The modern digital landscape is about delivering customers the best user experience at every touch point. However, it doesn’t mean that security could be compromised while crafting the best user experiences.
\nHowever, many organizations catering to clients online strongly believe that either they could deliver a great user experience or add multiple layers of security that would add more friction while users interact with their platform.
\nSo, does it mean that renowned brands that have established their business over the years aren’t concerned with the security and privacy of their customers? And do they have an excellent fortune in safeguarding their customers’ identities?
\nUnfortunately, that is not true!
\nBusinesses have leveraged a robust customer identity and access management (CIAM) solution for years to secure customer identities and eventually deliver a seamless user experience across multiple touchpoints.
\nLet’s figure out how a CIAM does wonders for a business while creating a perfect user experience and security harmony.
\nWith a customer identity and access management solution, businesses could leverage the true potential of seamless authentication in a number of ways. For example, users can sign in or sign up through their email, social media, or phone. And this gives them a seamless experience since the old-school user id password method doesn't work in today's era.
\nOn the other hand, when it comes to security, a cloud-based CIAM like LoginRadius offers MFA and RBA to ensure the highest level of customer data security, even in high-risk situations.
\nIn a nutshell, businesses need not compromise security while crafting the best user experience for their customers when they choose a reliable CIAM.
\nAside from playing a vital role in enhancing consumers' experience as they interact with brands, CIAM is also a seamless business enabler. The best CIAM platforms deliver seamless registration, secure consumer identity management, and control of consumer access to applications, systems, and services.
\nBeing a solution that simplifies the entire consumer experience - CIAM is now seen as a business enabler. It allows consumers to connect across devices and touchpoints in a way that suits them best.
\nMany enterprises aren’t aware of the fact that most of the legacy IAM systems may support customer identity management but aren’t designed in a way to deliver security and user experience.
\nAs a result, most businesses fall prey to various data breaches leading to compromised customers’ identities and crucial business information.
\nThey have to understand that the conventional IAM systems were designed to function within an organization with a limited number of user identities. And thus, its security aspects were limited, and the user experience part was never emphasized.
\nHence, the one’s still relying on the conventional IAMs should immediately think about switching to a robust CIAM like LoginRadius if they wish to manage heaps of customer identities securely without compromising user experience.
\nRead More: Is Buying a CIAM Solution Better Than Building Your Own? Try Our Calculator
\nLoginRadius' modern CIAM solution is designed to be more flexible and intuitive. It addresses every subtle component that can improve consumers' experience while providing an unmatched safeguard for private data.
\nWhat puts LoginRadius ahead of the curve are the three most fundamental aspects:
\nUser experience plays a vital role in enhancing overall business growth in the digital landscape. However, security for customer identities and business data matters equally.
\nSecurity is critical to any enterprise and an essential component of protecting data transmitted over the internet. This includes personal information such as credit card numbers and social security numbers and business data such as intellectual property or financial records.
\nUser experience is equally important to ensure users are comfortable and engaged while using your product or service. When it comes to authentication and authorization, this means being able to provide an intuitive user experience in which customers can easily sign up for an account or access their accounts on mobile devices without needing assistance from support staff members.
\nWith a new-age CIAM solution like LoginRadius CIAM, balancing security with user experience is a breeze.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"January 12, 2023","updated_date":null,"title":"Can Security and User Experience Co-Exist in the Authenticating and Authorizing Space?","tags":["security","user experience","customer identity"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.834862385321101,"src":"/static/041285e0d5185bcdd4190e836604b909/49b36/ux-security.jpg","srcSet":"/static/041285e0d5185bcdd4190e836604b909/f836f/ux-security.jpg 200w,\n/static/041285e0d5185bcdd4190e836604b909/2244e/ux-security.jpg 400w,\n/static/041285e0d5185bcdd4190e836604b909/49b36/ux-security.jpg 512w","sizes":"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/how-ciam-helps-ott-platforms-scale-million-viewers/"},"html":"The last couple of years have been great for OTT (over the top) platforms since the global entertainment and content distribution industry witnessed a paradigm shift.
\nAdmit it, the craze for going out for a movie on the weekend is fading out and is being swiftly replaced by enjoying your favorite series and movies at the comfort of your recliner or even your bed!
\nYes, OTT platforms have revolutionized the entire entertainment industry for good. However, specific challenges pertaining to consumer experience are still the bottlenecks of various OTT service providers.
\nOne such major challenge among the content distribution channel is to manage the ever-surging demands of the viewers on multiple platforms.
\nToday, handling billions of identities is a steep climb for media businesses, especially when every viewer demands an omnichannel experience.
\nHere’s where an identity management solution can be a game-changer.
\nLet’s understand how a consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution could help OTT platforms to handle scalability-related dilemmas like a breeze.
\nNo OTT business can give precise predictions regarding the upsurge in the number of daily signups or subscriptions in today’s era when the internet has become the second home for most of us.
\nThus, businesses need to understand the importance of a robust and scalable CIAM solution that can handle a sudden rush in the number of logins or sign-ups without hampering the user experience.
\nWith a CIAM solution like LoginRadius, you can be sure enough to deliver the best user experience to your existing clients and potential subscribers as our cloud infrastructure automatically scales to accommodate swiftly changing loads of data storage, account creation, consumer authentication, new application deployment, and more.
\nWhat’s more? You get the highest level of security through robust authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication, risk-based authentication, and more.
\nMedia businesses should understand that offering a great user experience through a highly-scalable infrastructure is crucial but not at the expense of poor login and security.
\nBalancing user experience with robust security is the need for OTT platforms since cybercriminals are already targeting consumer identities by exploiting weak layers of security.
\nAs we know, every OTT platform is handling peak loads as the number of viewers and subscribers is swiftly increasing; stringent security layers should be the top priority.
\nHence, to avoid losses worth millions of dollars and prevent brand tarnishing in the global markets, OTT vendors should immediately consider incorporating smart security mechanisms through a reliable CIAM solution.
\nOur infrastructure auto-scales to accommodate the rapid growth of your customer base. LoginRadius ensures that your expansion has no limitations with no cap on users.
\nMoreover, the LoginRadius Identity Platform auto-scales to handle hundreds of applications, whether web, mobile, smart TV, gaming console—and the list goes on.
\nHere are some reasons why OTT platforms must choose LoginRadius as their identity provider:
\nOTT platforms have witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of users and subscribers in the past couple of years, and hence, securing massive user information becomes an uphill battle for vendors.
\nMoreover, the ever-expanding demands of subscribers can only be fulfilled through an auto-scalable infrastructure that guarantees security and manages peak loads without any hassle.
\nThe LoginRadius CIAM offers robust security and a rich user experience to OTT platforms with real-time auto-scalable infrastructure that automatically scales depending on the users’ demands.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"March 07, 2022","updated_date":null,"title":"OTT Platforms and CIAM: How Identity Management Ensures Millions of Viewers to Scale with Ease","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5625,"src":"/static/19efd284c4e1d8497f857ad6f665a66d/33aa5/ciam-ott.jpg","srcSet":"/static/19efd284c4e1d8497f857ad6f665a66d/f836f/ciam-ott.jpg 200w,\n/static/19efd284c4e1d8497f857ad6f665a66d/2244e/ciam-ott.jpg 400w,\n/static/19efd284c4e1d8497f857ad6f665a66d/33aa5/ciam-ott.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/loginradius-creates-trusted-digital-experience/"},"html":"In a modern digital world where competition is neck-and-neck, creating a frictionless consumer experience should be the top priority of every business striving for success.
\nBrands that are delivering trusted digital experiences without compromising overall security are the ones that are highly preferred by consumers worldwide.
\nMoreover, amid the global pandemic, the way brands incorporated technology into their business and established frictionless interactions with consumers, the role of a robust consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution can’t be overlooked.
\nToday, enterprises must be aware that the secret to success lies in quickly identifying and eliminating any troubles and pain points that occur when consumers interact with their organization (whether through website or application).
\nHere’s where the role of a cutting-edge CIAM solution like LoginRadius comes into play.
\nLet’s understand how LoginRadius paves the way for brands to deliver trusted digital experiences.
\nAdding stringent layers of security seems pretty unfair in a digital world where consumers are always on a hunt for a personalized and flawless user experience.
\nBut that doesn’t mean that security can be compromised to deliver a rich user experience on a web application or a website.
\nStatistics show that 69% of internet users are concerned about data loss/leakage and 66% are worried about their data privacy and confidentiality.
\nOn the other hand, 67% of consumers mentioned terrible experiences as a big reason for churn, but only a few complained.
\nMany people think that adding a robust layer of security would certainly hamper consumer experience and negatively impact the overall consumer onboarding journey.
\nSo, what’s the trick that helps market leaders stay ahead of the curve? How do they secure consumer data without affecting the consumer experience?
\nWell, the key lies in creating a perfect harmony of security and user experience through a CIAM (Consumer Identity and Access Management) solution that helps scale business growth.
\nYes, here’s the point where LoginRadius comes into action!
\nWith industry-standard robust security, LoginRadius ensures your consumers are always catered with a trusted digital experience whether they’re interacting with your brand for the first time or the 100th time.
\nTo keep pace with the ever-growing digital world, enterprises need to create a perfect harmony of a great user experience and robust security.
\nThis can be achieved by leveraging a consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution like LoginRadius.
\nThe cutting-edge technology coupled with excellent user experience when your consumers first interact with your brand helps build consumer trust that guarantees conversion.
\nWhether you’re greeting your users with a personalized message or leveraging user data for product suggestions, every feature of the new-age CIAM helps your brand win consumer trust.
\nMoreover, the best-in-class security that comes with the LoginRadius Identity Platform assures your consumers of how vigilant you are about data privacy and security.
\nAt LoginRadius, we understand the importance of delivering user experience and security to our clients to ensure their clients and potential customers enjoy a frictionless experience while navigating their platform.
\nHere’s the list of our security features that reinforces consumer trust:
\nApart from this, the LoginRadius’ APIs use OpenID Connect (OAuth 2.0 protocol) technology—the same industry standard used by Google and LinkedIn.
\nOur legal team ensures that the LoginRadius Identity Platform adheres to strict and updated government regulations, compliances, and policies regarding information security.
\nAlso Read: Working With Industry Authorization: A Beginner's Guide to OAuth 2.0
\nAt the same time, we also ensure delivering the finest consumer experience by:
\nIf you’re not delivering adequate security to your customers and your users face friction while exploring your online platform, you should rethink your overall digital experience.
\nIncorporating a robust CIAM solution like LoginRadius reinforces consumer information security and helps deliver a flawless user experience each time a user interacts with your brand.
\nLearn more about the LoginRadius Identity Platform, starting with a Quick Personalized Call with our sales team.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 04, 2022","updated_date":null,"title":"How LoginRadius Creates a Perfect Harmony of UX and Security","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.680672268907563,"src":"/static/48e81df029cf661c97f8b257dc832eca/33aa5/digital-exp.jpg","srcSet":"/static/48e81df029cf661c97f8b257dc832eca/f836f/digital-exp.jpg 200w,\n/static/48e81df029cf661c97f8b257dc832eca/2244e/digital-exp.jpg 400w,\n/static/48e81df029cf661c97f8b257dc832eca/33aa5/digital-exp.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/smart-citiy-cybersecurity-trends-2022/"},"html":"The past two years were full of uncertainties amid the global pandemic and have been highly disruptive in terms of economy, human lives, and rising cybersecurity threats.
\nYes, for a couple of years, the way we use technology has taken a paradigm shift since the remote working ecosystem, and remote access became the new normal.
\nTalking about the cybersecurity threats, the attackers explored new ways to exploit organizations by targeting their employees and users by surpassing frail security mechanisms in the past few years.
\nHowever, the new year’s projections can’t be the same, just as similar to the previous year; the challenges in the upcoming years could be even worse.
\nAs the idea of smart cities comes into existence and more and more cities jump on the technology bandwagon to enhance experiences, the risks from security threats increase.
\nHere’s a list of potential security trends that every individual, business, or organization must keep in mind and ensure they remain safe by adopting appropriate security measures.
\nWe’ve witnessed a substantial increase in the number of cyberattacks that mainly targeted software supply chains. These kinds of attacks are proven to be highly destructive since they can quickly take down an organization’s overall software supply chain coupled with services.
\nUnfortunately, in the New Year 2022, these kinds of supply chain attacks will become even more common since attackers are now considering these attacks as an effective mode of mass disruption within an organization.
\nThe idea of smart cities is incomplete without the intervention of IoT devices that create an interconnected network of smart devices.
\nHowever, the Internet of Things is inevitably a swiftly growing trend associated with many cybersecurity threats.
\nIn the past year, several instances of data breaches through IoT networks have been reported in the past year. The incidents mostly took place because of the inadequate machine-to-machine access control.
\nHackers can quickly attack through several vulnerable devices, including security cameras, smart DVRs, or smart home assistants.
\nThe same or even worse is expected in the year 2022 and beyond.
\nAlso Download: Smart and IoT Authentication
\nThe advancement of technology has undoubtedly offered endless possibilities and has exposed every industry to significant cyber threats.
\nFarming is also one of the most vulnerable industries facing numerous challenges for the past couple of years, and in 2022, it will surely be under the spotlight for cyberattackers.
\nMany modern tractors now run software just like cars and are more susceptible to attacks that can cause financial losses.
\nAlso, remote farming and automation in this industry have posed severe challenges and threats, including disruption of food supply chains.
\nShareware is commercial software that is distributed to consumers for free. It is usually handed out as complimentary software to encourage users to pay for the parent software. Mostly, shareware is safe, but it can be risky at times.
\nMany organizations have fallen prey to these kinds of shareware attacks in the past couple of years, and the numbers are increasing swiftly.
\nIn 2022, cybercriminals may use it to distribute malware that could lead to malicious attacks. Organizations may put themselves at risk of unwanted exposure.
\nWhen it comes to cybersecurity threats, ransomware attacks are undeniably at the forefront of cybercriminals since they provide hefty monetary benefits.
\nLast year, ransomware was the most significant concern among cybersecurity leaders to protect their organizations, employees, and clients.
\nWith the frequency of ransomware attacks increasing swiftly, cybersecurity leaders predict that organizations need to gear up since these kinds of threats quickly would surely rise.
\nThere has been a substantial increase in the number of cybersecurity threats in the past couple of years, especially after the global pandemic outbreak in 2019.
\nThough it’s challenging to deal with any cybersecurity threat, cybersecurity experts always advise every organization, individual, and private sector organization to strengthen their first line of defense for maximum safety.
\nThe threats mentioned above would continue to rise in the new year. Everyone must put their best foot forward well in advance to avoid tarnishing their market image and mitigate the risk of hefty financial losses.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"February 02, 2022","updated_date":null,"title":"Smart Cities and Cyber Security Trends to Watch Out in 2022","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":2.127659574468085,"src":"/static/550735f1581f1cf725c74bc7cea1ddf1/33aa5/smart-cities.jpg","srcSet":"/static/550735f1581f1cf725c74bc7cea1ddf1/f836f/smart-cities.jpg 200w,\n/static/550735f1581f1cf725c74bc7cea1ddf1/2244e/smart-cities.jpg 400w,\n/static/550735f1581f1cf725c74bc7cea1ddf1/33aa5/smart-cities.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/govt-access-control-challenges-2022/"},"html":"We’re in a digitally advanced modern world that’s swiftly heading towards adopting technology in every space that creates a flawless experience for everyone.
\nWhether we talk about private enterprises or government agencies in the public sector, every organization is putting its best foot forward to leverage technology to deliver rich consumer experiences.
