Cybasil

source:lifars.com There are a variety of ways hackers can get hold of your passwords to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your system/accounts. The type and severity of the attacks will depend on the willingness to get hold of your accounts and whether you present anything of value to the attacker's course. Nonetheless, everyone needs to know the methods hackers can use to get breach the integrity of their passwords. Whether you are a clueless toddler with a tablet or a tech-savvy CEO, understanding password attacks will better help you know how to protect yourself.  Non-Electronic Password Attacks Non-electronic password attacks are a common tool for attackers without any deep technical knowledge. Such malicious actors will use subtle ways to get wind of your passwords, more so without your knowledge. One such way is through social engineering , where the individual will manipulate and trick you into revealing your password. The attack might for exampl...

Four years ago –2017– I was a victim of a well orchestrated social engineering attack that left me–and other students– a thousand shillings sorry . At this time, I was a 3rd Year student taking computer technology that would later, in hindsight, transition me to the cybersecurity profession. Now I know better and can perhaps laugh at how naïve I was, and by extension, how scammers know how to tap desperation and capitalize on the gullibility of campus students. Here is the narrative! On Wednesday April 26, 2017, I applied for a data entry job that I had heard of by word of mouth and through social media platforms. Such opportunities were always hard to come by, and with the long holidays about to kick in, such a chance was bound to attract many students across public universities. So, as the rest of the comrades, I diligently applied for the position that had supposedly been advertised by the ministry of education seeking data entry clerks to work with.   Barely three hours after...

The communications Authority of Kenya has proposed a roadmap  and strategy for 5G network rollout. As rightly put,   5G technology will foster faster connectivity and lower latency with the general benefit of improved efficiency. The government and all types of technology-driven businesses will find essence in 5G application ranging from information dissemination and service provision to greater interconnectivity, operability, and flexibility. The overall effect of 5G will be improved broadband penetration – Initially in urban areas – to facilitate socioeconomic development. Getty Images/iStockphoto Worldwide, the race to 5G was already heating up in early 2019, with countries such as South Korea holding a commercial launch of the network ahead of USA and China (Li & Park, 2019). Companies such as Verizon also first launched 5G mobile services in 2019 in parts of America (Verizon, 2019). Now, Kenya’s commitment to the 5G rollout provides an opportunity to cement its positi...

Last time out, as discussed here , we agreed that mobile devices have become a preferred avenue for cyber-attacks. This is due to their popularity and sheer ease of use which has attracted more usage, hence increased attack surface for hackers and bad actors to introduce viruses to destroy, steal, or inconvenience you.  What then can you do to ensure your mobile stays free of mobile devices? Install applications from trusted sources While it is common knowledge that mobile applications can be obtained from the Playstore (android) and Appstore (iPhone), there are alternative sources of applications that pause risks to mobile phone users. While some of these sources may be legitimate, others host nefarious applications that eventually introduce viruses and illegitimate software that harm your device.  Note that official and legitimate sources will clearly direct you to the official stores for downloads. For example, as shown below, the Truecaller official website will lead you...

Hi there!  You have probably heard of a plethora of antiviruses sufficient enough to keep the Corona virus at bay. One such antivirus is the Astrazeneca vaccine that is widely available, and for free. Why not get a jab at the nearest designated health facility? You may not believe it, but we need you around. For taxes.  See, when I was young, I wanted to become a doctor. So far, not so good. Here's the flipside though, I still get to talk about viruses, albeit computer viruses. A virus is a type of malicious software (malware) that upon execution, acts to harm your computer by damaging programs, compromising their functionality, and more broadly, doing anything it is designed to do by its creator. A virus may for example, delete your files, replicate and spread itself to slow down system activities and services, and disrupt the overall performance of your computer. No wonder you hear comments over the association between a slowing machine and the presence of computer viruses. ...

I have been hacked!  -  One of the most commonly overused and misused words in the digital world. Many times, we have heard of  assertions and assumptions perpetrated by victims that they have been hacked. You will normally find posts – mostly by famous personalities – t hat their twitter, Facebook, or Instagram accounts have been hacked and that they are no longer in control. These victims will normally assume their perpetrator is a heavily funded tech-savvy individual punching 100wpm at a keyboard with a blue screen spilling endless lines of gibberish code. Well, I'd hate to break it to you, but that's not quite what has been happening. The term hacking is sadly , and sometimes hilariously, the default word anyone would rush to proclaim when confronted with the possibility or reality that one or many of their accounts have been accessed by unauthorized parties. While this too is hacking, these incidences are mere scenarios where non-technical procedures tak...

In the modern day world where technology has proliferated every corner of the earth, it is almost impossible to keep off the internet. About half the world's population own a smartphone. More than half of the world's population have in one way or the other, interacted with technology forms whether gadgets, software, or basic internet-driven processes. For these reasons, we have all established what is known as a digital footprint, i.e., the trail of data and information existing over the internet as a result of continued interaction with technology. While this digital footprint is in itself inevitable, we must beware of the information we are willing to relieve to the public domain least it affects our lives even in the most subtle of ways.  For every application installed on our phones or a visited website, we have probably provided an email address, phone number, full names, and other forms of information directly tied to us. These kinds of information, also known as persona...