2011 - The Year In Security So Far

2010 was a year filled with breaking news of big companies that had data breaches and exposed the personal data of millions. Who can forget the stories of companies like McDonald’s, Walgreens, and the AT&T iPad exposure? These are just a couple of the top stories from last year.

To date this year, cybercrime has absolutely outperformed last year. Criminals are breaching even more well-known and trusted companies, and getting away with even more data.

• Sony – Hackers stole over 100 million personal records from the Sony Online Entertainment system.
• RSA – Makers of security tokens, RSA, had their SecurID devices compromised as the results of a security breach. The company provides security tokens to 25,000 organizations and an estimated 40 million people use the tokens.
• Some of the information collected in the breach was used as an element of an attempted attack on Lockheed Martin.
• Epsilon – We wrote a previous blog post about the breach at Epsilon, the company that handles email communications for over 2,500 companies including Best Buy, Capital One, JP Morgan, TiVo, US Bank, and more.
• Other companies or organizations that have been hacked this year so far include:
• NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, who lost confidential satellite data
• InfraGard, a FBI affiliate
• European Commission
• WordPress
• Trip Advisor
• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (EEE)
• Gawker Media
• Trapster
• The Pentagon’s official credit union

Securitynewsdaily.com reports that the experts are concerned that companies, small and large, aren’t taking security seriously enough. They also foresee the trend only getting worse until companies start making changes. Cyber criminals are choosing companies with weak security and prey on their weakness. Ondrej Krehel, information security officer for Identity Theft 911, says that companies that have switched to less expensive data storage solutions, "such as cloud computing," may have erred on the side of convenience and left themselves vulnerable in the process.

A first step in the right direction for enterprises, commercial banks, and other organizations is to invest in SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ to make sure VDIs and cloud services connections are secure and that the endpoint data is safe.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

SafeCentral Quoted in Processor Magazine

Processor Magazine ran a great feature in their February 25, 2011 issue named “Boost Your Enterprise Security”. The article discussed different threats to today’s enterprise security structures and what steps enterprises can take to prevent breaches and malicious infiltration. Several experts within the security industry including our own, CTO Ray Dickenson, contributed to the article.

The article covers several areas within security including the importance of keeping processes and policies up-to-date and that these processes are continuously updated as elements such as new staff, applications and threats that have an impact on the environment changes. One of the experts interviewed in the article also points out that it is imperative to have action plans in place so that if something does happen, the damage can be minimized and problems can be handled efficiently.

Other preventative measures enterprises can take as recommended in the article include creating a full-time high-level security position that can create or manage a security program for the entire organization; carefully monitor and control the use of portable devices; perform regular penetration testing of external and internal systems, possibly using an outside team rather than the standard IT staff; and using behavior profiling or key metrics such as privileged user activity, after-hours access, network traffic, policy changes, etc. Another great suggestion is that enterprises can use some of their existing solutions and repurpose as security solutions, such as network based anomaly detection.

The top tip discussed in the article is to address mobile devices. SafeCentral’s Chief Technology Officer, Ray Dickenson, stated that mobile devices part of any enterprise’s security realm regardless of their security policies and it’s a good idea not to ignore their presence. He goes on to urge enterprises to update network policies and employee handbooks to include the use of portable devices, explaining how and when employees can connect to, store, and forward corporate data. It is most important that employees know to never leave data behind on a device that is discarded.

To read the full Processor Magazine article and more of Ray’s quote, download and read it here: http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?Article=articles/p3304/20p04/20p04.asp&GUID=.

SafeCentral Named the Leader in Secure Browser

Last month, PCmag.com wrote “PCMag’s Guide to Security Software,” a great article outlining the different types of security software available, what they can all be used for, and highlighting the best in each category. In their article, they named SafeCentral as the leader in the “Secure Browser” category.

Here is the exact quote from PCMag:

“SafeCentral 2.6 is the leader in this less-common product area. When users switch to secure browsing, a secure desktop slides into place visibly and emits an audible clang. The secure browser can't access programs outside the secure desktop, and vice versa. SafeCentral automatically offers secure browsing when you surf to recognized financial sites, and it routes DNS requests through its own secure DNS servers to ensure your surfing can't be diverted to a fake site.”

PCMag is already familiar with SafeCentral having done a review of the product last year, and the year before that as well. To read the review from last year, click here. Feel free to add a review of your own if you have experience with our product as we would love to get your feedback.

If you are a business or enterprise with a virtual data infrastructure, here’s a great chance for you to learn more about SafeCentral and how to secure your VDI and your endpoint data. SafeCentral will hold a free live webinar on June 1st, at 2 pm EST about VDI security. Register here.

Click here to read the full PCMag.com article.

Is Your Business a Cybercrime Target?

NCSA (National Cyber Security Alliance) and VISA did a survey at the end of last year among 1,000 small businesses in the U.S. The results were very surprising and concerning. We wanted to highlight some of the results and show SMBs that security should be a concern; and there are small steps you can take to make your company data more secure.

Here are some of the results from the survey:

• Close to 50% of small business owners believe the high cost in time and money to fully secure their business is not justified by the threat.
• 75% of owners said their employees have received less than three hours of network and mobile device security training in the past year, with 47% saying their employees received zero hours of training.
• More than 85% of small business owners believe that they are less of a cybercrime target than large companies.
• 54% believe they are more prepared to secure sensitive customer and corporate data than large businesses.
• 84% agree that they have the policies and procedures in place for keeping data and computer systems secure.

