Author Archives: schatzi

Mar
23
2023

How a $10 Device Can Almost Cause a Bankruptcy – Cyber Bank Heist in Bangladesh

A little while ago the news got out that the Bangladeshi Federal Reserve bank lost 81 million dollars due to hack. They could have lost close to one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) if the hackers didn’t make a silly spelling booboo in the recipient’s name…

The fact that these large sums aren’t transferred without a decent verification is worth a discussion on its own, but in this case I’d like to discuss the hardware protection of the bank… I almost don’t feel sorry anymore.

But why, what happened to the bank?

I learned this week from our friends at the hacker news that a $10 secondhand networking switch was used to protect the system that was connected to the SWIFT network. This is the network that controls the payments made to all accounts in the world.

I can’t grasp my mind about the fact that someone actually thought it was a good idea to buy and use this switch in a global network like SWIFT… I even can’t start to think about what the arguments must have been towards the manager or CISO who approved the use of this network switch…

Ow wait, I made an assumption here… I assumed that a manager or the CISO was involved in this process. I’m afraid they didn’t have the slightest clue that this switch sat there in their network, waiting to be hacked.

Can this happen again?

I’d like to say this is a single indecent, but the truth is that I see these types of boo boos a lot! Employees who don’t have decent Wi-Fi coverage at their work and bringing their own Wi-Fi router, setting it up with no encryption or a weak web encryption, leaving the corporate network open for the public, despite $100,000 firewalls protection the front door.

My educated guess is that the hackers have been in for a long time, and that they have prepared their battle well. Their spelling error though is a horrible script kiddie mistake, one they won’t forget.

How can we prevent this from happening?

There are a few options I think. First and foremost, know what’s in your network. Have a clear and backed up company policy when it comes to network equipment. Ensure that all devices in your network are known to you and are under secured patch management.

Second, identify core critical machines and connections in your network. In this case, the SWIFT network being available in one hop from the world is unimaginable to me. Set up multiple layers of protection, especially if you can make multimillion transactions automatically. I would love to see the identity and access management scenarios for this bank and this machine. It makes me wonder about the system itself. Does it trust anything it’s being told? Why aren’t we using 2 factor authentication for this, or dual authorization for that matter?

Last but not least, I strongly believe in monitoring. If the solution, digital protection services, had been deployed with help of the network sweep services, unknown equipment would have been detected instantly. This would have prevented this hack from happening.

Would you like to learn how we can test and protect your networks, drop a line! Nobody wants to hit the news with a statement that a $10 secondhand device was the cause of the billion dollar heist…

Mar
22
2023

Easy Steps To Save On Auto Insurance

Everywhere we turn now days, there is an insurance ad challenging us to dial a toll free number or visit a website in order to save 20-50 even 70% percent on auto insurance. The overwhelming quantity of commercials we are forced to watch on TV and online make people dizzy.

But why?

The simple answer is competition. Giant insurance companies like Geico and Progressive have flooded the marketplace with so much advertising that consumers rarely see a third choice and the true value in their insurance purchase.

While I have absolutely nothing against the “lizard” or the “pretty woman” who are in my sight every step of the way, the choices are out there. It doesn’t have to be this way. Trust me!

Try to do an online local search for California Auto Insurance, and you will be surprised to see how many results come up, this is because there is a third, a forth and many more choices as I mentioned. The choices are there and all it takes is your time to contact a few of these local agencies and make comparisons.

Why do this?

I’ll give you only four reasons.

1. CHOICE. When you contact an insurance company directly, they give you a choice. That’s right “a” choice. Now try an established insurance agency who works with 5, 10 or even 20 companies. Who do you think will get you the best protection, value and price under the sun? You’ve guessed it right, The Independent insurance broker.

2. SUPPORT. When you support your community and small businesses next door, you’re helping your neighbor and this is how communities evolve and become stronger.

3. SAVE TIME. Before your policy anniversary comes, your agent will shop around for you in order to find yet another great deal for your insurance policy, large companies do not have this option.

4. CONVENIENCE. Your agent will offer you full range of insurance products, including auto, homeowners, business, health and life, and by combining some or all of these policies you can save tremendously.

These actions are very simple yet often overlooked when shopping for California Auto Insurance. Because of all the overwhelming advertising we see on TV, listen to on radio, and see online while reading reviews for a cappuccino machine, we tend to get brainwashed into the big picture. Its in your hands, make the changes you wish to see.

Mar
02
2023

Second Chance Account – Get a Second Chance at Banking!

What is a second chance account? A second chance account is a special internet bank account given to people who are unable to open any bank account because they owe a bank money.

Bad credit checking accounts have become fairly popular these days because of the recession. Many people have found their accounts at their bank frozen because they are unable to make payments to the bank for one reason or the other. What can you do in this case?

One option would be to simply not have banking account. But these days, this is a highly unappealing option because it’s pretty hard to do anything without one. For example, if you don’t have a checking account, you won’t be able to get any sort of loan.

The other option is to open up a bad credit banking account. This is, in fact, your best option. If you open up a second chance account, you will be able to deposit money, withdrawal money, and perform any other financial activity you can with a bank account. Basically, a second chance account is no different than any other sort of banking account.

If you want to get one of these special accounts, you will have to be prepared to pay more money, however. Second chance banking is more expensive than regular banking. You can expect to pay more free in one way or the other – perhaps higher banking transaction fees or higher monthly bank fees.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether a bad credit checking account is worth the higher cost. However, if you can’t actually open a bank account, you don’t have any other option.

Jan
29
2023

Affordable Auto Insurance – Learn How to Have the Best of Both Worlds

A lot of people have sometimes settled for less than you want in your auto insurance coverage merely because auto Insurance is is required by law if only a basic level and you are merely interested in getting just that so you can face your life. Should this be so? Of course not. You have absolutely no reason to be dis-satisfied with your Auto Insurance coverage whether you want a full coverage or just the basic coverage required by law because there are a thousand and one options out there for more affordable auto insurance coverage and they are all eager to get you to do business with them.

Since more insurance companies came into the scene increasing the competition amongst them, studies have shown that more customers are satisfied with their Auto insurance policies with pricing satisfaction topping the list. This has of course arisen from the drop in rates caused by competition amongst insurance companies.

So why are you dissatisfied with your auto insurance coverage? Are your rates still very high? or you are not happy with the service you are receiving? All these issues can be remedied if you want to really remedy them.

Are you ready to start? Try to find out what other insurers are offering for the coverage you have. See what difference you can observe and then you have one of two choices.

1. change your Insurer. Or
2. Revisit your current Insurer and seek a review of your rates siting your new information as reason.

If you ask me, I would recommend you simply change your insurer unless there is something attaching you to your current insurer that you don’t think you can get from other insurers and at a lower rate.

How do you go about knowing what other insurance are offering and if you can get a more affordable home insurance coverage from them?

Its simple. You just visit free quotes sites. These service helps you get the most affordable auto insurance coverage from the comfort of your home. You get to compare between several insurers which is why you are advised to get as many free quotes as possible. You lose nothing because its absolutely free and you are under no obligation to take up their offer.

People by doing this have saved thousands by just doing this. I know this may sound like an exaggeration. But trying it would show this claim to be very true.

If you are unsure of how and where to start, you can start right now. you have no reason to delay as this service is totally free of charge and obligation. You get to make your own very choice.