Issue 2

What is Malware as a Service?

Malware as a Service (MaaS) has come a long way in recent years. While the concept of conducting malicious activities on behalf of another person or organization for money or services is not new by any means, the sophistication and accessibility have steeply increased. This allows a wider audience to participate in malicious behaviors by lowering the knowledge bar, exponentially increasing malicious actors on a daily or even hourly basis. MaaS is profitable, which means it will continue to grow and evolve, it isn’t going to stop. This is not only profitable for those who use the services but for the service providers as well. This provides incentive to stay ahead of defensive measures, and continue to develop new exploits for profitability.

A great article covering MaaS can be found https://infosecwriteups.com/the-rise-of-malware-as-a-service-maas-how-its-changing-the-cybersecurity-landscape-part-1-of-50ca5d166e40 What are your thoughts/concerns/suggestions? Join the conversation on our Chapter LinkedIn group.

 

Protecting personal devices and promoting cybersecurity awareness

A number of best practices can help protect the security of devices and keep you safe online. The following practices help protect both personal and work devices.

Passwords

• Never share passwords with others
• Change default passwords set by device manufacturers
• Using strong passwords (e.g., at least eight characters in length and include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters)
• Change your passwords regularly
• Use a different password for each account
• Ideally, do not write passwords down – but if you do, keeping them in a secure place separate from your devices
• When possible, enable the use of multifactor authentication

Security Software

• Ensure that security software is installed on your devices to protect against malware
• Protect against newer types of malware, ensure that the software is always up to date
• Enable automatic updating of security software if this is an option
• Use security software to scan external devices, such as USB flash drives, for malware before using the devices

Physical Security

• Do not leave devices unattended or unlocked; lock devices or carry them with you
• Minimize the storage of sensitive data on devices

Online Security

• Always verifying the source of a communication before opening it
• Do not click links or download files if you're unsure of their source
• Scan files for possible malware before downloading them
• Verify that sites are secure before making financial transactions
• Limit activities and access when using Wi-Fi hotspots
• Keeping yourself informed about current scams and ways to stay safe online
• Be wary of unsolicited communications
• Log out of accounts and off social media sites after using them
• Limit what you share online

Backup

• Create a backup and recovery plan! (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly - primary & secondary backups where practical)
• Store backups on cloud or a separate device
• Encrypt backups (e.g., enable 256-bit AES encryption)