So, while small businesses do not see themselves as cybercrime target and do not put time or money in to security measures, they still feel that they are prepared and secure enough to handle sensitive data and keep their information safe.

In the meantime, the news is full of stories of small businesses that have been victims of cybercrime that have lost both sensitive information and money. It was only some months ago that authorities arrested a group of people that allegedly stole $70 million from U.S. bank accounts, specifically targeting small and medium businesses.

Considering the ramification of a security breach should urge small businesses to take their security measures a little more seriously. A security breach can cost a company a lot of money to clean up and can do irreparable damage to a company’s reputation. Take the first step and invest in SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ to make sure your VDI and cloud services connections are secure and that your endpoint data is safe.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Protection – Free Live Webinar

With a shift to cloud computing and VDI environments, small and midsize businesses are now the main target of cybercriminals. VDIs are becoming more common place as they offer enterprises costs savings however, they also pose new security risks. VDIs may make their users more vulnerable than ever to screen scrapers, key loggers, DNS redirection and malware. Overall making your environment less secure and expose you to critical data theft. Remote endpoints (managed or unmanaged) restrict the level of protection you can guarantee.

As businesses strive to reduce costs associated with application and data access, many organizations are finding the solution resides in leveraging existing resources to centralize applications and services. But what happens when data is accessed on your VDI from a local machine that is possibly infected with malware? That data is now susceptible to malware and theft.

Advanced malware is bypassing the best anti-malware solutions for the endpoint and conducting mass-market crime. Consumers, Commercial Banks, and Enterprise Networks are all at risk, despite all the effort and dollars being spent.

Let us teach you how to protect your VDI environment. View our Free Live Webinar about VDI Security and learn how to ensure the connection is secure and the endpoint data is protected!

Secure Your VDI Your Way
WebProtection™ for VDI provides data loss prevention (DLP) to ensure that the connection is secure and the endpoint data is protected when users access VDI farms. Enterprises can choose to run WebProtection’s SafeBrowser to protect browsing activity within our secure desktop or you can utilize WebProtection’s IE or Firefox browser plugins to automatically redirect certain browsing activity to the SafeBrowser allowing enterprises to ensure users are in a secure environment when accessing their VDI.

To learn more, sign up for SafeCentral’s Free Live Webinar on Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Protection, on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 2:00 PM EST. Hosted by SafeCentral’s CTO Ray Dickenson. The webinar will discuss the following:

• New areas of risk for your customers
• How cybercriminals are getting access to retail and wholesale banking customers' accounts
• How you can proactively stop malicious attacks

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

Banking Security Measures

Internet banking is becoming the norm both for personal and commercial banking. It’s convenient and saves time, but it’s not risk free. With the amount of malware to be found online, it’s important to know what your bank’s security measures are and how they will keep your account safe.

Here are some of the security measures all banks should have in place to ensure secure online financial transactions:

• Internet banking should only be made through secure connections. Look for the closed padlock or the https:// (the ‘s’ signifying a secure connection) in your web address bar.
• Encryption – most banks have 128-bit security and/or the Secured Socket Layer encryption.
• Banks always make their Internet connection through firewalls, blocking unwanted access to their server.
• Many internet banking institutions also have idle session protection; if you’re logged in but leave the page idle for a certain time period, the bank logs you out so no one can find the open page and use it without your consent.

These are just some of the very basic security measures in place. Other security measures may include a secondary authentication such as an access number sent to your cell phone or a token that assigns a random number to be used in addition to your regular log-in.

Another way banks can help keep their customers safe is to offer them access to SafeCentral’s WebProtection™. Some banks are already using it and it will greatly reduce the risks of online banking.

WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

Educate Your Employees

You may think you have great security protocols in place and the best security software, but if your employees don’t follow best security practices it may have all been for nothing; and your company data will still be vulnerable to attacks. It’s important to educate your employees about data security and why it’s imperative to follow the security policies within the company so they can help you keep it safe.

In today’s work place where it’s more common to bring in laptops, smartphones, USB memory sticks, and other external devices to the office, it is very difficult to keep the network secure and free from malware. Educating your employees, helping them understand your reasons for the security policies, and explaining the consequences of a security breach will be a huge benefit to your company.

According to the first annual ISACA Risk/Reward Barometer survey, the top three ways employees add risks for IT and the business are:

• Not protecting confidential work data appropriately (50 percent)
• Not fully understanding IT policies (33 percent)
• Using non-approved software or online services for their work (32 percent)

Here is a high-level list with a few of the items you should cover with your employees:

• Malware 101 – Go through some of the most common types of malware, how they can infect your network, and what to look out for.
• Phishing 101 – Make sure employees are aware of how phishing attacks work and what they try to accomplish.
• Security Policies 101 – Explain why you put specific security policies in place and what the purpose is behind each policy.
• Consequences – Show examples of security breaches at other companies, what the outcome was and what impact it had on the company brand and image.

