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Building and launching a start-up company is a challenge in itself. Securing it when it is new, young and vulnerable is something else. It’s very necessary but also hard if you don’t know what you’re doing. And can you afford a consultant in the early days?
If your new business is IT-based and focused on security then you’re in a stronger position than, say, an organic make-up business or an ethical coffee brand.
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We run attacks with public tools to keep our tests accurate and useful.
Over the last few years we have tested more than 50 different products using over 5,000 targeted attacks. And there’s news, both good and bad.
In this article we will look at the different tools available, how effective they are at helping attackers bypass anti-malware products and how security vendors have been handling this type of threat for over a year.
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Hackers have spent well over 20 years stealing users’ passwords from internet companies.
They’ve almost certainly got yours.
The good news is it’s very easy to make your passwords useless to hackers. All you do is switch on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
2FA is a second login layer
It works much like the second lock on your front door. If someone’s stolen or copied your Yale key, that double-lock will keep them out.
A digital double-lock is now vital for protecting your online accounts – email, banking, cloud storage, business collaboration and the rest. It’s up there with anti-malware in the league of essential security measures. And it’s much easier to pick a 2FA method than choose the right anti-malware (our Anti-Malware Protection Reports can help you there).
So 2FA is essential, easy, and doesn’t have to cost a thing. It’s a security no-brainer. So how come hardly anyone uses it?
Join the one per cent elite!
Earlier this year, Google revealed that only 10 per cent of their users have ever bothered setting up 2FA. Just a fraction of those – we estimate around one per cent of all internet users – use the most secure type of 2FA, a USB security key.
In this article we’ll show you how to join that elite one per cent for less than £20. If you’d rather watch a step-by-step demo, here’s our YouTube video.
(This blog reflects the views and research of SE Labs, an independent security testing company. We never use affiliate links.)
Why everyone in your business should use 2FA
You’re not the only person who knows your usernames and passwords. Head over to Have I Been Pwned? and type in your email address to find out how many of your accounts have been hit by hacking attacks.
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| A quick (and scary) web search reveals how many times your passwords have fallen prey to hackers |
While you’re digesting those results, here’s a sobering statistic. More than 90 per cent of all login attempts on retail websites aren’t by actual customers, but by hackers using stolen credentials (Shape Security, July 2018).
Nearly everyone has had their passwords stolen. But hardly anyone protects their accounts using 2FA. We’re all leaving our front doors unlocked.
And as hackers plunder more and more big-name services (as well as all those services you’d forgotten you had accounts with), the more chance they have to steal the passwords you use everywhere.
This is why you must never using the same password twice. Don’t be tempted to use a pattern to help you remember them, either (‘123amazon’, ‘123google’ and so on). Hackers decode that stuff for breakfast. We’re also not keen on password managers. They’re Target Number One for hackers.
Instead, store your passwords where no-one can find them (not online!) and deadlock your accounts using 2FA. It’s the only way to make them hack-proof.
Why a USB key is the best way to lock your accounts
The ‘memorable information’ you have to enter when logging into your online bank account is a watered-down version of 2FA. Hackers can easily create spoof login pages that fool you into handing over all your info, as demonstrated in our NatWest phishing attack video.
Proper 2FA methods are much tougher to crack. They involve more than one device, so a hacker can’t simply ransack your computer and steal all pertinent data. Without the separate device, your passwords are useless to them.
Use more than one 2FA method if offered. This double-locks your double-locks – and also gives you another way into your account if one method fails. See our 2FA YouTube video for a step-by-step guide to doing this for your Google account.
Here’s a quick run-through of your options, starting with the most basic.
Google prompt
How it works: Tap your Android screen to confirm your identity.
Pros and cons: Very quick and easy, but only works with Google accounts and Android devices. Useful as a backup option.
SMS code
How it works: You’re texted (and/or voice-messaged) a PIN code to enter after your usual login.
Pros and cons: Authentication is split between two devices. It works on any mobile phone at no additional cost. But it can be slow, and the code may appear on your lock screen.
Authentication app
How it works: A free app, such as Google Authenticator, generates a unique numerical security code that you then enter on your PC.
Pros and cons: Faster and more reliable than SMS, and arguably more secure, but you’ll need a smartphone (Android or iOS).
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| Authenticate your logins with a code that’s sent to your phone (and only your phone) |
Backup codes
How it works: A set of numerical codes that you download and then print or write down – then keep in a safe place. Each code only works once.
Pros and cons: The perfect backup method. No need for a mobile phone. A piece of paper or locally-stored computer file (with disguised filename) is easier to hide from thieves than anything online.
And the most secure 2FA method of all…
USB security key
How it works: You ‘unlock’ your accounts by plugging a unique USB stick (such as this YubiKey) into your computer.
Pros and cons: A whole list of pros. USB keys are great for business security, because your accounts remain locked even if a hacker breaches your phone. They’re convenient: no need to wait for codes then type them in. And they cost very little considering how useful they are. One key costs from £18, and is all you need to deadlock all your accounts. Buy one for all your employees – and clients!
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| Give a USB security key to all your employees and clients – their security (and yours) will benefit |
Deadlock your Google account: a 2FA walk-through
Google lets you lock down your entire account, including Gmail and Google Drive, using multiple layers of 2FA (which it calls 2-Step Verification). It’s one of the most secure 2FA configurations you’ll find, and it’s easy to set up.
Here are the basic steps. For a more detailed step-by-step guide, see our YouTube video.
