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How to shield yourself against cyberattacks: from the 'digital condom' to FIDO keys and encrypted disks

2023-01-13T17:28:11.523Z


Hardware is a gateway to data theft. Some options and methods to be sure.


Cyber ​​attacks

are

on the rise.

In addition to the cases of

ransomware

suffered by companies and governments in recent years, there has been an increase in phishing attacks, fake online shopping sites, programs with

malware

(viruses) and WhatsApp cyber-scams.

In our region the context is worrisome.

Latin America is one of the areas that grew the most in terms of the number of attacks: during the first half of 2022, the area received at least

137 billion

cyberattack attempts from January to June of this year, an increase of 50% compared to the same period last year (with 91 billion, all this according to

FortiGuard

Labs). 

In this context, threats and data leaks have been growing since the pandemic began and you don't have to be a large company to suffer a cyber attack.

And while there are ways to protect yourself and the accounts we use, there are a number of tools to be more secure and keep our information and 

bank account

data safe .

In this note, the word of the experts before a list of devices that can make our online life more

secure.

FIDO keys

Fido key, security device.

Photo: Shutterstock

Hardware security keys are an extra method to log in, that is, to log in to the services we use like

Google

or even social networks like Twitter.

These devices owe their name to an NGO with more than 250 members between companies and governments, called

Fast IDentity Online

.

They basically define authentication standards based on physical devices that are connected by

USB

or by

NFC

, that is, by proximity (as when we support the SUBE card in the turnstile reader).

Devices compatible with FIDO keys are used to have a second authentication factor when accessing a personal account.

But what is this of a second factor?

“When talking about multi-factor authentication, it generally refers to more than one of the following factors:

knowledge

(what one knows),

possession

(what one has), and inherent (what one is).

The first factor refers to passwords, pins, keys, etc., which are based on something that we must remember”, Iván Barrera Oro (Hackan), a software developer specializing in computer security, explains to Clarín.

The second factor, in this case, would be something you have (the FIDO key).

“The operation could be somewhat complex, but its use is very simple: the device is connected via

USB

or

NFC

[by proximity] and a touch is made on the button that they bring.

That's all for the keys, and it's usually required after you've entered the first factor (the password, key, or pin),” Hackan explains.

There is also its practicality: while applications such as Google Authenticator ask to enter a 6-digit code that we have to go find on the cell phone,

the key offers a more direct way of accessing.

And less hackable.

Of course, always after having entered the password: if the FIDO key is stolen, they will not be able to do anything with it since they will need a password that only we know.

The most common manufacturers are Yubikey, SoloKeys and Titan, among others.

One

drawback

: banks and financial institutions in Argentina still do not adhere to this practice, so they cannot be used.

hardware encrypted storage

Vault Privacy 50C (IKVP50C), from Kingston: pen drives and encrypted storage.

Photo Kingston

External storage units such as

pen drives

and

solid-state drives (SSDs) 

that are connected via USB can be potential attack vectors: plugging into someone else's computer can be expensive, both due to possible

infections

and data theft.

There is also the reverse problem, what is known as "

Bad USB

", that is, a pen drive is infected with malware and deposited in our computer.

Both to avoid this problem and to keep our files safe, there are encrypted

storage devices

.

"Traditionally, encrypted devices have always been relegated to a very specific niche in the business world:

banking, finance, medicine, the armed forces,

the military, the police, people who handle confidential information of national security or very large financial importance," explains José Luis Fernández. , Kingston Technology Manager for South America.

“However, online banking today has a preponderance that it did not a few years ago, today people invest in the stock market, manage their banks from the Internet, buy cryptocurrencies from digital.

Today people have the potential to have many digital assets that are directly money or are worth money, a lot of information is handled from bank passwords, sites, that have to do with privacy, personal security and that of your family”, he adds.

“As for the price, compared to what people are used to paying for a common flash drive, this is expensive.