An easy way to help employees stay safer online is to install SafeCentral’s WebProtection ™. WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

The Epsilon Email Breach

By now you must have heard of the Epsilon Email Breach. If you haven’t read or heard about it in the news, maybe you received an email from a company that you have an account with warning you about the breach. With the marketing company Epsilon servicing over 2500 clients, the breach affected approximately 2% of their client base, estimated at about 50 companies. The companies include such well-known names such as:

• US Bank
• Capital One
• Target
• Best Buy
• Walgreens
• Marriott Rewards
• Verizon
• Lacoste
• Home Shopping Network (HSN)
• Kroger
• And many, many more.

The hackers have mainly gotten away with names and email addresses but that leaves those customers wide open to phishing attacks (Phishing attack: the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft).

If you’re a customer that was affected by this breach make sure to keep your security software updated. If you have to open an email from one of these companies, then mouse over the link to see if the domain name matches the company. Check for HTTPS showing that the link is secure. Don't give out sensitive personal information unless you are 100% sure you are dealing directly with the company as these emails can open the way to identity theft. Remember that the majority of companies do not ask for your sensitive personal information via email.

If you’re an enterprise, whether you service clients or use a marketing agency like this to service your customers, make sure you review your own security measures. According to Fast Company, in lost sales and fees needed to fix the matter Alliance Data Systems Corp. (ADS, the company behind Epsilon) may end up paying over $100 million--about $20 per record for each of the approximately 100,000 customers at 50 ADS clients.

This breach raises additional concerns about how secure any data is within a cloud-computing infrastructure, especially as the technology becomes more mainstream. Make sure your own endpoints are safe and expect and demand the same from your providers.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Protection – Free Webinar

Virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) are becoming more common place as they offer enterprises costs savings however, they also pose new security risks. A Gartner report said that it expects 50,000,000 users, or 15% of corporate desktops to be deployed via VDI by 2013. For these users and their employers, VDI may offer cost savings but it makes them more vulnerable than ever to screen scrapers, key loggers, DNS redirection and malware.

As businesses strive to reduce costs associated with application and data access, many organizations are finding the solution resides in leveraging existing resources to centralize applications and services, including security. This may force enterprises to choose between poor VDI return on investment or poor security and potential lack of regulatory compliance. But what happens when data is accessed on your VDI from a local machine that is possibly infected with malware? That data is now susceptible to malware and theft.

Secure Your VDI Your Way
WebProtection™ for VDI provides data loss prevention (DLP) to ensure that the connection is secure and the endpoint data is protected when users access VDI farms. Enterprises can choose to run WebProtection’s SafeBrowser to protect browsing activity within our secure desktop or you can utilize WebProtection’s IE or Firefox browser plugins to automatically redirect certain browsing activity to the SafeBrowser allowing enterprises to ensure users are in a secure environment when accessing their VDI.

To learn more, sign up for SafeCentral’s VDI Webinar on Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Protection, on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Hosted by SafeCentral’s CTO Ray Dickenson. The webinar will discuss the following
•    New areas of risk for your customers
•    How cybercriminals are getting access to retail and wholesale banking customers' accounts
•    How you can proactively stop malicious attacks

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

SafeCentral Enters Security Challenge Video Contest

Citrix invited all security solution partners to participate in the Citrix Ready Security Challenge. SafeCentral has entered and provided video content that addresses the risk of data-stealing malware on endpoint PCs that access corporate data through XenDesktop and XenApp.

This contest enables security solution partners to demonstrate what makes their solutions innovative, unique and most importantly, how they help IT admins and users deploying virtualization solutions improve the security of their environment. 

Voting runs through April 2011. Watch and vote for SafeCentral's Data Protection Video today!  

SafeCentral WebProtection™ offers many benefits giving you peace of mind when transacting online such as:

• Patented technology to block key-loggers, screen-scrapers and other malware agents, even on an already infected PC
• SecureDNS to ensure a connection to the actual site, eliminating man-in-the-middle attacks
• Automated "launch anywhere" protection for seamless integration into your existing browsing habits

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

Cloud and Remote Endpoint Data Loss Prevention - Protect your Business

FinancialPost.com reported on March 24, 2011 that the security at the world’s largest travel website, TripAdvisor LLC* was breached by an “unauthorized third party” the previous weekend. The company’s email addresses belonging to TripAdvisor’s 20 million members were taken.

The travel website states the source of the vulnerability has been discovered and shut down. Fortunately, TripAdvisor does not collect credit card or financial information from its members; however, members may receive some unsolicited emails (spam) as a result of this incident.

This is not the first time that large online companies have had information taken from their systems. Last December, a group of hackers, known as “Gnosis,” broke into the Gawker Media user database and stole contact information; and popular online dating websites, PlentyOfFish and eHarmony, have also been victims of data theft in the last two months.

Some hackers have even higher ambitions than just collecting contact data. In early February, the operator of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, the largest electronic trading platform in the United States, found “suspicious files” on its U.S. servers which led to the discovery of repeated attempts over the past year to access confidential information.

SafeCentral can protect your business and can secure an entire organization from malware including screen scrapers, key loggers and DNS redirects. SafeCentral protects a company’s VDI, SSL VPN and Cloud Service from malware that may be infecting local PCs used to access these secure areas.

