Belagavi Branch of SIRC of ICAI organized a seminar on “Cyber Security threats for CA Professionals” for its members. Mr Swapneel Patnekar, CEO, Shreshta IT, Belgaum was the speaker.
He shared real-world examples of cyber security threats impacting businesses and individuals such as ransomware, identity theft, phishing and social engineering and email spoofing.
Aside from the threats, solutions and best practices were also shared.
Below are a few highlights of the seminar,
In the context of phishing(fake) websites, Swapneel highlighted that if a website has https does not imply that it is legitimate. A website having https signifies that the communication between the browser and the server is encrypted(secure).
For password management to curb the habit of using the same password on multiple websites/logins, he recommended using Password Manager software to generate and store passwords. A password manager will also prevent phishing attacks. See https://internetfreedom.in/cybersec-charcha-conflicts-nation-states-and-cybercrime/
From the perspective of defense against ransomware, he highlighted the importance of a well-thought-out data backup strategy. It is also essential to restore and test the backups.
When communicating with Customer Care executives on the phone, the citizens’ ignorance is leveraged by attackers who fall prey and install apps such as TeamViewer and Anydesk. Once installed and consented to by the user, provide the attacker with access to the phone remotely. The attacker then downloads data on the phone or performs other actions such as transfer money. He highlighted the need to be careful and vigilant when contacting customer care numbers found on the Internet
He also spoke about the importance of improving the cyber security hygiene of general citizens. He recommended reporting any such issues to the Cyber Crime, Economic Offences & Narcotics (CEN)
The seminar had lively participation and was well received by the CA professionals.