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| Double-lock your double-locks by choosing more than one 2FA method – and a backup |
Deadlock all your online accounts in minutes
All reputable online services now offer 2FA options. But, as you’ll discover from the searchable database Two Factor Auth, not all services offer the best 2FA options.
For example LinkedIn only offers 2FA via SMS, and doesn’t support authenticator apps or USB security keys – the most secure types of 2FA. Even Microsoft Office 365 doesn’t yet support security keys. We expect better from services aimed at business users.
What’s more, 2FA settings tend to be well buried in account settings. No wonder hardly anyone uses them. Here’s where to click:
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How do we solve the need for lots of strong passwords?
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Uncover dodgy and malicious connections on your network with this handy, free utility.
If you’ve ever downloaded an unknown executable or suspect something may have subverted your defences, you need to know of any malicious connections.
Written and maintained by Nir Sofer, CurrPorts gives you a clear, interactive view of all TCP and UDP connections being made by your Windows computer.
Continue reading “Malicious Connections monitoring with CurrPorts”All posts
Pundits pontificating about online fraud is all well and good, but what do the banks think, and how do they protect us?
To find the truth, we talked candidly to a branch manager from UK bank NatWest.
I won’t lie. It’s massive. We’re always being told about phishing emails, and you can report them to us online. Scam phone calls pretending to be the bank and asking for your account details and passwords are also huge. Just to be sure, we never ask for passwords. No one does Well, no one legitimate anyway.
It all depends. The basic thing is if it’s not a transaction you’ve made, its fraud and we can help. If it’s something you’ve done yourself that’s it, the money’s gone. Where it gets tricky is when you think you’re signing up to a one-off payment but the small print says it’s every month and you don’t realise. It might be cleverly worded, but it’s up to you to read what it is you’re buying. If there’s any doubt, don’t do it or bring it in for us to check.
The monitoring systems now are really good. They put blocks on cards when something suspicious happens, and block dodgy transactions while we find out if they’re legitimate. Tell us you’re going to France for the week and we’ll know not to block your cards if we see a cash withdrawal from Paris. If you tell us you usually go to France about now then we can keep the card active for you. It’s just when we see things out of the ordinary that the system will react. A lot of the time people get their cards blocked on holiday because they forgot to tell us. It’s a pain for them, but if you tell us what you’re doing it’s usually fine.
It’s usually money laundering. A foreign gang wants your bank details to put money into your account, then you send it on to someone either at home or abroad but keep an agreed percentage as commission. It’s an old one, that. Sometimes, they want you to physically receive and send on stolen bank cards as well, or ones that have been obtained fraudulently. But you’re being used. Basically, if you’re caught acting as a money mule, then you’re as guilty as the bloke who gave you the money to carry. We have a legal obligation to report anything over a certain amount transferred from abroad into people’s accounts. Again, it’s one of the things the system looks for that’s out of the ordinary.
You mean like rich Nigerian princes and lottery wins that need a processing fee? At the end of the day, it’s their money. We can only advise. We can say: look, we think this looks like a scam. But if they want to send it abroad then we have to do it for them. If it’s a large amount, we’ll ask them in to sit down and think is this really what they want. [We try to] find out how well they understand what they’re doing and where they’re sending it. We have had cases where people have lost considerable amounts because they’re convinced the online fraud is real.
I was asked to look at the cash machine outside the branch I was managing once, and there was a piece of wire hanging out of the card slot. That’s all it was. But it prevented the card from being returned, so people walk off thinking the machine’s swallowed it. You pull on the wire and the card pops out. It’s called a Lebanese Loop. Simple and easy. Once you’ve got the card you’ve got the expiry date and the CVV number on the back and you can go shopping.
Basically, it’s always a scam. If it looks like something where you think you can get one over on the sender, it’s still a scam. These people aren’t stupid. No one wants to give you free money. You haven’t won a foreign lottery, either. There’s no pot of gold. They may only want a small processing fee, but if they get a lot of fees, it’s very profitable for them. Start with the idea that everything’s a scam, ask us to confirm anything you get that you don’t understand and you’ll be alright.
There’s lots about but it’s a bit scattered. Barclays did a good TV advert about phone scams. We’ve published a really comprehensive leaflet about online scams in conjunction with the police that covers all the different frauds. You can download that, and we have a web site for reporting scams. But if you have any questions the best thing is to just call the bank or walk into a branch and ask. That’s the best thing to tackle online fraud.
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I’ve seen a few ‘how to build your own security testing lab’ documents in the past, but many have struck me as being ‘what I would do’ rather than ‘what I did’. Here you can follow us building a security lab (literally).
Having gone through the process myself at least three times over the last 15 years I thought some people might be interested in seeing a series of photos on our new blog, taken while we were literally building SE Labs from scratch.
Continue reading “Building a security lab (literally)”All posts
I am proud to announce the first public reports from SE Labs, a new security testing company that tests a whole range of security products, from the sort of anti-malware program you run on your home PC to complex combinations of enterprise endpoint agents and appliances. We’re calling it Next-Generation Security Testing.
The new website will be live in the next day or so, after we’ve ironed out what I hope will be the last few wrinkles. (Update: 12/05/2016 – the website is live now).
Since January 2016 we’ve been testing endpoint security products by exposing them to live web threats and targeted attacks. The results are very interesting and will probably cause some controversy.
Continue reading “SE Labs: Next-Generation Security Testing”Give us a few details about yourself and describe your inquiriy. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
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