A
few months ago, a team of hackers namely Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek
wrought havoc by infiltrating into the entertainment system of a Jeep Cherokee.
While they were at it, everything in the automobile was under their control
including the brakes and the steering. The driver in question was doomed as his
fate lay in the hands of his carjackers who controlled his car from the comfort
of their laptops, miles away.
A nightmarish situation, isn’t it? Only, it isn’t. Yes,
there were hackers. Yes, the driver was carjacked. But this was a staged
environment. The purpose was to deliberately look into the flaws and the
vulnerabilities of the car’s automated system. We live in a world of smart
devices and the smartness is permeating into automobiles too. Chrysler, the
company that owns Jeep hired Valasek and Miller to hack and expose the
shortcomings of the automobile. The company has a program to test the
susceptibilities of its vehicles and develop solutions for the same.
Smart devices beget smart security as well. As our
surroundings get more automated and computerized, they also pose as vantage
points for entities seeking unauthorized access into systems. While the world
rejoices in the deluge of devices ranging from Smartphone to smart watches and
looks forward to connected homes and connected cars, one can’t help but fret at
the security risks that might be on offer to be exploited.
The rise of imminent security risks leaves a bad aftertaste
in the sweet world of smart devices. Instead of turning a blind eye to obvious
threats, could we not wholeheartedly try find out how vulnerable our systems
are?
Ethical hacking- the
name sounds familiar
Wait a minute. Isn’t hacking kind of nerd? Isn’t it supposed
to be done by bad guys only? To most of us, hacking is either anathema or a
completely arcane phenomenon. Simply put, we like to stay out of its way.
Sadly, that is no longer an option if we must seek adaptive and comprehensive
defenses for our data assets.
Demand for ethical
hackers on the rise
According to NDTV, though there is a rising demand in
government organizations for ethical hackers – hackers who purposely invade
systems to study its flaws. Facebook and Google have enlisted the help of
hackers, doling out handsome payments to anyone who can discover flaws in their
systems and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, US estimates a 22% rise
in information security personnel through to 2020.
The dark cloud and how
ethical hacking can help
As data migrates to the cloud, corporations and individuals
are exposed to unsolicited theft of sensitive data, which can have grave
repercussions for everyone. It is important to have a clear understanding of
the risks involved in cloud migration and they should be dealt with
accordingly.
Knowing what you are up against will help you choose your
weapons right. Ethical hacking can help you discern the security posture of a
specific application, initiative or a system. Organizations that hire an
ethical exploiter get to see a clear picture of how an attacker can infiltrate
their systems. This includes the nature of threats, threat actors, their attack
vectors, the commonly targeted attack surface, critical data under threat and the
impact to business. By simulating an imminent attack pattern that they identify
as common to your line and scope of business, ethical hackers offer insights to
help in planning your risk mitigation strategy and make informed decisions to
acquire only those resources that are essential and indispensable for your
company.
Help is on the way
With a multitude of security risks, it is necessary to
enlist the help of entities that understand the in and out of your systems and
its flaws. With Aleph Tav Technologies and its comprehensive services, you are
no longer in the dark for your security needs, be it unearthing hidden risks in
connected systems, tracking unchecked permissions in rogue apps, monitoring
unexpected flaws in legacy systems or any other need specific to your
organization.
Proper cognizance of your systems’ shortcomings coupled with
our expertise in dealing with them will keep rogue elements at bay, giving you
complete peace of mind.
Our services include: Ethical Hacking, Managed Security Services, Application Security, Network Security, Security Testing, Enterprise Security, Security for IoT, SCADA Security, Digital Forensics
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