December 26, 2018 - securitylinkindia

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Bosch Equips Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 26, 2018November 14, 202406 mins

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge relies on customized security solutions from Bosch to ensure safe operations. The world’s largest sea-crossing bridge was opened by Chinese officials in late October 2018. Spanning 55 kilometres in length, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge directly connects Hong Kong to Macao and then to the Chinese city of Zhuhai for the first time. At a total cost of USD20 billion, it is a major boost for China’s Greater Bay Area, an emerging industrial and technological hotbed that is home to 68 million people, and a showcase project for Bosch Building Technologies. The large-scale project was built over the course of eight years using 400,000 tons of steel. It includes underwater tunnels and two artificial islands that serve as customs ports. Ensuring the security of these two islands, where drivers need to present special permits to use the new bridge and pass customs checkpoints, was a priority from the start. Securing vital infrastructure With a proven track record of equipping critical infrastructures such as airports, hotels, commercial buildings and underground metros, Bosch Building Technologies won the contract to provide the artificial islands with video surveillance, intrusion alarms, as well as public address and voice evacuation systems. On the island between Zhuhai and Macao, the Bosch partner Shanghai SAGA Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. installed more than 5,700 Bosch loudspeakers and over 260 amplifiers which are all managed via the PRAESIDEO digital public address and emergency sound system. Fulfilling a key customer request, the installation incorporates 15 different models of ceiling, wall mount, and line array speakers to blend in with the facility’s modern interior. Furthermore, Bosch was able to match Macao’s local standards by custom-ordering solutions with British power cord, programmed with graphic interfaces in traditional Chinese lettering. On the island outside of Hong Kong, which is home to a customs clearance port, Bosch partner Pro-United Co., Ltd. installed 2,200 public address speakers of various models including outdoor speakers for the travel inspection building. Experts also adjusted 200 vari-directional array loudspeakers to balance sound variations from different building materials. “The Bosch technical team and partners used professional software to simulate the sound pressure level of a specific area and comprehensively simulate the entire project to ensure that the selected products can meet the requirements of different areas in the actual application,” said Lin Lizhi, Bosch Building Technologies. A landmark project Bosch also covered the island with more than 2,000 HD cameras including the FLEXIDOME, DINION, and AUTODOME series. Monitored from a security control center on the Hong Kong side of the island, these cameras support 24/7 surveillance of the customs clearance port, travel inspection building, immigration department and Hong Kong customs office. The PRAESIDEO systems on both islands enable security staff to broadcast live voice announcements via security call points, while multiple sets of intrusion alarm systems protect personnel and property. “We added the supporting intelligent call station PRAESIDEO, which is usually used for airport projects, in order to ensure that the staff can directly perform voice broadcasts throughout the call station during operation, thus making the security management more convenient,” said Wang Yiping, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai SAGA Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. The high-profile infrastructure project highlights the flexibility and broad customization options offered by Bosch Building Technologies as a one-stop solutions provider. Now that it is fully operational, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is already considered a key asset in the Greater Bay Area, also known as ‘China’s Silicon Valley.’ The bridge reduces the travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong from four hours to a mere 30 minutes. It also creates a new gateway for travellers between vital transportation hubs such as Shenzhen and Hong Kong airports with while the integrated Bosch security solutions ensuring a safe passage.

Feature

Sophos 2019 Threat Report

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 26, 2018November 14, 202406 mins

