Cyber Defense eMagazine May Edition for 2022

Make it all easier
The great news is, as multi-factor authentication matures, it gets easier to use and less intrusive. And the
easier and less intrusive identification becomes, the more layers of verification we can add to security
systems, and thereby protect systems with millions of invisible moats.
Soon, there will be no need for passwords at all. Systems will use ‘voice or behavior DNA’ to authenticate
a user’s identity. The system will be able to distinguish between the actual person’s voice and a deep
fake. Biometric identification, like fingerprints, will become more prolific. And mobile technology’s motion
sensors and gyroscopes will be able to identify you from your patterns of movement, your walking
cadence and the way you hold your phone. So, if you happen to lose your unlocked phone, the system
will know someone else has picked it up. The same multi-DRM systems that protect video entertainment
can also protect connected cars. A policy-based management system and multi-factor authentication will
ensure that no one drives the car unless they are authorized to do so. It can even enable user-specific
controls.
Start yesterday
Need to be convinced that there’s no time to wait to work on your Zero Trust Architecture? Just look
around. Every single day, all over the world, we find cases of invasion that Zero Trust may have
prevented. And the price of ‘waiting and seeing’ if it happens to you is simply too high. So, start going
through your business from top to bottom and review every connection point, every potential target, and
every possible threat. Prioritize your list based on the impact of a breach, and get to work. Called attack
modelling and a cybersecurity risk register, this prioritized list should guide your immediate and ongoing
action for cybersecurity. And it should be constantly updated. After all, something that’s only a mild threat
today, could very easily be a major threat tomorrow.
The register will also enable you to invest in the right security at the right time, and evolve your security
structures over time. And remember: AI and ML are enabling automated cyberattacks. Be sure to use
the same technology to create automated protection. Otherwise, you’re just bringing a knife to a gunfight.
The newer, the better
There are certainly plenty of opportunities to ensure that any new devices or systems you build have the
best protection possible. This starts with Security by Design: every new product should be built with the
necessary security elements and ability to upgrade them. After all: you must plan to keep your devices
fully secure for their entire lifetime, from the cradle to the grave. And given the rapid pace at which attacks
are developing, you can safely assume that the security measures you put in place in the initial design of
your device will already require an update by the time your product is ready for launch. Hackers never
sleep, and neither should you.
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