Hacking Your Holiday: Cyber Criminals Target Tourism

Imagine if a hacker shut down the baggage handling system of one of the world’s busiest airports. Or took control of a fleet of autonomous delivery trucks and re-routed them to disrupt rush hour traffic in a major metropolis. What if the hacker then demanded a ransom to unlock the digital networks they’d hijacked?

According to the latest State of the Internet report from Akamai, one of the world’s largest providers of computer servers and networks, these scenarios aren’t fantasies of some distant dystopia. They are just around the corner.

Technology continues to evolve with advances in artificial intelligence, automation, biometrics and a rapidly expanding Internet of Things. With this comes an increasing and potentially catastrophic risk of malicious actors bringing digital infrastructure and the societal services that rely on it to a grinding halt.

Even if we’re not quite there yet, there are several worrying trends highlighted in the report that show what cyber security professionals are already confronting.

DDoS for Hire

The first concern relates to an increasing frequency and volume of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, up 16% in the last year. These attacks bombard computers with huge amounts of data. They are used by malicious actors to disrupt and delay networks and make them unavailable to their users.

The most famous DDoS attacks were against Estonia in 2007, shutting down banks, media organisations and government ministries.

Fast forward a decade and the volume of data harnessed in such attacks has increased exponentially. According to the Akamai report, the largest DDoS attack in history was recorded in February this year against a software development company. It involved a data flow of 1.35 terabytes (1,350 gigabytes) per second.

The Southern Cross Cable connecting Australia and New Zealand’s Internet has an estimated overall capacity of greater than 22 Tbps, due in large part to recent upgrades. Such a high-volume attack directed at a single choke point could have a big impact on transcontinental and national internet speeds.

Perhaps even more concerning is that DDoS technologies are being commercialised and sold to cyber criminals on “DDoS-for-hire” websites.

They’re also becoming more sophisticated. Previously seen as a fairly simple way of exploiting internet traffic, the latest DDoS attacks exhibit more novel ways of creating “botnets” (networks of compromised computers) to redirect data flows against a target.

According to the Akamai report, attackers have been paying attention to mitigation efforts and changing the nature of their attacks as they unfold.

Hacking Holidays

Cyber criminals will invariably look for the weakest links. This might be individuals who never update their passwords and use unidentified WiFi networks without due diligence. Or it could be particular commercial sectors that are lagging behind in cyber security standards.

The Akamai report highlights that in the last year organised cyber criminals are increasingly targeting the tourism market.

A staggering 3.9 billion malicious login attempts occurred during the last year against sites belonging to airlines, cruise lines, hotels, online travel, automotive rental and transport organisations.

Finding out who is responsible is a trickier problem. Evidence suggests that exploitation of hotel and travel sites is mostly emanating from Russia and China, and it’s possibly the work of organised cyber criminals targeting tourists for easy gain. But more work needs to be done to map cyber-crime and understand the complex criminal networks that underpin it.

It’s not all Doom and Gloom

While the report warns of larger more destructive DDoS attacks before the end of 2018, it’s not all doom and gloom. The potential for cooperation is also evident.

In April 2018, the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit and the UK National Crime Agency ran the appropriately named “Operation Power Off”.

This targeted a DDoS-for-hire site that was responsible for somewhere between four and six million DDoS attacks over its lifetime. The successful operation led to arrests and likely criminal prosecutions. These sorts of high level cyber-crime collaborations are growing in frequency and strength.

TimesLive:                Image: Nick Youngson

You Might Also Read: 

DDoS Protection: 14 Unique Ways to Protect Your Organisation:

DDoS Attack? There Is An App For That:

 

« GMail Users Warned Of Vulnerability
Internet of Things For Healthcare »

ManageEngine
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Check Point

Directory of Suppliers

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

Authentic8

Authentic8

Authentic8 transforms how organizations secure and control the use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser.

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

NordLayer

NordLayer

NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. 

OIC-CERT

OIC-CERT

OIC-CERT is the Computer Emergency Response Team for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries.

World Wide Technology (WWT)

World Wide Technology (WWT)

WWT is a technology solution provider in the areas of big data, collaboration, computing and cloud, mobility, networking, security and storage.

Apomatix

Apomatix

Apomatix is a platform that simplifies the complexity of cyber risk audit and management.

FFRI Security

FFRI Security

FFRI is committed to research and development of preventing the most advanced cyber-attacks and breaches.

SoSafe

SoSafe

SoSafe empowers organizations to build a security culture and mitigate risk with its GDPR-compliant awareness programs.

Flipside

Flipside

Information Security training provider specialized in personalized training and security awareness campaigns.

Ascent Cyber

Ascent Cyber

Ascent Cyber provide simple and stress-free solutions to protect your business and its customers from the worries and costs of cybercrime.

Zephyr Project

Zephyr Project

The Zephyr Project strives to deliver the best-in-class RTOS for connected resource-constrained devices, built to be secure and safe.

Advantio

Advantio

Advantio offers a unique combination of technologies and managed, advisory and testing services to increase your cyber resilience and compliance.

Tromzo

Tromzo

Tromzo's mission is to eliminate the friction between developers and security so you can scale your application security program.

Mandiant

Mandiant

Mandiant deliver dynamic cyber defense solutions powered by industry-leading expertise, intelligence and innovative technology.

Xmirror Security

Xmirror Security

Xmirror Security focuses on integrated detection and defense of the continuous threat to the DevSecops software supply-chain with artificial intelligence technology as the core.

Cyclops

Cyclops

Cyclops is the first Contextual Search Platform for cybersecurity.

CMIT Solutions

CMIT Solutions

CMIT Solutions is a recognized leader in Managed IT Services for businesses. We empower businesses like yours by providing innovative technology solutions, managed IT services and cybersecurity.

Cipher Net Shield

Cipher Net Shield

Cipher Net Shield specializes in secure E-wallet solutions with a strong focus on blockchain and cybersecurity, prioritizing both transaction security and the recovery of lost capital.

Cork

Cork

Cork is a purpose-built cyber warranty company for managed service providers (MSPs) serving small businesses (SMBs) and the software solutions they manage.