Tag Archive for: Designed

The internet ‘wasn’t designed to be secure’: Gilbane CIO

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Cybersecurity incidents are on the rise, and contractors need to be prepared.

Karen Higgins-Carter, the chief information and digital officer for Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co., brings a wealth of experience from previous roles protecting the banking and financial services industries from cyber criminals. She warns that the internet wasn’t originally built to be secure, and that the onus is on contractors to make sure they’re up to snuff on today’s security demands.

Here, Higgins-Carter spoke with Construction Dive about where the biggest threats come from, how Gilbane keeps its employees up to date and what the industry can do to protect itself.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

CONSTRUCTION DIVE: What’s the state of cybersecurity in the construction industry?

KAREN HIGGINS-CARTER: I’ll start with my view on cybersecurity in general. I think it’s important to understand two things. First, the internet was not designed to be secure. It was designed to be open. Second, we are going to continue to see a volume of attacks coming from countries that are effectively safe harbor for this type of activity.

A headshot of Karen Higgins-Carter

Karen Higgins-Carter

Permission granted by Gilbane Building Co.

 

Because of that environment, we’re seeing the regulatory response. SEC disclosure requirements being first and foremost, that were implemented in December.

What I find is the need to adjust and connect with our people based upon their current level of awareness. There’s a predictable cycle of bringing our people from a position of not really being aware of the threats to feeling invested in protecting the company and being on board with that mission.

How do you get everyone to an optimal level of comfort with cybersecurity when their experiences differ?

One of the things that we have implemented in building, in terms of our innovation practices, is responsible innovation. That it’s important to take risks in order to grow. 

There is no risk-free path to achieving your strategic objectives. 

Where that’s important in innovation is understanding, how does this innovation support our…

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Play some ‘Financial Football’ designed by Visa to learn more about cybersecurity

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While cyber-attackers strike all year round, October, designated as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, is an ideal time to cover how to best protect yourself from online threats that can compromise your devices and data.

This annual educational campaign has occurred since 2004, but for the first time Khan Academy, the popular nonprofit that provides free educational lessons to learners of all ages, has partnered with tech giant Google to create courses and videos loaded with tips to helping you stay safe online.

In fact, this Khan Academy Internet Safety Course features Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, who paired up with Google security experts to provide actionable advice to keep online accounts secure, browse the web safely, detect phishing attempts and more.

“A lot of parents know about Khan Academy because their kids use Khan Academy at school,” says Khan, in an email interview with USA TODAY. “Tens of millions of learners, teachers and parents use our exercises, software and videos every month, and increasingly we are partnering with school districts serving underserved communities to accelerate the learning of their students.”

“Now we’ve created new lessons for adults, thanks to Google’s support,” continues Khan.

“Our internet safety course can help parents. And really, I mean any grownup, anywhere, stay safe online,” Khan adds. “Learn how to keep devices and accounts safe, how to recognize scams, and how to protect your personal data while shopping online. What’s more, all the lessons are free.”

According to Google, this video-centric content is based on what web users are searching for, including: password managers (reaching a record high this year, says Google); searches related to phishing and vishing (voice phishing); “identity theft” research (“how to report,” “how to prevent”); and virtual private networks (VPNs) went up a whopping 4,500 percent, says Google.

Lessons aplenty

The Khan Academy partnership was announced by Google back on Feb. 7 (“Safer Internet Day”), but has just launched in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Interviewed by Khan, the four Google speakers and topics are as follows:

Guemmy Kim, product management director, account security, at…

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A Rugged Device Designed for the New Mobile Workforce – Samsung Newsroom U.K.

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Combining military-grade toughness, lightweight portability, and exceptional performance, the versatile Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro withstands harsh conditions for use out in the field or frontline

LONDON, U.K – August 31, 2022 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today released the new Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro – a versatile tablet that’s strong and portable enough to power productivity beyond the office. With military-grade toughness, advanced productivity features and the Samsung Knox security platform, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is designed to thrive under the pressure of today’s mobile business.

 

 

“The recent ‘work from anywhere’ world has created an overwhelming demand for rugged, portable and connected devices that ensures tasks get done wherever the job takes you,” Joe Walsh, Director of B2B, Samsung UK and Ireland. “The Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro has been created specifically for business – a tablet that is not only durable and easy-to-handle, but also has the premium performance and connectivity to power productivity and keep employees engaged throughout their workday.”

Light, Tough, and Ready for Work

Beyond being tough enough to endure even the most demanding work environments, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is also stunning with a slim and lightweight frame that measures 10.2mm thick[1] and weighs 674g.[2] The Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is highly portable for use outside the office, on the sales floor or out in the field.

 

Equipped with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro outperforms other chemically strengthened glass with scratch and damage resistance. It can also endure drops of up to 1m, or with the protective cover that comes inbox, drops of up to 1.2m.[3] As an added layer of protection, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro and its integrated S Pen are IP68 rated[4] for dust and water resistance. And for the harshest environments, the device is MIL-STD-810H[5] compliant to withstand extreme altitudes, temperatures, vibration and humidity.

 

In the Field, Frontline, or at a Desk, Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro Works Anywhere Employees Do

The Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is designed to make the jobs of…

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Counterfeit Android Devices Revealed to Contain Backdoor Designed to Hack WhatsApp

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A team of mobile security researchers has discovered backdoors in the system partition of some budget Android device models that are counterfeit versions of known brand-name models. 

The malware, which the Doctor Web team first discovered in July 2022, was found in at least four different smartphones: ‘P48pro’, ‘radmi note 8’, ‘Note30u’ and ‘Mate40’.

“These incidents are united by the fact that the attacked devices were copycats of famous brand-name models,” Doctor Web wrote. “Moreover, instead of having one of the latest OS versions installed on them with the corresponding information displayed in the device details (for example, Android 10), they had the long outdated 4.4.2 version.”

According to the security researchers, the trojans target arbitrary code execution in the WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business messaging apps and could potentially be used in different attack scenarios.

“Among them is the interception of chats and the theft of the confidential information that could be found in them; this malware can also execute spam campaigns and various scam schemes,” Doctor Web wrote.

From a technical standpoint, the security researchers said their antivirus detected changes in two different system objects.

“To download modules, [the malware] connects to one of several C&C (command-and-control) servers, sending a request with a certain array of technical data about the device. In response, the server sends a list of plugins that the trojan will download, decrypt and run,” Doctor Web explained.

The mobile antivirus provider warned that the new malicious apps could be a member of the Android.FakeUpdates trojan family, often used by malicious actors to infiltrate various system components, including firmware updating software, the default settings app or the component responsible for the system graphical interface. 

“To avoid the risk of becoming a victim of these and other malicious programs, Doctor Web recommends that users purchase mobile devices in official stores and from reputable distributors,” the company added. “Using an anti-virus and installing all available OS updates is also important.”

The advisory comes days after Google…

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