Month: July 2018

What is Multi-Factor Authentication?

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The traditional method for accessing online systems is through the use of a login name and password. An active online user may have hundred login / password sequences to remember. Trying to remember of those sequence inevitably leads to people using the same login and password sequence or writing them down somewhere.  Sometimes over, and over, and over again. Once could call this single-factor authentication since one only really needs to remember the password associated with an email address.

The problem with single-factor authentication is that to remember passwords people generally use stuff they know like people’s names, dates, etc. This puts a person at risk since if the credentials for one account are discovered then access to multiple online accounts is a click or two away. To help individuals protect their online accounts an increasing number of providers have implemented alternative authentication methods.

Multi-factor authentication is a method of confirming a user’s identity only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of information from independent categories of credentials  – factors – as a way to confirm their identity. These factors may include knowledge (high school mascot?), a possession (a phone to call), and inherence (biometric info like a fingerprint).

Two-factor authentication is the more commonly use subset of multi-factor utilizing a combination of only, you guessed it,  two factors. An everyday example of two-factor authentication is using an ATM. ATM’s requires a correct combination of a bank card (a possession) and a PIN (knowledge) to allow a transaction. A popular two-factor approached used online involves sending a unique code to the phone paired with your account or using a code generator like Duo.

To protect oneself one should take advantage of two-factor and multi-factor authentication if an online provider uses them. They are reliable methods of verification. If neither are available, consider using a Pass Phrase rather than a simple password

 

Ransomware

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Ransomware is a fast growing cybercrime. The most common ransomware technique involves locking your computer to prevent you from accessing it until you pay a ransom. While this digital extortion racket is not new, cybercriminals have improved on how the scheme works with the creation of cryptware, which encrypts the files on the computer using a private key that only the attacker possesses.

The beginnings of ransomware could be traced to floppy disks being sent to individuals inviting them to take a survey assessing their risk of contracting AIDS. When the disk was inserted, its software locked their computers and demanded $189 in cash be sent to a P.O. box in Panama.

Ransomware victims range from large corporations, to hospitals, small and medium enterprises, to individuals.

Instead of a single or group of cybercriminals writing ransomware and distributing it themselves, ransomware authors will open their code for use by other cybercriminals. According to a McAfee-CSIS report more than 6,000 illegal online marketplaces now sell ransomware products and services, offering more than 45,000 different products! Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) allows authors to set up platforms where others can modify and deploy to their own targets.

Rather than attacking just one device, ransomware worms are self-replicating viruses that embed themselves into parts of a device’s operating system that are run automatically.  The worms work their way through networks to lock out many more computers than just the initial target. The WannaCry incident showed how these worms work, and it is likely that we will see more attacks like this.It is common for worms to be noticed only when their uncontrolled replication consumes system resources, slowing or halting other tasks.