To learn more, sign up for SafeCentral’s Enterprise Webinar on Cloud and Remote Endpoint Data Loss Prevention, on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Hosted by SafeCentral’s CTO Ray Dickenson. The webinar will discuss the following

• New areas of risk for your customers
• How cybercriminals are getting access to retail and wholesale banking customers' accounts
• How you can proactively stop malicious attacks

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

*TripAdvisor is a worldwide forum where anyone can contribute hotel reviews. The 18 websites that operate in 27 countries under the TripAdvisor Media Group — which is owned by Expedia Inc.

Stopping Online Account Fraud

Online banking platforms have been implemented as a more efficient channel for banking transactions. However, these web-based applications are exposed over the Internet making their users an appealing target for mal-intended individuals.

Security for online banking primarily uses encryption—a form of invisible coding and firewalls to protect information from third parties. Typically, a password and personal identification number are required to login to an online bank account. Most banks offer additional protections, such as automatically logging off of their site after several minutes of inactivity or when you leave the site without logging out of your online bank account.

Reputable banks have security measures in place to secure both the personal and financial data stored in online accounts. However, data security is a serious concern for both banks and consumers, especially following a reported rise in identity theft over the past few years. Banks are constantly challenged to implement anti-fraud measures to protect financial accounts from a host of potential security breaches.

As malware and cybercrime attacks, increasingly targeting small to mid-size businesses, online account fraud is becoming a major problem for commercial banks. There have been discussions and even pending lawsuits to determine whether the responsibility for providing adequate security and loss recovery lies with the banks or the enterprises.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ for Commercial Banking authenticates participants and combines a locked-down desktop with a certified, encrypted connection to make online banking as safe as possible: 

• Actively protects desktop PC from malicious agents (such as keyloggers and screen scraping trojans) by intercepting the low-level Windows commands that allow those agents to function
• Rescues the user from the perils of the local network (Wi-Fi, man-in-the-middle attacks) by establishing an encrypted, certificate guaranteed link with a secure DNS server
• Routes the user to the bank’s site directly through secure DNS
• Provides visual cues with a locked down desktop, simplified browser, and cooperation with existing authentication methods (Site Key, certificates, etc.) to thwart phishing and other attacks
• Prevents application tampering by restricting application execution privileges
• Operates independently of signatures or databases, ensuring up-to-date protection at all times
• Integrates seamlessly with traditional desktop security measures (e.g., anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc.) and existing authentication schemes with little or no effort
• Can protect any type of financial online transaction, including banking, online trading, tax filing and the like

To learn more, sign up for SafeCentral’s Commercial Banking Webinar on Stopping Online Account Fraud, on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Hosted by SafeCentral’s CTO Ray Dickenson. The webinar will discuss the following:

• New areas of risk for your customers
• How cybercriminals are getting access to retail and wholesale banking customers' accounts
• How you can proactively stop malicious attacks

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

How Secure Is Your Business?

With the onslaught of new malware that’s being created and distributed every day, new and inventive phishing schemes, and other ways cyber criminals have to get in to your endpoint data and accounts, how secure do you think your business is?

Small and Mid-size businesses that may not have a dedicated IT department can have a hard time keeping up with the latest happenings in online security, especially with the new trends of cloud computing and virtual environments.

We wanted to do our share to help and decided to write up a quick checklist to help you evaluate the security status of your business. The checklist should help you keep your documents and your personal account information secure.

Checklist:

1. Do you have policies in place for the following:

1. restricted critical data access to only the people who need it?
2. proper and safe disposal of any documents with critical or personal identifying information?
3. what types of network activities are allowed and which ones are prohibited?
4. secure email and other electronic communication?
5. network access by outside devices such as laptops or phones?
6. remote access for employees accessing the network from remote locations?

2. Have you educated your employees of the importance of password security and how to stay secure when conducting transactions online?

3. Do you have the following technologies in place:

1. Firewalls?
2. Secure wireless network?
3. Up to date anti-virus and malware protection?
4. Intrusion prevention?
5. Identity Management?
6. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™?

4. Do you have a contingency plan in the case of a data breach for who is responsible for handling it and how to contact your customers or anyone else affected by the breach?

5. Finally, we recommend that if you don’t have the skill set in place to properly secure your business information, hire a security specialist. It is a lot cheaper to secure your business properly than the cost of cleaning up a data breach when you consider both monetary repercussions and your reputation.

Another great way to check the status of your antivirus software, firewall protection, and the web security status of your computers is to download the WebAdvisor™. WebAdvisor™ is a free diagnostic tool that runs a complement to any existing security software and does not negatively impact the performance of your computer.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

What Is Keylogging?

We were excited to see the term “keylogging” mentioned in the mainstream a couple of weeks ago when it was actually featured in an episode of “The Good Wife” on CBS, starring Juliana Margulies. In the TV show, keylogging software was found on her computer as someone was trying to uncover secrets and spying on the TV shows ‘Alicia’.

It’s great that malware like keylogging is mentioned on TV making the public more aware of its existence, still there are many who will do not realize that this threat is very real and very common. What do you really know about keylogging?

Keylogging is actually completely legal software that many businesses use to track their employees computer activities and that parents use on their kids’ computers. The problem is that cybercriminals use keylogging as a tool to break into people’s computers and get their personal information to then commit identity theft or online account fraud.