Sophos has recently launched its 2019 Threat Report providing insights into emerging and evolving cybersecurity trends. The report, produced by SophosLabs researchers, explores changes in the threat landscape over the past 12 months, uncovering trends and how they are expected to impact cybersecurity in 2019. The SophosLabs 2019 Threat Report focuses on these key cybercriminal behaviours and attacks: Capitalist cybercriminals are turning to targeted ransomware attacks that are premeditated and reaping millions of dollars in ransom. 2018 saw the advancement of hand-delivered, targeted ransomware attacks that are earning cybercriminals millions of dollars. These attacks are different from ‘spray and pray’ style attacks that are automatically distributed through millions of emails. Targeted ransomware is more damaging than if delivered from a bot, as human attackers can find and stake out victims, think laterally, troubleshoot to overcome roadblocks, and wipe out back-ups so the ransom must be paid. This ‘interactive attack style,’ where adversaries manually maneuver through a network step-by-step, is now increasing in popularity. Sophos experts believe the financial success of SamSam, BitPaymer and Dharma to inspire copycat attacks and expect more happen in 2019. Cybercriminals are using readily available Windows systems administration tools. This year’s report uncovers a shift in threat execution, as more mainstream attackers now employ advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques to use readily available IT tools as their route to advance through a system and complete their mission – whether it’s to steal sensitive information off the server or drop ransomware: Turning admin tools into cyberattack tools: In an ironic twist, or Cyber Catch-22, cybercriminals are utilising essential or built-in Windows IT admin tools, including Powershell files and Windows scripting executables, to deploy malware attacks on users. Cybercriminals are playing digital dominos: By chaining together a sequence of different script types that execute an attack at the end of the event series, hackers can instigate a chain reaction before IT managers detect a threat is operational on the network, and once they break in it’s difficult to stop the payload from executing. Cybercriminals have adopted newer Office exploits to lure in victims: Office exploits have long been an attack vector, but recently cybercriminals have cut loose old Office document exploits in favour of newer ones. EternalBlue becomes a key tool for cryptojacking attacks: Patching updates appeared for this Windows threat more than a year ago, yet the EternalBlue exploit is still a favourite of cybercriminals. The coupling of EternalBlue to cryptomining software turned the activity from a nuisance hobby into a potentially lucrative criminal career. Lateral distribution on the corporate networks allowed the cryptojacker to quickly infect multiple machines, increasing payouts to the hacker and heavy costs to the user. Malware’s impact extends beyond the organization’s infrastructure as the threats from mobile malware grow a pace. With illegal Android apps on the increase, 2018 has seen an increased focus in malware being pushed to phones, tablets and other IoT devices. As homes and businesses adopt more internet-connected devices, criminals have been devising new ways to hijack those devices to use as nodes in huge botnet attacks. In 2018, VPNFilter demonstrated the destructive power of weaponized malware that affects embedded systems and networked devices that have no obvious user interface. Elsewhere, MiraiAidra, Wifatch, and Gafgyt delivered a range of automated attacks that hijacked networked devices to use as nodes in botnets to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks, mine cryptocurrency and infiltrate networks.

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Survey Finds Fraud in Bank Account in 2017

MassMediaLink India LLP SecurityLink IndiaDecember 26, 2018November 14, 202405 mins

March Networks®, a global provider of intelligent video solutions, has recently announced the results of a second annual survey exploring how fraud, customer service and security perceptions are impacting U.S. banking consumer decisions. Key results from the 2018 survey, commissioned by March Networks and conducted by independent market research firm Ipsos earlier this year, reveal that 17% of consumers experienced fraudulent bank account activity in 2017, up moderately from 15% the previous year. More concerning, 15% of those respondents experienced 5 or more fraudulent incidents in the 12 month period, and 9% reported switching banks in response. Still, a clear majority of consumers (92%) were satisfied with how their financial institution handled fraudulent activity, and 25% said surveillance video was used to help resolve the incident. Survey results also show that a continued focus on the customer experience remains critical for banks and credit unions when it comes to retention. One in 5 respondents confirmed that they had switched banks in the past year because of poor in-branch service. Further, 70% said they would consider switching banks if their local branch did not appear clean and tidy – with that number rising to 77% for consumers living in households with children. In addition, consumers’ banking choices are influenced by how secure they feel when conducting transactions, either in their local branch, at an ATM or online. A majority of consumers (98%) felt most secure when conducting transactions at their local banking branch, compared with 93% when conducting transactions online and 83% using a mobile application. Further, half of consumers reported that they did not conduct an ATM transaction at least once in 2017 because someone was loitering nearby, putting the onus on banks and credit unions to increase monitoring capabilities around their ATMs or risk losing business. Other key findings from the survey reveal that: While consumers are banking online and via mobile apps, nearly three quarters also banked at their local retail branch, similar to the year previous. More Millennials (72%) reported visiting their local branch in 2017, versus 61% in 2016. 63% of consumers noticed fraudulent activity on their account themselves, while 37% were notified proactively by their bank or credit union. 46% of consumers said waiting more than 5 minutes for service in retail branch is unreasonable. The vast majority of consumers support visible video surveillance in their bank or credit union. More than 90% feel that surveillance cameras deter crime, and 96% agree that video surveillance is an important contributor to solving crimes quickly. “Consumers today are engaging digitally with their financial institutions more often, but are also frequently turning to in-person services, and have high expectations when it comes to service and security,” said Peter Strom, President and CEO, March Networks, “Understanding consumer perceptions and how they influence where consumers choose to bank is important for all financial institutions – especially when it comes to strategic planning and the dramatic transformation many institutions are currently undertaking to increase their competitive position.”