But there comes a point that one has to wonder what is expensive?

People still, and in many SMEs, have their passwords in a

.txt saved on their desktop

on their computers, which is the equivalent of taking the money you have, leaving it on the table at home, and leaving with the door open. without keys: it is more or less the same”, he warns.

“This type of device with encryption is the physical support of a new

code of conduct

that all users should have, it is what has to do with their

digital identity

and their 

finances

”, he closes.

Both the Kingston encrypted flash drive and SSD do not yet have official prices.

But the external drive (IronKey Vault Privacy 80) and the pen drive, Privacy 50C, which is USB-C, will be around 50,000 pesos.

Use a router instead of the modem

Routers to access the internet.

Photo: Shutterstock

The Internet connection is the

gateway to cyberattacks

.

In general, users use modems provided on loan by internet provider companies (

ISP

).

However, connecting directly through them can be problematic.

The first thing to differentiate is the

modem

provided by the

router

companies .

By buying a router, you gain control over your own network: "The modem provided by the provider is under your

control

, allowing us to configure the level of security to apply to our network, control connections, open or close ports to special needs and prevent neighbors who know the

passwords

set by the providers from connecting to our network without authorization”, explains Adolfo Fioranelli, expert in networks and communications, CEO and founder of Consultores IT.

But also for a very important issue: many modems bring vulnerabilities, like the one discovered last year by a team of Argentines.

Setting up a router, thus, contributes to “

avoiding being victims of a cyberattack

in cases of critical vulnerabilities that affect providers' modems that are massively exploited before being patched.

"For the connection at home or small offices, beyond the modem provided by our Internet provider, we can add a

WiFi router

to our connection, extending the covered surface, but also separating our network from that of the provider," he suggests.

What is this for?

To configure the WiFi network under a higher security level.

“This is done by implementing secure protocols like

WPA2

, but also with the possibility of adding a guest network, which frees us from the need to give our password to those who occasionally come and ask us for WiFi”, he adds.

“As an extra benefit, it gives us the ability to

configure

the device with basic Firewall features,” he adds.

In case of going for this option, you have to buy a router like a

Linksys E5400

and ask the internet provider to put the modem in “

bridge

” mode.

"Finally, we connect the

WAN

port of our WiFi router to the provider's modem, we follow the steps of our Router's tutorial and we will configure what is necessary to be able to surf the Internet more securely, at least as far as communications are concerned", close the expert.

portable 4G router

4G router.

Photo GL-E750

Another big problem is connecting to public networks.

By not knowing their nature, we do not know what traffic circulates or who connects to them.

And, above all, what type of

malware

can circulate through these connections.

For this there are portable routers.

That is, devices that allow us to connect through 4G, as if we were using our cell phones.

"GL-E750 Portable 4G LTE Router

is a 4G modem

that gives us the ability to connect securely to the Internet using a phone chip and data plan, providing VPN and a WiFi network to connect our devices, including phones,

tablets, and notebooks. computers

," explains Fioranelli.

"It is ideal for

vacations

, but also for working

remotely

, when we must use the internet in hotels, cafeterias or any public place where we are not sure of the security of the connection," he adds.

USB “condom”

USB "condom": blocks the transmission of data.

amazon photo

It has a slightly strange name, but the concept is clear: a secure USB that blocks the pins that

transmit data and only leaves the charging ones enabled.

These are useful for when we charge the phone in unknown places

through USB ports

.

That is, not directly with our usual charger.

In this way, data blockers leave open the possibility of charging a device but canceling data transmission: it is to avoid what is known as

"juice jacking"

, the extraction of data through charging ports.

They are available on Amazon for less than

$10

, or very specialized stores.

SL

look too

FIDO keys: why they are the best method to protect your passwords and where to buy them

SIM swapping: cases of empty accounts are growing and this is the only way to protect yourself

Source: clarin

All tech articles on 2023-01-13

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