The term keylogger is neutral and describes how the software functions, namely monitor and log all keystrokes. It doesn’t have to be software; it can also be a device. Many keyloggers hide themselves in the system which makes them fully-fledged Trojans. Keyloggers are now the most-used method in the theft of confidential information.

Cybercriminals will plant keylogging viruses on fake websites or package them in fake downloads and once you access it, it will infect the user’s computer. Once infected, the keylogging virus will start tracking the user’s computer activities and discover confidential information such as passwords, user names, personal information, and more. This information will then be used to access the victim’s bank account to steal funds or to steal the victim’s identity.

A great way to prevent keylogging viruses and something ‘Alicia’ in The Good Wife could have used on her computer is SafeCentral’s WebProtection™.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at www.SafeCentral.com.

CYBERCRIME 101

There have been discussions lately that the general consumer does not know enough about cybercrime, malware, and general online security. This does not only include individual users but also small business owners or any business that do not have a dedicated IT department.

This quick Cybercrime 101 class will help you identify some of the terms and definitions and show you some basic steps you can take to keep you or your business safe.

Cybercrime – a crime committed using a computer and the Internet to steal a person’s identity, sell contraband, stalk victims or disrupt operations with malevolent programs. This is a term that has become increasingly important these last few years as cyber criminals have stolen billions of dollars from businesses and individuals alike. Lately, the criminals seem to have specifically targeted small to midsize businesses who may not have a dedicated security staff and do not have adequate security on their network.

Malware - Short for malicious software and is any program or file that is harmful to a computer user. So, malware includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and more. Basically, malware is what the cybercriminals create to be able to get into your computer, steal your information, and gain access to your bank accounts or customer data.

Phishing – an email attempting to get information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity such as a bank, auction sites, social websites and others.

There are many tools available that will give you some sense of security when you go online, such as anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. You should always make sure you have these installed and upgraded to the latest version. But to make sure your online transactions are secure and that your personal information is not hacked into by cybercriminals or your computer is not infected by malware, you should look at SafeCentral’s WebProtection™.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install application that actually assumes that your machine is already infected with malware and ensures that the information on your computer stays secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Learn more about how it actually works and how it keeps your information safe at http://www.safecentral.com/home-user.html. Feel free to also look through some of our other blog posts and industry articles to learn more about cybercrime and malware.

Check back next month for another 101 educational blog post.

Inspire Consumer Confidence by Addressing Their Security Concerns

In a study from 2010, RSA surveyed over 4500 adults from 22 countries about their feelings, thoughts, and knowledge of today’s security threats. We want to highlight some of the results from this survey to show you how important security is to consumers and clients and to show how you can help them feel confident about your company.

Online fraud and cybercrime are featured more frequently in the media and the security and privacy risks of social networking has also been discussed at great lengths, this has in turn caused consumers to become more aware and more knowledgeable about online security risks. Because they are more aware, they are also more concerned and expect more from the websites of organizations they interact with on a regular basis. They expect that the companies they have an online relationship with should keep them secure.

One of the most important findings in the survey was the lack of confidence in banks. With more and more elements of one’s daily life being conducted on the Internet, the survey asked consumers how concerned consumers were with having their personal information accessed or stolen at any of these four types of sites: Banking, Healthcare, Government, and Social Networking. Surprisingly, an overwhelming 86% was concerned about banking with social networking a close second at 81%. Government (68%) and Healthcare (61%) trailed behind. This is surprising since financial institutions have showed concerns and taken steps to improve online security for their customers while other sites only require a regular user name and password to access an online account.

In addition, 80% of survey respondents felt that banks need to implement a stronger form of security than a user name and password and a full 92% felt that banks should monitor their accounts for suspicious activity. It is obvious that consumers hold banks to a higher standard than any other sites they interact with online and that high security also impacts an organization’s consumer confidence. Consumer confidence can be directly attributed to increased transactions.

When asked how increased security would impact their willingness to transact online, 92% said they would be more confident. When asked how stronger security features in addition to username and password would impact their willingness to interact, purchase items, and submit personal information to the sites they regularly visit, 72% said they would be more likely to submit personal information online.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection
To help you increase your consumer confidence and thereby your revenue, SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install, light-weight data loss prevention (DLP) application that operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware ensuring that endpoint data is secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

If you require your commercial clients to use WebProtection™, you are helping them increase their revenue, keep their endpoint data secure, and increase your own revenue while keeping your customers’ data secure as well. Learn more at: http://www.safecentral.com/banking-user.html.

To read the survey in its entirety, you can access it at: http://www.rsa.com/products/consumer/whitepapers/10665_CSV_WP_1209_Global.pdf.

Secure Your Endpoint Data

IT security teams are having a challenging time these days as it is getting more and more difficult to keep on top of new malware threats and keep your company’s endpoint data secure. Anti-virus is having problems keeping up with today’s strains of malware which are growing immensely and keep coming up with new and improved versions. Examples you have seen in the headlines this year alone would be the Stuxnet worm, multiple botnets, Operation Auroa and many, many more. There are hundreds of malicious anti-malware programs and fake security applications designed to keep your workstations hostage.

Besides the legitimate Anti-virus programs, there are some things you can still do to keep your data protected. Below are a few things that will definitely get you well on your way.

