn’t necessarily a hole but some form of weakness in your PC. These weaknesses can be found in operating systems, software code and any applications installed on your network. And the impact that exploits can have on these components can be devastating.

What Does an Exploit Do?

An exploit can work in a number of different ways; most commonly, a PC exploit is used to infect huge numbers of PCs. It only takes one PC to be infected to help kick-start a process whereby this infection spreads across networks within an organization and, eventually, across the world. This allows hackers to execute the following tasks:

  • Malicious software can be downloaded to PCs without the user’s knowledge
  • Vast amounts of sensitive data can easily be recorded and transmitted to remote locations
  • Ransomware can be used to encrypt data and extort payment in return for the un-encrypted data

How Do You Protect Yourself Against Exploits?

Exploits, of course, are the result of vulnerabilities that are already present on your PCs. Therefore, exploits are down to failures by developers and manufacturers in the design and testing phases of their products. As a result, once an exploit has been identified, any decent developer should work on remedying this exploit by producing a security patch. This patch can be installed on any vulnerable PC to effectively seal the hole in your security gate and keep any hackers out.

Final Thoughts

Exploits can cause major disruption to your organization very quickly due to the ease of access that they gift to hackers. Protecting your organization from these exploits, therefore, is vital to keep your PCs online and productive. Time and knowledge are important commodities when it comes to protecting against exploits, so make sure you remain up to date with not just the latest software patches, but also any breaking news on emerging exploits.

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

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What are Zero-Day Vulnerabilities?

Backup, Ophtek, PC Security, Updates, Windows vulnerability, zero-day, , , ,
05
Mar 2019

Zero-day vulnerabilities are frequently referenced in regards to PC security, but it’s also a term which most PC users will be completely unaware of.

Any vulnerability that is present in your organization’s IT network poses a significant danger to the security of your data and equipment. Educating yourself and your staff on the dangers posed by these vulnerabilities is an important security practice, so understanding what zero-day vulnerabilities are is a crucial step in securing your PCs.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a quick guide to provide you with a zero day introduction.

What Happens on Zero-Day?

The definition of a zero-day vulnerability is very simple; it’s any exploit or security bug that is present in software or hardware that isn’t patched as the software vendor isn’t aware of its existence. To be considered a true zero-day vulnerability it must also be known to hackers. And this is where it becomes a huge security concern.

With hackers aware of such an exploit (known as a zero-day exploit), they’re essentially granted free rein to continually exploit this vulnerability in the face of little opposition. Therefore, malware can be installed, data can be stolen and whole networks taken down without software vendors and customers being aware of how it’s happening.

Once the zero-day vulnerability has been confirmed and the software vendor made aware, Day Zero is established. Naturally, any period before Day Zero is highly problematic, but even the commencement of Day Zero provides little comfort. And this is because developing fixes and patches isn’t an instant process. Instead, time and effort needs to be invested in creating these patches and ensuring that customers install them as soon as possible.

What are Some Examples of Zero-Day Vulnerabilities?

Now that you understand a little more about the makeup of zero-day vulnerabilities, it’s time to consolidate that knowledge with some real life examples:

  • Microsoft Windows Vulnerability: Even the seasoned professionals at Microsoft are capable of falling foul to zero-day vulnerabilities with one recently being discovered in the system file Win32k.sys. The exploit can be launched by a specific malware installer and, without the relevant patch, can be considered very dangerous.
  • Adobe Flash Malware: Adobe have suffered numerous zero-day attacks and, in 2016, their users experienced a zero-day vulnerability packaged within an Office document. Activating this vulnerability allowed hackers to download malware to the affected PCs and begin exploiting data until Adobe hastily issued a patch.
  • Internet Explorer Loses Control: Microsoft was, again, victim of a zero-day vulnerability in December 2018 when their Internet Explorer app experienced a severe security risk. It’s believed that the vulnerability is exploited by directing victims to an infected website where the hackers can then assume control of the PC from a remote location.

