Category: Feature

By Johan Paulsson, CTO, Axis Communications The fact that technology has become pervasive in our personal and work lives is not news. This is largely due to the benefits that new technologies bring to business and citizens around the world in delivering new, more effective, and increasingly efficient services. However, the depth of technology’s integration into our lives, advances in its capabilities, and heightened awareness of its implications in society are also greater than ever and continue to accelerate. Given this, many of the broad macro trends around the globe – spanning geopolitical issues, economic uncertainty, environmental concerns, and human rights – have implications for all technology sectors, the security industry included. Ours is a sector making use of increasingly intelligent technology, one inherently involved in collecting sensitive data, and as impacted by geopolitical issues affecting international trade as any. Yet we’re still resolute in our view that our innovations will create a smarter, safer world. These are the six key technology trends that we believe will affect the security sector in 2023. A move towards actionable insights The increasing application of AI and machine learning have seen a focus on the opportunity for advanced analytics in recent years. Moving forward, the shift in focus will move from the analytics themselves, to the actionable insights they deliver in specific use cases. It’s less about telling you something is wrong, and more about helping you decide what action to take. A key driver for employing analytics to deliver actionable insights is the huge increase in data being generated by surveillance cameras, along with other sensors integrated into a solution. The data (and metadata) being created would be impossible for human operators to interpret and act upon quickly enough, even with huge and costly increases in resources. The use of analytics can drive real-time actions which support safety, security, and operational efficiency. From prompts to call emergency services in the case of incidents, to redirecting traffic in cities to alleviate jams, to redeploying staff in busy retail outlets, to saving energy in buildings through more efficient lighting and heating, analytics are recommending, prompting, and even starting to take the actions that support human operators. Beyond ‘live’ actionable insights, analytics can support in forensic analysis post-incident. Again, given the vast amount of data being created by surveillance cameras, finding the relevant views of a scene can take significant time. This can hinder investigations and reduce the likelihood of suspects being found. Assisted search addresses this issue, helping operators quickly find individuals and objects of interest among hours of footage. Finally, proposed actions promoted by analytics are increasingly forward-looking. Downtime in industrial sites and factories can be costly. A combination of sensors allows intelligent analytics to propose preventative maintenance ahead of outright failure. ‘From analytics to action’ will become a mantra for 2023. Use case-defined hybrid architectures As we’ve highlighted in previous technology trends posts, it’s now commonly accepted that a hybrid technology architecture is best-suited for security systems, mixing on-premise servers, cloud-based compute, and powerful edge devices. No one architecture fits all scenarios, however. But here lies the solution – first assess what needs to be addressed in your specific use case, and then define the hybrid solution that will meet your needs. A number of factors need to be considered. Undoubtedly the advantages of advanced analytics embedded in surveillance cameras on the edge of the network are clear to see. Analysis of the highest-quality images the instant they are captured gives organizations the best chance to react in real-time. Equally, the data generated by surveillance cameras is now useful beyond the real-time view. Analysis of trends over time can deliver insights leading to operational efficiencies. This analysis often demands the processing power found in on-premise servers or the cloud. And of course, there are the requirements – often defined by regulation – around data privacy and storage that vary from country-to-country and region-to-region. These can define the difference between on-premise storage and the use of the cloud. What’s essential is not to tie yourself to a single architecture. Remain open, give yourself the flexibility to create the hybrid architecture best suited to your specific needs. The emergence of cybersecurity sub-trends The importance of cybersecurity is also highlighted through the requirement to remain compliant. For instance, the proposed European Commission’s Cyber Resilience Act will place greater demands on producers of hardware and software across all sectors to ensure the cybersecurity of their products, through fewer vulnerabilities at launch, and better cybersecurity management throughout the products’ lifecycles. The security and surveillance sector will, of course, be included. The Act demonstrates both the importance and the complexity of cybersecurity. No longer can it be seen as one subject, but rather several interlinked areas. Some of these are well established, but others are emerging. In the video surveillance sector, cybersecurity measures that ensure the authenticity and safety of data as it is captured and transferred from camera to cloud to server will be essential to maintain trust in its value. We will see a more proactive approach by technology vendors in identifying vulnerabilities, with ‘bug bounty’ programs becoming commonplace to incentivize external parties. And customers will expect transparency regarding the cybersecurity of security solutions, with a Software Bill of Materials becoming standard in assessing software security and risk management. Beyond security One of the most significant trends for the security sector, and with it an equally-significant opportunity, is the move beyond security. Surveillance cameras have become powerful sensors. The quality of video information they capture, in all conditions, has increased year-on-year for decades. Today, through advanced analytics, they also create metadata – information about the video data – which adds another layer of information and value. This of course improves and enhances their ability to support safety and operational efficiency use cases in addition to security. The opportunity now exists to combine the data created by surveillance cameras with that from other sensors – monitoring temperature, noise, air and water quality, vibration, weather, and more…