\nHowever, specific challenges related to different aspects may come across the government agencies while they craft the best experiences for the citizens.
\nOne such aspect is the citizens’ access control for various services in a state.
\nGovernment agencies deploy new inter-connected platforms to help their citizens smoothly access the services by invoking technology's true potential. There remain specific challenges that require immediate attention.
\nLet’s learn more about access control in government agencies and the challenges hindering an excellent consumer experience.
\nDelivering a flawless user experience is perhaps the most crucial challenge among government agencies working to bridge the gap between citizens and various government platforms.
\nAlmost everyone interacts with huge brands online and is well-aware of a great user experience. Hence they expect the same level from government agencies’ online portals.
\nThis becomes quite a big challenge since these agencies are continuously operating on peak loads, and it isn’t possible to manage such enormous demands and maintain a great user experience.
\nReliable consumer identity and access management solution (CIAM) here can be a game-changer since it supports millions of users with auto-scale capabilities. This means every user enjoys a seamless user experience even in the peak loads.
\nSince government platforms aren’t regularly updated, they become increasingly vulnerable to several new attacks. Whether it’s outdated software or poor security mechanisms, both can lead to diverse issues that may grant unauthorized users quick back door access.
\nHence, updating the overall IT infrastructure and deploying adequate security mechanisms in government agencies’ platforms are significant challenges that require immediate attention.
\nAlso Download: How Government Agencies Are Modernizing Citizen Experiences With CIAM
\nPoor security and inadequate data management are the most overlooked aspects that are increasingly becoming the bottlenecks of the current modern sectors backed by government agencies.
\nAgencies that cannot protect consumer identity and personal information are prone to losing trust over citizens and would undoubtedly fail to bridge the gap between the government and
\nAdding stringent layers of security is a must for any retailer seeking substantial growth in the ever-expanding competitive business landscape.
\nWhether it’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) or risk-based authentication (RBA), enterprises need to quickly put their best foot forward in adopting advanced security measures to safeguard consumer information to prevent financial and reputational losses.
\nEngaging citizens to keep coming back is pretty complicated regarding the challenges of government agencies working to build the public sector.
\nBuilding trust over citizens is quite daunting but can do wonders for agencies if done correctly by leveraging perfect harmony of personalization and a seamless user experience.
\nLoginRadius simplifies the user registration process through a seamless experience with social sign-in and single sign-on.
\nWhen citizens are offered frictionless onboarding coupled with quick login options, they eventually build trust and become frequent visitors, ultimately improving overall engagement.
\nAnother critical challenge among the government agencies is that they cannot spend enough on their overall IT infrastructure.
\nSince the government platforms also require adequate infrastructure and updated security mechanisms, the limited budget allocated by the local governments hinders their ability to attract citizens as their website/app lacks basic security features.
\nMore and more citizens demand intelligent and intuitive online services from government agencies, which means more funds are required from the government to meet the surging demands.
\nGovernment agencies must incorporate technology to embark on a digital transformation journey that enhances the consumer experience and strengthens overall security.
\nWhen it comes to adopting citizen access control, government agencies should incorporate a consumer identity and access management (CIAM) system that helps manage millions of consumer identities and reinforces overall security.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"January 06, 2022","updated_date":null,"title":"5 Challenges for Government Adoption of Citizens’ Access Control","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.8018018018018018,"src":"/static/903762b375d8441af76707bd6ea543d5/33aa5/govt-access.jpg","srcSet":"/static/903762b375d8441af76707bd6ea543d5/f836f/govt-access.jpg 200w,\n/static/903762b375d8441af76707bd6ea543d5/2244e/govt-access.jpg 400w,\n/static/903762b375d8441af76707bd6ea543d5/33aa5/govt-access.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Yash Rathi","github":"yashrathi29","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/token-management-api-product-jwt/"},"html":"A token plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall security mechanism of an organization that helps to deliver flawless and secure authentication and authorization on their website or application.
\nHowever, there’s much confusion regarding relying on access tokens. Businesses find it challenging to choose between OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0.
\nAs a result, many organizations deploy insecure web applications that compromise their consumers’ identities and crucial business information.
\nIt’s always better to learn about the aspects of tokens and leverage the best token management mechanism that offers robust security.
\nThis post will help you better understand what a token is, what is a JWT, and its pros that will help you decide why you need to invoke the potential of JWT for your API product.
\nA token is a digitally encoded signature used to authenticate and authorize a user to access specific resources on a network.
\nA token is always generated in the form of an OTP (One-Time Password), which depicts that it could only be used once and is generated randomly for every transaction.
\nThe token-based authentication allows users to verify their unique identity, and in return, they receive a unique token that provides access to specific resources for a particular time frame.
\nUsers can easily access the website or network for which the token is issued and need not enter the credentials again and again until the permit expires.
\nTokens are widely used for regular online transactions for enhancing overall security and accuracy.
\n\nJWT (JSON Web Token) is a token format. It is digitally signed, self-contained, and compact. It provides a convenient mechanism for transferring data.
\nJWT is not inherently secure, but the use of JWT can ensure the authenticity of the message so long as the signature is verified and the integrity of the payload can be guaranteed. JWT is often used for stateless authentication in simple use cases involving non-complex systems.
\nOn the other hand, OAuth 2.0 is an authorization protocol that builds upon the original OAuth protocol created in 2006, arising out of a need for authorization flows serving different applications from the web and mobile apps to IoT.
\nOAuth 2.0 specifies the flows and standards under which authorization token exchanges should occur. OAuth 2.0 does not encompass authentication, only authorization.
\nSince tokens like JWT are stateless, only a secret key can validate it when received at a server-side application, which was used to create it. Hence they’re considered the best and the most secure way of offering authentication.
\nTokens act as a storage for the user’s credentials, and when the token travels between the server or the web browser, the stored credentials are never compromised.
\nAs we know that tokens must be stored on the user’s end, they offer a scalable solution.
\nMoreover, the server just needs to create and verify the tokens and the information, which means that maintaining more users on a website or application at once is possible without any hassle.
\nFlexibility and enhanced overall performance are other vital aspects of JWT-based authentication. They can be used across multiple servers and can offer authentication for various websites and applications at once.
\nThis helps in encouraging more collaboration opportunities between enterprises and platforms for a flawless experience.
\nThe security of consumer identity is becoming a significant challenge for online platforms collecting consumer information.
\nJWT can be a game-changer when it comes to performing secure authentication.
\nThe precise use of secure token management through a robust consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution can help businesses secure consumer information without hampering the overall user experience.
\nJWT can be the right option in most scenarios if implemented correctly and securely by following the proper security measures.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"January 04, 2022","updated_date":null,"title":"Are You Thinking of Token Management for Your API Product? Think about JWT!","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7241379310344827,"src":"/static/72f18d6005ea105c39c7326447f82250/33aa5/token-managmt.jpg","srcSet":"/static/72f18d6005ea105c39c7326447f82250/f836f/token-managmt.jpg 200w,\n/static/72f18d6005ea105c39c7326447f82250/2244e/token-managmt.jpg 400w,\n/static/72f18d6005ea105c39c7326447f82250/33aa5/token-managmt.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/pros-cons-open-source-project/"},"html":"Open source projects are intended to be freely available to the developer community and are easy to modify. In fact, many open-source developers believe that by enabling modifications to their software, they receive constructive criticism.
\nDevelopers also frequently learn new techniques by trying to integrate open-source software into their own programs. Others can then take this new code and incorporate it into their projects if they find it useful.
\nNo wonder, the adoption of third-party open-source software is getting popular. What's more is it allows companies to produce software faster than developing from scratch.
\nWhile open-source projects have several advantages over proprietary software, they also bring in some challenges that you need to consider. Let's discuss the pros first.
\nHere are some of the fundamental advantages that open-source software offers:
\nThe development or customization of proprietary solutions depends on the availability and ability of the vendor's development team to solve the problem.
\nSince open-source solutions are developed by contributions from various community members, they typically offer multiple ways to solve a problem. Hence, you can get the job done faster using an open-sourcing project.
\nAs community members develop and maintain open-source solutions, they generally cost less than a proprietary solution.
\nYou can start small by updating the community versions of the open-source project to meet your business requirements. But later, as your business requirements grow, you can leverage commercially supported solutions too.
\nOpen-source projects allow developers to create projects and get a platform to interact with other developers outside their organizations.
\nAn open-source project approach can be a great way to collaborate with other talented engineers. But when you're building something critical to your business, you need more than a supporting cast of thousands of developers from across the globe. Here are some of the risks observed with open-source software:
\nThe source code is available for everyone, cybercriminals can also easily find vulnerabilities in the code. For example, they can extract sensitive information or damage the systems leveraging the open-source software.Here are a few examples of the vulnerabilities found in some common open-source software recently:
\nOpen-source project contributors are generally developers who are not security experts. They contribute to the product primarily to support the functionality and may not consider the security aspects. Hence, the open-source product may pose security risks that cybercriminals can easily exploit.
\nOpen-source software does not provide any warranty for its security and support as these products are developed and managed by volunteers.
\nThe developer community members typically test the software for security issues and provide suggestions/recommendations on the public forums, but they are not liable for faulty guidance.
\nOpen-source project contributions are generally managed by a small team to reduce cost. They may not perform proper testing/QA or have a security auditing process at all due to a lack of expertise or workforce.
\nThe testing team may not be familiar with the open-source change requests or test the code properly by considering crucial aspects.
\nAnonymous developers sometimes develop open-source software. Therefore, it is pretty likely that they may copy from third-party sources without understanding the copyright issues.
\nAs a result, companies leveraging the particular open-source software can be held responsible for Copyright infringement.
\nFor example, SCO Group contended IBM stole part of the UnixWare source code and used it for their Project Monterey and sought billions of dollars in damages.
\nOpen-source projects can be a lot of effort for an organization. It isn't always clear who will do the work to manage the change requests from the developer community or take care of scope, licensing, and versioning.
\nIf hackers are invited to contribute to open-source projects, they can potentially change the code so that it contains malware. If the code is not carefully reviewed, it can become part of an open-source project.
\nThe open-source licenses are not like traditional software licenses (you don't pay for using them). Hence, you cannot expect it to be constructed with the best security practices and also pose potential risks. These risks may include vulnerabilities of the source code, proprietary issues, license violations, etc.
\nExperts recommend not to leverage the open-source project in the places where:
\nEnterprises should carefully analyze and assess their suitability while adopting open source and be cautious when implementing the project.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"November 26, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Why You Should Use Open Source Project For Your Business","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.9230769230769231,"src":"/static/da49f74aa418b24ac69e985d2e6dbb9c/14b42/open-source.jpg","srcSet":"/static/da49f74aa418b24ac69e985d2e6dbb9c/f836f/open-source.jpg 200w,\n/static/da49f74aa418b24ac69e985d2e6dbb9c/2244e/open-source.jpg 400w,\n/static/da49f74aa418b24ac69e985d2e6dbb9c/14b42/open-source.jpg 800w,\n/static/da49f74aa418b24ac69e985d2e6dbb9c/16310/open-source.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Jitender Agarwal","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/3-stages-gartner-carta-it-security/"},"html":"IT security is becoming an integral part of a business’s overall success amid the digitally advanced ecosystems where security breaches are just a loophole away.
\nCARTA (Continuous Adaptive Risk and Trust Assessment) is a new and efficient IT security approach introduced by Gartner in 2017 that helps cybersecurity experts ensure a stringent mechanism to handle vulnerabilities.
\nBusinesses embarking on a digital transformation journey shouldn’t overlook security since data breaches cause losses worth millions of dollars every year and eventually tarnishes brand repute.
\nThis post will cover all aspects of CARTA and how businesses can implement it to ensure robust cybersecurity.
\nGartner, an information technology (IT) research and consultancy company, introduced CARTA back in 2017. CARTA is an approach built on adaptive security architecture that helps businesses manage risks associated with security.
\nCARTA ensures businesses employ a consistent, up-to-date approach to cybersecurity in the ever-increasing digital landscape where we’re interconnected with millions of devices.
\nSince digitalization offers endless opportunities and business advancements through efficiency and accessibility, the fact that specific vulnerabilities are associated with it can’t be overlooked.
\nHere’s where enterprises need to adopt a robust approach to manage the risks successfully. CARTA allows businesses to make more informed decisions through the degree of trust and depth of a risk.
\nCARTA stipulates various aspects for cybersecurity and risk management, including:
\nAccording to Gartner, CARTA can be applied in three 3 diverse IT phases to monitor and assess continuously. These include Run, Plan, and Build.
\nLet’s understand these phases where businesses can implement CARTA.
\nAlso Download: Adaptive Authentication in the Age of Digital Apocalypse
\nIn a nutshell, CARTA ensures organizations manage the risks associated with the digital world by emphasizing and developing security mechanisms that are continuously monitoring and assessing every aspect.
\nThrough a simplistic view of the digital world, organizations can protect their assets by analyzing what is good and bad well in advance and taking the necessary steps to prevent any harm.
\nEvery business in the digital landscape is prone to several security threats if stringent security measures aren’t in place.
\nCARTA’s risk reduction model is built on the premise that everything should be assessed and monitored and eventually proposes a revolutionary security and risk management mindset for the upcoming decade.
\nHence, businesses striving to implement the best security practices must consider relying on CARTA for enhanced risk management for their organization.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"November 10, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"3 Best Stages of IT Security for Implementing Gartner's CARTA","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.639344262295082,"src":"/static/88b6fddfe892c12cd2154d9a59f6a81d/14b42/carta.jpg","srcSet":"/static/88b6fddfe892c12cd2154d9a59f6a81d/f836f/carta.jpg 200w,\n/static/88b6fddfe892c12cd2154d9a59f6a81d/2244e/carta.jpg 400w,\n/static/88b6fddfe892c12cd2154d9a59f6a81d/14b42/carta.jpg 800w,\n/static/88b6fddfe892c12cd2154d9a59f6a81d/16310/carta.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vishal Sharma","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-oauth/"},"html":"OAuth stands for Open Authorization. It's a process through which an application or website can access private data from another website. It provides applications the ability to \"secure designated access.\" For example, you can tell Google that it's OK for abc.com to access your Google account or contact without having to give abc.com your Google password.
\nOAuth never shares password data but instead uses authorization tokens to prove an identity between consumers and service providers. OAuth is an authentication protocol that allows you to approve one application interacting with another on your behalf without giving away your password.
\nTo understand this, let's take the example of Facebook. When an app on Facebook asks you to share your profile and pictures, Facebook acts as a service provider: it has your data and image, and that app is a consumer. If you want to do something with your picture with the help of this app, you need to provide permission to this app to access your images, which the OAuth manages in the background.
\nThe following explains the working of the above sequence diagram of Oauth 2.0 implementation:
\nhttps://your_domain/oauth2/token.Also Read: Guide to Authorization Code Flow for OAuth 2.0
\nOAuth provides applications the ability to secure designated access. In the traditional method, before OAuth, sites ask for the username and password combination for login and use the same credentials to access your data.
\nWith OAuth flow, instead of sending the username and password to the server with each request, the consumer sends an API key ID and secret. In this scenario, the consumer communicates to their identity provider for access. The identity provider generates an encrypted, signed token that grants the application access by authenticating the consumer. This process works on trust between the Identity Provider and the application. It will create a better interface for web applications.
\nThe authorization server authenticates the client and validates the authorization grant, and if valid, issues a token known as an **access token. **It must be kept confidential and in storage. This access token should only be seen by the application, authorization, and resource server. The application makes sure that the storage of the access token can not be readable to other applications on the same device.
\nThe OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol defines the following methods to receive the Access Token. These Flows are called grant types. So you can decide the grant types as per the use case or it is based mainly on the type of your application.
