SECURITY

AWARENESS
TRAINING
 Agenda

Threats Overview
Password Safety
Internet Protection
Email Protection
Preventive Measures
THREATS OVERVIEW
 Root Causes of Data Breaches

28%

25%

47%

Ponemon Institute 2017 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis

Data Breach Breakdown
Human Error

Lost or
stolen
device

Verizon Data Breach Report 2016

 Data Breach Breakdown
Malicious Breaches Overview

Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report – specifically: incidents involving credentials
 Threats Overview

Malware Phishing Social

Engineering
Threats Overview

Malware
 Malware includes numerous threat
families, all with different names.

Rootkits

Viruses
Trojans
Ransomware
Bootkits
Worms
Growth of Malware
 Malware

• On average, 390,000 unique threats per day.1

• Unique threats ≠ extremely dissimilar.
• Malicious threats are changed in the smallest
amount possible to evade detection.
• Malicious threats are targeted in order to
have the highest penetration (success) rate.

1AV-TEST GmbH, www.av-test.org

 Is malware on Windows only?

• Malware definitely exists on other operating

systems (OSes) outside of Windows.
• Windows is typically the major target due to
high market share.
• When new malware is released on other OSes,
it typically has a high penetration rate due to
people believing their Android, Mac, and Linux
devices are safe without having any endpoint
security installed.
 Is malware on mobile phones?

• Mobile phone malware is a growing threat due to users

doing the majority of their internet browsing on a cell
phone.
• Ransomware, or screen locking malware, is a popular
threat on mobile devices.
• In 2016, malware targeting Apple iOS (iPhones, iPads)
increased. Apple doesn’t allow vendors to create
antivirus for these products, so users must depend on
the company to fix any vulnerabilities.
 How does my computer get infected?

• Clicking malicious links in email

• Plugging in an unknown flash drive
• Downloading malware masquerading
as other software
 How does my mobile device get infected?

• Clicking malicious links in email

• Downloading malware masquerading as
other software
• Installing 3rd party apps directly from the
internet instead of via official stores such
as Google Play or Apple’s App Store.
 Top Tips to Avoid Malware

1 Install Endpoint Security

on all devices.
2 Be careful what you plug in.
3 Be careful what you click.
4 Get awareness training for
entire family.
Threats Overview

Phishing
 Phishing? Or fishing?

• Is the act of setting the bait (trap)…

• Casting it out into a wide ocean…
• Hoping that something bites that
you can then hook.
 Phishing

• Intentionally deceiving someone by

posing as a legitimate company.
• Typically, utilizes email by pretending to
be a company or service requesting you
to do something.
• Hoping that you click the link and fill
out the requested info.
 Phishing Stats

• 54% of all inbound

email is spam Spam
Types
• 1 in 20 email
messages has
malicious content

2016 Trustwave Global Security Report

 Phishing Stats

30% of 12% of
people people
Open phishing messages Open attachments
(23% last year) (11% last year)

Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report

Phishing Examples

Not paypal.com
Phishing Examples
 Top Tips to Avoid Phishing

1 Check who the email sender is.

2 Check the email for grammar and spelling
mistakes.
3 Mouse over the link to see where it goes.
4 Do not click the link – manually type it in.
 Threats Overview

Social Engineering
 Social Engineering

• Manipulation of people into divulging

confidential or sensitive information
• Most commonly done over email, but
also regularly carried out over the phone
 Social Engineering

• Can be a slow gain of information

• Can attempt to gain all information
needed at once
 Social Engineering Examples

• Phone call targets employees at

a business.
• Caller asks who the boss/CEO is.
• Requests his/her email address.
• Now the attacker has the username
and the name of the person targeted for
compromise.
 Social Engineering Examples

• A person walks into office

pretending to be a contractor.
• Due to his/her uniform, people
assume it’s OK.
• Person walks into room with
sensitive info and steals it.
 Top Tips to Avoid Social Engineering

1 Be careful with the information

you disclose.
2 Verify credentials of contractors.
3 If you have any doubts on the
identity of callers, hang up and
call their official company
number back.
PASSWORD SAFETY
Can these answers be found on your Facebook account?

• What city did you grow up in?