In 2022, cybercrime is ever-increasing, and the number of attacks and bad actors continues to increase exponentially. As soon as we’ve learned to eliminate a threat, perpetrators are creating new ways to breach networks. It can feel like a never-ending cycle. And it is no surprise because successful attacks on Medibank, the Colonial Pipeline, and SolarWinds demonstrate the significant need for cybersecurity efforts that act differently than traditional practices. A holistic approach must be defined and expanded to cover applications and workloads during runtime wherever they may reside to protect our enterprise systems better. This is the only way to ensure that the correct code and processes can execute and nothing else, regardless of the threat environment. Cybercrime’s threat to individuals and organizations leaves them feeling anxious, thinking about the possibilities that can take place without appropriate security practices or solutions. In response to this increasing threat, we as an industry must commit to being as proactive as possible by educating, training, and staying updated on security-leading practices. As you can imagine, our cybersecurity strategies have undergone immense changes over the years, and significant strides have been made by security teams across the globe. Since its introduction in October 2003, Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM) has brought greater awareness to this global issue. Leaders and employees have been more aware of their role in mitigating threats, while ISOs and CISOs worldwide are now developing greater Security Education Training and Awareness (SETA) programs. The bottom line is that security knowledge should be focused on awareness for all, training employees with key roles, and educating cybersecurity specialists. SETA programs are not a one size fits all, and many now include phishing exercises, tabletop security incidents rehearsal, and simulated attacks with Red and Blue teams. The theme of this year’s CSAM campaign is ‘See Yourself in Cyber,’ demonstrating that while cybersecurity might seem complex, it is all about teamwork. ACRE recognizes that all members of an organization play a role in defending our organization’s data, assets, and employees. We also all play a part in protecting personal data in our day-to-day life. Currently, employees need to keep a mindset of security in all tasks that they complete, whether cyber or physical. Supporting this initiative is our SETA program, which is designed to promote cybersecurity awareness. Additionally, our team has developed other campaigns to enhance our employee’s overall security knowledge through workshops, assessments, and security incident scenario rehearsal to help reduce our security risks. Regarding our security solutions, ACRE strives to balance our security strategy with our core product pillars of identifying, protecting, detecting, responding, and recovering. Adhering to cybersecurity best practices, we actively train our specialists to be conscious of security and data protection in every step of the product lifecycle from the initial concept through retirement. In a world where ever-evolving technology produces incredible innovations, it raises threats more than ever before. We believe that one factor contributing to this is the risk of complacency. Any organization that believes it is doing enough or becomes too negligent in security strategies could be heading down a dangerous path. Organizations must stay engaged and vigilant and remain dedicated to keeping their employees, suppliers, and customers informed. After all, security is and will always be a team effort.  

By Colonel B. S. Nagial (Retd.) The nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism epitomises a worldwide threat. The convergence of criminals and terrorists, tactics and resources empower them to gain more substantial capacities to threaten world peace, security and economic development. UNSC resolution 2482 (2019) is a vital resolution passed under the Chapter VI of the UN Charter and articulated in depth the nexus between terrorists and organised crimes.1 Expressing its concerns that terrorists could benefit from domestic or international organised crimes as a source of financing and logistic support. Elaborating further, it emphasised that there is a need to coordinate efforts at local, regional, national and international levels to respond adequately to these challenges in accordance with the law of the land. But overplaying the connexion between organised crime and terrorism might lead to actions that endorse the risk management tools of the domestic criminal justice system. Terrorists can benefit from organised crimes such as the trafficking of arms, drugs, artefacts, cultural property and trafficking in human beings, illicit trade etc. There is a general difference of opinion regarding understanding terms such as ‘terrorism’, ‘violent extremism’ or ‘organised crime.’ Different nations are dealing with these terms differently, thus leading to variance in protecting and promoting human rights. Numerous UN agencies and related world enforcement bodies are the programme of action to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, the International Tracing Instrument, UNODC, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, UNCTED. Other regulating agencies are the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and its Global Network of FATF-style regional bodies and the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), INTERPOL etc. Organised crime could be designated as the actions of any group or a composite of groups operative as an organised grid, linking numerous players, organisations and activities at various echelons to bend, manipulate or violate the laws of the land, to create money and survive on fear and corruption. Organised crime systems can be as small as inside a locality indulging in extortion. They could become as large as involving transnational crime groups and carrying out numerous activities such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, terrorism, money laundering etc. It employs illicit methods such as monopolisation, terror, violence, extortion and tax evasion to drive out or control lawful ownership and leadership and to extract illegal profits from the public. It also corrupts public officials to prevent the interference of the government and thus becomes all the time more erudite. In India, along with its original domains of actions like extortion, seeking protection money, contract killing, bootlegging, making a bet, prostitution and trafficking, now indulge in drug trafficking, illicit arms trading, money laundering, terror and acts of violence. The linkage between terrorism and organised crime Terrorism is a grave problem which India is facing. Theoretically, terrorism does not come in the category of organised crime, as the overriding motive for terrorism is political or ideological and not gaining of money-power. Nevertheless, the Indian experience exhibits a very minute variance between criminals and terrorists. There is an indication to show that, be the terrorists of J&K, insurgents of the North East States or, for that matter, the Left Wing Extremists, all of them indulge in the methods and tactics of organised crime to mobilise funds for their organisations. They have been indulging in activities like drug trafficking, gun running, extortion, kidnapping or, for that matter, even contract killing in some instances to raise money for their organisations and themselves. Further, in some instances, the existing criminal networks of organised crime are being utilised by the terrorist leaders to complete their operations, as was the case of the Dawood Ibrahim gang being used by the Jihadis to conduct a series of bomb blasts in Mumbai in 1993. Terrorist groups share relations with organised criminals at several levels, including conducting operations to raise money