\nThe following are the five types of grants described to perform authorizations tasks. Those are
\nThe scope specifies the level of access that the application is requesting from the client. An application can request one or more scopes. This information is then presented to the consumer on the consent screen. The access token issued to the application will be limited to the scopes granted. Consent tells your consumers who is requesting access to their data and what kind of data you're asking to access.
\nLoginRadius Identity Platform supports standard OAuth 2.0 specs to integrate your OAuth client with LoginRadius. Thus, you can allow your application's customers to log in to an OAuth-enabled application without creating an account. This document goes over the complete process of getting the SSO feature implemented with OAuth 2.0.
\nThis article talked about OAuth 2.0 as an authorization framework for delegated access to web APIs. This feature grants the resource access to the consumer without exposing their password to their application. However, before implementing any functionality on your website, analyze and consider the pros and cons from every possible angle.
\nCheers!
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 23, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Everything You Need to Know About OAuth and How it Works","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6260162601626016,"src":"/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/14b42/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/f836f/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/2244e/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/14b42/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/598f4336592e5164e938b78ec3cfc1bd/16310/what-is-oauth-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vaibhav Jain","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-decentralized-authentication/"},"html":"Decentralized authentication simply means that there is no central authority needed to verify your identity, i.e., decentralized identifiers. DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers) are a special type of identifier that allows for decentralized, verified digital identification. A DID is any subject identified by the DID's controller (e.g., a person, organization, thing, data model, abstract entity, etc.).
\nDIDs, unlike traditional federated identifiers, are designed to be independent of centralized registries, identity providers, and certificate authorities.
\nSo, what is Decentralized Authentication, and how to achieve it? Let us try to understand it with an example. Say you move to a new country, so now, you need to verify your identity once again to every service provider to give them proof that you are the right person and not a fraud.
\nYou must register for various services, including voting, obtaining a driver's license, banking, receiving electricity, and paying for entertainment subscriptions. To open an account, you must currently register with each service provider separately and prove your identification.
\nBut decentralized authentication simplifies this process. You only have to authenticate your identification to a neutral third party once, and the proof of your identity is saved in an identity trust fabric (ITF). The ITF and its supporting infrastructure (i.e., decentralized identity network, services, and verified claim exchange protocols) act as a middleman between you and your service providers, handling all identification and access requests.
\nWhen we think of decentralization, the first word that comes to our mind is \"Blockchain\". The introduction of blockchain as a technology for implementing a decentralized and tamper-evident shared-ledger allows for new research into establishing a common trust domain.
\nAt the moment, distributed ledger technology is a viable means to construct an ITF. It provides a decentralized and relatively safe way to store and verify the proof of IDs for identities (and associated profile attributes).
\nAs of now, blockchain technology is an interesting approach to decentralized authentication. But, blockchain isn't really built for the speed and scale you'd normally associate with enterprise tech. And that's not to say business leaders should be ignoring this stuff. There's an actual sense that client stress is going to be a critical driving force around self-sovereign identity — wherein people call for that they manipulate how their private statistics are shared.
\nAlthough blockchain is one promising avenue for decentralized identity, it is far from the only one. Many of the most powerful concepts behind decentralized identity can be implemented without the use of blockchain. So, we should always be looking for an alternative.
\nIn one simple example, someone creates a couple of personal and public keys in an identification wallet. The public key (identifier) is hashed and saved immutably in an ITF. A dependent third party then proves the person's identification and certifies it by signing with its non-public key.
\nThe certification report is likewise saved within the ITF. If the person desires to get admission to a carrier, it's sufficient to give its identifier within the shape of a QR code or inside a token. The provider company verifies the identification with the aid of evaluating the hash values of identifiers with their corresponding hash facts within the ITF.
\nIf they match, admission is granted. In greater ideal scenarios, the person can derive separate key pairs from a non-public key to generate separate identifiers for one-of-a-kind relationships to allow privacy-pleasant protocols.
\nBusinesses and industries that understand and capture the possibility to apply rising standardized decentralized identification technology for client identification control will create a long-time period of aggressive gain. It permits them to leapfrog the opposition and preserve their lead some distance into the future.
\nThis main area will come from having a holistic approach to identification control that encompasses identification, security, and privacy. For the companies with the foresight to embody them, decentralized identification technology will:
\nWe know that Decentralized Authentication is the key to advancing in the future, and now it depends on how we try to implement it. Some problems may arise, but we never move ahead in the game/life if we are not up for a challenge.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 21, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Decentralized Authentication: What Is It And How It Is Changing the Industry","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.694915254237288,"src":"/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/14b42/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/f836f/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/2244e/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/14b42/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/93cdd284b9caf8254977b8b515d06797/16310/what-is-decentralized-authentication-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-openid-connect/"},"html":"OpenID Connect has brought a revolution in the authentication process and ascended by leaps and bounds. It is primarily used in the single sign-on (SSO) and identity provision on the web. The main reason behind its success is the JSON-based ID tokens (JWT) delivered via the OAuth 2.0 process flow.
\nFirstly, let’s have a quick look at OAuth 2.0.
\nOften referred to as authorization or delegation protocol, it is a security standard where you authorize an application to access your data, or use features in another application on your behalf, without giving them your password.
\nIn simple terms, it provides applications the ability to “secure designated access.” OAuth never shares password data but instead uses authorization tokens to prove an identity between consumers and service providers. OAuth is an authentication protocol that allows you to approve one application interacting with another on your behalf without giving away your password.
\nNow, let us learn about OpenID Connect. It is an OpenID Foundation (OIDF) standard that leverage OAuth 2.0 process flow to add an identity layer in order to obtain basic profile information about the End-User in an interoperable and REST-like manner or verify the identity of the End-User on the basis of the authentication done by an Authorization Server or Identity Provider (IDP).
\nOpenID Connect supports clients of all types, including web-based, mobile, and JavaScript clients, to request and receive information about authenticated sessions and end-users. By implementing OpenID Connect, leveraging OAuth 2.0 fabricates a unified framework that promises mobile native applications, secure APIs, and browser applications in a single, cohesive architecture.
\nIt is a very common practice to deploy the same password across multiple applications and websites. Since the traditional credentials are not centrally administered, if the security of any website that you use is compromised, a hacker could gain access to your password across multiple sites.
\nHere comes OpenID connect in the picture as it never shares a password with any website. Even then, if a compromise does occur, you can immediately prevent any malicious access to your accounts at any website by simply changing the password for your OpenID Connect.
\nAlso Read: Add Authentication to Play Framework With OIDC and LoginRadius
\nBefore proceeding further, let’s have a look at some of the terminologies:
\nThe application begins with an OAuth 2.0 flow that asks the user to authorize a request. As part of the flow, the client will include the OpenID Connect scope with scopes for any additional information it wants about the user. As the request is processed, the client receives an access token and an ID token issued by the authorization server. The ID token contains claims that have information about the user.
\nThe SSO is implemented by delivering ID tokens from the authorization server to the client. The client then contacts a dedicated endpoint on the authorization server known as the UserInfo endpoint to receive the remaining claims about the user using the access token.
\nIt is this ID token which is also known as the JSON Web Token (JWT), which contains claims, which are nothing but statements (like an email address or name) about an entity (the user) and some additional metadata.
\nThe OpenID Connect specification has a defined set of standard claims. The set of standard claims include name, email, gender, birth date, and so on. However, if you want to capture information about a user and there currently isn’t a standard claim that best reflects this piece of information, you can create custom claims and add them to your tokens.
\nFor instance, let us say you want to use OpenID Connect to authenticate the user for your own application using Google’s OAuth URL.
\nStep 1: On clicking the sign-in button, you are required to pass a few parameters like scope, **which is a space-delimited list of scopes, **response_type having the value code, client_id having the client identifier, redirect_uri having the client redirect URI, and state having a random string.
\nStep 2: The OpenID provider authenticates users for a particular application instance.
\nStep 3: A one-time-use code is passed back to the client using a predefined Redirect URI.
\nStep 4: The user interface can then share this temporary code with the server
\nStep 5: The server can exchange this code in order to get access to the user’s profile.
\nHere, technically speaking, you are not only getting the user profile but an Access Token and an ID Token having all the details of the user’s profile.
\nOpenID Connect performs various tasks similar to OpenID 2.0, but it does so in such a way that it is API-friendly and usable by mobile and native applications. OpenID Connect defines optional mechanisms for encryption and robust signing. In OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0 capabilities are integrated with the protocol itself, whereas the integration of OAuth 1.0a and OpenID 2.0 requires an extension.
\nOpenID Connect and OpenID 2.0 have many architectural similarities. Furthermore, a very similar set of problems are solved by the protocols. However, OpenID 2.0 uses XML and a custom message signature scheme. Their implementations would sometimes abnormally refrain from interoperating. OAuth 2.0, leveraged by OpenID Connect, outsources the required encryption to the web’s built-in TLS (also called SSL or HTTPS) infrastructure, which is implemented on both client and server platforms universally. When signatures are required, OpenID Connect uses standard JSON Web Token (JWT) data structures. For this reason, OpenID Connect is easier for developers to implement, and when implemented, it results in much better interoperability.
\nThe story of OpenID Connect interoperability has been proven in practice when an extended series of interoperability trials were conducted by members of the OpenID Connect Working Group and the developers behind numerous OpenID Connect implementations.
\nOpenID Connect, its predecessors, and other public-key-encryption-based authentication frameworks guarantee the security of the complete internet by having the responsibility for user identity verification in the hands of the most trusted and reliable service providers. If compared with the one which is available earlier, OpenID Connect is a way easier approach to implement and integrate and is expected to achieve a much-outspread acceptance.
\nCheers!
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 21, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Getting Started with OpenID Connect","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6260162601626016,"src":"/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/14b42/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/f836f/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/2244e/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/14b42/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/0625350ba691ab9d9997de97feb52d80/16310/what-is-openid-connect-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Gurjyot Singh","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/identity-system-customization/"},"html":"In a world where every user demands a personalized experience, businesses without personalization would surely miss out on business opportunities.
\nHowever, customizing a user identity system is a whole different concept and isn’t just limited to adding a personalized greeting for a user with their name.
\nCustomizing experiences right from the beginning when the user interacts with a brand impacts conversions and overall lead generation.
\nWhether collecting user information, displaying the most relevant results, or suggesting products based on their previous preferences, customization is undoubtedly pivotal in improving conversions, sales, and lead generation.
\nThis post will highlight customized identity systems and learn how it paves the path for increased business advancements.
\nBefore we inch towards the business benefits of customizing an identity system, let’s first understand what an identity system is.
\nAn identity system or identity management system is an information system or a group of technologies working together to ensure the right individual has access to the right resources.
\nMoreover, an identity system or a consumer identity and access management (CIAM) system helps businesses secure millions of consumer identities on their platform to offer a robust mechanism that prevents data breach.
\nA CIAM solution also offers valuable insights into a consumer’s behavior, which further allows businesses to tailor their marketing and onboarding strategies.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"September 07, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Why Should You be Customizing Your Identity System to Your Needs","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/7d74cce17394a034288bf98bf9ddc260/14b42/identity-system-customization-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/7d74cce17394a034288bf98bf9ddc260/f836f/identity-system-customization-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/7d74cce17394a034288bf98bf9ddc260/2244e/identity-system-customization-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/7d74cce17394a034288bf98bf9ddc260/14b42/identity-system-customization-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/7d74cce17394a034288bf98bf9ddc260/16310/identity-system-customization-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Manish Tiwari","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/sms-authentication-protect-business/"},"html":"With growing numbers of websites and consumers on those websites, authenticating each one of them becomes an arduous task. Also, it becomes an important aspect to protect and secure the consumer's data available on your application. To protect sensitive consumer data, two-factor authentication became a mandatory requirement in today's digital world.
\nTwo-factor authentication can be done via multiple channels. One is by using google authenticator codes, and the other is sending OTP on the consumer's email. But the easiest and convenient way is to do it via SMS.
\nSMS stands for Short Messaging Service, which you guessed right. The text messages that we get on our mobile phones. This SMS holds an One Time Password (OTP), used to validate the consumer login. So basically, it can be used as a backend agent who reaches out to the original consumer and provides him access to any network, system, or web application.
\nA short messaging service (SMS) is generally used to carry any information to the end-user. It can be information like promotional messages, notifications, or personal texts, but they also carry authentication codes (OTPs).
\nUsing SMS authentication is quite simple and easy to understand. When a consumer tries to log in to a website, system, or network, he provides the login credentials. On successfully authenticating the login credentials, the server now does a two-factor authentication. It ensures that the consumer trying to log in is who he says he is. To authenticate the user, a text SMS and an OTP are sent to the consumer's registered mobile number. When that OTP is entered, the consumer gets authenticated, and then only they can access the contents of the system/application.
\nSMS authentication is based on one of the three types of multifactor authentication, i.e., Possession based authentication. In this type of MFA, the consumer is authenticated via something that only he can possess, which is the mobile handset.
\nEverything in this world holds both the concepts of merits and demerits, and so does SMS authentication. Let's first discuss the merits that it has.
\nEven after being so convenient and easy to operate, there are some demerits also. These demerits are capable enough to make the organizations think that it is enough to protect the business. Let's discuss them one by one:
\nEvery country is progressively inching towards diverse smart city projects that eventually become the new driving force behind a state’s overall development.
\nHowever, the key aspect determining whether these projects are a failure or a success is the involvement of civilians living and working in that city.
\nUndoubtedly, civilian engagement is a significant factor that can offer valuable insights to enhance the current services that pave the path for the region’s overall development.
\nBut the big question is how to enhance civilian engagement?
\nWell, delivering a flawless user experience and online services can help increase civilian engagement.
\nThe key lies in leveraging a robust identity management solution that delivers a great user experience to citizens across multiple platforms and devices and ensures adequate security and privacy.
\nLet’s understand the role of digital identity for smart cities in improving civilians’ digital experience through unified identity.
\nWith population growth and the expansion of public services, cities need to be innovative about providing services to all people without compromising service quality. There is a need for a single platform where all facilities are centralized, and customer experience is considered.
\nDigital identity is a great way to get started as it can prove a citizen’s identity through diverse government channels and is crucial for citizens to avail government services.
\nAs the government invokes the potential of secure digital identities, citizens would access core services and resources without any hassle.
\nMoreover, every citizen requires some kind of public service, and that’s why handling a unique number of identities securely becomes a tough nut to crack for the government. Here’s where the need for digital identity management comes into play.
\nA smart CIAM (consumer identity and access management) solution like LoginRadius helps public sector organizations manage heaps of identities efficiently without hampering user experience.
\nLet’s learn how a CIAM solution like LoginRadius can deliver a flawless digital experience to civilians that pushes overall development reinforced by adequate security.
\nCities need one unified self-service portal so that their constituents have a seamless, efficient experience as they access the services they need. The LoginRadius Identity Platform enables cities to centralize their customer-facing digital applications into one portal.
\nThis portal enables a frictionless experience across multiple services that improve user experience and enhance user engagement.
\n
\nThis single locus of access delivers a connected experience across multiple touchpoints and channels. LoginRadius has supported applications such as Account Summary, Customer Profile, Permit Applications, and Bill Payment.
What good is a centralized portal if citizens create multiple identities for individual web and mobile applications? Operating in this way creates identity silos that prevent a thorough view of the customer’s journey and preferences, which means the customer experience can’t be optimized for each individual.
\nWithout a seamless user experience, engagement rates drop. But with LoginRadius Single Sign-on (SSO), cities and companies can allow customers to access all applications within their platform with a single set of unified credentials, rather than having to register and log in to each service separately.
