Sim Swapping: It’s Not as Fun as It Sounds: Nolij Consutling

Cybercrime is swelling at a terrible rate. In future days cybersecurity must be smarter since new liabilities mean new prospects, and it continues to dominate IT news, with one of the industry’s premier cybersecurity service companies. A wide range of authentication solutions starting from short message service (SMS), two-factor authentication (2FA) to multifactor authentication (MFA) can protect an organization from various cyber-attacks.


2FA and MFA have proven to be two effective methods to prevent breaches while maintaining industry and government standards. There are multiple factors to consider with all cybersecurity options, decisions are based on a risk analysis. Authentication “factors” are divided into three types of information the user provides - Something they know (username and password), Something they are (biometrics) and Something they have (a hardware token). If two of these factors (2FA) are used, it makes for a strong protocol, and if all the three factors (MFA) are used, the greatest protection is achieved.


While implementing the MFA, SMS based options are very attractive, simple execution, and low cost as SMS is standardized across the telecom industry and used by anyone with a smartphone, therefore sending a one-time password (OTP) to the particular user’s cell phone. 


Nowadays, SIM cards are represented via digital platforms and can be transferred from one phone to another. By using a combination of social engineering and phishing attacks, an opponent can imitate a user’s SIM card and authenticate using the texted OTP.


An adversary will steal a session token by intercepting communications from the victim, known as a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack. Understanding how challengers will often use the path, phishing and social engineering are the greatest risk to SMS 2FA. Simply by knowing the target’s cell phone number, email, an attacker can call the victim’s service provider and transfer the target’s SIM information to their device.


Nolij, the federal cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, helps organizations prevent these cyberattacks by explaining how these tactics are used, what protections needed to ease these attacks, and by providing constant phishing exercise to staff. The best exercise to reducing any SMS swapping attacks is not to comprise a cell phone used for verification messages in the email signature block. If invaders do not know your number, they cannot imitate you. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Uncovering the Vital Role of QA Testing in Healthcare IT Services: The Key to Secure and Reliable Patient Care!

Image
  The healthcare industry relies heavily on technology to manage patient information, billing, and clinical data. In order to ensure that these systems are functioning properly, quality assurance (QA) testing is an essential aspect of healthcare IT services. QA testing involves a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of software applications to detect any issues or defects. The purpose of QA testing is to improve the overall quality of the software, enhance the user experience, and reduce the risk of data loss or breaches. QA testing in healthcare IT services encompasses a wide range of processes and techniques, including functional testing, performance testing, compatibility testing, and security testing. These tests are performed at different stages of software development, from the early stages of development to the final stages of deployment. The goal of QA testing is to identify and rectify any issues before the software is put into use, to minimize the risk of downtime or ...
Read more

Defense Health Agency (DHA), Program Executive Office (PEO)

At Nolij, health IT is what we do. From software and system testing to electronic health record (EHR) modernization to enterprise solutions ,  we deliver mission-critical support so that our customers can access the care they need, when they need it, even in times of uncertainty—at home where we face the challenges of pandemic and across the globe where our servicemen and servicewomen sacrifice so much for our country. Defense Health Agency (DHA), Program Executive Office (PEO) Business Problem:   Erasing Doubts in Test Program Development Challenges:  DHA as a Model for Transformation  T&E activities are constrained by a lack of governance over product quality Vendors and product owners have no guidance on industry best practices Disparate approaches to quality assurance fill the void, which further undermines the client's ability to determine whether the software is fit for use As T&E value diminishes, stakeholders view the process as a scheduling bott...
Read more

What is EHRM?

Image
  Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) is a revolutionary approach to the modernization of health records and healthcare information technology. It enables health care organizations to have access to secure, up-to-date, and patient-specific health records. EHRM offers benefits ranging from improved patient care delivery and cost savings to increased patient safety and better clinical outcomes. With the help of electronic health record modernization services, healthcare organizations can easily keep track of their patients’ health records. These records provide healthcare professionals with immediate access to patient information, helping to improve the quality of care and reduce medical errors. However, managing these records can be challenging, which is why electronic health record modernization services have become increasingly important. Electronic health record modernization services (EHRM) refer to the process of updating or replacing outdated or inadequate EHR sys...
Read more