Where would your mind go if you heard someone talking about the "watering hole technique"? Possibly a farmer, perhaps an agronomist, the only thing that is certain, however, is that you would never imagine someone... a hacker. And yet, this is the name given by cybercrime investigators to a technique for electronic intrusion into our computers. The reason?
Because it is reminiscent of the way tigers hunt their prey, in India and Asia. These felines never run after antelopes, but set up a "sentry box" at the sources where they will go to drink water. "Several cybercriminals have been doing something similar recently," says Mr. Elias Chantzos, a privacy protection expert for a large multinational company, to "K". "That is, they do not directly attack the machines of those they have targeted, but they hack websites that they know that these users visit, so that they can infect them when they visit them. In other words, they set up an entry box.".
Mr. Chantzos was in Greece a few days ago on the occasion of a speech at a conference on cybersecurity, organized by the Greek presidency of the EU. On the occasion, he spoke to “K” about the extent to which Greeks are exposed to cyber threats – to the extent that it occurs abroad – and he was revealing. “The truth,” he told us, “is that the cases are still fewer in our country, which has to do with the comparatively limited penetration of the Internet.” But something else helps us: the fact that our language is not widely spoken, and thus malicious messages, which are usually bad translations from “automatic machines,” are “noticeable.”.
“However, this does not mean that we should be complacent, since well-orchestrated attacks have also occurred here.” And he recalls: “For example, although foreign, the “Police virus” demanded a “ransom” in fluent Greek.”.
One of the myths that exist regarding cybersecurity has to do with the existence of absolutely "watertight" operating systems: "It is naive to think that one is not at risk because one uses a computer of a well-known brand," he says characteristically. Also, although security software greatly reduces the risks, no technical solution will protect the user if he is not careful about the programs he installs, as well as the e-mails or websites he "opens.".
The first line of defense
Therefore, controlled online activity is and will always remain the first line of defense, which includes reasonable exposure to social networks. “For example, it may seem harmless for a user to have “uploaded” their birthday on Facebook, but the date of birth is a question for accessing a credit card,” he says. Because our country was slow to adapt to technological developments, a significant portion of today’s 40s and 50s in Greece inevitably lacks much familiarity, both as professionals and – mainly – as parents. “I think this lack of experience is sufficiently covered by the informational material of organizations, public services, etc.,” he points out. All of this material converges more or less on the same rules for protecting computers, namely using the most recent versions of the operating system and programs, installing a comprehensive “security suite” and creating strong passwords and protecting them.
"In the event that there are small children, I would advise also using family safety software and, even more importantly, the PC should be in a shared area," emphasizes Mr. Chantzos.
The same rules apply to “smart” devices, which are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals. Although there are more cases for the Android operating system, for Mr. Hanzo, careful use and a security suite guarantee satisfactory security. “Although the “ecosystem” of iPhone and iPad is clearly more protected, in absolute terms their operating system has more vulnerabilities, so I would recommend security software in this case as well,” he adds. In fact, mobile devices are easier to fall into the hands of “unscrupulous” people, through theft or loss, and with them, any sensitive stored data.
Source: kathimerini.gr