\nMany public sector organizations have a hard time using customer data to improve the digital experience.
\nThe LoginRadius Identity Platform offers pre-built integrations with over 150 third-party applications such as CRM, email marketing tools, online communities, payment systems, and more.
\nThis enables organizations to use that customer data to understand their customers better, offer more useful information and deliver that information more directly.
\nHydro Ottawa is a regulated electricity local distribution company in eastern Ontario.
\nAs the third-largest municipally-owned electric utility in Ontario, Hydro Ottawa maintains one of the safest, most reliable, and most cost-effective electricity distribution systems in the province. They serve about 332,000 residential and commercial customers across 1,116 square kilometers.
\n\nThe Hydro Ottawa team wanted to create a solid architectural foundation for digital growth and innovation. They decided that the core of this new system would be a customer identity solution that centralizes and unifies customer identity data.
\nWith the launch of their mobile app and a revamp of their customer web portal underway, Hydro Ottawa needed an SSO solution to log in with a single profile that included social media validation.
\nDigital identity is paving the path for a rich unified experience for citizens that require public services in daily routines.
\nRobust consumer identity and access management solutions like LoginRadius can help public sectors deliver great experiences tacked by adequate security to their civilians, reinforcing different smart city projects.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"August 25, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"How Cities Can Improve Civilians’ Digital Experience with Unified Identity","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6129032258064515,"src":"/static/7667de49e49fc737acd82123663210c6/14b42/smart-cities-improve-unified-identity-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/7667de49e49fc737acd82123663210c6/f836f/smart-cities-improve-unified-identity-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/7667de49e49fc737acd82123663210c6/2244e/smart-cities-improve-unified-identity-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/7667de49e49fc737acd82123663210c6/14b42/smart-cities-improve-unified-identity-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/7667de49e49fc737acd82123663210c6/16310/smart-cities-improve-unified-identity-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction/"},"html":"The modern digital landscape demands robust security, which significantly relies on access tokens that securely authenticate users.
\nA token plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall security mechanism of an organization that helps to deliver flawless and secure authentication and authorization on their website or application.
\nFor years, businesses have been using token-based authentication that allows users to access resources. These tokens have a minimal lifetime, ensuring that cybercriminals have minimum time to exploit a user’s identity.
\nWith token security, users have to re-authenticate themselves for obvious security reasons by offering credentials to sign in if the access token is expired.
\nHowever, this can be tedious and hampers user experience. To overcome this, the concept of refresh tokens was introduced.
\nA refresh token ensures that a user can regain the access token without providing login credentials.
\nLet’s dig deeper about refresh tokens, their use, and how they interact with JWTs (JSON Web Token).
\nA token can be defined as a digitally encoded signature used to authenticate and authorize a user to access specific resources on a network.
\nA token is always generated in the form of an OTP (One-Time Password), which depicts that it could only be used once and is generated randomly for every transaction.
\nThe token-based authentication allows users to verify their unique identity, and in return, they receive a special token that provides access to specific resources for a particular time frame.
\nApart from this, users can easily access the website or network for which the token is issued and need not enter the credentials again and again until the token expires.
\nTokens are widely used for regular online transactions for enhancing overall security and accuracy.
\nSince access tokens aren’t valid for an extended period because of security reasons, a refresh token helps re-authenticate a user without the need for login credentials.
\nThe primary purpose of a refresh token is to get long-term access to an application on behalf of a particular user.
\nIn a nutshell, a refresh token allows any website or application to regrant the access token without bothering the user. Here are its benefits:
\nJWT (JSON Web Token) is used to provide a standard way for two parties to communicate securely. JWT is commonly used for managing authorization.
\nThere is an open industry standard called RFC-7519, which defines how JWT should be structured and how to use it to exchange information (called “claims”) in the form of JSON objects. This information can be verified and trusted as it is digitally signed.
\nJWT (JSON Web Token) is a popular method of SSO, which is widely used by B2C applications, and through this system, you can allow your consumers to log in to an application that supports JWT.
\nBefore inching towards refresh tokens, one should understand that OAuth 2.0 specifications define both access tokens and refresh tokens.
\nEnterprises can leverage a refresh token in scenarios where the API needs authentication through an access token but users aren’t always available to provide credentials again and again.
\nHence, to enhance usability and improve user experience, refresh tokens can be used.
\nAlso read: Working With Industry Authorization: A Beginner's Guide to OAuth 2.0
\nSince browser-based web applications cannot start using a refresh token, refresh tokens always require additional security.
\nWhenever a refresh token is being utilized, the security token service quickly issues another access token and a new refresh token. The user can now make API calls through a refresh token.
\nWhenever the overall security token service suspects that any refresh token is being used more than once, it automatically assumes something isn’t right. As a result, the refresh token gets immediately revoked and hence ensures adequate security.
\nRBA (Risk-based Authentication) can be the finest way to enhance the security of a refresh token since it helps to analyze a vulnerability and automatically adds another stringent security layer in the mechanism.
\nRBA works seamlessly with token-based authentication and can help improve overall security in high-risk scenarios where businesses need a stringent mechanism to prevent a security breach.
\nJWTs represent a set of claims as JSON objects encoded in a JWS and JWE structure. This JSON object is called “JWT Claims Set.” The JSON object consists of zero or more name/value pairs (or members), where the names are strings, and the values are arbitrary JSON values. These members are the claims represented by the JWT.
\nYour JWTs can contain any information you want; the user's name, birth date, email, etc. You do this with claims-based authorization. You then just tell your provider to make a JWT with these claims from the claims principle.
\nAuthentication is implemented through JWT access tokens along with refresh tokens. The API returns a short-lived token (JWT), which expires in 15 minutes, and in HTTP cookies, the refresh token expires in 7 days.
\nJWT is currently used for accessing secure ways on API, whereas a refresh token generates another new JWT access token when it expires or even before.
\nRefresh tokens can be the ideal way to enhance security and improve user experience since users need not enter login credentials again and again.
\nLoginRadius helps enterprises get maximum benefits in terms of security, scalability, and usability when implementing token-based authentication on web and mobile devices.
\nBusinesses can leverage LoginRadius’ authentication and authorization services for a seamless experience that fosters business growth. Schedule a call today!
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"August 24, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Refresh Tokens: When to Use Them and How They Interact with JWTs","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6129032258064515,"src":"/static/3e53bf0d14b0304e647258612eee7deb/14b42/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/3e53bf0d14b0304e647258612eee7deb/f836f/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/3e53bf0d14b0304e647258612eee7deb/2244e/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/3e53bf0d14b0304e647258612eee7deb/14b42/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/3e53bf0d14b0304e647258612eee7deb/16310/refresh-tokens-jwt-interaction-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Saikiran Babladi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/nist-password-guidelines-2021/"},"html":"We’re living in an era where almost everything is just a few clicks away, and the internet is becoming the second home for all of us.
\nWhether it’s entertainment or essential purchasing, we’re catered to everything online in the digital world.
\nBut with the increase in the use of the internet, the risk of security breach and identity thefts have augmented substantially.
\nBusinesses are compromising sensitive user data and consumer identities that not only cause losses worth millions but eventually tarnish brand repute.
\nTo cope with the increasing number of cyber frauds and data thefts, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued certain requirements along with controls for digital user identities.
\nThe NIST has dispensed several guidelines that not only ensure security to the user but eventually help enterprises secure their crucial business information.
\nThese guidelines offer recommendations for users for creating strong passwords along with recommendations for vendors/verifiers that are handling passwords.
\nLet’s have a quick look at some of the most important NIST guidelines and the cybersecurity best practices to follow in 2021.
\nRecognizing the national and economic security of the United States depends on the reliable functioning of critical infrastructure. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a thorough collaboration between industry and government, and consists of standards, guidelines, and practices to promote the protection of critical infrastructure.
\nThe prioritized, flexible, repeatable, and cost-effective approach of the Framework helps owners and operators of critical infrastructure to manage cybersecurity-related risk.
\nThe NIST Cybersecurity Framework consists of several guiding standards:
\nNow, let’s have a quick look at some of the password guidelines issued by NIST.
\nAs per the NIST latest guidelines, the length of a password is a crucial security aspect, and all user-created passwords must be at least 8 characters in length.
\nMoreover, the passwords generated by machines must be a minimum of 6 characters in length. Apart from this, the maximum character length must be 64 characters.
\nNow, the essential aspect for enterprises is that during the verification process, the verifiers shouldn’t truncate passwords while processing. Instead, the passwords should be adequately hashed and must be salted.
\nThis reinforces the security of credentials. Also, the user should be allowed a minimum of 10 attempts to enter their password before locking their profile.
\nAlso Read: Cybersecurity Best Practices for Businesses in 2021
\nNIST has advised the vendors and verifiers to dismiss the use of password hints that were earlier offered to users for creating more complex passwords.
\nSince these hints can allow attackers to guess the passwords, these hints shouldn’t be used in any form to ensure the highest level of security for users and service providers.
\nMoreover, KBA (Knowledge-based Authentication), which was earlier a part of the authentication process that includes questions like- “Where you were born?” were asked to prove identity.
\nThe users must be provided with the ability to paste passwords into password fields as users incline towards the use of password managers for a seamless authentication experience.
\nEarlier, the verifiers didn’t allow the users to paste a password just because of security concerns. But now, service providers need to revoke the same for enhanced user experience.
\nApart from this, the use of two-factor authentication must be emphasized as SMS isn’t considered a secure option.
\nThe verifiers need to rely on strong multi-factor authentication methods that provide authentication using secure one-time links or must use Google Authenticator.
\nPassword hashing is crucial in today’s era as it’s no longer safe to store passwords in plain text formats, which can be easily exploited.
\nPassword hashing is defined as the method to one-way transform a password that turns the password into another string called hashed password. This means that the password can’t be reversed to its original form once hashed.
\nNIST recommends the use of password hashing algorithms while storing and retrieving passwords. The identity providers must rely on a secure password management mechanism that ensures hashing of passwords of the users within a network for enhanced security.
\nThe NIST Cybersecurity Framework is worth adopting solely for its stated goal of improving risk-based security. But it also delivers ancillary benefits that include effective collaboration and communication of security posture with executives and industry organizations, as well as potential future improvements in legal exposure and even assistance with regulatory compliance.
\nThe NIST Cybersecurity Framework is NOT just for “government applications.” It represents a state-of-the-art approach to security and compliance.
\n\nHere’s what enterprises get with the LoginRadius consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution:
\nEnterprises embarking on a journey to enhance business growth while matching the pace with the best cybersecurity hygiene should consider NIST password guidelines while making password policies for users.
\nWhen it comes to creating a flawless login experience backed by security, LoginRadius leaves no stone unturned in delivering the finest experience.
\nLoginRadius is self-attested to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework as part of its internal infosec program and aligns with the NIST SP 800-53 component, leveraging the CSA CCM, which covers a broader footprint of the overall NIST cybersecurity framework.
\nNeed help with NIST? Reach us for quick guidance today.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"July 22, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"How NIST is Changing Password Creation in 2021","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5151515151515151,"src":"/static/9819d7e3c418c8014b25d32652278643/14b42/nist-password-guidelines-2021-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/9819d7e3c418c8014b25d32652278643/f836f/nist-password-guidelines-2021-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/9819d7e3c418c8014b25d32652278643/2244e/nist-password-guidelines-2021-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/9819d7e3c418c8014b25d32652278643/14b42/nist-password-guidelines-2021-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/9819d7e3c418c8014b25d32652278643/16310/nist-password-guidelines-2021-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Deependra Singh","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/bring-your-own-identity/"},"html":"When was the last time you signed up to a website by filling out the entire registration form? Gone are the days where you had to fill out lengthy registration forms, create different usernames and passwords, and remember them every time you tried to login - awesome, right!
\nConsumers demand a smarter experience today. They don't like to create a new ID every time they want to utilize a service. Instead, they are open to leveraging their existing digital identity securely and easily, with the opportunity to reuse it in multiple domains.
\nAnd as a response to this demand, businesses have come-up with a concept called Bring Your Own Identity (BYOI).
\nThe \"Bring your own\" trend started when organizations allowed their employees to bring their device - BYOD. Later, it gained popularity and paved the way for many such concepts like Bring your own apps (BYOA), Bring your own technology (BYOT), Bring your own cloud (BYOC), Bring your own encryption (BYOE), etc.
\nBring your own identity, or BYOI is also one such trend where consumers bring in their own digital ID, which is either managed by self or by any third-party.
\nInstead of asking consumers to fill in long forms as part of the registration process, you can allow them to choose their existing digital identity. These could be any of their social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, or LinkedIn.
\nMoreso, with features like simplified registration (which is both quick and secure), the BYOI trend can address the problems of organizations that are losing consumers.
\nWith the pandemic forcing organizations to rethink their digital transformation, BYOI is a key part of securing user identities in 2021. BYOI (Bring Your Own Identity) will unlock the value in digital identities and is going to disrupt traditional methods of access in the future.
\nMany of your consumers have an existing digital identity, and BYOI lets them use an account they already have rather than creating a new one. By allowing your consumers to log in with an existing set of credentials, you make it simple for consumers to sign up for an account with you, increasing your overall conversion rate.
\nIdentity Brokering is an approach where organizations/businesses do not require consumers to provide their credentials to authenticate. Instead, an identity broker service acts as a bridge between the Identity and Service Providers and enables the authentication process between the two.
\nIf you are the CSO or CIO of your company looking for a platform that acts as an identity broker, the LoginRadius CIAM platform is the perfect solution that can act as a bridge between multiple identity service providers.
\nThe possibilities are endless with the LoginRadius platform in how you can set up your login flows to best serve your consumer's needs and meet your business goals. LoginRadius can integrate with any provider, so you can give your consumers the convenience and choice while having an optimized back-end infrastructure to ensure an automated and streamlined experience for your consumers.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"July 09, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"The Rise of BYOI (Bring your own Identity)","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.7857142857142858,"src":"/static/21da72bd0fe638c759ad35eb963a1557/14b42/bring-your-own-identity-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/21da72bd0fe638c759ad35eb963a1557/f836f/bring-your-own-identity-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/21da72bd0fe638c759ad35eb963a1557/2244e/bring-your-own-identity-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/21da72bd0fe638c759ad35eb963a1557/14b42/bring-your-own-identity-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/21da72bd0fe638c759ad35eb963a1557/16310/bring-your-own-identity-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Saikiran Babladi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/step-up-authentication-loginradius/"},"html":"With the sudden increase in the number of data breaches across the world amid the global pandemic, securing consumer data is becoming the top-notch priority for online businesses.
\nSince most of the data breaches and unauthorized access are a result of human error or exploitation of authenticity by cybercriminals, adequate measures must be taken by enterprises to secure consumer data.
\nSo what can be the ideal solution when businesses already have a secure authentication mechanism in place?
\nWell, a robust authentication system for consumers that shuns any chance of unauthorized access to sensitive information is undoubtedly the need of the hour.
\nLoginRadius, a leading consumer identity, and access management solution provider has launched a “step-up authentication” feature in their CIAM that reinforces conventional authentication systems.
\nThe game-changing security feature enables consumers to authenticate even if they have recently signed in. This mechanism can be set up in various circumstances based on a particular business’s needs.
\nThe step-up authentication feature by LoginRadius enhances consumer and enterprise security by adding an extra layer of authentication that kicks in during a certain scenario. Here are some of the reasons behind the launch:
\nThe step-up authentication feature can help businesses in securely authenticating consumers when:
\nSince different businesses may require different scenarios for step-up authentication to pitch in, the enterprise can decide which application events are crucial transactions for them and then leverage step-up authentication for the same.