• What is your dog’s name?
• What high school did you attend?
• What is your favorite book?
• What is your dream job?
• What is your mother’s maiden name?
Does this look
familiar?
How about this?
 Security Questions

• Typically, users are honest when filling out

security questions.
• Malicious parties can utilize social media to
find out the answers to these questions,
which allows them to reset your password.
• Best practice is to not be honest when filling
out these questions. Treat security questions
as another password field.
 Users and Poor Password Hygiene

• Typically, users practice risky behavior

with respect to passwords.
• Passwords nowadays can be a gateway
into identity theft.
Access your data => problem

Document or
sticky note
with passwords
written on it
 Access your data => problem

Freely share
passwords with
friends, family
members
 Access your data => Problem

Eelephant1!
*******
8 characters
8 characters + 1 number
8 characters + 1 number + 1 symbol
8 characters + 1 number + 1 symbol + 1 capital
 Access your data => problem

Q1: elephant1!
! Q2: elephant2@
Change password
every 90 Days Q3: elephant3#
Q4: elephant4$
Data breaches lead to password problems because…

• Passwords sometimes are extracted

• Very simple to try all alternative
options of password-base
Example
• Password that was stolen was elephant
• Password required by website is 8 characters 1 symbol
• 32 symbols on the computer(would take a human 5 minutes)
• Computers can carry out these tasks in fractions of a second
 Password Managers

• If you have trouble remembering passwords

or creating unique passwords, utilize
a password manager.
• There are several very secure password managers
on the market that work across all OSes.
• They will remember and auto-complete your
passwords for you once your “master” password
is entered.
 Password Hygiene Checkup

https://haveibeenpwned.com/
• Currently checks 280 websites
• 5.0 billion compromised accounts contained
• Treat it like a credit-check
Two-factor Authentication (2FA) Explained

• As opposed to the standard password

authentication, 2FA OTP (one-time
password) uses two elements. These are
“something that user knows,” such as a
password or a PIN code, and “something
that user has,” typically a mobile phone or
hardware token.
• Used in combination, they provide greatly
enhanced security for data access.
 2FA solves the problem of:
• Data breach through weak or stolen passwords
• User-created passwords that are not random
characters
• Re-use of passwords intended for access to
company assets for private accounts
• Passwords containing user-specific data – e.g.
name, date of birth
• Simple patterns to derive new passwords, such as
“elephant1,” “elephant2,” etc.
 Top Tips for Password Safety

1 Utilize unique passwords across

all websites/applications
2 Enable and utilize 2FA on
all websites that allow it
3 Choose unique, non-true
security questions
INTERNET PROTECTION
 Internet Protection Overview

Search Web HTTPS Public Internet

Engine Content Wi-Fi of Things
Safety Filter
Internet Protection Overview

Search Engine Safety

 Search Engine Safety

• Nowadays, users utilize search engines

to ask every question they can think of.
• Users click on search results without first
checking if it is a legitimate site.
• This happens commonly on social media
websites as well.
 Search Engine Safety

• Even if the website is reputable,

the advertisement being displayed could
be malicious and infect your computer or
mobile device.
• Free things (music, movies, game cheats,
etc.) are very commonly filled with malware,
and are rarely what they say they are.
 Top Tips for Search Engines

1 Stick to clicking on sites on the

first page of results.
2 Be careful when clicking on
non-name recognizable sites.
3 Malware commonly
masquerades as free things.
Internet Protection Overview

Web Content Filter

 Web Content Filter

• Filters web traffic based off pre-configured

policies set by the administrator.
• There are both home versions and
corporate versions.
• Home versions focus on child safety, while
corporate versions focus on employee
productivity.
 Web Content Filter

• Not only can it restrict the content that is

displayed to a certain audience, it can also
be utilized to filter malicious content and
protect the user.
 Top Tips for Web Content Filter

1 Increase employee productivity by

implementing a web filter.
2 Curb risky user behavior and reduce
malware exposure by implementing
a web filter.
3 Protect children’s mobile devices and
computers from displaying inappropriate
content with a web filter.
Internet Protection Overview

HTTPS
 HTTPS

• Is a protocol for secure communication over

a computer network which is widely used on
the internet
• HTTPS is typically notated by displaying a green
lock in the web address bar:
 HTTPS

• No sensitive information should be typed into a

page that is not secured by HTTPS.
• Even though a page is secured with HTTPS, it
does not automatically mean the page is safe.
• Most browsers have begun to let users know
more easily when they are on a non-secure
page.
 Top Tips for Secure Websites (HTTPS)

1 Before entering sensitive

information, check to see if the site
is secured by HTTPS.
2 Check to make sure this is a
reputable website before entering
credit card information; don’t just
depend on the HTTPS indicator.
Internet Protection Overview

Public Wi-Fi
 Public Wi-Fi

• Is a non-secure network that users can

connect to for free
• Typically found in hotels, coffee shops,
libraries and many other places
 Public Wi-Fi

• Do not assume that a network named

“Library” is actually the wireless network for
the Public Library.
• Verify with the business owner the name
of their network.
 Public Wi-Fi

• Is very insecure, so you should treat every

public Wi-Fi connection as compromised
(unsafe).
• This means you should not utilize any sensitive
websites when connected (banking, social
networking, etc.)
• If you need to access one of these sites, utilize
your cell phone and do not connect it to Wi-Fi,
just use the cell service.
 Top Tips for Public Wi-Fi