Final Thoughts

Zero-day vulnerabilities are troubling security flaws as their very definition means that there is no immediate protection available. Accordingly, it’s important that your organization takes the following steps:

  • Always install all updates to ensure zero-day vulnerabilities are treated as soon as possible
  • Backup all data and store it correctly in the case of a zero-day vulnerability disrupting your network and productivity
  • Educate your staff on the dangers of zero-day vulnerabilities and ensure they’re aware of the telltale signs of infection

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

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Adobe Flash Remains a Security Liability

Adobe Flash, Security, Security Threats, Updates, , ,
15
Jan 2019

Adobe’s Flash Player has had a bad press in recent years due to the numerous security flaws in its design and these problems remain a major issue.

While we frequently worry about the dangers of malware and ransomware, we seem to have forgotten about the security vulnerabilities that are present in software we use every day. Flash has been exposed as having major security flaws in the last few years, so there’s been a tendency to migrate towards HTML5 code which is similar to Flash and much more secure. However, many people still use Flash online, so it’s likely that your organization will come into contact with it on a regular basis.

Understanding how to combat vulnerabilities in Flash is essential for your organization’s security, so let’s try and get a better understanding of Flash’s latest security crisis.

Flash Hits the Headlines Again

On the same day that Adobe released their latest patch for Flash, an independent security expert revealed that they had identified a glaring vulnerability in the software. This security flaw – given the unwieldy name of CVE-2018-15981 – is a curious software bug that has the potential to execute a malicious code through an instance of Flash hosted on a malicious website. Versions of Flash affected are all those up to version 31.0.0.148 and could affect the following browsers: Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Internet Explorer.

Combating Flash Vulnerabilities

The most recent version of Flash (31.0.0.153) is more than safe to use in terms of this recently discovered vulnerability, but the question remains as to whether more vulnerabilities are lurking within it. So, how do you combat the security flaws presented by Flash?

Many browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge, now insist that users have to manually activate Flash each and every time it’s encountered, but confidence tricks can easily be employed by hackers to disguise this. Flash, of course, is being discontinued at the end of 2020, so many people are simply disabling the software. With only a small minority of websites still using Flash, the loss of productivity from disabling it are considered minimal due to the alternative solutions on offer such as HTML5.

However, many organizations rely on Flash-based websites to complete essential tasks such as online customer portals etc. In these cases, the importance of monitoring crucial software updates and acting on these immediately should be a priority for all IT teams. Many businesses have been caught out on countless occasions due to a lack of care when it comes to installing patches and software updates. While this latest vulnerability does not appear to have been exploited by hackers, it could have easily led to severe data breaches and a drop in productivity for any organization affected.

Final Thoughts

Flash has been present within the landscape of the internet for over 20 years, but it almost feels as though Adobe have barely concentrated on it for the last few years. As a result, Flash has received nothing but negative feedback due to the security flaws present. Naturally, with just two years left in its lifespan, these issues will soon become irrelevant, but for now it’s vital that you regularly install updates or, where possible, disable it.

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

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5 Best IT Practices for Small Businesses

Backup, IT Best Practices, Power Protections, Security, Technical Support, Updates, , , , , ,
09
Jul 2018

It’s important for small businesses to make the most of their IT capabilities, so understanding what the best IT practices are is paramount.

If you can implement the right IT practices in your organization then you’re clearly a smart thinker as it can only lead to increased productivity. However, for a small business this isn’t always the easiest strategy to formulate. The cost of investment can often restrict your use of brand new technology, so you need to be a little bit smarter. And the good news is that costs can be kept to a minimum.

To help you get started on getting the best out of your IT, I’ve put together a list of five best IT practices for small businesses.

  1. Backing up the Right Data

Backing up data can be an expensive process. Not only is physical storage costly, but cloud storage can soon start totting the dollars up. However, this is all dependent on the amount of data you want to back up. Therefore, if you can reduce the amount of storage you need to backup, you can reduce your storage costs. The best way to achieve this objective is by thoroughly researching how your data is used and determining exactly what you need to backup.