\nStep-up authentication is a revolutionary feature when it comes to authenticating logged-in consumers when they perform a crucial transaction or need access to secure resources. It helps authenticate consumers without hampering the user experience.
\nImplementing step-up authentication on an online platform offers a competitive edge to businesses seeking innovative ways to enhance authentication and security for their website or application.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"June 17, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"LoginRadius Offers Additional Security Layer through Newly-Enhanced Step-up Authentication Feature","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.6666666666666667,"src":"/static/6c7127ad26c4552c6aaf292f91e5fb84/14b42/step-up-authentication-loginradius-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/6c7127ad26c4552c6aaf292f91e5fb84/f836f/step-up-authentication-loginradius-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/6c7127ad26c4552c6aaf292f91e5fb84/2244e/step-up-authentication-loginradius-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/6c7127ad26c4552c6aaf292f91e5fb84/14b42/step-up-authentication-loginradius-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/6c7127ad26c4552c6aaf292f91e5fb84/16310/step-up-authentication-loginradius-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/unified-cx-retail/"},"html":"In an increasingly digital world, brands know they depend on a unified experience. However, this is only possible when consumer experience in retail focuses on designing and orchestrating a single insight, ensuring consumers receive the exact value repeatedly across all touchpoints, products, and services. It is the diversity of these experiences that determines the quality of consumer relationships.
\nUnified consumer experience can be defined as consumers' perceptions (conscious and subconscious) of their relationship with the brand during the entire life cycle.
\nThe American research and consulting company Gartner, in its definition, explains quite well what unified experience is about, \"The practice of designing and reacting to consumer interactions to meet or exceed their expectations and thus increase their satisfaction, loyalty, and promotion.\"
\nMoreover, it's about getting to know consumers so completely that you can create and deliver personalized experiences that attract them to stay loyal to the brand or company and \"promote\" it to other people. That's the most valuable advertising tactic that exists.
\nThe concept of unified consumer experience may sound idealistic or poignant, but anyone who rejects it is woefully out of context. Consumers have become a competitive differentiator in today's hyper-competitive and hyper-connected global marketplace. There is tangible business value in maintaining an effective consumer experience which can:
\nWith the execution of any plan, some challenges may cross your way. The same goes for creating a unified consumer experience in retail. You have to be prepared for the upcoming difficulties that may lead to some problems in one way or another. Therefore, you must identify those challenges to be prepared for them. The following can help.
\nWhile consumers may be willing to accept different service levels across different channels, they expect the brand value proposition to remain consistent. But the proliferation of channels makes it difficult to ensure consistency across all of them.
\nAn integrated channel experience is highly desirable but challenging to achieve. Technology inherited processes and organizational territorialism can be barriers to integration.
\nHaving a single view of the consumer across interactions, channels, products, and time would facilitate coordinated, unified communications with the consumer. Departmental silos, fragmented data, and inconsistent processes make this challenge seem insurmountable.
\nIt is best to offer a unified solution that allows conversations to be managed from a single interface to facilitate the best consumer experience in retail. The objective is clear—to guarantee consistency of responses across all contact channels. A unified consumer relationship strategy must be based on multi-channel interaction management designed around a centralized knowledge base.
\nWith that in mind, here are the top five benefits of investing in a unified experience.
\nOne of the biggest benefits of having a unified experience is delighting the consumer, who will certainly spread their satisfaction with family, friends, and colleagues. Word of mouth marketing is by far the best way to boost your results.
\nA satisfied consumer will engage with the brand more often and will certainly become a loyal consumer. In the age of social media, it's easier to share information online. Suppose a consumer decides to buy something while running through your feed. In that case, a unified experience will ensure they have the same shopping experience throughout their journey, no matter where they are.
\nAlso Read: Enhancing Customer Experience in Retail Industry
\nHaving a unified experience makes it easier to analyze consumer feedback throughout their entire journey and optimize marketing, service, and purchasing strategies. This will undoubtedly promote more enchanting and loyalty-building experiences.
\nToday's consumer is highly informed through a unique experience. It is possible to supply them with new information in real-time through the most convenient channel, including SMS, voice, social and chat. Having multiple channels is, therefore, essential to ensure efficient service.
\nSurveys indicate that 88% of consumers read product reviews to determine the quality of the consumer experience offered by a brand. By ensuring your current consumer satisfaction through a unified experience, competitiveness gains are also inevitable.
\nEvery stage of achieving a unified experience is essential, from initial consideration to functional evaluation, time of purchase, and even the post-purchase experience. Each stage is an opportunity to improve the consumer experience in retail, and each phase is an opportunity to obtain more information that can give feedback into the marketing processes and take advantage of the next time.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"June 15, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Why Big Merchants Need to Deliver a Unified Consumer Experience?","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/64599dc42b6d1b3d20f002040beba4b9/14b42/unified-cx-retail-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/64599dc42b6d1b3d20f002040beba4b9/f836f/unified-cx-retail-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/64599dc42b6d1b3d20f002040beba4b9/2244e/unified-cx-retail-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/64599dc42b6d1b3d20f002040beba4b9/14b42/unified-cx-retail-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/64599dc42b6d1b3d20f002040beba4b9/16310/unified-cx-retail-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Navanita Devi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/data-security-hospitality-industry/"},"html":"The hospitality industry is one of the largest industries that cater specifically to humans. Hotels, restaurants, and resorts house large databases that contain data regarding business operations as well as consumer information that visit the restaurant or resort.
\nThe personal information collected can range from generic data like names and phone numbers to sensitive data like bank account details.
\nIn addition to this, databases in the hospitality industry also happen to be the most vulnerable to data breaches. It has been seen that the most number of breaches in security has resulted in identity theft and leaks of credit card information.
\nThe frequency of cyberattacks against business databases can be attributed to the fact that the hospitality industry largely depends on credit cards as a medium of payment. This may increase the chances of a hacker receiving access to sensitive information. Larger businesses contain multiple databases protected by thinly veiled encryption.
\nThe vulnerabilities in the data security in hospitality are also witnessed in the following aspect:
\nAs per the multiple threats that have been uncovered above, it is essential to understand how to ensure hotel data security. Therefore, the businesses in the hospitality industry employ the use of the following measures:
\nLoginRadius offers a variety of security measures to protect the hospitality industry. In fact, the importance of LoginRadius attachments to data security has revolutionized how hospitality organizations are dealing with data protection and cybersecurity. They can do so due to the following features:
\nAccording to the AARP, around 1.4 million cases of Identity theft were reported in 2020. Therefore, it has become one of the most common methods of fraud.
\nTo mitigate this, governments across the world have implemented the privacy act. This privacy act hopes to decrease the number of identity theft cases by regulating the information that is collected by businesses. Therefore, investing in proper data security in hospitality can work to protect not only the consumer but also the business from losing large sums of profit.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 23, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Data Security in Hospitality: Best Practices for Operating In a Post-COVID Era","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/5f5d54187db9fa145c26b762f1a0e763/14b42/data-security-hospitality-industry-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/5f5d54187db9fa145c26b762f1a0e763/f836f/data-security-hospitality-industry-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/5f5d54187db9fa145c26b762f1a0e763/2244e/data-security-hospitality-industry-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/5f5d54187db9fa145c26b762f1a0e763/14b42/data-security-hospitality-industry-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/5f5d54187db9fa145c26b762f1a0e763/16310/data-security-hospitality-industry-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Navanita Devi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-is-salt/"},"html":"In February 2019, some 617 million online account details were stolen from 16 hacked websites and displayed for sale on the dark web. In April 2019, nearly 540 million records from third-party Facebook data were exposed. These are some of the most well-known data breaches that have occurred recently. Let us understand what causes such breaches and how we can protect our data from these.
\nSalting hashes sounds like something that comes out of a recipe book. However, in cryptography, salt plays a significant role in the breach of data. While creating applications, security is usually not the biggest priority. While data leaks can sometimes happen, hash salting generators only come to mind when there is a major invasion of privacy that affects the majority of the consumers’ applications.
\nProcesses like user password hashing and salting are quite common in applications. They are indispensable for the protection of data and building long-lasting consumer trust and loyalty. But before we embark on how salting is useful to boost security, let us understand what salting is and how it works.
\nSalting refers to adding random data to a hash function to obtain a unique output which refers to the hash. Even when the same input is used, it is possible to obtain different and unique hashes. These hashes aim to strengthen security, protect against dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and several others.
\nMost commonly, salting is used in common passwords to strengthen them. So the next question is, what is salting when it comes to passwords? Often when we talk about passwords, we use terms like hashed and salted. This means there is an addition of random strings of characters (salting) to the password that is unique and known only to that site. Normally, this Salt is placed before the password and prevents people from figuring out even the simplest passwords like ‘123456’ or ‘password’.
\nIf a password has been hashed and salted, it is difficult for you to crack the passwords. Even if it is one of the most commonly used passwords, it takes several tries to break down the hashing and reveal the password.
\nWhenever you are setting or resetting your password, the aim is to make it as unique as possible so that it cannot be easily guessed and subsequently hacked. This is the main aim of salts. They improve the uniqueness quotient of your password on the particular site you are accessing and add an extra security layer to the user password so that your data is not breached easily.
\nSo how can we use salts to increase the efficiency of hashing?
\nThe first step is to make your Salt as unique as possible. Make it as different as you can, using characters which one would never commonly pick. For example, if you use ten different salts, you are increasing the security of the hashed password by a factor of ten.
\nFurthermore, when the salted password is stored separately, using rainbow tables, it makes it difficult for the attacker to determine the password. The best method to ensure privacy protection is to use a unique salt each time the same user generates or changes their password.
\nThe length of the salt is as important as its quality or uniqueness. Very short salts are easier to attack and breach, thereby compromising your password. Ideally, the length of Salt should be as long as the output of the hash. For example, if the hash output is 32 bytes, the salt length should be at least 32 bytes, if not more. This step is an addition to passwords with specialized characters.
\nUsernames must never be used as salt values. They are not only predictable but are also heavily overused by the user across several sites. This reduces their security. Since these usernames such as ‘admin’ and ‘root’ are very commonly looked up as well, it is easy to crack the hashes and cause a breach of privacy.
\nThe best way to ensure that your salted password hashing is secure is by using a cryptographically secure pseudo-random password generator to generate the salt values for you. As the name suggests, these are random, unpredictable, and reliable in terms of security and privacy.
\nA public key is vulnerable to attacks. The ‘secret’ to securing and validating your password is by adding a secret key. When this private key is added, it allows the password to be validated. The key must also be stored externally in a separate server. This makes it difficult for the hacker to attack the data as he has to first access the internal system and then breach through the external server as well.
\nA common mistake when they are salting their password is reusing a salt they may have used previously. You may think that using the salt only once hardly takes away its uniqueness, but in reality, even one use of a salt depreciates its value. Reusing it can make it much easier for attackers to breach through both internal and external systems. Therefore, it is recommended to rely on a password salt generator each time.
\nThe more unique the combination of the hash, the more secure it is, but the combinations cannot be extremely strange. Combining random characters in the hopes that the password will become more secure can actually backfire sometimes.
\nIt creates interoperability problems and reduces password strength. Never attempt to create crypto hashes and salts on your own. Always use standard designs that have been created by experts to avoid compromising your safety.
\nTo attack a hash, the hacker has to know the algorithm. However, according to Kerckhoff’s Principle, the hacker has access to the source code with which he can easily reverse engineer the algorithm. This access is only possible in free and open-source software.
\nThis is why your hash and salt must come from an external, closed source and server so that it is not easy to locate its origin and hack it. The more secure your link is, the more difficult it is to source the original Salt and hash.
\nMost businesses are not well-versed in the language of password salts and hashes and have to rely on experts for their help. LoginRadius offers a solution to manage passwords for strong authentication.
\nThe CIAM platform offers a comprehensive set of services for the protection of data, including password hashing, salting, password compliance check, password peppering and BYOK (Bring your own key), and data encryption.
\nLoginRadius has also launched a unique password policy that provides additional features such as password complexity, profile password prevention, password expiration, and password history.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 16, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"What Is a Salt and How Does It Boost Security?","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/63cf2bb82c295d4146d34967841d3123/14b42/what-is-salt-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/63cf2bb82c295d4146d34967841d3123/f836f/what-is-salt-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/63cf2bb82c295d4146d34967841d3123/2244e/what-is-salt-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/63cf2bb82c295d4146d34967841d3123/14b42/what-is-salt-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/63cf2bb82c295d4146d34967841d3123/16310/what-is-salt-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Navanita Devi","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/oauth-authentication-vulnerabilities/"},"html":"With the growing use of the internet, cybercriminals are actively hunting for businesses that haven’t implemented user authentication measures precisely.
\nThe most common mistake for any business that usually goes unnoticed is the poor implementation of OAuth, which is an open standard protocol for token-based authentication & authorization.
\nBusinesses leveraging secure login procedures, including social login, may witness certain attacks leading to exposed consumer identities due to poor OAuth implementation.
\nMoreover, the rising number of cyberattacks amid the global pandemic depicts organizations needing to enhance their first line of defense to secure their partners and consumers.
\nHere we’ll be sharing some tips to help businesses avoid OAuth vulnerabilities and maintain a secure environment for their consumers.
\nOAuth defines the standard for token-based authentication and authorization, which allows the client web application to securely obtain a user’s password without direct exposure.
\nOAuth allows users to access certain features of a web application without exposing confidential details to the requesting application.
\nFor instance, if a user needs to sign-up for a new website and prefers to sign-up through their social media profile, it can be done through OAuth working harmoniously in the background.
\nIn a nutshell, OAuth is used to share access to data between applications by defining a series of communications between the user, the resource owner, and the OAuth provider.
\nA good read: Getting Started with OAuth 2.0
\nSince the OAuth specification is quite indistinct and flexible, there are chances of several vulnerabilities that can occur.
\nWhile configuring OAuth, the admin must consider all the major security configurations available, which enhances the overall security of consumers’ data.
\nIn simple words, there are plenty of loopholes if adequate configuration practices aren’t considered while ensuring security for the end-user.
\nApart from this, the fact that OAuth lacks built-in security features and everything relying on the developer’s end is yet another reason for security concerns.
\nSo does it mean that everything depends on the way OAuth is implemented on a platform? Yes, developers adding robust security features, including proper validation, ensure users’ confidential information isn’t breached by attackers during a login session.
\nHere are some helpful tips to enhance the overall security of your web application:
\n1. Always Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)SSL is the first line of defense for your web application or website that helps prevent data breaches, phishing scams, and other similar threats.
\nTalking about OAuth security, the ones that aren’t using SSL are undoubtedly surrendering the confidential information of their users to attackers.
\nAll it takes is a couple of minutes for cybercriminals to sneak into user data by bypassing the basic security if the resource owner doesn’t use SSL.
\n2. Encrypting Clients’ SecretsOne of the biggest mistakes that organizations repeat is storing clients’ crucial data in plaintext instead of encrypted files.
\nBusinesses must understand that if authentication relies entirely on passwords, the databases must contain encrypted files so that attackers can’t gain access to confidential user and business details.
\nUsing a CIAM solution offering data encryption and SSL is perhaps the best option for the highest security while users login to a business website or web application.
\n3. Using Refresh TokensAccess tokens for login must be short-lived, and organizations must emphasize the use of refresh tokens for maximum security.
\nRefresh tokens play a crucial role in improving the overall safety in cyberspace. They can automatically end a session if a user on the website is idle for some time and offer access again without entering the credentials (for a predefined time).
\nThus, the user would be forced to log in again but need not enter the credentials, which eventually decreases the risk of a security breach since the previous session already expired.
