Self-driving cars have become an iconic part of the early 21st century.  Tech companies like Uber, Google, and Apple have all made forays into self-driving vehicles to media fanfare.  Self-driving car company Tesla has a legion of devoted fans, partially due to CEO Elon Musk’s purposeful cultivation of that base, and the stock price to back up the hype.  However, fully autonomous cars are still unavailable, with technological and ethical barriers making their development difficult.

Despite that, modern automobile manufacturers have been able to integrate increasing amounts of technology into their products.  Safety features like automatic braking are especially popular–but they currently rely on visual feedback to work.  That’s where V2 technology comes in.

V2X Technology on the Rise

V2X, or “Vehicle to Everything” technology, refers to various different technologies that allow a vehicle to communicate with other objects.  The overall idea is that a vehicle is able, or will be able to, use its on-board communication tools to deliver real-time traffic information, preemptively react to changing road conditions, signs, and other feedback.

While V2X functions alone won’t be able to replace a driver, they are important building blocks in a self-driving vehicle’s ability to create a map of its environment.

These technologies allow a vehicle to share information with various other devices, such as a pedestrian’s smart phone, a traffic light, or other vehicles.

Potential Obstacles in the Future

While V2X provides many advantages, proponents of the technology have to overcomes many hurdles before it can become mainstream.  The infrastructure changes necessary to take advantage of V2X systems are far-reaching and costly.  Privacy concerns about location privacy, hacking or malware, and personal safety have led many people to be skeptical of novel technologies, especially ones that rely on autonomous communication.

Finally, adding comprehensive V2X technology to cars is expensive, and the tech itself is still in its relative infancy.

For now, true self-driving cars are still years away from the commercial market.  Still, the issues surrounding their deployment and usage need to be addressed before they become mainstream, so that we have systems and structures to accommodate them.

The Rise in Cybercrime and Cyber Insurance

Over the past year, we have profiled major cyberattacks to raise awareness about the surge in cybercrime after 2020. Businesses continue to struggle with balancing remote work and the need for stronger security measures. Some companies, unwilling or unable to invest in structural security improvements, choose to take out cyber insurance policies instead.

How Cyber Insurance Aims to Help

Cyber insurance, also known as “cyber-liability insurance,” helps companies recover from cyber threats and attacks. A policy reduces disruptions and downtime during an incident and helps absorb the financial costs of dealing with and recovering from a cyberattack. But what happens when a leading cyber insurance provider becomes the target?

CNA Hit by a Major Cyberattack

CNA, a well-known insurance company, offers a range of insurance solutions, including cyber insurance policies that protect against ransomware attacks. In a public statement, CNA confirmed that “on March 21, 2021, CNA determined that it sustained a sophisticated cybersecurity attack” and that “the attack caused a network disruption and impacted certain CNA systems, including corporate email.”

The hacking group known as Phoenix encrypted data on over 15,000 CNA devices, potentially compromising sensitive client information. While CNA is working with the FBI to mitigate the fallout, this attack could signal the start of a ‘second wave’ of cyberattacks.

Why This Attack Matters

This breach raises a critical concern: cybercriminals now see cyber-insured organizations as prime targets. While cyber insurance is designed to counter cyber threats, threat actors recognize that insured organizations are more likely to pay ransom demands.

If Phoenix accessed CNA’s client data, the organizations that purchased cyber insurance may become future targets. This attack highlights the evolving strategies of cybercriminals and the increasing risks companies face.

Steps to Protect Your Business

If your organization has purchased cyber insurance through CNA, take these steps to protect yourself:

• Acknowledge that your risk of attack has increased.
• Monitor the news for updates on compromised information.
• Strengthen your business’s cybersecurity measures beyond just insurance.

If you need help identifying vulnerabilities in your business’s security, reach out to us at info@optfinity.com for more information.

2020 shifted the business world’s mindset on a lot of important issues.  Policies about time off, remote work, sick policies, and office communication have all adapted in response to the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the dramatic global increase in cybercrime, especially ransomware attacks, have created a new pressure on businesses to adapt their security policies as well.  This shift in security has resulted in relatively new products like cyber insurance increasing in popularity, as smaller companies look for a one-step security solution.  However, experts in the field are promoting a more holistic style of digital threat prevention called “cyber resilience.  But what is cyber resilience, and you can you implement it at your organization?

Cyber resilience is the ability to predict, resist, recover from, and adapt to both adverse and changing business conditions. By creating a cyber resilient business, you increase your ability to respond flexibly and efficiently to a multitude of potential attacks or general failures.  Implementing cyber resilience at your place of business means creating backups, strategies to minimize downtime, disaster response plans, managing cyber decisions from a business-oriented perspective, and finally, using a data-centric security strategy.

Data-centric models deliver the most value when they are used to create visibility throughout a business.  Endpoint security, IAM, and security controls are all examples of how to provide that increased visibility that makes data-centric models so valuable.  Finally, zero-trust models are becoming ever-more popular.  The NSA went so far as to issue guidance on implementing a zero-trust model, saying that “Zero trust is a security model, a set of system design principles, and a coordinated cybersecurity and system management strategy based on an acknowledgment that threats exist both inside and outside traditional network boundaries.”

With the increase in digital threats and cyber attacks over the past two years, experts are recommending for organizations to take another look at their security protocols.  However, some people are falling prey to common misconceptions about digital threats and cybersecurity and leaving their organization vulnerable as a result.  Here are 5 of the most common misconceptions about digital threats and cybersecurity.

Myth #1 : THREAT ACTORS ONLY TARGET BIG BUSINESSES

Many small-to-medium business owners don’t view ransomware and other digital threats as real dangers for their organization.  Because SMBs have fewer employees, store  locations, and revenue than large conglomerates like Google or Target, decision makers often assume that threat actors like hackers will view them as too small a fish.  The truth is that 76% of all cyberattacks are against businesses with less than 100 employees.

MYTH #2 : CYBERSECURITY IS TOO EXPENSIVE

The coronavirus affected many small business’s ability to pay their bills.  Many are cutting down on spending that the organization’s decision makers have deemed frivolous.  Cybersecurity spending has been one of those expenses–but it shouldn’t be! Basic security protocols, like multi-factor authentication, password managers, and phishing awareness campaigns are inexpensive ways to protect your business from real threats.

MYTH #3 : you need an in-house expert

Some people believe that an in-house expert is necessary for business security.  However, the expense of a full-time, salaried employee can be too much for a small business to afford.  Furthermore, one employee rarely has the experience, expertise, or time to fully meet the security needs of an organization.  However, one option that isn’t often considered is outsourcing your security concerns to another company. By outsourcing, you can take advantage of a full suite of security experts, for less cost than an in-house team.

myth #4 : anti-virus software is good enough

Anti-virus and anti-malware programs are an important tool in ensuring your devices’ security.  Despite their usefulness, they are not a substitute for strong security policies and enforcement. If the hackers use a new kind of malware to infect your network or PC then there’s a high chance that these anti-virus software won’t be able to detect those. These programs are only the first line of defense for your system.

Myth #5 : threats are from the outside

When people consider what cybersecurity threats look like, they often imagine a lone hacker sitting in a dark basement.  Most attacks, in fact, are internal, with over 75% of data breaches coming from insiders at an organization.  Security protocols need to take into account that not everyone within an organization needs access to sensitive information and tools.  Take a look at our article on internal threats if you’re interested in learning more.