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Suraya Casey

Suraya Casey is a freelance writer and editor based in New Zealand. Her interests include sustainability, energy, reforestation, statistics, healthcare and the arts.

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threats outer space

How criminals could use space junk to attack any business

  • Emerging tech
  • min read
    • A powerful way cybercriminals can cause catastrophic damage on Earth is to attack in space. It may sound like science fiction, but now we all rely on space infrastructure to do business, any organization could be affected. Space enthusiast and Distinguished Chair of the cybersecurity program at Middle East Institute Chris Kubecka explains a little-known space disaster scenario we should be more aware of in Tomorrow Unlocked's video Threats in Outer Space. Smash-ups in space Although space exploration has brought many world-changing advances, it's left orbit like many places on Earth – littered. From obsolete satellites to rocket parts and chips of paint, space junk circles the Earth at high speeds, threatening to collide with useful things, like working satellites and the International Space Station. Collisions could be deadly or cause irreparable damage to expensive equipment. Any smash-up creates more space junk, raising the risk to other orbiting objects. For a sense of just how much 'stuff' there is up there, see known space objects tracked in real-time on StuffIn.Space, some known only as 'debris' or 'unknown.' The 'black swan' of space crashes One of the most serious consequences of a space collision is Kessler Syndrome. Kubecka describes it: "A big enough collision would create a chain reaction, causing space junk to smash into each other all over orbit, forming a dust cloud." An accident or deliberate attack could trigger a Kessler Syndrome event. Kubecka explains, "It's now so cheap to build 'attack CubeSats' or even larger satellites. You could cause collisions." She also points to the growing use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in space tech. "If IoT goes rogue, that's a big problem." As wealthy business people become more visible in space exploration, the potential for huge media attention will attract cybercriminals to attack their space systems and use them to create chaos in space – and so, chaos on Earth. Preventing a 'Kessler' event As well as protecting space systems from cyberattack through the best available methods, like cyber immunity – building systems in a way that makes them almost impossible to compromise – we must take out the space trash. As part of the Securing Space initiative, Kaspersky supports fledgling innovators StartRocket as they develop a new way to remove space debris from orbit – with foam.
behind screen heathrow airport

Why cybersecurity education is taking off at Heathrow Airport

  • Safer business
  • min read
    • You might not think of cybersecurity first when it comes to airport safety, but Jasvinder Pham, Head of Cyber Development and Assurance and Matthew Bourne, Cyber Security Manager, believes it's at the heart of London Heathrow's safety practice. And education is their most important protective gear against cybercriminals that use psychological tricks, also known as social engineering, on their staff. In Tomorrow Unlocked's video Next Departure: Fighting Cybercrime, Pham and Bourne outline how they're helping Heathrow staff see through cybercriminals' mind games. What is social engineering? And Pham says it's a common tactic. "Nine out of ten breaches are done through social engineering. At Heathrow, we tend to get scattergun emails across the whole estate. We call that phishing. They'll ask a user to enter login and password details or click a link." Learning to recognize the mind tricks Where phishing emails are a scattergun approach, the Heathrow cybersecurity team responds with carefully targeted cybersecurity education. They use internal advertising to raise staff awareness of social engineering techniques, then send out their own phishing-style test emails to see who takes the bait. It's part of a wider cybersecurity education program based on identifying those who can benefit most from the learning. Bourne says, "We've turned training courses on their head by asking the questions first. If you answer them all correctly, you don't need the training. If you don't, you can sometimes complete training in less than 10 minutes." Bourne believes cybersecurity training should resemble real-world cyberthreat situations. "We've started using live actors to get a bigger impact and bring it to the context of the airport." Customers are ready for better security Pham says Heathrow wants to be on the cutting edge of security technology, but it's not always easy. "We want to stay one step ahead, but I feel like we're one step behind." But Pham believes one thing on their side is staff and customer readiness to embrace the latest security features. "People use services like WhatsApp and multi-factor authentication in their home. They want more, so we need to make sure we don't miss out."
heathcare emotet

How could hospitals be better protected from cyberattacks?