\n4. Choose Short Lifetime for Token AccessThe lifetime for both access tokens and refresh tokens should be short to ensure the tokens aren’t active for a long time, which again may lead to a security threat.
\nFor critical applications dealing with finances or other crucial information about consumers, the access token lifetime should be kept short and not exceed 60 seconds.
\n5. SSL Certificate CheckWeb applications and websites can be protected from attackers by ensuring SSL security is enabled. The web browser warns if the website lacks an SSL certificate or is expired.
\nIn a mobile application, the development team needs to ensure that their website is well secured with a proper SSL certificate.
\nCertain loopholes in the implementation phase of the OAuth protocol could cause considerable losses to organizations that are collecting user data.
\nAvoiding implementation mistakes is the only way to ensure maximum safety for consumers and employees of an organization.
\nThe aforementioned methods are proven to minimize security threats and ensure seamless interaction between the end-user and resource owner.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"April 01, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"5 Tips to Prevent OAuth Authentication Vulnerabilities","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/5f4b371bdfb27e227ace6ed547158a78/14b42/OAuth-authentication-vulnerabilities-cover.jpg","srcSet":"/static/5f4b371bdfb27e227ace6ed547158a78/f836f/OAuth-authentication-vulnerabilities-cover.jpg 200w,\n/static/5f4b371bdfb27e227ace6ed547158a78/2244e/OAuth-authentication-vulnerabilities-cover.jpg 400w,\n/static/5f4b371bdfb27e227ace6ed547158a78/14b42/OAuth-authentication-vulnerabilities-cover.jpg 800w,\n/static/5f4b371bdfb27e227ace6ed547158a78/16310/OAuth-authentication-vulnerabilities-cover.jpg 1024w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Vishal Sharma","github":null,"avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/top-10-cybersecurity-predictions-for-2021-that-smbs-must-know/"},"html":"The global pandemic has forced business executives to reconsider their cybersecurity strategies. According to an IDC report, business spending on security solutions is expected to touch $175 billion by 2024. At the same time, 71% of security professionals have reported an increase in online threats since the start of the global lockdown in 2020.
\nSo, how should corporations, including small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), respond to this existential threat? What should be the key focus areas that the IT and security teams should focus on?
\nTo answer these questions, let's discuss the top ten cybersecurity predictions for SMBs in 2021.
\nDriven by the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are rushing towards remote work or the “work from home” model. As a result, cybercriminals will be targeting home-based networks and infrastructure to exploit any security vulnerability. This prediction could lead to an increase in ransomware and phishing attacks designed to extract sensitive information.
\nEnhanced user awareness about cybersecurity is the best preventive measure to stop such attacks. Apart from effective security policies, organizations must train remote-working employees on the best cybersecurity practices.
\nAccording to Security Boulevard, more than 60,000 phishing websites were created in the year 2020 alone. One in every eight corporate employees has shared sensitive information on phishing websites. In recent years, phishing attacks have become more personalized and targeted, making them a potent threat to any business.
\nTargeted phishing attacks are one of the leading cybersecurity threats that SMBs should prepare to encounter this year.
\nLast year, despite the pandemic, hackers actively targeted healthcare and pharma companies and spread fake news about vaccine development. Data breaches in the healthcare sector peaked in 2020 and are expected to continue in the short-term future.
\n\nMcKinsey predicts that the healthcare industry will be among the top four spenders in cybersecurity solutions in the coming decade. Apart from increasing their spending, SME players in the healthcare sector also need to evaluate their security infrastructure to counter these cyber threats.
\nGoing ahead, the increased adoption of AI and machine-learning tools will be among the leading cybersecurity predictions for SMBs and other enterprises. The sheer complexity of cyberthreats will require advanced technologies like machine learning to detect and correct the most severe issues.
\nSMBs can use advanced ML algorithms to analyze incoming threats and take preventive actions. According to Alan Braithwaite of Ivanti, “AI and ML technologies allow connected devices to heal and secure themselves by as much as 80%.”
\nAmong the top trends in cybersecurity predictions for SMBs, Thycotic predicts that cloud security will emerge as a critical security standard in 2021. With more organizations moving to the cloud infrastructure, there have been growing security concerns caused due to misconfiguration, outages, and bugs.
\nTo counter such threats, organizations are adopting predictive security that can detect threats in advance. The last three years have seen a 261% ROI for the predictive security market.
\nAs one of the key developments in data privacy, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been enacted across the European Union. It requires businesses to protect EU citizens' personal data and privacy while doing business within the EU.
\nCompliance with GDPR or similar data protection laws like the CCPA will be one key cybersecurity trend to watch out for in the next decade.
\nIn addition to remote working, online education has been among the significant beneficiaries of the global pandemic. With schools and universities switching to online or e-learning platforms, this industry witnessed a 30% increase in cyberattacks in August 2020. Primarily aimed at stealing student or research data, cybersecurity attacks in the online education space will disrupt learning activities over the next decade.
\nPlayers in the online education sector need to implement a robust security architecture that includes cloud access and end-to-end protection.
\nThe rollout of 5G connectivity is boosting the number of smart devices or IoT technologies. Global spending on IoT technologies reached $742 billion in 2020.
\nThe prevalence of connected IoT devices is also a prime target for hackers as they look for any prevailing vulnerability in IoT networks. SMBs need to have complete visibility into their connected IoT devices to detect and fix any security flaw.
\nA 2019 cybercrime whitepaper revealed that 70% of fraud transactions occurred on mobile devices and platforms and resulted in data losses, data tampering, and malware infections. Due to the influx of mobile apps, most users share their data, such as their contact details and messages with the concerning mobile companies.
\nAs mobile devices become more prevalent, mobile users being targeted by hackers are among the top cybersecurity predictions for SMBs.
\nAccording to a 2019 report, banking and financial services are 300 times more prone to cyberattacks than any other industry. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks on financial institutions spiked by 238%.
\nSome of the common threats faced by the financial services industry include phishing attacks, data breaches, and malware threats.
\nFor SMBs, the global market for cybersecurity solutions is expected to touch $80 billion in the future. This article has highlighted ten of the biggest cybersecurity predictions for SMBs in the coming decade.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"March 19, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"Top 10 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2021 That SMBs Must Know","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/14b42/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg","srcSet":"/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/f836f/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 200w,\n/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/2244e/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 400w,\n/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/14b42/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 800w,\n/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/47498/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 1200w,\n/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/0e329/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 1600w,\n/static/ee34be040f3f942d6c733f70413edbf5/21d0b/cybersecurity-loginradius.jpg 5184w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/7-web-app-sec-threats/"},"html":"Each year, attackers develop inventive web application security threats to compromise sensitive data and access their targets' database. Consequently, security experts build on the exploited vulnerabilities and strengthen their systems through their learnings every year.
\nThe aggregate frequency and cost of data breaches seem to be growing exponentially. This cost is high (approx. US$8.64 million in the US in 2020) because of developers' inability to incorporate the latest changes and updates into their code to overcome already detected vulnerabilities. Unintuitively, 96% of web apps have some known defects and anomalies.
\nTo ensure adequate safety against web application security threats, businesses should incorporate security consideration in the applications' development phase. Unfortunately, most developers tend to hold it off until the end.
\nA web app that is vulnerable to injection attacks accepts untrusted data from an input field without any proper sanitation. By typing code into an input field, the attacker can trick the server into interpreting it as a system command and thereby act as the attacker intended.
\nSome common injection attacks include SQL injections, Cross-Site Scripting, Email Header Injection, etc. These attacks could lead to unauthorized access to databases and exploitation of admin privileges.
\nHow to prevent:
\nBroken authentication is an umbrella term given to vulnerabilities wherein authentication and session management tokens are inadequately implemented.
\nThis improper implementation allows hackers to make claims over a legitimate user’s identity, access their sensitive data, and potentially exploit the designated ID privileges.
\nHow to prevent:
\nIt is an injection-based client-side attack. At its core, this attack involves injecting malicious code in a website application to execute them in the victims’ browsers eventually. Any application that doesn’t validate untrusted data adequately is vulnerable to such attacks.
\nSuccessful implementation results in theft of user session IDs, website defacing, and redirection to malicious sites (thereby allowing phishing attacks).
\nHow to prevent:
\n
\nMostly through manipulation of the URL, an attacker gains access to database items belonging to other users. For instance, the reference to a database object is exposed in the URL.
The vulnerability exists when someone can edit the URL to access other similar critical information (such as monthly salary slips) without additional authorization.
\nHow to prevent:
\n
\nAccording to OWASP top 10 2017, this is the most common web application security threats found across web applications. This vulnerability exists because developers and administrators “forget” to change some default settings such as default passwords, usernames, reference IDs, error messages, etc.
Given how easy it is to detect and exploit default settings that were initially placed to accommodate a simple user experience, the implications of such a vulnerability can be vast once the website is live: from admin privileges to complete database access.
\n\nHow to prevent:
\nPretty much every website redirects a user to other web pages. When the credibility of this redirection is not assessed, the website leaves itself vulnerable to such URL based attacks.
\nA malicious actor can redirect users to phishing sites or sites containing malware. Phishers search for this vulnerability extensively since it makes it easier for them to gain user trust.
\nHow to prevent:
\n
\nThe seventh web application security threats in this list is mostly similar to IDOR. The core differentiating factor between the two is that IDOR tends to give the attacker access to information in the database.
In contrast, Missing_ Function Level Access Control _allows the attacker access to special functions and features that should not be available to any typical user.
\nLike, IDOR, access to these functions can be gained through URL manipulation as well.
\nHow to prevent:
\nDNS cache poisoning, also known as DNS spoofing, is a cyber-attack that exploits the weaknesses in the Domain Name System (DNS) servers. It enables the attacker to poison the data in DNS servers, including your company server, by providing false information to your internet traffic and diverting it to fake servers. This is done by redirecting the data in DNS to their IP address.
\nDNS cache poisoning utilizes the vulnerabilities in the DNS protocols' security to divert internet traffic away from legitimate servers to the wrong address.
\nDNS cache poisoning is effectively used for phishing attacks, often referred to as Pharming, for spreading malware. In the background, the malware runs and connects with the legitimate servers to steal sensitive information.
\nWhen the DNS server is attacked, users may be requested to login into their accounts, and the attacker finds its way to steal the sensitive and financial credentials.
\nMoreover, phishing attacks also install viruses on the client's computer to exploit the stored data for long term access.
\nDNS spoofing is a threat that copies the legitimate server destinations to divert the domain's traffic. Ignorant of these attacks, the users are redirected to malicious websites, which results in insensitive and personal data being leaked.
\nIt is a method of attack where your DNS server is tricked into saving a fake DNS entry. This will make the DNS server recall a fake site for you, thereby posing a threat to vital information stored on your server or computer.
\nThe cache poisoning codes are often found in URLs sent through spam emails. These emails are sent to prompt users to click on the URL, which infects their computer.
\nWhen the computer is poisoned, it will divert you to a fake IP address that looks like a real thing. This way, the threats are injected into your systems as well.
\nThe attacker proceeds to send DNS queries to the DNS resolver, which forwards the Root/TLD authoritative DNS server request and awaits an answer.
\nThe attacker overloads the DNS with poisoned responses that contain several IP addresses of the malicious website.
\nTo be accepted by the DNS resolver, the attacker's response should match a port number and the query ID field before the DNS response.
\nAlso, the attackers can force its response to increasing their chance of success.
\nIf you are a legitimate user who queries this DNS resolver, you will get a poisoned response from the cache, and you will be automatically redirected to the malicious website.
\nNow that we know what is DNS cache poisoning let's understand how to detect it.
\nOne way is to monitor the DNS server for any change in behavior patterns. Also, you can apply data security to DNS monitoring.
\nAnother way is to look for a potential birthday attack. This occurs when there is a sudden increase in DNS activity from a single source in a single domain. When there is an increase in the DNS activity from a single source, querying your DNS server for multiple domain names without recurring shows that the attacker is looking for a DNS entry for poisoning.
\nMonitor the file system behavior and active directory events for any abnormal activities. You can use analytics for correlating activities among three vectors to add important information to your cybersecurity strategy.
\nWhen the DNS server is poisoned, it will start spreading towards other DNS servers and home routers. Computers that lookup DNS entries will get the wrong response by causing more users to end up as victims of DNS poisoning.
\nThis issue will be resolved only when the poisoned DNS cache is cleared on each affected DNS server; you are at risk of losing your precious information until then.
\nOne of the major reasons DNS cache poisoning is highly dangerous is that it can spread from one DNS server to another.
\nHere are a few DNS poisoning attack examples-
\nA DNS poisoning event had resulted in the Great Firewall of China's temporary escape from China's national borders by censoring the internet in the USA till the problem was resolved.
\nRecently, attackers targeted WikiLeaks, who used a DNS Cache poisoning attack for hijacking traffic to their WikiLeaks like version. This intentional attack was created to divert the traffic away from WikiLeaks and was implemented successfully.
\nIf you are a DNS service provider or a website owner, you have a huge responsibility for safeguarding your users by using various tools and protocols to manage the threats.
\nSome of the resources we have specified will help you in this regard.
\nTo avoid making your users vulnerable to a DNS poisoning attack, you can use the specified tips.
\nDNS cache poisoning can be summarised as an attacker controlling the DNS server to send fake DNS responses. As a result, when the user visits the counterfeit domains, they will be directed to a new IP address selected by the hacker.
\nThis new IP address might be from a malicious phishing website, where the users are prompted to download malware, or they might be asked to provide their financial or login details.
\nHence, understanding what is DNS cache poisoning, how to detect it, and ways to prevent it is crucial so you can protect your business against it.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"January 13, 2021","updated_date":null,"title":"DNS Cache Poisoning: Why Is It Dangerous for Your Business","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.408450704225352,"src":"/static/f31909dafa2f358eea05d48bd9c92886/9a31d/dns-cache-poisoning-is-dangerous-for-your-business.jpg","srcSet":"/static/f31909dafa2f358eea05d48bd9c92886/f836f/dns-cache-poisoning-is-dangerous-for-your-business.jpg 200w,\n/static/f31909dafa2f358eea05d48bd9c92886/2244e/dns-cache-poisoning-is-dangerous-for-your-business.jpg 400w,\n/static/f31909dafa2f358eea05d48bd9c92886/9a31d/dns-cache-poisoning-is-dangerous-for-your-business.jpg 767w","sizes":"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/what-to-do-when-email-hacked/"},"html":"Emails hacked are the golden words for a hacker to access your personal information and get access to all your accounts. Recovery from a hack is exceptionally time-sensitive because we connect everything from online banking to other online portals with our emails. If you want to mitigate the harm to your identity, finances and protect those around you, you'll have to act quickly and carefully.
\nYou're probably wondering, \"my account is hacked. How do I repair it?\" If you're a little luckier, you may not be entirely sure that you were hacked. But before (or after) you start to panic, calm down, and go through the article to prevent further damage.
\nOne of these four instances could be the reason your inbox was most likely compromised:
\nYou've been hacked when:
\nHere is an article which talks about what to do when your email is compromised during a data breach.
\nIf your email address has been hacked, what should you do? It's not good enough to get your password changed. And you'll want to make sure the hacker hasn't set up your account to let him get back in or to keep spamming after he's locked out. To get things back in order and keep hackers out of your account for good, follow these seven steps to fix it and prevent any future incident.
\nHave a malware scan run daily. If your account is compromised, search for malware or traces of malware that could be running on your device immediately. Most hackers gather passwords using malware that has been mounted on your gadget (or mobile phone if you have a smartphone). Be sure that your antivirus and anti-malware programs are up to date, no matter which operating system you use.
