20 décembre 2023 | Local, Terrestre
17 mars 2020 | Local, C4ISR, Sécurité
Online 'phishing' attacks expected to target housebound staffers as COVID-19 spreads
It's a 'huge opportunity' for online crime, one expert warns
The number of "phishing" attacks meant to steal the online credentials of public servants and corporate sector employees now housebound due to the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise, one cyber security expert warns.
Many attempts are being made against employees who are working from home on virtual private works (VPNs). Cyber experts are still gathering data to establish a direct correlation between the pandemic crisis and the increase in malicious activity.
But Rafal Rohozinski, chief executive officer of the SecDev Group of Companies, said this pandemic moment — when large numbers of employees are at home and receiving instructions from their workplaces on how to connect to internal networks — offers online thieves a "huge opportunity."
Federal government and corporate sector systems were never designed to support a sudden, mass migration of employees from offices to their homes, he said.
"The opening that creates for those who want to wreak havoc through ransomware and malware is really, really significant," said Rohozinski. "And I don't think we're anywhere near prepared for that.
"What we're seeing is an increase in phishing being used as a means to get people's credentials."
U.S. Health Department attacked
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department's website was hit by a cyber attack over several hours on Sunday, an incident which involved overloading its servers with millions of hits.
Officials said the system was not penetrated, although media reports in Washington described it as an attempt to undermine the U.S. government's response to the coronavirus pandemic — and may have been the work of a foreign actor.
Rohozinski said that while the facts are not all in yet, his "professional guess" is that there's a link between the attack and the COVID-19 crisis.
Last week, Canada's top military commander warned that he'd seen recent indications the country's adversaries intend to exploit the uncertainty, confusion and fear generated by the pandemic.
Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff, was not specific about the potential threats — but experts say they could range from hacking to online disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting the federal government's response.
Rohozinski said he's concerned about the federal government's technical capacity to support thousands of employees on private networks.
"Everybody's moving on to VPNs. Everybody," he said. "This is an enormous pinpoint and an enormous vulnerability."
Federal Digital Government Minister Joyce Murray's office was asked for a response Monday, but was unable to provide an immediate comment.
Many of the country's leading information technology companies are part of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTE), a nonprofit centre where companies can swap information and insights. A CCTE spokeswoman said the corporate sector is better prepared to face the challenges posed by the mass movement of employees to home networks.
Still, there is reason for concern.
"Given we are moving people to work from home now, companies need to ensure that the work from home environment is as safe as the corporate environment and that people are trained to notice these phishing campaigns, just like they were in the corporate environment," said Mary Jane Couldridge, director of business development at the CCTE.
"It's a matter of keeping our community aware of what is impacting Canada daily so we know how to react to it and prevent it from spreading — and not chase rainbows."
Most corporations have plans they'll activate now to cover the wholesale movement of employees to networks outside of the office, she added.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/online-hacking-phishing-covid-19-coronavirus-1.5499725
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17 septembre 2018 | Local, Sécurité
Simulation Technologies & Training for Law Enforcement
CASEY BRUNELLE © 2018 FrontLine (Vol 15, No 4) The realities of modern frontline policing – from increasingly broad and demanding operational mandates and changing environmental constraints, to the constant pressure of real-time public scrutiny – have never been more challenging. Traditional crime prevention and response have long been coupled with the requirements of community-oriented public safety, counter-terrorism measures. Lately that has further included the implications of social media and the instantaneous reporting of officers' actions, in some cases spread worldwide before formal inquiries can even begin. Effective training solutions, more so than ever before, rely on a holistic and judgmental regime that can replicate to the best possible degree the tactical challenges of response, the fluidity of operational changes on the ground, and the importance of informed decision-making strategies that keeps the safety of the public at the forefront of all policing actions. In an era of hyper-connectivity, public scrutiny can sometimes lead to denouncements of police actions within minutes, through traditional and novel media alike, often riddled with accusations of institutionalized racism, systemic brutality, and discretionary justice. These shifts in technology and the underlying public culture are not exclusive to the United States; they are increasingly fluid game-changers throughout the West and law enforcement policymakers and frontline officers rarely go a day without considering their implications or witnessing their consequences for themselves. There is no doubt that this is will have a positive result in the long run, and simulated training is being seen as one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to ensure the right decision-making processes become ingrained. Increasingly, law enforcement agencies at the local, provincial, and national level are recognizing the utility of replicating these fluid challenges with advanced simulations and virtual and augmented reality technologies. From the use of wireless small arms platforms (such as BlueFire technology from Meggitt Training System) and simulators of cruisers for high-speed pursuits (such as the “souped up” version from General Electric), to customizable hardware that can be used to construct any building interiors at will (as in the flexibility offered by Mobile Police Training Structures), simulations technology has become one of the most effective and cost-efficient measures in ensuring that police are as equipped as possible to handle the evolving challenges of their profession. Full article: https://defence.frontline.online/article/2018/4/10362