Application Control
Application control or application whitelisting is a simple concept. You only allow approved applications to run on a system and block everything else. Some of the unique advantages of that is eliminating the need to continually scan for malware and the update process as well as built-in protection from zero-day attacks. The latest systems are highly customizable allowing the IT staff to specify end user privileges to specific applications.

Full-disk encryption
Basically, full-disk encryption (FDE) encrypt all of the data-including the operating system and system files-on a hard drive to block unauthorized endpoint access. Although gives IT professionals a convenient way to control all of the workstations on a network, not all FDE systems encrypt data when it is being shared between devices, stored on external drives, or being transferred via e-mail.

Data loss protection
Data loss protection (DLP) solutions secure endpoint data, whether in use on an individual PC, being transmitted externally over a network, or housed in storage. The techniques to do so vary from scanning content to monitor communications to contextual security analysis to encryption of stored data. When it comes down to it what it does is allow administrators to identify risks and lock down sensitive data before it can leak outside the organization.


SafeCentral’s WebProtection
SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is a one-time install, light-weight data loss prevention (DLP) application that operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware ensuring that endpoint data is secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

With these tools available to you your company can feel better about the security of its endpoint data and free up valuable IT staff time for other tasks.

Who Is At Risk of Becoming a Victim of Cybercrime?

We all know that whenever we go online we put our computers at risk of catching a virus or other malware, or worse yet; become a victim of identity theft. In fact, 73% of Americans have been a victim of cybercrime in some form or another. Yet we continue to think that it won’t happen to us. Well, who does it happen to?

Here are some examples to show you that even if it doesn’t happen to you when you go online, it can still happen to you indirectly. If you are a business owner or run a commercial bank, this information is even more important because you don’t only need to look out for your business, you also have to protect all your customers’ and clients’ information. As you take a look at the cases below that involve huge brands that we may be involved with every day, consider how easily this may happen for your business and what you can do to keep your customers’ data and your business safe.

AT&T iPad Email Theft
In June 2010, hackers discovered a web application on AT&T’s website that returned an iPad user’s email address when presented with specially written queries. The hackers then wrote a script and ended up stealing over 114,000 email addresses.

McDonald’s Databases Hacked
In December 2010, McDonald’s released a statement saying that their databases were hacked and an undisclosed number of personal customer information was stolen. The data was information that customers had entered when signing up to receive emails from McDonalds on one of their websites. The information included name, address, phone number, birth date, and gender.

Cybercriminals Hack Into Honda Online Database
In December 2010, cybercriminals hacked into the database of American Honda Motor Co. and stole the names, email addresses, and Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) of 2,2 million car owners. A separate list of 2,7 email addresses with no personal information was also accessed.

Wyndham’s Computers Hacked Into
End of 2009 through beginning of 2010, in a three-month period, hackers broke into the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts computer systems stealing customers’ credit card information, including guest names, credit card number, expiration dates, and other data from the card’s magnetic strip.

Hackers Steal Walgreen’s Email List
In December 2010, a computer criminal stole Walgreens’ email marketing list. The criminal then used the list to send out realistic-looking emails that asked recipients to enter their personal information into a website that was controlled by the hackers.


Hopefully this information has shown you that anyone is subject to becoming the victim of cybercrime. It is important that businesses and individuals protect their data. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ can help with that.

WebProtection™ is a one-time install, light-weight data loss prevention (DLP) application that operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware ensuring that endpoint data is secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

Consider adding the extra layer of protection that is needed for your business and yourself. For more information, go to our website www.SafeCentral.com to learn more and view a demo of the product.

Is Your Business Ready for the New Security Threats Coming This Year?

Security predictions for 2011 are not looking great for enterprises or financial institutions. Cybercriminals continue to reinvent themselves and security companies and professionals are having a hard time keeping up, always trailing one step behind. While individual consumers seem to become more aware of how important it is to have security measures in place when doing anything online, companies tend to think that they will not be targeted, it just couldn’t happen to them.

Here is a list of some of this year’s predictions for top security threats:

• More corporate data breaches over social media channels, both volunteered by employees and breached through spam and other malware
• Malware exploit kits will add zero-day vulnerabilities faster and increase their use,  leaving organizations open to more malicious content
• There will be more attacks like Stuxnet, specifically targeting critical infrastructure.
• Attacks on router vulnerabilities. As companies beef up security on computers and servers, hackers look to other areas to attack and gain access to a business’s network. Routers and their firmware are rarely updated, so hackers have a big window to find and exploit vulnerabilities.
• Struggling AV software, some experts say antivirus vendors are having a hard time keeping up with the millions of new malware that appear every day. Not to mention the fact that an antivirus that is created cannot be created until after the virus has appeared which always leaves us one step behind.

These are just some of the alarming predictions that the experts have made. Has your business started preparing for these threats yet? It is time to get started. Even if you are not a multi-million dollar enterprise there are still small steps you can take that will greatly improve your online and network security, thereby protecting your data.