and seek assistance from organised crime networks. This is done to fulfil their requirements of money and ammunition and oblige the organised crime gangs to return to conduct their operations in the regions that these terrorists control. Various aspects in which both terrorists and criminals are related include The terrorists themselves indulge in drug trafficking to support their movement. Sympathisers of terrorists living abroad indulge in drug trafficking and send part of their illegal profits to fund the terrorist movements. Terrorists join with drug lords to gain access to those in power in other countries and sympathise to their cause. Terrorists give protection and support to drug traffickers with firearms, and the drug traffickers, being acquainted with the routes, assist the terrorists in border crossings to bring arms, counterfeit currency and drugs in the target country. Organised crime gangs and terrorists directly utilise the proceeds from these operations and the counterfeit currency to fund their operations and allied activities in the region. The areas primarily affected by terrorism in India are the border states which also happen to be transit routes for narcotics to their destinations elsewhere in the world. It is not a coincidence that the growth of the terrorist movement in Punjab synchronised with the emergence of the Golden Crescent as a central drug-producing area in the early 1980s. The emergence of drug mafias in the Golden Crescent countries and their linkages with smugglers in the border States of India have given impetus to gun running. There is also evidence that the money generated abroad by the smugglers was used to purchase weapons smuggled into the country for terrorist activities. To illustrate, Dawood Ibrahim utilised the existing smuggling network in landing consignments of arms and explosives on the west coast in early 1993, used for causing serial blasts in Bombay. Preventing the formation of the nexus between terrorism & crimes In India, like many parts of the world, discontentment, alienation, and perceived victimhood among the populace could be exploited by terrorists and criminals to achieve their clandestine aims and objectives. There is a large…

“With a huge array of online and in-store shopping options available, stores need to deliver great customer experiences to stay ahead. To do that, they need to take advantage of key technologies – such as smart video – which provides a real-time view of customer needs in store and supports faster, more responsive service” Andrew Martin, Retail & Logistics Lead at Hikvision UK and Ireland Massive growth in online retail has led to the commoditization of all kinds of products, from furniture and phones to groceries and printer paper. In many cases, the last bastion for differentiation is customer service – whether customers buy online or in store. But although great customer experiences are absolutely central to success in today’s markets, delivering them remains a major challenge for retailers for a number of reasons. First, many supermarkets are moving towards semi-unattended or totally unattended environments, which makes it harder than ever to provide the personal, face-to-face service experiences many customers still want. Additionally, fewer staff in all kinds of retail stores means it’s increasingly difficult to balance customer care and day-to-day tasks such as admin, inventory, and shelf filling. In this environment of stiff competition, increasing online and hybrid shopping options, and changing retail staffing models, technology solutions can greatly enhance a store’s ability to deliver great customer service. In particular, the latest generation of AI-enabled smart video solutions provide new ways to enhance customer experiences, without the high costs and complexity of manual processes. Five ways smart video gives you the edge on customer service Smart video is able to boost customer experiences and deliver new competitive advantage for retailers in five important ways: Understand and meet customers’ needs in store, in real time Smart video makes this possible by providing ‘real-time awareness’ of customers’ journeys through the store. For example, smart cameras can be used to count customers entering and leaving the store, ensuring that enough staff are available to serve them. Staff can also be diverted to the checkout when queues get too long and return to routine shelf-filling and other tasks during non-peak times when fewer customers are in the store. Ensure that the right products are available – when and where customers want them For customers, having access to the right product in the right place at the right time is the cornerstone of a great experience. Smart video can help by registering the availability (or otherwise) of goods on shelves, and by triggering alarms to ensure products are restocked and always available. Additionally, video data analytics provide new insights into which products are the most popular, helping stores to place them in ‘hotspots’ where customers can find them quickly and easily. This ensures that the shopping experience is as quick, efficient, and satisfying as possible. Deliver great service in unattended retail environments As an increasing number of retailers roll out unattended stores (or stores with very few staff), smart video is taking a leading role. It’s possible, for example, to identify customers who are struggling at the self-service checkout, and to send a member of staff to assist them. Additionally, smart video offers multiple, high-value security applications for unattended environments, from traditional video security to AI algorithms that detect shoplifting. These capabilities ensure that customers feel safe, while also helping to minimize shrinkage from the inventory. Provide pleasant, multi-channel shopping experiences Smart video can help retailers provide far better multi-channel shopping experiences in store based on an in-depth understanding of customer journeys. For example, analysis of video data can ensure that kiosks for online ordering and product pickups are located in the right areas of the store to minimize congestion and speed up service. Likewise, smart video solutions at the distribution center can ensure that customer orders are picked and packed correctly, as well as ensuring that customer queries and disputes are answered faster. Keep stores safe and clean for customers With smart video, store managers and maintenance teams can get alerts in real time to ensure the store is always safe and clean. In particular, AI-powered cameras can detect liquid spills or obstacles in the aisles automatically, allowing staff to react more quickly to ensure that these issues never compromise the customer experience. Why partner with Hikvision on instore customer experience Many leading brand retailers are partnering with Hikvision to enhance their in-store experiences with help from our smart video solutions and our ecosystem of retail technology partners. Our solutions not only give managers a real-time view of how many customers are in the store, and the ideal staffing levels to look after them. Hikvision smart video can also ensure that products are always available when and where customers want them – and that multi-channel customer journeys are optimized.  

