With highly publicised business cases such FIFA’s data breach in 2018, when 3.4 terabytes of data were leaked to a German magazine, there has never been a stronger case for cyber security in business. The MyCena Business platform has been designed for organisations storing highly sensitive information, using a fully distributed risk model to turn mobile devices into an electronic password vault, accessible by three levels of security.
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While large scale business attacks are becoming more prevalent, cases such as Collection #1 also highlight the need for individual security. The MyCena Password Fortress gives individuals and families a choice on how to store their passwords. With Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, all passwords are auto-generated and stored on your device, protecting users’ entertainment and social accounts, plus their banking and retail information.
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Chinese telecoms powerhouse Huawei has come under fire from British intelligence as a result of security concerns in its equipment and software. The company, founded in 1987, has put itself forward to bolster the UK’s plans to roll out 5G across mobile networks. However, the company’s CFO was arrested in Canada on a US extradition request, sparking fears of a trade war between China and the US. Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre said it was “committed to the security of UK networks”.

A cyber insurance firm has been criticised for refusing to pay out over a case which it declared was an “act of war”. In 2017, Spanish food corporate Mendelez filed for an insurance pay-out after it became a victim of the famed NotPetya ransomware attack, which affected thousands of businesses worldwide. Insurance company Zurich refused to pay out the £100million claim, citing “hostile or warlike action in time of peace or war”, despite terms and conditions stating that they would cover “malicious machine code or instruction”. The US government claimed the attacks were from the Russian military, and now many cyber insurance firms are considering reviewing their policies.

Following the largest data breach in history, Collection #1, when 770 million users’ account details were exposed, a new threat has emerged that could affect one third of the planet. Security professionals are calling for greater cyber security awareness after a potential 2.2 million user accounts were affected. Users are being advised to change their passwords and use alphanumeric combinations to stay safe.

A totally passwordless future is on the cards, say the team at Microsoft. With research showing that 18 per cent of purchasers abandon their baskets because they have forgotten their passwords, tech giants are pursuing alternatives such as two factor authentication and biometrics to keep online users safe.

In January 2019, Microsoft released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18309, which allows users to sign in without a password. Two factor authentication is offered by way of text message or fingerprint, among others. However, not everybody is convinced: journalists at Computerworld, for example, claim that there are still flaws in biometrics.

released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18309, which allows users to sign in without a password. Two factor authentication is offered by way of text message or fingerprint, among others. However, not everybody is convinced: journalists at Computerworld, for example, claim that there are still flaws in biometrics.

George Tillman, journalist at Computerworld, notes that biometrics are not infallible because they still rely on a string of unique biological identifiers, converted to ones and zeros, to be sent to an authenticator. This means that databases are still vulnerable to manipulation, but the outcome is worse, as human characteristics cannot be replaced, unlike a password or pin.

Social networking giant is in the headlines once again for privacy breach issues– this time concerning users’ phone numbers. In a bid to encourage two factor authentication, Facebook asks users to supply their mobile phone numbers should they have problems logging in.
However, security researcher and New York Times columnist Zeynep Tufekci has since revealed that our phone numbers are being used for other means.

Specifically, other users can now search for profiles by entering mobile phone numbers. Users cannot prevent this from happening, but they can change the settings to ensure only their friends can look them up with this information.

Contrary to the team at Microsoft, contributors at Free Code Camp say that passwords are here to stay. The writers cite many reasons, including the reliance on email to send over forgotten password links, which are still vulnerable to hacking.

Likewise, Free Code Camp’s writers note the issue of account duplication – a common problem for users who have signed up to a website and forgotten which email account they signed up with. Passwordless security is also a slower process, particularly with two factor authentication, says Leon Feng – who instead suggests using password management software.

Passwords are here to stay – and do not run the same security risks as two factor authentication or biometric security. Tools such as MyCena can help users to securely store unlimited passwords as well as generating new, stronger ones for additional protection.

We spoke to The Start Up Van about the MyCena story

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