1. Internet Usage Policy – Your Internet usage policy should be specific, it should be shared in detail with all your employees, they should sign off on it, and the policy should be strictly enforced.
2. Restrict Data Access – Only the people that need access to specific data should be allowed access to it. Your data should be stored securely with limited access capabilities.
3. Encryption Technology – Another prediction for 2011 is that organizations will take a more proactive approach to data protection by adoption encryption technology. Why not be ahead of the curve and get started?
4. Cloud Security – As more and more companies move into a cloud infrastructure, make sure your IT security staff is educated on the security risks involved and how to keep the company safe. WebProtection™ by SafeCentral is flexible and offers enterprises multiple configuration options making it a great choice for companies that are employing VDIs, SSL VPNs, or using cloud services such as outsourced accounting systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, or enterprise resource planning (ERP).
5. Updated Software and Firmware – Make sure all the latest updates are installed for any software or firmware in any programs that are used within the company.
6. Good Email Filter – monitor your email regularly to see how well it does in preventing spam and phishing emails from reaching employees inboxes. If you see malware getting through on a regular basis, it’s time to change your provider.
7. Updated Malware protection – Even if Anti-Virus and Spyware software can’t catch every new threat that emerges, they are still integral tools in any security strategy and should be current at all times.
8. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ - This is an extra level of security that protects your VDI, SSL VPN or cloud service connections and users from threats already in place.

WebProtection™ is a one-time install, light-weight data loss prevention (DLP) application that operates under the assumption that the user’s machine is already infected with malware ensuring that endpoint data is secure. WebProtection™ interprets and intercepts over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and effectively blocks all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

Make sure you add SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ to your security strategy this year to get the best web security suite you can possibly have. For more information, go to our website www.SafeCentral.com to learn more and view a demo of the product.

Top Online Shopping Scams of 2010

With the holiday season, also known as the “shopping season” finally over, we thought it would be time to sit back and reflect on what was actually going on behind the scenes of online shopping last year. Although many of you feel that you didn’t have any malware problems and your shopping experience was great, there is a 33% chance that your computer is infected.

An identity protection company recently did a survey of 200,000 households over 30 days, and the results showed that 33% of the households contracted malware infections on their computers. With that in mind, we wanted to take a look at some of the top online shopping scams that you could have run into last year and that you should look out for this year.

Browser Exploitation
Out-of-date browser technology is a problem in many work environments. Users who haven’t installed the latest browser updates are at much bigger risk of landing on a malicious site after a simple typo. One slip on the keyboard could bring you to a site like 'Maky.com' when you are really looking for Macy's site or 'iBay.com' instead of eBay. Often sites with an address that is one letter off from a popular, legitimate site will be designed to look like the site you intended to go to, but instead it’s filled with bad links.

Older browsers aren’t as secure as the newer versions. More current versions have better sandboxes, better controls and better ways of detecting malicious sites. Be sure to keep your browser up-to-date.

Smishing
This is the mobile version of “Phishing”. Instead of receiving an email from a company you know such as your bank, PayPal, or postal delivery companies, you receive a SMS text message on your cellphone. The message tells you to call a toll free number, which is answered by a bogus interactive voice response system set up specifically to try to fool you into providing your account number and password.

Tiny Charges
Thieves get a hold of your credit or debit card number and make very small charges from 20 cent to $10. The charges will appear on your account with a corporate name and a fictitious toll free number that is either out of service or you’re instructed to leave a voicemail when you try to call to inquire about the charge.

Social Scams
Scam links on social networks are becoming more and more common. Cyber criminals will set up fake sites then send out links about sales and deals that will take you back to their malicious sites. These links will often be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

This year there will be new and improved scams but this should at least give you an idea of what to look for. Although the best defense for online scams is caution and common sense, some malware and scams are very difficult to avoid. Even if your computer has the latest anti-virus and spyware protection updates, the criminals are always a step ahead of us and the protection is not created until after the new malware has been created.

SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ is an extra level of security to add to your computer. It allows you a safe browser experience, data protection, and secure online transactions, even if your computer is already infected.

WebProtection™ offers many benefits giving you peace of mind when transacting online such as:

• Patented technology to block key-loggers, screen-scrapers and other malware agents, even on an already infected PC
• SecureDNS to ensure a connection to the actual site, eliminating man-in-the-middle attacks
• Automated "launch anywhere" protection for seamless integration into your existing browsing habits

For more information, go to our website www.SafeCentral.com to learn more and view a demo of the product.

Banking Malware Continues to Cost Banks Millions

In the last two years online banking fraud has doubled and it’s obvious that cyber criminals are targeting banks and their customers. The most common way criminals attack customers’ computers without their knowledge is to install malware on their computer, often malware that can sense the user’s keystrokes and thereby transmit the bank account number and password.

Below are some of last year’s biggest online banking scams so you can get an idea of how broad the problem is.

Great Britain
Consumers and businesses in Great Britain lost more than $1 million dollars last summer from a Trojan that infected their computers, prompting them to log into their bank accounts and then transfer money to scammers in other countries. About 3,000 bank accounts at one financial institution were compromised.

The scheme uses a combination of a new version of the Zeus keylogger and password stealer Trojan, which targets Windows-based computers, runs on major browsers, and exploits toolkits to get around anti-fraud systems used at bank Web sites.

IT Company
A New Hampshire-based IT consultancy lost nearly $100,000 in February, 2010 after thieves broke into the company’s bank accounts with the help of 10 co-conspirators across the United States.