Nikhil Taneja, VP & MD, Radware – India, the Middle East & South Asia October is observed as cybersecurity month. Taking a look back at the first half of 2022, there was a significant increase in the threat landscape, especially with hacktivists targeting government agencies, enterprises and prominent individuals. DDoS attacks saw a hike of 203% across the globe. Radware’s threat analysis report observed an increase in malicious transactions targeting online applications, dominated by predictable resource location and injection attacks. The attacks that rose significantly during the Russia-Ukraine war have spilled over to other countries too. On October 10th, 2022, pro-Russian hackers – Killnet took down the US airport websites, where the group invited hackers to participate in the DDoS attack. What one would need to understand is that such attacks will not cease and so, organizations need to use preventive measures to counter such attacks and reduce the vulnerable targets. The biggest downside of DDoS attacks is the negative implication on Business ISACA is an advocate for professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management and governance. The recent results from its inaugural consumer cybersecurity research have found that 41% of consumers in India alone have had their personal information stolen by cybercriminals and 40% report having severed ties with a company that experienced a breach. As companies are increasingly adopting technology, the immense data generated, applications and changing work environment have only increased the threat landscape. Such incidents only put a dent in the credibility and RoI of the organization. So, how to prevent and keep safe from such attacks? Robust and resilient network architecture is key to prevent DDoS type attacks. Evaluate the capabilities of the vendor providing security services against cyber threats. Constant monitoring and understanding of the network traffic of the organization. Outsource the DDoS protection if the in-house team is not equipped to handle it. Sensitize employees about cyber hygiene, how to recognize DDoS and other cyber attacks. The focus should also be on key assets, applications, servers and other end/ entry points. Expand DDoS protection to cloud, hybrid and multi-layer environment. Include software and hardware tools that help provide the 1st layer of protection against hackers. The expanding threat landscape can only be countered and contained, but not stopped The pandemic acted as a catalyst in pushing digitalization impacting how businesses functioned. But this also increased the surface for DDoS attacks and hence increased the number of attacks on a YoY basis. Initiatives like cybersecurity awareness months help us remember why there is a need to fight threat actors; how one can use the tried and tested preventive mechanisms to keep our cyberspace safe and healthy; and understand why we cannot escape from looming threats but instead can only fight them through state-of-the-art products and solutions.  

