Tag Archive for: curb

NCC inaugurates incident response facility to curb cybersecurity

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…. Minister, ONSA, Lawmakers, others commend initiative

… Project will strengthen telecoms infrastructure protection– Danbatta

By Chibuike Nwabuko

Abuja (Sundiata Post) – In a move aimed at addressing incidences of cybercrimes, protecting telecoms infrastructure and encouraging increased participation in nation’s digital economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has inaugurated an incidence response facility.

The NCC Center for Computer Security Incident Response  is the Commission’s industry-specific intervention, whose objectives are aligned to the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) published by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The NCPS requires each sector to establish a computer incident response team that provides requisite services to the stakeholders and players within each sector.

The overall mandate of the NCC-CSIRT is to ensure continuous improvement of processes and communication frameworks to guarantee secure and collaborative exchange of timely information while responding to cyber threats within the sector.

Speaking during the commissioning of the project in Abuja at the weekend, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, described the Center as a strategic step in boosting cybersecurity in Nigeria and commended the Board of NCC and Danbatta-led Management of the Commission for ensuring successful implementation of the project.

Pantami noted that the commissioning of the Facility marks an important milestone in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, and described it as a significant measure in the support of national efforts at protecting the information and communication technology infrastructure in the country.

“The creation of the Center is in line with the provisions of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) document published by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which was recently updated and launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2021. In keeping with the principles enshrined in the policy, each sector is expected to establish a sectoral Computer Incident Response Team (CSIRT) that provides requisite services…

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Dayton’s drinking water systems have layers of security to curb hacking, officials say

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“This is what we do,” Powell said.

The city of Xenia water treatment plant’s SCADA also is not connected to the internet because of security reasons, said Joe Bates, water treatment supervisor.

A hacker gained entry to the system controlling the water treatment plant of a Oldsmar, a Florida city of 15,000, and tried to taint the water supply with a caustic chemical, exposing a danger cybersecurity experts say has grown as systems become both more computerized and accessible via the internet.

The hacker who breached the system at the city of Oldsmar’s water treatment plant on Friday using a remote access program shared by plant workers briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide by a factor of one hundred (from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million), Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference Monday.

Experts say municipal water and other systems have the potential to be easy targets for hackers because local governments’ computer infrastructure tends to be underfunded.

Robert M. Lee, CEO of Dragos Security, and a specialist in industrial control system vulnerabilities, said remote access to industrial control systems such as those running water treatment plants has become increasingly common.

“As industries become more digitally connected, we will continue to see more states and criminals target these sites for the impact they have on society,” Lee said.

ExploreDayton loses billions of gallons of water every year. What is it doing to stop the costly leaks?

Eight years ago Dayton officials made the decision not to put the computer systems that control its water plants on the internet because they noticed cybersecurity threats were on the rise, Powell said. The city also joined associations such as the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center ― WaterISAC ― that alerts them whenever threats or other issues emerge relating to drinking water.

About 6 a.m. Tuesday, Powell received an alert from WaterISAC informing him about the breach in Florida and recommending eight action steps water utilities needed to take immediately to avoid similar hacks. Powell reviewed the list and said Dayton had already taken all those steps, he said.

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How to improve Internet security and curb threats – Latest News, Breaking News, Top News Headlines

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Internet security is seriously threatened. The typical collection of malware, increasingly sophisticated and massive, has been joined in 2020 by all consequences of the COVID pandemic, a great challenge also in terms of cybersecurity.

And it is that the confinements due to the pandemic have displaced millions of employees and students from perimeter networks generally well protected to those of the most insecure homes by default. It has also increased disinformation, the fake news and in general the manipulation of the information that some analysts consider one more a problem of computer security.

Of course, it has not been lacking malware of all kinds, viruses, Trojans and specimens of all conditions and for all platforms. Cyber ​​attacks are increasingly numerous, sophisticated, dangerous and massive with Ransomware and Phishing as the main threats. The data breaches and the right to privacy, and cyber espionage that does not rest, are also the order of the day and complete an explosive cocktail.

Therefore, the common user must adopt proactive measures to improve security. Achieving 100% security and privacy in a global network and in such a connected world is simply impossible, but we can increase protection by observing a series of tips that our very security colleagues have published and that we recommend.

They include the strengthening of online accounts, the use of operating systems and applications, equipment and networks. And common sense in the use of the Internet and its services. Prudence is one of the preferred barriers against malware And it is advisable to be extremely cautious against phishing or ransomware attacks, which as soon as we pay attention we can prevent, because to be effective they use precisely the carelessness of the user.

To do this, we must avoid installing applications from unsafe sites; the opening of unsolicited emails or attachments that arrive from social networks or messaging applications; browsing certain Internet pages; or using outdated operating systems and applications, which contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals in malware campaigns.

You have the complete guide to help improve Internet…

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Indian Army Launches Indigenous WhatsApp-Like Application To Curb Leak Of Sensitive Information

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As neighbors India and China continue to be embroiled in a heated military stand-off which enters its sixth month, the countdown has officially begun for this month’s showdown talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

INDIAN-ARMY

However, regardless of the outcome, New Delhi has taken all measures in its power to equip its armed forces with advanced weapons, special clothing, and other equipment to stand the best chance of thwarting the Chinese army if it eventually comes down to a winter war.

Now, with the French Rafales already parading the skies and the T-90 Bhishma and the T-72 tanks providing an impenetrable defense in the Ladakh region, there lies a chance that Beijing could resort to hacking into the Indian Army’s communications systems in order to sabotage their mission plans.

Well, the Indian Army has undertaken an extra step to ensure that does not happen and has launched an indigenous WhatsApp-like messaging application for its personnel to maintain its secrecy operations.

The app, which is called ‘Secure Application for Internet (SAI)’, has been designed by the Army’s Corps of Signals, which is the arm of the Indian Army which is responsible for handling its military communications.

SAI has been built exclusively for military usage and will provide the personnel a closed-high security network to issue timely mission information without the threat of sensitive military communications getting leaked to enemy agencies, especially in areas like eastern Ladakh and around the Kashmir Line of Control (LoC) border.

The application is yet another promising product of Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” initiative which encourages the development of defense equipment and technologies within the nation in a bid to lessen reliance on foreign nations.

The Indian Ministry of Defence released a statement regarding the app on the official website of the Press Bureau of India, which said,

“In the quest for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, the Indian Army has developed a simple and secure messaging application named the “Secure Application for Internet (SAI)”.  The application supports end to end secure voice, text and video calling services…

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