Cybersecurity

: Silvia S.; > CyberSecurity; > 22 May 2023

In the digital age we live in, cyber security is a paramount concern. With the rise of online threats, protecting data and personal information has become a top priority. Two-factor authentication (2FA), has emerged as an effective tool for defending against security breaches. However, despite its many benefits, 2FA is not immune to challenges and threats.

Importance of two-factor authentication

2FA is an important resource against cybersecurity breaches. While traditional passwords can be easily stolen or guessed, 2FA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second factor of authentication in addition to the password. This second factor can be a physical key, a code generated by a mobile application or a fingerprint. The combination of these two factors makes it significantly more difficult for attackers to access sensitive data. Thus implementing 2FA has become essential for businesses, organizations and individuals looking to protect their information online.

Two-factor authentication therefore presents itself as a security method that requires two separate factors to authenticate access to an account or system. These authentication factors can be divided into three main categories: something the user knows, something the user owns, and something the user is.

Something the user knows: usually a password or PIN. The user must enter this secret information correctly to proceed with authentication.

Something you own: this factor pertains to a physical object or device. It can be a hardware security key, smart card, or code generator token. These devices generate unique codes or respond to an authentication prompt to detect that the user is in possession of the authorized device.

Something the user is: this factor is based on the user's unique biometric characteristics, such as a fingerprint, facial recognition or iris scan. The biometric data are compared with those previously registered to verify the user's identity.

2FA requires the user to successfully pass both authentication factors to gain access to the system or account. For example, after entering the password (something the user knows), the user may be prompted to enter an application-generated code on their smartphone (something the user has) to complete authentication.

Using two different factors provides an extra layer of security over traditional password-only authentication. Even if a password is compromised or stolen, access remains secure because the attacker would also need to have the second factor (such as the physical device or biometric information) to evade the DFA.

Security is never 100%

Despite the effectiveness of this technology, malware developers and cybercriminals have adapted to bypass this security system. Social engineering, phishing, and the use of advanced malware are just some of the techniques attackers employ to obtain the sensitive data needed to bypass 2FA.

Attackers can trick victims into voluntarily providing authentication codes or they can compromise devices to directly access authentication factors. These new methods demonstrate that 2FA alone is not enough to provide complete protection.

To address the challenges posed by cybercriminals, it is essential to take a holistic approach to cybersecurity. In addition to two-factor authentication, other security measures are necessary, such as regularly updating the software, educating users on cyber risks, using reputable antivirus tools and being aware of online safety practices. Additionally, implementing advanced monitoring systems and threat detection techniques can help detect and thwart attacks in real time.

Two-factor authentication is still today one of the most effective means of protecting our digital data and preserving our privacy, however, as evidenced by increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, the most effective approach to cybersecurity is confirmed to be an adequate awareness of the risks on the part of all operators.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 24 March 2023

Hacktivism is a term used to describe the use of hacking or cybersecurity techniques to advance a political or social agenda. Hacktivists use their technical skills to target websites or computer systems in order to disrupt or raise awareness about matters they deem important.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 16 March 2023

The lack of specialized personnel in the sector has been confirmed for some years now, even if many young people are moving towards specializations in this sector. Here are some of the most promising training paths.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 01 March 2023

The Cyber Threat Intelligence specialist is one of the professional figures in the field of cybersecurity identified at the European level, for which the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework has identified areas and skills, to help organizations equip themselves with the necessary figures for the specific situation by addressing the while training the operators.

What is Cyber Threat Intelligence

The broad world of information security, its facets and the variety of growing threats requires an in-depth knowledge of scenarios, actors and methods of action in order to plan and implement effective security measures to defend information infrastructures. Cyber Threat Intelligence takes care of this knowledge. To defend yourself it is necessary to know the threat, the context, the operating methods, the evolutions. It is a constant research and analysis activity, conducted on several levels, which allows for the identification of potential threats and the possibility of defensive actions.

The specialist in Cyber Threat Intelligence

The professional who is dedicated to the collection and analysis of information is the Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist, identified in the Framework developed by ENISA among the professional figures in the field of cybersecurity. The activity itself must be carried out in extremely broad contexts, starting from which the analysis of the information obtained leads to reports presented to the stakeholders who will have to make decisions regarding the policies and interventions to be implemented. But before arriving at these final observations, the professional must also take care of planning all the collection activity, organizing action plans and procedures, identifying the useful channels and the necessary technologies.

The skills of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Specialist

The ENISA document identifies a series of skills that this professional must have. In particular, knowledge of IT systems and infrastructures, of cybersecurity solutions and areas, of programming languages, of the operating context is specified, including methods of attack and recent successful attacks, methods of analysis and preparation of reports. Among the skills required, on the other hand, we find the ability to work in a team, to collect and analyze information from different sources and to identify various types of events that can have an impact on cybersecurity.

Why Cyber Threat Intelligence Matters

The collection and analysis of information relating to cyber threats is essential because, in order to be able to defend oneself, it is necessary to know the enemy, the threat, and the related risks. The growing IT threats, with the variety of actors and strategies, require constant work on several fronts to secure what is now considered to be the true corporate value, i.e. information. If Cyber Threat Intelligence is carried out in a structured and effective way, it is truly able to support decision-making by directing and optimizing investments towards the most suitable solutions to obtain that acceptable level of security also required by the regulations in force, becoming a real value added for business.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 26 February 2023

In the complex digital ecosystem, the constantly growing IT threats prove to be increasingly insidious and are opposed to the ever-increasing lack of professional figures engaged in their fight.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 03 February 2023

A penetration test, also known as a pen test, is a simulated cyber attack on a computer system, network, or web application to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 04 January 2023

It is a standard created to offer simpler ways of accessing certain sites, which takes advantage of the credentials already stored on other services.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 15 December 2022

This term identifies those techniques and technologies that allow data protection during their use. A step forward in information security that takes into account the development of the sector and emerging needs.

: Miki G.; > CyberSecurity; > 23 November 2022

The success of the world of video games, with a turnover exceeding 2 billion euros, has inevitably attracted the interest of unscrupulous cybercriminals, ready to exploit any weakness, technological or human, for easy profits.