By Colonel B. S. Nagial (Retd.) Contemporary terrorism varies from unlawful activity because it is motivated by specific political goals. Terrorists generally indulge in illicit activities such as murder, sabotage, blackmail, arson etc., which are indistinguishable from those criminals commit. But terrorists simply carry out these activities to achieve broader objectives such as ideological, social, political, religious etc. In order to achieve their ultimate aim, the terrorist organisations try to instil an incapacitating sense of fear within each individual in the targeted community. All actions of terrorism are aimed at subverting the sense of security, causing disruption in the dayto-day life of the ordinary person and rendering the targeted community helpless. The main aim is to drive public opinion in favour of terrorists and put pressure on the government machinery to give in to the will of the terrorist organisations. This way, the targeted community becomes the tool in the hands of these inimical elements. Public support is very essential for terrorism to survive and thrive. According to the former Prime Minister of Israel, “Terrorism can have a highly demoralising effect. It takes away people’s self-confidence; it causes a feeling of defeatism. This negative thing should be fought against.” The intent of terrorist organisations is not to kill people in thousands in their every act of terrorism. The only purpose of terrorism is to cause fear among the targeted populace. The best example of this is the targeted killing of Kashmiri pandits in Kashmir valley in 1989. Terrorists can achieve their aim even without carrying out an act of terrorism by publicising the threats and statements in print and electronic media. These days social media is the best platform to engage in psychological warfare. Because the media serve as an influential vector of risk transmission, we need to recalibrate the threat levels around us frequently. In this ‘risky’ world, we also must come to terms with the constantly emphasised threat of terrorism. It is pertinent to mention that in concentrating on killings of civilians as targets by terrorist organisations, they violate the international norms of the rule of conflict/ war. Violent acts by non-state terrorist organisations against the targetted population for political drives are objectionable crimes that, when widespread or systematic, can be equal to crimes against humanity. The government’s responsibility is to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks. At the same time, government machinery must ensure that all counterterrorism measures respect human rights. Terrorism creates several dilemmas. Firstly, we need security without compromising civil liberties. Secondly, we need forewarning without inducing unnecessary alarm. Thirdly, we need to invest in preparation for possible terror attacks without jeopardising our commitment to other significant responsibilities. Fourthly, we must be vigilant and cautious without paralysis and paranoia. Studies have shown that terrorist attacks affect the mental and physical health of persons exposed to terrorism. When terror strikes at the workplace, where people spend much time and should feel safe, the health consequences for those affected might be severe. When every routine activity requires calculating the risk of getting killed or injured in advance, this causes anxiety for both the combatants and civilians. Regrettably, research on terrorism is intermittent, but some lessons have been learned, often painfully, from ongoing terrorism in India and worldwide, and we cannot afford to ignore them. Furthermore, the so-called ‘war on terrorism will fail if pursued only in terms of military power and increased physical security. ‘Without attention to the psychological side of terrorism, we risk losing the war because, in the final analysis, the psychological aspects of terrorism represent not merely one such battle within the war, they represent the war itself.’ (G S Everly, Psychological counterterrorism. Int J Emerg Ment Health 2003;5: 57-9). As far as India is concerned, terrorism has been stimulated by political, social, ideological and ethnic factors that demolish the society’s fundamental fabric. India has been the victim of terrorism for the last seven decades, primarily cross-border terrorism. India has faced many terrorist attacks such as the Bombay attack in 1993, the Parliament attack in 2001, the Delhi blasts in 2005, the Mumbai Train attack in 2006, the Jaipur blasts in 2008, the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the Uri attack in 2016, the Pulwama attack in 2019 etc. The terrorists aimed to instil intimidation among the people of India. Presently, three major parts of India badly affected by terrorism are Jammu and Kashmir, Central India and the Northeast region. According to David A Alexander and Susan Klein, the psychological impacts of terrorist attacks have not been well documented. However, there is wide-ranging literature on how affected persons and communities typically react to significant trauma. Most reactions at the early phase post-trauma are normal; few individuals display florid psychopathology. The psychological impacts could be summarised as under: Emotional Shock, numbness, denial. Fear, anxiety. Helplessness, hopelessness. Cognitive Disorientation, confusion. Intrusive thoughts, images, memories. Increased sense of risk. Impaired concentration and memory. Social Withdrawal. Irritability. Loss of trust and faith. Avoidant behaviour. Physical Autonomic hyperarousal. Insomnia. Loss of energy.   How best can we cope with the psychological impacts of terrorism? Every so often, it looks like the world is turning into a life-threatening place due to terrorism. Daily we come across the news about bombings in public places, shootings, and other incidents of volatility and irrational violence against people worldwide. It has made us conscious of our susceptibility. Our fears are reinforced with each incident of a violent attack in society. Due to this, many of us have increased anxiety and fear as we go about our daily lives. If this sense of fear is ongoing, it can make it difficult to concentrate at work. It can result in stress-related illnesses and affect our quality of life. Undermentioned are some coping strategies to defeat the psychological impacts due to terrorism. Government must aim at conveying professional information to the public on the issue of terrorism in a logically consistent manner. This would not arouse undue anxiety in people. Initially, such information could create hype, but with…

SBOMs can provide visibility into a more secure future, ultimately paving the way for previously untapped business priorities and more seamless operations Organizations operate in varying lines of business and fields. However, there is one common denominator for almost every modern business: Software use. It’s reasonably safe to say that every company uses software from many different vendors. Operating systems like Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android likely run on every one of your business computers. Applications like office suites, mobile apps, and web browsers are installed on those operating systems. Even the cloud servers we connect to are all driven by software. Much of this software is made up of other software. Developers tend to use well-tested and trusted software modules to build applications. So when you buy a software application, it likely has code in it that was not written by your software developer. While it is beneficial to the consumer to have well tested software, it also can introduce bugs and vulnerabilities. Including a Software Bill of Materials (SBoM) by software vendors allows software consumers to have a deeper and more uniform understanding of their software assets. We outlined in our recent white paper how SBoMs can help business leaders achieve their desired organizational security – keeping their data safe – and in turn, realize key business priorities such as increased security overall, through SBoMs. Apart from vulnerability management, the increased levels of transparency that come inherently with successful SBoM integration offer a world of possibilities into other ways your business can be transformed, while prioritizing a more secure future. Across all functions, the additional insight SBoMs provide help improve decision making around the external businesses with which your organization engages – and increased accountability makes for a more secure supply chain with more evenly distributed risk. The added accountability and visibility also creates a more reliable service for clients that could help to mitigate financial losses from outages. From an organizational outlook, mitigated financial losses make the business, as a whole, more efficient because of the reduction of unplanned and unscheduled work. Through increased visibility – provided by SBoMs – organizations will be able to better protect themselves from cyber threats and vulnerabilities and will have increased lineof-sight into software utilized across the entirety of the business. This is even true for businesses that are traditionally more siloed, as leaders are now able to be more proactive and unearth untapped competitive advantages.  