1 Verify the Wi-Fi name with the

business owner prior to connecting.
2 Treat public Wi-Fi connections as
compromised (unsafe).
3 Utilize an anti-malware product to
help prevent against cyberattacks
while connected.
Internet Protection Overview

Internet of Things
 Internet of Things (IoT)

• This type of internet connection is convenient, but

opens up a security hole that needs to be secured.
• Examples of IoT devices include internet-connected
thermostats and closed circuit cameras.
• If you can connect to it from anywhere, that means
anyone can – by simply guessing your password.
• Disable any web features that you do not utilize.
• Make sure all IoT devices are kept up to date.
 Internet of Things (IoT)
• Routers are the first line of defense to protect IoT
devices from exploitation.
• Routers should be immediately configured to
change the default username and password to
something unique.
• If someone gains access to your router they can see
all other devices on your network.
• Make sure your router is regularly updated to avoid
exploitation.
 Top Tips for Internet of Things (IoT)

1 Change default usernames and passwords

on all devices including routers.
2 If you do not utilize the web features,
disable them.
3 Make sure all IoT devices, including
routers, are kept up to date with the
newest firmware.
EMAIL PROTECTION
 Email Protection Overview

2FA Password Spam Attachment

Reset Protection Policy
Email Protection Overview

2FA
 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) and Email

• Email is most important account needing

protection, because if someone gains access to
your email, they can utilize the password reset
function to gain access to other services.
• As we mentioned earlier, 2FA is a great way to
protect your email from being compromised.
 2FA and Email

• Most major email providers allow you to

set up 2FA with your email account.
• Once set up, the attacker would need your
password and your cell phone in order to
break into your email account.
 Top Tips for 2FA and Email

1 Password protect or utilize fingerprint

reader to protect your 2FA app in case of
a lost device.
2 Do not utilize SMS if you can help it as a 2FA
method; always use an application or push.
3 Enable 2FA not just on email but all critical
websites and applications that allow it.
Email Protection Overview

Password Reset
 Password Reset

• When passwords are forgotten, the ability to

reset your password is very convenient, but
if not utilized properly this can allow
someone to easily take over your account.
• Some websites do not require any security
questions to be answered, nor require any
additional information besides account email
address to initiate a password reset.
 Password Reset

• Usually when someone requests a password

reset, an email is sent to the email address
on file with this information.
• Monitor these emails and contact the vendor
directly if you see these and did not initiate
them yourself. (But remember the
spam/phishing rules from earlier.)
 Top Tips for Password Reset

1 Utilize strong unique passwords.

2 Utilize strong, not correct,
security questions.
3 Monitor attempted password
resets on your accounts for
fraudulent activity.
Email Protection Overview

Spam Protection
 Spam Protection

• Everyone gets spam; even with the best

protection, some still slips through the cracks.
• Some email providers have better spam
protection than others.
• A third party anti-spam product can supplement
protection provided by the email provider.
 Spam Protection

• Never open spam emails, even if you think it is

funny to see the content inside.
• Never respond to spam emails.
• Be careful using your email address to sign up
for contests or enter websites.
• When posting your email to a public website,
always add special breaks in your email address.
Example: ben(at)eset dotcom
 Top Tips for Spam Protection

1 Utilize a different provider or 3rd party

product if necessary.
2 Never click, open, or respond to spam
messages.
3 When posting email to classified sites,
use the following format to keep spam
bots from retrieving and using your
address: john.smith (at) email.com.
Email Protection Overview

Attachment Policy
 Attachment Policy

• Attachments are one of the most common

ways to get viruses or malware.
• Even though an attachment might look
like a document or Excel file, it might
contain a virus or malware.
 Attachment Policy

• Rules should be in place at your company to

prevent receiving certain types of attachment
files.
• Employees should receive training that
describes why attachments can be harmful.
• Never open attachments from
unknown senders.
• If you see something that is questionable, send
to your IT department for verification.
 Top Tips for Attachment Policies

1 Combine training with a clear

attachment policy for employees.
2 Never open or save attachments from
an unknown sender.
3 Even though something looks like a file
that you do not think is malicious,
doesn’t mean it isn’t malicious.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
 Top Tips for Preventive Measures

1 Utilize an AV product on all devices, not just

Windows computers.
2 Define a clear attachment policy coupled with a spam filter.
3 Implement a Web content filter to help with malicious
content, inappropriate content, and productivity issues.
4 Utilize unique passwords and maintain a clear password
policy. If needed, use a password manager.
5 Keep all internet-connected devices up to date, including
routers, IoT devices, computers, mobile devices.