\nChoose a setting that will update your device automatically when there are new security patches available. Conduct an end-to-end scan of your computer if you're not using an antivirus program.
\nIt's time to update your password until your device is free from malware. You will need to directly contact the email provider, verify who you are, and ask for a password reset if you have lost access to your account.
\nPlease choose a unique password that varies markedly from your old one and make sure that it does not contain repetitive character strings or numbers. Keep away from passwords with obvious links to your name, your birthday, or similar personal information.
\nThis knowledge can be quickly identified by hackers and also used in their first attempts at brute force to access your account. Here is a list of the worst passwords in 2019 to understand how to create a strong password.
\nYou are more likely to open it and click on links inside it when an email comes from someone you know - even if the topic is strange. Help stop the malware from spreading by warning those on your contact list to be careful not to click on the links and to be cautious about any email sent by you that does not seem right.
\nLet the people in your contact list know that your email has been compromised and that any suspicious emails should not be opened or connected to any emails you have recently got.
\n\nIf your email account has been compromised from a computer or location that does not fit your usual use habits, the cybercriminal may need to address a security question correctly. And if the items are general, such as (Q: what's the name of your brother? A: John), that may not be that difficult to guess. Here is a quick guide to choosing a good security question to help you further.
\nThis is time-consuming but an effort worth making. Make sure you change all other accounts that use the same username and password as your compromised email. For multiple accounts, hackers love it when we use the same logins.
\nIf you've been hacked, an ID authentication program is another idea worth considering. Usually, these platforms provide email and online account tracking in real-time. In the case of identity fraud, they also typically offer credit score reporting and personal assistance.
\nBe sure to look for businesses with a good track record, as this form of security is often associated with high costs.
\nIn addition to your password, set your email account to require a second form of authentication if you log into your email account from a new computer. When signing in, you will also need to enter a special one-time use code that the platform will text to your phone or generate via an app.
\nAs an additional security measure, several email providers provide two-factor authentication (2FA). To access an account, this approach requires both a password and some other form of identification.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"December 03, 2020","updated_date":null,"title":"Email is Hacked!: 7 Immediate Steps To Follow","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.408450704225352,"src":"/static/2d6421da4f9e2108cfddd0de87218065/9a31d/what-to-do-when-email-is-hacked.jpg","srcSet":"/static/2d6421da4f9e2108cfddd0de87218065/f836f/what-to-do-when-email-is-hacked.jpg 200w,\n/static/2d6421da4f9e2108cfddd0de87218065/2244e/what-to-do-when-email-is-hacked.jpg 400w,\n/static/2d6421da4f9e2108cfddd0de87218065/9a31d/what-to-do-when-email-is-hacked.jpg 767w","sizes":"(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/engineering/secure-enclave-ios-app/"},"html":"The Secure Enclave is a hardware-based key manager that’s isolated from the main processor to provide an extra layer of security. Using a secure enclave, we can create the key, securely store the key, and perform operations with the key. Thus makes it difficult for the key to be compromised.
\nWe usually save data persistently in the app using UserDefaults, Keychain, Core Data or SQLite.\nFor example, To save the session of logged in user, we save username and password. But this process puts our data at high-security risk. So it's always recommended to store sensitive data in an encrypted format. But again, it's a challenge to secure keys used in encryption/decryption.
\nNow here Secure Enclave comes in the role.
\nIn this blog, we will use Secure Enclave to generate key pair and use those in encryption/decryption of sensitive data further.
\nHere I will create a wrapper to generate key pair using Secure Enclave and use them to encrypt/decrypt sensitive data. And also a viewcontroller to show how to use a wrapper to get encrypted and decrypted data.\nYou may implement wrapper's methods as common methods and use wherever needed in the project. But its recommended to use a separate wrapper for handling communication with Secure Enclave.
\nI have created .h and .m files named as SecEnclaveWrapper as a subclass of NSObject.\nIn .h file I am declaring function for being accessible from other classes like:
\n/**\nReturn encrypted value of data using kSecKeyAlgorithmECIESEncryptionStandardX963SHA256AESGCM algo\n*/\n- (NSData *_Nonnull)encryptData:(NSData *_Nonnull)data ;\n\n/**\nReturn decryrpted data of encrypted data using kSecKeyAlgorithmECIESEncryptionStandardX963SHA256AESGCM algo\n*/\n- (NSData *_Nonnull)decryptData:(NSData *_Nonnull)data ;\n\n/**\nReturn an initialized instance of the wrapper\n*/\n- (instancetype)init;Then in .m file, define the following methods as :
\nThe method init initializes and returns the object of this wrapper class. And 'encryptData' and 'decryptData' method return encrypted data and decrypted data of encrypted data, respectively.
- (instancetype)init {\n self = [super init];\n \n if(![self lookupPublicKeyRef] || ![self lookupPrivateKeyRef])\n [self generatePasscodeKeyPair];\n \n return self;\n}\n- (NSData *)encryptData:(NSData *)data {\n if (data && data.length) {\n \n CFDataRef cipher = SecKeyCreateEncryptedData(publicKeyRef, kSecKeyAlgorithmECIESEncryptionStandardX963SHA256AESGCM, (CFDataRef)data, nil);\n \n return (__bridge NSData *)cipher;\n } else {\n return nil;\n \n }\n}\n- (NSData*)decryptData:(NSData *)data {\n \n if(data && data.length){\n \n CFDataRef plainData = SecKeyCreateDecryptedData(privateKeyRef, kSecKeyAlgorithmECIESEncryptionStandardX963SHA256AESGCM, (CFDataRef)data, nil);\n return (__bridge NSData *)plainData;\n }\n else {\n return nil;\n }\n}The 'lookupPublicKeyRef' method below will lookup keychain for public key & 'lookupPrivateKeyRef' method search for the private key and return key if found.
\n- (SecKeyRef) lookupPublicKeyRef\n{\n OSStatus sanityCheck = noErr;\n NSData *tag;\n id keyClass;\n \n if (publicKeyRef != NULL) {\n // if already resides in memory, return\n return publicKeyRef;\n }\n tag = [kPublicKeyName dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];\n keyClass = (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyClassPublic;\n \n \n NSDictionary *queryDict = @{\n \n (__bridge id) kSecClass : (__bridge id) kSecClassKey,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyType : (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyTypeEC,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrApplicationTag : tag,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyClass : keyClass,\n (__bridge id) kSecReturnRef : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanTrue\n };\n //else look key in keychain and return\n sanityCheck = SecItemCopyMatching((__bridge CFDictionaryRef) queryDict, (CFTypeRef *) &publicKeyRef);\n if (sanityCheck != errSecSuccess) {\n NSLog(@"Error trying to retrieve key from server. sanityCheck: %d", (int)sanityCheck);\n }\n \n return publicKeyRef;\n}\n- (SecKeyRef) lookupPrivateKeyRef\n{\n CFMutableDictionaryRef getPrivateKeyRef = newCFDict;\n CFDictionarySetValue(getPrivateKeyRef, kSecClass, kSecClassKey);\n CFDictionarySetValue(getPrivateKeyRef, kSecAttrKeyClass, kSecAttrKeyClassPrivate);\n CFDictionarySetValue(getPrivateKeyRef, kSecAttrLabel, kPrivateKeyName);\n CFDictionarySetValue(getPrivateKeyRef, kSecReturnRef, kCFBooleanTrue);\n \n OSStatus status = SecItemCopyMatching(getPrivateKeyRef, (CFTypeRef *)&privateKeyRef);\n if (status == errSecItemNotFound)\n return nil;\n \n return (SecKeyRef)privateKeyRef;\n}The following methods will actually deal with Secure Enclave to generate a private key and public key.
\n- (bool) generatePasscodeKeyPair\n{\n CFErrorRef error = NULL;\n SecAccessControlRef sacObject = SecAccessControlCreateWithFlags(\n kCFAllocatorDefault,\n kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly,\n kSecAccessControlPrivateKeyUsage,\n &error\n );\n \n if (error != errSecSuccess) {\n NSLog(@"Generating key pair, error: %@\\n", error);\n }\n \n return [self generateKeyPairWithAccessControlObject:sacObject];\n}\n\n- (bool) generateKeyPairWithAccessControlObject:(SecAccessControlRef)accessControlRef\n{\n // create dictionary of private key \n CFMutableDictionaryRef accessControlDict = newCFDict;;\n#if !TARGET_IPHONE_SIMULATOR\n \n CFDictionaryAddValue(accessControlDict, kSecAttrAccessControl, accessControlRef);\n#endif\n CFDictionaryAddValue(accessControlDict, kSecAttrIsPermanent, kCFBooleanTrue);\n CFDictionaryAddValue(accessControlDict, kSecAttrLabel, kPrivateKeyName);\n \n // create dictionary for saving key into keychain\n CFMutableDictionaryRef generatePairRef = newCFDict;\n#if !TARGET_IPHONE_SIMULATOR\n \n CFDictionaryAddValue(generatePairRef, kSecAttrTokenID, kSecAttrTokenIDSecureEnclave);\n#endif\n CFDictionaryAddValue(generatePairRef, kSecAttrKeyType, kSecAttrKeyTypeEC);\n CFDictionaryAddValue(generatePairRef, kSecAttrKeySizeInBits, (__bridge const void *)([NSNumber numberWithInt:256]));\n CFDictionaryAddValue(generatePairRef, kSecPrivateKeyAttrs, accessControlDict);\n \n OSStatus status = SecKeyGeneratePair(generatePairRef, &publicKeyRef, &privateKeyRef);\n \n if (status != errSecSuccess){\n NSLog(@"Error trying to retrieve key from server. sanityCheck: %d", (int)status);\n \n return NO;\n }\n [self savePublicKeyFromRef:publicKeyRef];\n return YES;\n}The private key is generated and stored in Secure Enclave which cannot be directly used. Whereas public key have to be stored manually in keychain by following method.
\n- (bool) savePublicKeyFromRef:(SecKeyRef)publicKeyRef\n{ OSStatus sanityCheck = noErr;\n NSData *tag;\n id keyClass;\n \n \n tag = [kPublicKeyName dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];\n keyClass = (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyClassPublic;\n \n \n NSDictionary *saveDict = @{\n \n (__bridge id) kSecClass : (__bridge id) kSecClassKey,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyType : (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyTypeEC,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrApplicationTag : tag,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeyClass : keyClass,\n (__bridge id) kSecValueData : (__bridge NSData *)SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation(publicKeyRef,nil),\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrKeySizeInBits : [NSNumber numberWithUnsignedInteger:256],\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrEffectiveKeySize : [NSNumber numberWithUnsignedInteger:256],\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanDerive : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanFalse,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanEncrypt : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanTrue,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanDecrypt : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanFalse,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanVerify : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanTrue,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanSign : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanFalse,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanWrap : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanTrue,\n (__bridge id) kSecAttrCanUnwrap : (__bridge id) kCFBooleanFalse\n };\n sanityCheck = SecItemAdd((__bridge CFDictionaryRef) saveDict, (CFTypeRef *)&publicKeyRef);\n if (sanityCheck != errSecSuccess) {\n NSLog(@"Error trying to retrieve key from server. sanityCheck: %d", (int)sanityCheck);\n \n }\n \n return publicKeyRef;\n}Now I am creating ViewController.h and .m files. In viewDidLoad in .m file, having a string to be stored in UserDefaults. I will encrypt this string by a private key generated above and then store persistently encrypted data for later use.
\n- (void)viewDidLoad {\n [super viewDidLoad];\n NSString *strDatatosave = @"example data to save";\n NSString *bundleIdentifier = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundleIdentifier];\n NSString *strGroupID = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"group.%@",bundleIdentifier];\n SecEnclaveWrapper *keychainItem = [[SecEnclaveWrapper alloc] init];\n \n NSData *encrypted = [keychainItem encryptData:[strDatatosave dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]];\n NSString *strEncrypted = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:encrypted encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];\n NSLog(@"encrypted string %@",strEncrypted);\n \n NSData *decrypted =[keychainItem decryptData:encrypted];\n NSString *strDecrypted = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:decrypted encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];\n \n NSLog(@"decrypted string as real string%@",strDecrypted);\n\n}In this blog, we learned about the basics of key generation via Secure Enclave and encryption and decryption using keys.\nBy default, key-pairs are generated in the Secure Enclave. The private key is available only at creation time and can not be obtained later as it is saved in Secure Enclave. Operations can be performed with it without exposing it to user code. Only Public Key will be stored and retrieved.
\nYou can find the complete repository link here
\nThanks for reading the blog. For detailed information and execution example of this blog, please refer to the video below:
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"October 13, 2020","updated_date":null,"title":"Secure Enclave in iOS App","tags":["ios","security","data","encryption","private key","xcode"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.5037593984962405,"src":"/static/69f1d98b07ca23af682918f3250280ff/14b42/CoverImage.jpg","srcSet":"/static/69f1d98b07ca23af682918f3250280ff/f836f/CoverImage.jpg 200w,\n/static/69f1d98b07ca23af682918f3250280ff/2244e/CoverImage.jpg 400w,\n/static/69f1d98b07ca23af682918f3250280ff/14b42/CoverImage.jpg 800w,\n/static/69f1d98b07ca23af682918f3250280ff/9842e/CoverImage.jpg 900w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}},"author":{"id":"Tanvi Jain","github":"tanvijn","avatar":null}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/securing-enterprise-mobile-apps/"},"html":"If enterprise mobile apps are the future of businesses, we are already living in the future. With the growing popularity of technologies like 5G, blockchain, AI, and machine language, more and more companies are integrating their corporate processes with mobile platforms.
\nSome of these primary capabilities include the management of security, IT infrastructure, content, salesforce, human resource, business intelligence (BI), billing system, and product catalogs.
\nNo doubt, mobile applications are gradually becoming a staple in enterprises.
\nWith all the good that's going around, it is crucial that we flip and try to see through the other side of the scenario.
\nMobile will take over the enterprise software universe very soon. Almost three-quarters of internet users (that sums up to 72.6 percent) will use mobile to access the web by 2025.
\nNo wonder, businesses of all sizes are making the shift towards enterprise mobile apps.
\nWhat could go wrong? It turns out, a lot. Even a well-established enterprise can fail spectacularly—with respect to security—when they take on mobile.
\nZimperium's 2019 State of Enterprise Mobile Security findings below highlights the nuances:
\nMobile security is at the epicenter of an enterprise's concern today. After all, nearly all employees now regularly access corporate data on mobile. You need to keep confidential information out of the wrong hands, and that's an intricate puzzle in itself.
\nFollowing are the major threats security teams need to deal with:
\nImproper Session Handling: Most applications use tokens to allow users to perform multiple actions without re-authenticating their identity every time. Improper session handling happens when apps involuntarily exchange session tokens (for example, with the bad guys), they can exploit the website and the corporate network, altogether.
\nInsecure data storage: There are many vulnerable places in an application where data can be stored: binary data stores, SQL databases, and cookie stores are a few. Majority of these vulnerabilities are triggered by the OS, frameworks, and compilers involved. Often, the poor storage of data results from inadequate processes to manage device gallery and data cache.
\n\nImproper encryption: Encryption is the method of translating data into an unreadable code that is only usable with the secret key after it has been re-translated. Therefore, it is important to evaluate how easy or difficult it might be to crack your application's secret code. This is a common vulnerability that hackers exploit with code and intellectual property theft, leading to privacy violations, and damage to reputation.
\nMobile ad fraud: With the amount of revenue generated by mobile advertising every year, it is no surprise that cybercriminals are after all the cash that can be duped from mobile ad revenue streams. One of the most common types of ad fraud is using malware to generate fraudulent clicks on ads that appear to come from real uses. Ad fraud malware often runs in the background and can overheat the battery, incur high data charges, and make users lose millions of dollars.