By Colonel B. S. Nagial (Retd.) On 11 September 2001, terrorism crossed all the boundaries and became faceless yet a lethal weapon after it struck the US. The magnitude of the attack, the targets chosen, planning and infrastructure involved were beyond the imagination of scholars, security analysts and the policy makers. Since then, it has stimulated new national and international endeavours to track the ways and means of terrorist funding to clog them effectively. Nevertheless, evidence on terrorist sustenance edifices is challenging to stumble upon and even if it comes out, it is vague and mostly unreliable. Maybe only the intelligence and security agencies have a specific inkling of the roots and extent of financing terrorism. For example, investigators in the US believe that terrorists had spent about US$5,00,000 to carry out their 9/11 attacks. However, it will likely cost the US at least $100 billion to repair the damage. Terrorist organisations require funds to survive, thrive and carry out terror and violent actions. The financing of terrorism involves the resources of revenue and methods undertaken by terrorist organisations to fund their nefarious activities. The required funds could be generated through permissible sources such as profits from businesses and charitable organisations. But generally, terrorist organisations get the money from illegal resources such as the smuggling of arms, ammunition, logistic stores, drugs, etc. or kidnapping for payoff. Combating the financing of terrorism is an extremely intricate venture which involves multifaceted activities and players. It requires both legislation and ground-level operations involving different agencies. Taking a stride in the direction of combating terrorist financing, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNoDC) issued the guidelines through the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism in 1999. By implementing these conventions, the member nations could develop capacities of criminal justice and law enforcement agencies to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate terror financing. To track the financing of terrorism in India, a Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) cell has been set up under the supervision of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). It focuses on terror funding as well as fake currency notes. India has also strengthened the provisions enumerated in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 to combat terror funding. It is the responsibility of all States and Union Territories to prevent the financing terrorist networks. The main aim of persons or entities involved in terror funding is to conceal the sources of money and funding activities. Money laundering is the process of concealment and camouflage of illegal origins and proceeds of criminal activities dealing with money. In both cases, the illicit use of the financial sector is involved. The most disturbing fact is that money laundering equips corruption and organised crime. The techniques used in money laundering and financing terrorism are similar, identical, and somewhat overlapping. Therefore, anti-money-laundering/ countering terror financing must address both these risks. Today, the world is technology driven. Swift developments in financial information, technology, and communication permit money to travel worldwide easily and quickly. This makes the job of anti-money laundering/ combating terror financing more dynamic and challenging. Terrorists frequently change their methods and means of raising and moving funds & other assets to hide their activities from the agencies involved in countering them. Thus, it is imperative to identify correctly, assess and understand the mechanism of funding terrorism. This is very crucial for the disruption and dismantling of terror funding networks. Modus Operandi of terror funding Terrorists need funds to function as an organisation. With the money, they buy arms, ammunition, and other warlike stores. Their sources of funding could be both legal and illegal. Funding generally takes place in small amounts. Terror financing is a worldwide phenomenon threatening the world community’s peace and security and weakening economic development and market stability. Therefore, it is essential to curb the flow of funds to terrorist organisations. Though terrorist organisations and their tactics have evolved, yet the primary requirement of the terrorists to raise, move and utilise funds has not changed over a period. The funds are mobilised in numerous ways, such as exploiting legitimate commercial ventures and natural resources, abuse of non-profit organizations, non-governmental organisations, and crowdfunding sites. Terrorist organisations might also be directly or indirectly associated with organised inimical groups/ people. They might involve them in felonious actions, such as drugs, arms trafficking, human trafficking, blackmailing, and kidnapping for money. Nations are always worried about terrorists’ ill use of the Internet and other emerging technologies to garner and move funds, including through virtual currencies. Tracing measures and scrutiny of financial intelligence provide critical information on terrorist networks and their links with individual terrorists and Foreign Terrorist Fighters. Terrorism in India Terrorism in India could be divided into four major categories as Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Terrorism in the hinterland, Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and Insurgency in Northeast states of India. Their activities include terrorism, secession, smuggling, production and circulation of Fake Indian Currency Notes, terror funding, etc. According to the accessible intelligence reports, terrorists who are in action in India are frequently reinforced and financed by their parent organisations located outside, predominantly in Pakistan, in the forms of shelter, training, weapons and finance. Countering terror funding and anti-money laundering in India There are four components of the financial market in India – banking companies, financial institutions, the securities sector, and insurance companies. A fully functional Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) was established in the country in 2006 as a chief national agency in charge of receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions to enforcement agencies and foreign FIUs. It reports directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) under the Finance Minister of India. The other members of the EIC are heads of all the intelligence agencies, the Governor RBI, and the Chairman of SEBI. Agencies involved in the AML/ CFT system The Ministry of Finance is accountable for fiscal policies in India, including revenue and tax collection, budgeting, and expenditure of the Govt of India. Department of Revenue oversees monitoring…