  1. Staff Security Knowledge

Cyber security should be a major concern for all businesses, but for a small business it’s crucial. With a wide range of new cyber-attacks such as ransomware and phishing emerging every day, the risk of your business operations being disrupted is high. Whilst firewalls and carefully secured, partitioned servers can make a huge difference, it’s even more useful for your employees to understand good security practices. All it takes is one malicious email to be clicked on to bring your organization to a halt, so ensure that regular refresher courses on security threats are conducted for your employees.

  1. Install all Updates

Keeping on the security theme, it’s essential that all updates for your software and hardware are installed as soon as possible. Once your IT equipment becomes even slightly out of date then it’s at risk of becoming vulnerable to hackers. However, if all the latest updates and firmware upgrades are installed, then you’re improving the defenses of your data no end.

  1. Good Power Protection

Your PC technology is important, so you need to ensure that it’s protected from the damaging effects of power outages and surges. Not only can these events reduce the lifespan of your technology, but they’re also capable of wiping data if they happen in the middle of a backup. To counter this risk, it’s vital that backup hardware comes with adequate battery support to keep backups running. Likewise, ensuring that your servers have reserve power supplies which are uninterruptible can help keep your data accessible and safe at all times.

  1. Provide Good Technical Support

Your business needs professional IT support, there simply isn’t any other option if you’re working with PCs. And when I say professional, I mean professionally trained and not a hobbyist who likes to tinker with their PC every now and then. Knowledge, after all, equals authority and when you’re working with complicated technology, you need as much authority as possible. Maybe this will be outsourced or maybe you’ll build an in-house team, either way it should be a priority for your organization.

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

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Hacking the Internet of Things For a Few Dollars

Company Updates, Cyber Attack, Hacking, Internet of things, IOT, Security, Security Threats, , , , ,
06
Mar 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) has many security concerns, but perhaps one of the most pressing worries is that IoT devices can be easily hacked for just a few dollars.

A group of elite hackers have recently demonstrated the ease with which a hardware hack can be unleashed to take control of IoT devices. All they require to carry out the hack is an SD card reader, the ability to solder and a length of wire – all in all, this should come to around $10. And once they’ve taken control of the device they can not only exploit any data on there, but also use it as a stepping stone to get further into the network it’s on.

With the number of IoT devices expected to hit the 20 billion mark by 2020, the risk of attacks on these devices is only going to get greater and greater. And, for a business, where nearly every employee will have access to an IoT device, perhaps it’s time to get acquainted with this low cost and easy to deploy attack.

Hacking on a Budget

The hack in question is a flash memory attack and, as such, targets IoT devices which have a flash memory – in particular a form of memory known as eMMC flash. It’s likely that you’ve never heard of eMMC flash, but it’s built into a wide range of devices such as smart TVs, cell phones, tablets and even refrigerators. Just think about how many of those devices are in your organization and connected to your network – that’s right, it’s pretty scary. What, though, is this $10 hack?

Well, the hackers – who go under the group name of exploitee.rs – have revealed that they can gain read/write access to devices by taking a flash memory card and soldering wires to five specific places:

  1. Data line
  2. Clock line
  3. Command line
  4. Power line
  5. Ground

This access allows the hackers to start stealing data and to issue commands to the device before taking complete control of it. Once the flash memory card in question is put into an SD card reader, it can then be connected to a PC to glean complete copies of that device’s data inventory. And it’s at this point that the hackers are able to identify zero-day vulnerabilities in the device, vulnerabilities which can be applied to that specific device and any other unit of the same product.

With this information to hand, the hackers are then empowered to launch remote attacks against said device and, potentially, use these infiltrated devices to gain access to the networks they’re connected to. And all of this is possible because hardware manufacturers fail to secure flash memory on their devices, they’re only concerned with creating a front line defense with nothing behind it.

Managing IoT Security Concerns

Hardware manufacturers are slightly off the pace as demonstrated by this budget hack, so for the consumer it’s particularly troubling. As ever, the best advice is to install patches and firmware upgrades as soon as possible. However, when a hardware vulnerability is found it means that it has the potential to leave huge numbers of the same devices – if not all of them – at the risk of being hacked. Therefore, identifying the form of flash memory present in devices may become a major buying point for consumers.

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

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