The company received a voicemail message from its bank that said to contact the bank to discuss an automated clearing house (ACH) payment batch that had been posted to their account. The next day, the IT firm’s owner returned the call and learned from the bank that someone had put through an unauthorized batch of ACH transfers totaling $96,419.30. The batch payment effectively added 10 new individuals to the company’s payroll, sending each slightly less than $10,000. None of the individuals had any prior business or association with the company.

Zeus
Using a Trojan horse virus known as Zeus, hackers in Eastern Europe infected computers around the world. The virus was carried in an e-mail, and when targeted individuals at businesses and municipalities opened the e-mail, the malicious software installed itself on the victimized computer, capturing passwords, account numbers, and other data used to log into online banking accounts. The hackers used this to take over the victims’ bank accounts and make unauthorized transfers of thousands of dollars at a time, often routing the funds to other accounts controlled by a network of “money mules.” The money mules created bank accounts using fake documents and phony names. Once the money was in their accounts, they would either wire it back to their bosses in Eastern Europe or turn it into cash and smuggle it out of the country, they were paid a commission.

Instead of targeting corporations and large banks that had state-of-the-art online security, the hackers went after the accounts of medium-sized companies, towns, and even churches. Before they were caught, they managed to steal $70 million.

In October, with law enforcement partners in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and the Netherlands, the FBI announced the execution of numerous arrests and search warrants in multiple countries in one of the largest cybercrime cases ever investigated.



This is just a short selection of last year’s cases. A key issue in bank account fraud is that there are serious disagreements between banks and their customers as far as who is ultimately responsible in cases of online account fraud. Banks feel that since the malware has infected the customers’ computers, the customers are responsible, while both commercial and individual customers feel that banks need to work harder on their end to increase online security. There are cases where customers have sued their banks because they were not able to recover all the money that was stolen but there have also been cases where banks have sued customers to have a court rule that their online security is sufficient

Ultimately the goal is to stop online account fraud, and a great way to accomplish that is SafeCentral’s WebProtection™.


SafeCentral’s WebProtection™, a one-time install, light-weight application, prevents funds transfer fraud even if the user’s machine is infected with malware. WebProtection™ provides data loss prevention (DLP) that combines impenetrable endpoint protection with secure DNS to ensure that endpoint data cannot be stolen or re-directed. WebProtection™ uses SafeCentral’s patented TSX technology to intercept and interpret over 5,000 discrete Windows commands (from write to disk, to save in RAM and beyond) and to block all potentially dangerous activities except those processes needed for the transaction. Unlike other tools, WebProtection™ goes down deep into the DNA of the Windows operating system and is able to control all processes during a secured transaction.

Take charge and secure your online financial transactions.

What’s Lurking In the Shadows?

Criminals constantly reinvent themselves and come up with new cons, frauds, and ways to get access to the money or information they are looking for. This is definitely true in the world of cybercrime where technology and trends are ever-changing. It can be difficult to keep on top of the latest viruses, phishing schemes, and other new online threats. We wanted to highlight just a couple of the things you want to look out for right now.

Phishing Scams
“I have a question about …” – This recent phishing scam normally begins with the subject line “I have a question about”. In the email, the sender will say that he has a question about a website or product and while looking for more information about it online, he came across your information. He then wants to know if you’re affiliated with the product and how you like it. There are no links in the email and it appears to be an attempt to start a conversation to hopefully extract some personal information from you.

Florida Lottery – There is a fake email lottery scam currently in circulation specifically for the Florida Lottery, but that is not to say you won’t see one from other states as well. These types of scams have been around before and are something to look out for. The email says that you have won a “Special Global Email Draw” and asks you to file an email claim for the prize.

Scareware Scams
Twitter links - A scareware scam is being distributed via compromised legitimate Twitter accounts as well as bogus accounts used to send out malevolent web links. The tweets talk about great anti-virus software that is downloadable through the following link. The link however will take you to a harmful web page that shows fake security warnings specific to every browser, i.e. if you’re on Firefox the page will look like the page that is usually displayed when accessing a blacklisted web address through Firefox. Users are then told that a scan is taking place to look for malicious programs, once completed the page will list numerous problems discovered recommending that specific security applications must be taken down.

This is in fact rogue anti-virus software called ThinkPoint that prevents users from getting on their desktops. Computer operators will then start a system reboot which will allow the rogueware to penetrate even deeper. As a result the victims are forced to pay up to remove the malicious programs from their computers.

Hard-disk Application – A JavaScript code added to legitimate websites’ online advertisements instructs the Web browser to show a certain window or access a domain that releases exploits on the host computer. These exploits run a downloader that pulls down the bogus hard-disk benefiting application on the system. A notice will then show up on your screen stating that your hard disk cannot be found. The idea is then that the user will be scared enough to click the “Enable Defrag HDD Repair”, which will then open a box asking for payment.

We hope this helps you protect your personal data and financial information. Protect your email accounts by making sure you don’t respond to emails about contests you haven’t entered or from people you don’t know. Make sure you have your own anti-malware protection on your computer and keep it updated.

To ensure complete protection when performing any online transaction or just browsing online, install SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ on your computer. SafeCentral’s WebProtection™ has:

• Patented technology to block key-loggers, screen-scrapers and other malware agents, even on an already infected PC
•  Secure DNS to ensure a connection to the actual site, eliminating man-in-the-middle attacks
• Automated "launch anywhere" protection for seamless integration into your existing browsing habits