  • Safer business
  • min read
    • "In wartime, a red cross on a hospital's roof protects it from bombing. But in cyberwar, there's no convention to protect hospitals," says Professor Dr. Harald Dormann, Head Emergency Room Physician at Germany's Klinikum Fürth hospital. With thousands of networked computers and medical devices crucial to patient care, Klinikum Fürth's quick thinking turned a malware attack into an unlucky day for cybercriminals. Tomorrow Unlocked's video, Malware: A New Virus in the Hospital, tracks how Klinikum Fürth's actions stopped the ransomware attack in its tracks and likely saved lives. How do cybercriminals use malware against hospitals? The first hint of an attack was when Klinikum Fürth's IT support team started receiving strange emails from users – a hallmark of the dangerously effective malware Emotet. Emotet also uses Wi-Fi networks to spread. If infected, a wirelessly connected device scans nearby networks and infects other devices using a password list. Klinikum Fürth found 65 systems infected with computer viruses and malware. Thanks to acting fast, they isolated the malware before it encrypted data and held it for ransom – usually the Emotet attack's goal. Malware is common. From March to June 2021, Kaspersky software blocked 1.7 billion malware attacks. It's also becoming more dangerous, with cybercriminals using particularly damaging malware like Emotet for fraud and ransomware attacks. The hospital's surgical cyberdefense Professor Dr. Dormann recounts how hospital staff stepped up when they learned of the cyberattack. "When our CEO told us what had happened, some were nervous. Some were pale. But all were motivated to act." First, they began diverting new patients to nearby hospitals. Then they disconnected the hospital from the internet to reduce the risk of infecting other institutions. They put together taskforces of clinicians, administrators and IT staff to analyze the problem. Then, prioritizing the most critical medical devices, they checked for malfunctions. Extra staff were brought in to help switch to paper-based working. How to stop and prevent malware attacks Klinikum Fürth's story offers many lessons. Their fast response shows why organizations should plan what they'll do if attacked. Cybersecurity education can help staff get wiser to threats like Emotet's use of spoofed emails. Strong passwords help defend against malware that uses Wi-Fi networks to spread. Read more about how to prevent and reduce the impact of ransomware attacks.
engaging women

Infographic: Why women leave tech careers, and what to do about it

  • Leadership
  • min read
    • In tech, there's much talk of what we can do to recruit more women. But we rarely talk about that even bigger problem: Once we recruit women into tech roles, they're more likely to leave the career than men. The good news is, leaders can do a lot to change that. How leaders can help more women (and men) stay engaged at work When it comes to retaining more women, the changes you make will likely benefit all staff. Work on these six areas to help keep everyone in your team engaged. 1.    Get better at onboarding Karen Holtzblatt of WITOps says, "50 percent of women are not clear about what to do to be successful. All new hires need to develop strong connections and knowledge and skill to succeed. Use our Team Onboarding Checklist to onboard right." 2.    Encourage valuing and belonging "Women need to feel belonging and value in their team," says Karen Holtzblatt. WITOps have engaging, practical activities to foster more supportive workplace behaviors. 3.    Use tools to reduce bias "Map the full employee experience and identify where bias influences career paths. Use tools and processes that mitigate human and automated biases," says Dr. Patricia Gestoso, BIOVIA's Head of Scientific Customer Support in Kaspersky's Women in Tech report 2021. 4.    Be all about mentoring Mentoring helps more women rise through the ranks, says global tech leader Margaret Dawson. Leaders should take opportunities to mentor and encourage team members to get a mentor. 5.   Take breaks and switch off 'Always on' work culture is bad for productivity and health, and affects women more because they're more likely to have care responsibilities. Lead by example: Take regular breaks, switch off after hours and encourage all in your team to do the same. 6.    Identify and challenge ways your business centers men Are employee benefits male-coded, like tickets to sporting events? Is competitiveness overly encouraged? Do after-work drinks loom large? Review benefits and offer what more women need, like flexible work and good parental leave. Infographic references 1 Accenture Resetting Tech Culture report 2021 2 Accenture Resetting Tech Culture report 2021 3 Pew Research 4 New study reveals key to the gender gap in C-suite 5 Karen Holtzblatt, WITOps 6 Kaspersky Women in Tech report 2020-21 7 WITOps onboarding research 8 WITOps onboarding checklist 9 Fostering more supportive behaviors 10 Kaspersky Women in Tech report 2020-21 11 Mentoring is hard but rewarding, and it's everyone's job 12 ACCA Global: The always-on culture is bad for productivity and health
identity theft university