\nHuman error from remote workers: Human error is perhaps one of the most commonly observed cybersecurity threats. Despite the steady rise in mass media reporting of cybersecurity accidents, the non-technical population still lacks basic security knowledge. Your responsibility as an enterprise owner is to educate employees on mobile security threats and prevent cybercriminals from accessing a device or network.
\nA holistic approach to security for mobile devices is regarded as an essential part of a security ecosystem. Keeping data storage and application management at the center, here's what the entire ecosystem looks like.
\nLoginRadius, a consumer identity and access management (CIAM) solution, offers a comprehensive approach to protecting enterprise mobile applications. While human error is unavoidable, the platform is an all-in-one solution for all mobile security needs. Some of the features include:
\nThe most efficient mobile security involves intelligent device identification. This describes the emergence and development of identity and access management services like LoginRadius, which offers a host of advantages:
\nMFA is ideally a kind of authentication granted on the server-side and is available after successful authorization. LoginRadius ensures that all user data is encrypted and accessed only after all credentials are successfully validated. Moreover, it creates different authentication tokens for different devices.
\nLoginRadius takes an integrated approach when it comes to responding to mobile threats. It offers a thread of risk management and information security features to prevent cyberattacks or upcoming mobile app vulnerabilities from happening.
\nLoginRadius defends user data by profoundly analyzing the issue that may exist and produces defense strategies accordingly. It keeps you well-informed about how different operating systems, external APIs, platforms, and enterprise mobile frameworks store and transfer their data.
\nSadly, very few companies have a well-secured management policy, while still a lot of others lack absolute power.
\nEnterprise mobile app security is the need of the hour. Businesses must consider the changing state of cybersecurity and mobility when implementing the above-mentioned protection tips to secure their devices.
\n\n","frontmatter":{"date":"August 07, 2020","updated_date":null,"title":"Securing Enterprise Mobile Apps with LoginRadius","tags":["security"],"coverImage":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"aspectRatio":1.408450704225352,"src":"/static/aecf6bc1006634031f22240252ba32e4/33aa5/Secure-Enterprise-Mobile-App.jpg","srcSet":"/static/aecf6bc1006634031f22240252ba32e4/f836f/Secure-Enterprise-Mobile-App.jpg 200w,\n/static/aecf6bc1006634031f22240252ba32e4/2244e/Secure-Enterprise-Mobile-App.jpg 400w,\n/static/aecf6bc1006634031f22240252ba32e4/33aa5/Secure-Enterprise-Mobile-App.jpg 768w","sizes":"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px"}}},"author":{"id":"Rakesh Soni","github":"oyesoni","avatar":"rakesh-soni.jpg"}}}},{"node":{"fields":{"slug":"/identity/online-casino-and-gambling-cyber-threat/"},"html":"The online gambling industry is one of the potential sectors that may make it through the pandemic with the least possible damage. In fact, according to a study by the GrandViewResearch, online gambling is about to witness massive growth, and in the US alone, it will reach a value of $102.9 billion by 2025.
\nNo wonder the online gambling ecosystem is at its finest phase!
\nWith the COVID-19 situation confining people to their homes, there's a lot more population playing on the internet. They have even outperformed their physical counterparts by massive numbers.
\nIn an environment where gambling occurs online, thousands of billions of casino money are transacted via credit and debit cards, wire transfers, and e-wallets. It is no surprise that gambling companies are one of the most favorable targets for scammers and hackers.
\nCybercriminals target their resources in two major ways: one they steal the obvious - money and the other they look for confidential data shared by gamblers online.
\nNeedless-to-say, the online gambling industry, therefore, needs to take the necessary steps to build safe and secure platforms for casino operators and consumers at large.
\nThe online gambling industry has undergone various changes over the past decades and is simultaneously expected to exhibit numerous transformations in the years to come.
\nFor example, the online gambling market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5% from 2020 to 2027. That's huge!
\nIt is no brainer that the customer's habit evolves with time. Social gambling and the rising popularity of gambling applications are some of the biggest indicators in this regard. Players can now easily compete on leaderboards and participate in social slots, whenever they want to. Mobile technology has been a massive influence on people with a huge percentage of the world's population owning a smartphone. Casinos are more than ever investing in gaming applications and creating mobile-friendly games. It seems like mobile games will soon take over their desktop competition. Source: www.grandviewresearch.com The world is getting pretty serious about gambling. Some countries have already legalized online gambling, while others are looking forward to making a move in 2020. For example, Belarus legalized online casinos in 2019, Ukraine introduced a bill to legalize gaming. Russia has simplified the identification procedure required in betting, and even the UK accepted the obligatory requirements related to customer identification. Another milestone in online gambling is probably the rapid evolution of live casinos. Games are carried out by dealers with professional lighting and sound equipment from exclusive studios. Then, cameras are mounted at various room angles, so players can witness everything that's happening inside the studio. Going forward, the concept of a live casino will gain even more popularity. In 2020, reducing the effects of cyber attacks and online fraud is crucial to sustaining the online gambling industry. Hackers are becoming extremely advanced, using tools and implementing sophisticated techniques like signal manipulation through fake apps and app-based hacking to breach data and break down online security protocols. Besides, Statista.com estimates that the global online gambling market will be valued at more than $94 billion USD in 2024 - meaning more the figure, more the risk of cybercrime. Expediting gameplay abuse is not new to the casino and online gambling industry. It is an automated threat that utilizes bots to speed up time-consuming actions, mostly to offer unfair advantages to players by violating rules in the gameplay. Expediting attacks decline user appeal, result in loss of subscription revenue, and may even risk your reputation as an online game service provider. In Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, hackers flood gambling sites with an unexpected surge of traffic, leading to insignificant delays in loading times or completely crashing your website. Most naturally, players lose interest in the gambling company and jump off to their competitors. Scraping is another automated attack where hackers use bots to steal data from APIs, websites, and databases and consequently use those to exploit gambling operations. Scrapers often lead to increased risk of latency on gambling sites using excessive bandwidth with their requests, making legitimate customers suffer from long load times. Account takeover attack is a complex challenge for the online gambling industry. Hackers gain illegal access to a genuine user profile to perform payment or identity fraud. In the gambling space, they steal players' resources and sell them on the dark market. They lure victims into accepting malicious friend requesting or by clicking on infected links. A Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attack happens when a hacker feeds infected SQL statements to take over the database server and add, modify, or delete data according to their will. By breaking into application security measures, hackers can easily pass through validation and approval checkpoints. This method of attack is mostly used by attackers to gain access over personal data, intellectual properties of gamblers, customer information, gaming secrets, and more. LoginRadius is a powerful customer identity and access management (CIAM) platform that protects online gamblers' identity and prevents even the most sophisticated bots from infecting the gaming provider. It detects and blocks automated threats, including expediting, scraping, account takeover, DDoS, and more. Here's how the LoginRadius platform protects the gaming industry from malicious bot attacks and significantly improving customer experience. Adhering to the COVID situation and keeping social distancing in mind, more and more people are turning to the multi-billion dollar gambling industry to find solace. Protecting online casinos, betting, and gambling site from malicious bots is a big deal. With the ongoing pandemic situation, gambling providers should primarily focus on ensuring that gambling is fair, crime-free, and protects minors. A CIAM platform can help you tap all these touchpoints. Despite years of battling, and a massive change in the way American's use debit and credit cards, the rate of identity fraud has soared in 2017. According to Javelin Strategy & Research's annual Identity Fraud Study, the number of identity fraud victims in the United States has increased by 8%. Learn more about how LoginRadius can help secure your customers data. Phishing attacks are on the rise, and they are unfortunately more sophisticated than ever. In the past, identity theft could be seen as a common subject in blockbusters or police drama TV series. Today, however, phishing is a reality that could affect anyone. So why are these types of attacks on the rise? After all, phishing is not exactly a new concept. The reason is they are incredibly profitable for the attackers. The average data breach costs organizations $3.92 million. A Phishing attack can be a death blow for businesses that don't take the necessary precautions. Not only is the top-line affected, but the brand's image and trust can be obliterated if news of a data breach reaches the public. Let's jump back to the beginning and answer the obvious question: What is a Phishing attack? A Phishing attack or scam is when an attacker sends an email pretending to be someone (for example, the CEO of an organization) or something he's not (for example, poses as Google). The goal is to extract sensitive information out of the target. Essentially, the attacker attempts to create fear, curiosity, or a sense of urgency. When the target is prompted to open an attachment or fill in their sensitive information (i.e., username, password, or credit card number), they are likely to give in. A few examples of phishing attacks include: No legitimate organization will send you an email from an address ending with '@gmail.com.' No! Not even Google. Almost all organizations have their own email domain and company accounts from where they send out official messages. Therefore, before opening an email, ensure that the domain name (what follows after @) matches the sender. There is a catch, though. Hackers may try to mimic a real email. For example, if an address looks like 'paypal@notice-access-273.com', that is a red flag. A genuine email from PayPal will have PayPal in the domain name, i.e., after the @ symbol. If you receive an anonymous email asking for sensitive information, chances are it's a scam. No companies will send you an email requesting passwords, credit card data, tax numbers, nor will they send you a login link. Bad grammar is one of the easiest ways to recognize a phishing email. Because the legitimate ones are always well-written with no lousy syntax, they are often written by professional writers who exhaustively check for spelling before sending them out. So, the next time you receive an email with strange phrases and poor language in the body of the message, it is actually a phish. You should be alarmed if you receive an email containing an attachment from a company that you do not recognize or that you weren't expecting. A malicious URL or trojan may be included in the attachment. It's good practice always to scan it using antivirus software first, even if you believe the attachment is real. Phishing emails are popular to incite fear in the recipient. The email can say that your account may have been compromised, and entering your login details is the only way to verify it. Alternatively, the email will state that your account will be closed if you do not respond immediately. In any case, contact the company through other methods before committing any action. So, you received an email about winning a lottery, gift cards, or some new gadgets, but you do not remember buying tickets for it—that's definitely a scam. And when you open the message and click on a link, you will be redirected to a malicious website. The government will never contact you directly. And most definitely, they won't engage in email-based harassment. Scammers send messages to victims claiming to be the IRS or the FBI demanding their personal information. Most of the IRS sends direct official letters to home addresses and do not send you an email or call you until you receive an official letter. Moving on. Phishing attacks may have a variety of targets depending on the attacker. They could be as generic as email phishing, looking to scam anyone who has a Facebook account, or could be extreme as targeting literally one victim. Verizon statistics show that 94% of malware attacks begin with phishing via email. We have hashed out the different types of phishing attacks. They ask the victim to click on a malicious URL or email attachment and get hold of their sensitive data. Organizations should conduct employee security awareness training to defend against this type of scam. They should discourage employees from sharing personal or organizational details on social media. Companies should also invest in solutions that analyze identified malicious links/email attachments for inbound emails. Whaling is an even more focused form of phishing since it goes after the whales, the BIG fish within the industry like the CEO, CFO or CTO. For example, c-suite executives might get an email stating that their company is being sued, and for more information, they need to click on the link. The link redirects them to a page where they enter all of their company's sensitive details like Social Security numbers, tax ID #, and bank account #s. Whaling attacks succeed because executives often do not engage with their staff in security awareness training. Organizations should mandate that all company employees, including executives, engage in safety awareness training on an ongoing basis to address the risks of CEO fraud and W-2 phishing. Organizations should also introduce multi-factor authentication (MFA) into their financial authorization processes so that no payment is authorized via email alone. Both smishing and vishing involve the use of phones instead of emails. Smishing involves sending text messages to the victim with messages to lure them in to share sensitive information. While hackers communicate via phone in vishing. A typical vishing scam involves a hacker posing as a fraud investigator telling the victim that their account has been compromised. The hacker would then ask the victim to provide their bank details to transfer money into a 'safer' account, the hacker's account. Stop answering calls from unknown phone numbers to defend against vishing attacks. Never give out private details over the phone and use a caller ID app. You can protect against smishing attacks by carefully observing unknown phone numbers and if you have any doubt, reach out directly to the company that's mentioned in the message. It is no secret that the majority of phishing attacks are sent by email. Cybercriminals register fake domains that mimic a real organization and send out thousands of generic requests. They may use the name of the company in the email address like paypal@domainregistrar.com in the anticipation that the name of the sender would simply appear in the inbox of the recipient as 'PayPal'. There are many ways to spot a phishing email, but in general, always think before you click an email. Never click on suspicious links, download attachments, or share any sensitive information via email. Also known as SEO poisoning or SEO trojans, search engine phishing is the type of phishing where hackers create a fake webpage by targeting specific keywords. When the victim lands on the webpage, they are redirected to the hacker's website. These websites could be anything. For example, if you are looking for a job, you may come across fake offers with non-existing companies. The application will require you to provide your personal data like bank details or insurance accounts. Remember, no company asks for personal details unless you are hired. Therefore, it is high time you start being cautious. Here are a few other guidelines to keep yourself safe from phishing attacks. Using the tips mentioned above, businesses will be able to identify some of the most common kinds of phishing attacks. But, that doesn't mean that you can spot every phish. It's a harsh reality that phishing is constantly evolving to adopt new techniques. With that in mind, you need to be on top of the game every single day. Keep on conducting security awareness training so that your employees and executives never fall prey. On Sept. 2, the Canadian Government announced an update to the Digital Privacy Act (June 2015) that will make it mandatory for all Canadian companies to report if their data has been breached. Currently, Alberta is the only province where companies are required to report breaches by law. This change makes this a requirement across the country. A 2017 study by the Ponemon Institute found data breaches are most expensive in the United States and Canada. The average per capita cost of a data breach was $225 in the United States and $190 in Canada. However, because breach reporting is not mandatory, it’s difficult to get a full picture of the number of breaches. Still, over the last few years there have been a number of high profile data breaches where the personal information of Canadians was stolen. It’s hoped that mandatory reporting will create an incentive for organizations to take information security more seriously. The consequences for organizations that decide not to comply with the new rules are two-fold. First of all is the public relations nightmare that occurs when knowledge of the breach eventually becomes public. Typically this comes in the form of loss of confidence in the brand and will result in loss of customers; up to a third of customers will leave after a breach. Second, are the fines for non-compliance under the proposed new rules; up to $10,000 for a summary offence and up to $100,000 for an indictable offence. To learn more about how LoginRadius can help you manage and secure your customer profile data, contact us to chat with a product specialist about your specific data security needs or visit our Data Management page to learn more about how we secure your data.4. Stricter Casinos & Gambling Regulations
\n5. Evolution of Live Casinos
\nWhy Is Online Gambling and Casino Security So Crucial
\n\n
\nTypes of Attacks on Online Casino, Betting and Gambling Sites
\nExpediting
\nDDoS Attack
\nScraping
\nAccount Takeover Attacks
\nSQL Injection
\nHow LoginRadius Can Enhance the Experience of Online Gaming With Advance Security
\n\n
\n\n\n
\nConclusion
\nKey Highlights from the Study
\n\n
\nWhat is Phishing
\n\n
\n7 Ways to Detect a Phishing Email - Here's How
\n1. The email is sent from a public domain.
\n2. The email requests your sensitive information.
\n3. The email has terrible grammar.
\n4. The email has a suspicious attachment.
\n5. The message has made you panic.
\n6. The email says you have won a lottery.
\n7. The email is from a government agency.
\nWhat Are the Common Types of Phishing Attacks and How To Prevent Them
\n\n
\n\n
\n\n
\n\n
\n\n
\nConclusion
\n