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19 novembre 2021 | Local, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
NATO Challenge top 10 ready to pitch! / DRDC Outreach Day // Le Top 10 du Défi de l’OTAN est prêt à présenter ! / Journée de sensibilisation de RDDC
NATO Challenge top 10 ready to pitch! The top 10 contestants in the Fall 2021 NATO Innovation Challenge, the Invisible Threat: Countering Cognitive Warfare have been selected. They will present their innovative solutions to a multi-national jury of defence experts on Pitch Day, November 30, 2021. As well as gaining valuable international exposure, the 10 finalists will vie for top 3 cash prizes in this pitch-style event. Thank you to all innovators for participating. Watch live starting at 9 am (EDT) on Youtube. For more information about this challenge please visit NATO Innovation Challenge page. Learn how innovators can partner with Defence Research and Development Canada! Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), the organization that manages the IDEaS program on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND), will be hosting its 2021 Outreach Day on November 24, 2021. A trusted advisor and collaborative partner, DRDC works as a knowledge integrator for DND and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Like IDEaS, DRDC helps to develop and deliver new technical solutions to DND/CAF, other federal departments, and the safety and security communities. At this event, you will: Get the information you need for your business to partner with DRDC; Become familiar with the eight strategic focus areas in DND's Defence and Security Science and Technology program, to help you prepare for future calls for proposals; Find out about DND's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, which is funded at $1.6 B over 20 years; Learn about upcoming opportunities with the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP); Hear from DRDC's acting Assistant Deputy Minister Sophie Galarneau; Ask your questions about future partnership opportunities Outreach Day will be held virtually on MS Teams on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 from 10:00 to 12:00 hrs EST. Please note that while the presentations will be in English, the question and answer period will be in both official languages. The presentation decks will be made available in French and English, as of November 22. Register for this session using the link below: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/defence-research-and-development-canada-drdc-outreach-day-tickets-207400529567 Le Top 10 du Défi de l'OTAN est prêt à présenter ! Les 10 meilleurs candidats du Défi de l'innovation de l'OTAN Automne 2021, la menace invisible : contrer la guerre cognitive ont été sélectionnés. Ils présenteront leurs solutions innovantes à un jury multinational d'experts de la défense lors de l'évènement de présentation, le 30 novembre 2021. En plus d'acquérir une précieuse exposition internationale, les 10 finalistes se disputeront les 3 premiers prix en argent lors de cet événement de style présentation. Merci à tous les innovateurs d'avoir participé. Regardez en direct à partir de 9 h (HAE) sur YouTube. Pour plus d'informations sur ce défi, veuillez visiter la page du Défi de l'innovation de l'OTAN (en anglais seulement). Découvrez comment les innovateurs peuvent s'associer à Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada! Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada (RDDC), l'organisation qui gère le programme IDEeS au nom du ministère de la Défense nationale (MDN), organisera sa journée de sensibilisation le 24 novembre 2021. Conseiller de confiance et partenaire collaboratif, RDDC travaille en tant qu'intégrateur de connaissances pour le MDN et les Forces armées canadiennes (FAC). À l'instar d'IDEeS, RDDC aide à développer et à fournir de nouvelles solutions techniques au MDN/FAC, à d'autres ministères fédéraux et aux communautés de sûreté et sécurité. À l'occasion de cette journée de sensibilisation vous pourrez : Obtenir l'information dont votre entreprise a besoin pour établir un partenariat avec RDDC; Vous familiariser avec les huit domaines d'intérêt stratégique du programme de science et de technologie pour la défense et la sécurité du MDN, ce qui vous aidera à vous préparer en vue des prochains appels de propositions; Vous renseigner sur le programme Innovation pour la défense, l'excellence et la sécurité (IDEeS) du MDN, dont le financement s'élève à 1,6 milliard de dollars sur 20 ans; Vous renseigner sur les possibilités à venir dans le cadre du Programme canadien pour la sûreté et la sécurité (PCSS); Écouter la sous-ministre adjointe par intérim de RDDC, Sophie Galarneau; Poser des questions à propos des possibilités de partenariat à l'avenir La journée de sensibilisation se déroulera de façon virtuelle au moyen de MS Teams, le mercredi 24 novembre 2021 de 10 h à 12 h (HAE). Veuillez noter que les présentations seront en anglais, par contre, la période de questions et réponses se fera dans les deux langues officielles. Quand aux documents de présentation, ils seront disponibles en français et en anglais à partir du 22 novembre. Pour vous inscrire, veuillez utiliser le lien ci-dessous: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/defence-research-and-development-canada-drdc-outreach-day-tickets-207400529567