How one university’s stolen student IDs caused a crime wave

  • Cybersecurity training
  • min read
    • Cybercriminals see education as an amazing opportunity. But they're not taking classes or gaining qualifications – they target universities and other educational institutions for the wealth of personal information they hold. In Tomorrow Unlocked's video The Backdoor into Campus, Royal Holloway, University of London cybersecurity experts talk about how a major identity theft incident on campus happened and how they're working to keep students and staff safe in future. How educational institutions are attacked Universities and colleges often have many people using their systems, like staff, students and visitors. They also offer many kinds of services online. Mike Johnson, Chief Information Officer at Royal Holloway, University of London, describes a recent security incident. "A staff member's credentials were stolen and used to send convincing offers of part-time work to students. Some students undertook the work and were paid. But they were overpaid, then asked to return some of the money. It was money laundering on a significant scale." Why cybercriminals love stealing identities "Commonly, we find those who try to attack us are looking to harvest identities," says Johnson. "When they've got them, they'll try to harvest more until they're sure they can attack us in the way they want to." Education can stop attacks on education It's all about authentication, says Keith Martin, Professor of Information Security at Royal Holloway, University of London: Knowing the person trying to access something online is the person they say they are. "Imagine a front door. Whoever has the key can open it. To breach that, you need to get hold of the key. Entering a country is more high security: Border control looks at credentials like a passport and the person submitting it." Professor Martin continues, "In cyberspace, it's a bigger problem because we can't see who's asking for access. The most popular authentication is a password, but passwords are like keys – easily copied or stolen. So we need to use the passport model – asking for multiple things to gain access." That's called multi-factor authentication. You'd need more than a password to gain access, such as a code sent by SMS or biometrics, like a fingerprint. Senior security researcher at Kaspersky, Noushin Shabab, says for the best security, multi-factor authentication should combine biometrics like facial recognition with another credential. Developing 'cyber common sense' in education Professor Martin says the most important thing anyone can do to keep their identity safe is to develop 'cyber common sense.' "Hesitate before doing anything in cyberspace – if you're sent a link or a message asking for information, ask, why do they want this?" Johnson feels education institutes are perfect places to learn cybersecurity awareness. "We've got to be willing to have a conversation with students about digital security and what protecting their identities means. We're educators – we're well placed to help people operate in an environment they'll operate in for a long time."

How your air conditioning could start a cyberattack

  • Safer business
  • min read
    • Many big businesses know they could be cybercrime targets and invest in defenses like software and training. That's why cybercriminals are increasingly attacking through smaller suppliers who don't have the same knowledge and resources. It's called a supply chain attack. In Tomorrow Unlocked's second episode in the hacker:HUNTER Behind the Screens series, Eliza-May Austin, CEO and co-founder of th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company,) explains how US retail giant Target was attacked through a most unexpected device – the air conditioning. We ask Austin how businesses can prepare for supply chain attacks and how she thinks things are going for women in cybersecurity careers. In Tomorrow Unlocked's Hacker: HUNTER Behind the Screens video, you talk about the supply chain attack on Target in 2013. Why is this attack so important? Businesses must work with other businesses, which makes us all susceptible to a certain degree of risk. Take an airplane, for example. To go from concept to in the air involves hundreds of businesses, contractors and applications. It takes just one breach to compromise that trusted ecosystem. It's something we should all take seriously. Your business th4ts3cur1ty.company (That Security Company) helps companies large and small harden their supply chains. How do you do that? There are many things businesses can do to defend against supply chain attacks. For example, we run penetration testing, consult on governance, risk and compliance and importantly, logging, monitoring and vulnerability management. Are businesses becoming more aware of supply chain attacks and responding appropriately? I can't confidently say yes, which is why I'm vocal on the issue. I recently asked a small-to-medium company (SMB) that supplies services to the medical sector if they'd considered how an attack would impact their clients' security. I was met with such bemusement you'd think I'd asked for a sandwich. What's the most common problem making businesses vulnerable to supply chain attacks? Not knowing how prevalent it is. But also, some businesses that do understand the issue's scale get overwhelmed by it. These attacks aren't always sophisticated – simple measures can go a long way. How did you get into cybersecurity? I moved from a degree in forensic science to a degree in digital forensics, did some internships and the rest is history. You don't need a degree to be in cybersecurity. Is the industry giving women equal opportunities to enter and succeed yet? I think this industry, like any, is what you make of it. Cybersecurity is a fantastic career choice for women and should be promoted as such. What could employers do today to attract and retain more women? I get asked this a lot, so I wrote 15 ways to attract more women to your technical cybersecurity team. I've included simple, practical things like considering the physical environment. For example, if employees have to crawl around on the floor to plug in a laptop, that may feel degrading when wearing a skirt. I also recommend being more open-minded about what kind of people you need: What is Ladies Hacking Society (LHS) and why did you found it? LHS is an awesome community of women who come together to learn from one another and teach each other hacking. I wanted to create a technical option for women because I found mixed events were not really mixed (mainly men) whereas women's events revolved around governance or high-level theory. It's a lot of fun and a great bunch of people. Which is the most important lesson from your 11 leadership lessons from terrible managers, and why? Lesson 3: A sense of humor matters. People tend to take themselves too seriously. Encouraging people to laugh and joke does wonders for team morale and gets people through stressful times. Let's all calm down and have a giggle.  
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Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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