Amarjeet Singh Manchanda Vice President – Data Centre & Cloud Business, iValue InfoSolutions Majority of the organisations are expanding their network and accelerating their adoption of the cloud. Organisations continue to build new cloud-based applications or migrate current ones. This is because Cloud allows for pervasive, convenient, and on-demand network access to a shared pool of programmable computer resources. According to new Confluera research, the majority of enterprises are speeding up their cloud adoption, with 97 percent of IT leaders admitting that their plan includes expanding cloud installations. In today’s cloud world, the report looks at how IT leaders discover, evaluate, and respond to cybersecurity threats. Although there are numerous advantages of using Cloud, there are also some major concerns. Security is one of the biggest impediments to the adoption of the cloud, followed by concerns about compliance, privacy, and legal challenges. Understanding the Cloud Vulnerabilities Organisations should be aware that the security vulnerabilities associated with cloud migration are constantly evolving. Adopting cloud technology or choosing cloud service providers (CSP)s and applications without understanding the risks involved exposes an organisation to a slew of financial, technical, legal, and compliance risks. Apart from these, it is important that enterprises consider other challenges and risks associated with cloud adoption specific to their processes, systems, data and the ones listed above are far from exhaustive. A company’s cloud journey will be fraught with dangers; all it takes is for them to recognise the risks. The security hazards of cloud computing differ slightly depending on the delivery model, even though most of the hazards apply to all cloud solutions. By taking the time to identify and assess these risks, businesses can ensure that they have the right processes and tools in place to minimise them. Here are five notable threats, risks, and vulnerabilities in cloud environments: Data Breaches & Loss Data breaches are one of the most significant security dangers of cloud computing, with costly ramifications for businesses of all sizes and industries. A data breach may occur when a security breach allows unauthorised access to sensitive information. The other most likely possibility is critical cloud resources would be irreparably corrupted. If you don’t back up your most crucial data, it’s always a possibility that it will be lost. Many significant, high-profile data breaches are caused by preventable cloud security vulnerabilities. A potential Insider Threat Insiders do not have to be malicious to be a security threat. Insiders do not need to break through firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), and other security defences as they are on a trusted level, due to which, they can access networks, computer systems, and sensitive data directly. If organisations don’t think carefully about their cloud governance model, their own employees can inadvertently put them at risk. Misconfiguration & Poor Access Management When computing assets are set up incorrectly, they become vulnerable to malevolent activity, which is referred to as misconfiguration. Unsecured data storage elements, excessive permissions, unchanged default credentials and configuration settings, standard security controls left disabled, unencrypted systems, and unrestricted access to ports and services are all examples of misconfiguration. Organisations today are adopting the cloud without a comprehensive plan that integrates their identity access management (IAM) programme with their cloud environment. A Lack of secure cloud architecture and strategy It’s a fallacy to assume that organisations can simply ‘lift and transfer’ their existing internal IT stack and security measures to the cloud. Moving, implementing, and operating in the cloud safely requires the right security architecture and strategy. However, if the cloud-based infrastructure interfaces are not properly secured, this can lead to problems. Insecure Interfaces/ APIs Organisations and clients are frequently provided with a variety of application programming interfaces (APIs) and interfaces by CSPs. These APIs are well-documented in general to make them as easy to use as feasible for CSP clients. If the API is configured incorrectly, it can expose the organisational data to vulnerabilities that will provide anonymous access without authentication which will eventually lead to potential cyberattacks. Factors to consider when choosing Cloud Services Organisations should investigate cloud access and entitlement management systems that enable visibility across all cloud resources as well as uniform enforcement and management of access controls to protect against the security threats of cloud computing. Furthermore, organisations need to consider implementing a cloud governance framework. It is a set of rules and policies that run services in the cloud. The purpose of cloud governance is to improve data security, control risk, and ensure that cloud systems run smoothly. Cloud governance incorporates cloud access and entitlement management into their overall identity management model. Organisations may use their existing identity procedures, workflows, sign-offs, and reporting for their cloud environments by implementing this identity-centric approach to cloud governance, simplifying administration, strengthening security, and facilitating compliance. Some more integration to manage cloud security: Firewalls Firewalls guard the perimeter of a company’s network security as well as its users. Firewalls help keep traffic between cloud-based apps safe. They act as initial shields against potential attacks. Identity and access management (IAM) Enterprises can deploy policy-driven enforcement processes for all users attempting to access both on-premises and cloud-based services using IAM tools and services. Its primary function is to create digital identities for all users so that they may be actively monitored and limited as needed during all data transactions. Data loss prevention (DLP) DLP services provide a range of tools and services that are designed to keep regulated cloud data secure. DLP systems secure all stored data, whether at rest or in motion, using a combination of remediation alerts, data encryption, and other preventative measures. Intrusion Management The advent of virtualisation and enormous multi-tenancy is creating new targets for intrusions, posing many problems about how to implement the same protection in cloud environments. Intrusion management is the process of monitoring and responding to statistically unpredictable events using pattern recognition. This could include real-time reconfiguration of system components to stop or prevent an intrusion. Security Information and Event Management system A SIEM gathers and analyzes data…

Manish Chasta, Co-Founder and CTO at Eventus The journey towards digitalization and cloud solutions that enhance productivity gains, increase agility, and reduce operational costs has rapidly and continuously expanded security vulnerabilities for most businesses. Businesses must supervise their entire IT infrastructure to comply with security requirements in the current digital environment, and Security Operations Center-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) is the most efficient way to do so. Why is SOCaaS Essential As workplaces become more mobile and remote, cybercriminals are ramping up their attempts to access applications, systems, services, and data both on-premise and in the cloud from outside the company network. Today, most businesses have made significant investments in on-premise and cloud security monitoring systems to secure sensitive data, comply with an increasing surface of data protection regulations, and defend intellectual property and other confidential data. However, this has catapulted in an overwhelming volume of security alerts. It is exceedingly difficult for the majority of these companies, particularly the small and medium-sized ones, to probe and evaluate every alert. SOCaaS enables security analysts to make a coherent effort to cover all cyber security risks and centralized threat surveillance abilities. Another significant driver has been the scarcity of cyber security skills, affecting companies of all sizes. SOCaaS enables you to take advantage of SOC resources without having to worry about employing qualified personnel. SOCaaS also allows for rapid capacity expansion at a much-reduced cost than establishing additional capacity in-house. Why Outsource SOC The Security Operations Center is a team consisting of cybersecurity experts and trained engineers, who are dedicated to performing advanced IT security operations. SOC services are aimed at preventing any threats to cybersecurity by early detection and response to any incident of hacking or data breach. It is a subset of cyber security that keeps a detailed real-time awareness of an organization’s assets in order to avoid threats and attacks. Organizations at times may not have the necessary workforce to be dedicatedly working on thwarting cyber attacks, or their current resources may not be enough or may have other areas to take care of, like IT support. To address this issue, Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) can be employed to uphold your company’s security. Outsourcing SOC can help an organization enable: Reduced Expenditure: Outsourcing your cyber security monitoring to expert professionals means reducing the cost. To begin with, acquiring an employee with the necessary cyber security skill sets is not simple and at times not feasible. Additionally, having an in-house security team would certainly require you to purchase all necessary security solutions, which may be at times, difficult to choose from, and increasing complications. A dedicated SOC partner will be equipped with all the necessary solutions and resources, and will be entirely responsible for the designated tasks, which is the security of your organization. Ceaseless Support: Outsourcing a SOC implies uninterrupted support. An SOC partner will constantly monitor the company network systems round-the-clock, with real-time support, alerts and reporting, a viable way to ensure continuous support and service. They will also run checks for detecting anomalies in the network, mostly looking for preying malwares or breach attempts. Facilitates Greater Efficiency due to Global Visibility: Outsourcing SOC has the greater edge of broadening the scope of security protocols. While an in-house team is constantly monitoring attacks launched against the parent organization, SOCaaS has direct exposure to a wealth of information from numerous customers around the globe. MSSPs gather and supervise threat intelligence from a wide range of sources, providing them with constant insight into major cyber-attacks and evolving cyber-crime methodologies. This data enables cyber security service providers to work more efficiently against cybercrime. Enhances Business Productivity: Security is critical for every organization, requiring time and attention. When there is a security breach, management must divert their attention to the operations of the SOC. This disrupts the business environment in general and distracts employees’ attention away from their primary duties. With an SOC partner taking care of the affairs, both organizations and employees are completely focused on the core business processes without being distracted by security challenges. Bottom-line Going in-house with security measures may not be an ideal tactic in today’s times, when bad actors are miles ahead in terms of technology and resources required to ambush any business today. Keeping that in view, the most appropriate strategy to rising cybersecurity concerns is to outsource an SOC. Go for a partner who is well updated with all security trends, threat detection and incident response tactics, and collaborated with all leading solution providers best available to ensure your cyber network is with the safest hands.