Cyber Intelligence House

Last updated
Cyber Intelligence House
FounderMikko S. Niemelä
HeadquartersSingapore
Website cyberintelligencehouse.com
Formerly called
Kinkayo

Cyber Intelligence House, formerly Kinkayo, [1] is a Singapore-based cyber intelligence agency which specializes in cyber exposure. The company detects and monitors cyber exposure via dark web, deep web, and data breaches to alert individuals and businesses about potential cyber threats. [2]

Contents

Products

The Cyber Exposure Index (CEI), the company's research-driven project, is the world's first proprietary global scoring system that calculates the exposure index of listed companies.

Scores are based on exposed credentials, hacker-group activity, and leaked sensitive information. [3] CEI is a cyber risk score given to public companies listed on stock exchanges hosted in 11 countries (Australia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, South Africa, UK, US, Malaysia, and Singapore). [4] The CEI scores around 6,000 listed companies on their levels of exposure, after analyzing data collected on each company from publicly available sources in the dark web and deep web, and published data breaches. [5] Evaluated companies are given a score ranging from 0 to 300+, with 0 indicating no exposure over the past 12 months and 300+ indicating that the company is among the top 10% most exposed companies globally. [6] [7]

The index was first launched in October 2017. The results concluded that publicly listed companies in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore were the least exposed to cyber threats. [8] In October 2018, the results were updated and Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia were earmarked as the least exposed countries. [4] [5] This has led to some speculation that cyber threat exposure is very location-centric, as Asia Pacific firms tend to have lower exposure than their American or EU counterparts. [6]

Hacked is a cyber exposure monitoring app for individuals, launched in June 2018. [9] It is available on Android, and provides free email account monitoring plus additional paid monitoring options.

Controversies

The CEI faced some negative press in South Africa, when it was ranked as the third most exposed country in October 2017. The South African Banking Risk Information Center (SABRIC) speculated that the research findings might cause unnecessary fear, uncertainty, and doubt. [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer security</span> Protection of computer systems from information disclosure, theft or damage

Computer security, cyber security, digital security or information technology security is the protection of computer systems and networks from attacks by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, theft of, or damage to hardware, software, or data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

Cyberterrorism is the use of the Internet to conduct violent acts that result in, or threaten, the loss of life or significant bodily harm, in order to achieve political or ideological gains through threat or intimidation. Acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks, especially of personal computers attached to the Internet by means of tools such as computer viruses, computer worms, phishing, malicious software, hardware methods, programming scripts can all be forms of internet terrorism. Cyberterrorism is a controversial term. Some authors opt for a very narrow definition, relating to deployment by known terrorist organizations of disruption attacks against information systems for the primary purpose of creating alarm, panic, or physical disruption. Other authors prefer a broader definition, which includes cybercrime. Participating in a cyberattack affects the terror threat perception, even if it isn't done with a violent approach. By some definitions, it might be difficult to distinguish which instances of online activities are cyberterrorism or cybercrime.

The Government of China is engaged in espionage overseas, directed through diverse methods via the Ministry of State Security (MSS), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the United Front Work Department (UFWD), People's Liberation Army (PLA) via its Intelligence Bureau of the Joint Staff Department, and numerous front organizations and state-owned enterprises. It employs a variety of tactics including cyber espionage to gain access to sensitive information remotely, signals intelligence, human intelligence as well as influence operations through united front activity, especially the co-optation of ethnic Chinese diaspora communities and associations. The Chinese government is also engaged in industrial espionage aimed at gathering information and technology to bolster its economy, as well as transnational repression of dissidents abroad such as supporters of the Tibetan independence movement and Uyghurs as well as the Taiwan independence movement, the Hong Kong independence movement, Falun Gong, pro-democracy activists, and other critics of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The United States alleges that the degree of intelligence activity is unprecedented in its assertiveness and engagement in multiple host countries, particularly the United States, to which various US officials contend economic damages, prosperity and stolen innovations have resulted in $US320-445 billion annually since its inception and activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyberwarfare</span> Use of digital attacks against a nation

Cyberwarfare is the use of cyber attacks against an enemy state, causing comparable harm to actual warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems. Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic warfare.

The following are international rankings of Thailand.

Cyberwarfare by Russia includes denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, dissemination of disinformation and propaganda, participation of state-sponsored teams in political blogs, internet surveillance using SORM technology, persecution of cyber-dissidents and other active measures. According to investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov, some of these activities were coordinated by the Russian signals intelligence, which was part of the FSB and formerly a part of the 16th KGB department. An analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2017 outlines Russia's view of "Information Countermeasures" or IPb as "strategically decisive and critically important to control its domestic populace and influence adversary states", dividing 'Information Countermeasures' into two categories of "Informational-Technical" and "Informational-Psychological" groups. The former encompasses network operations relating to defense, attack, and exploitation and the latter to "attempts to change people's behavior or beliefs in favor of Russian governmental objectives."

Trellix is a privately held cybersecurity company that was founded in 2022. It has been involved in the detection and prevention of major cybersecurity attacks. It provides hardware, software, and services to investigate cybersecurity attacks, protect against malicious software, and analyze IT security risks.

Cyber spying, cyber espionage, or cyber-collection is the act or practice of obtaining secrets and information without the permission and knowledge of the holder of the information using methods on the Internet, networks or individual computers through the use of proxy servers, cracking techniques and malicious software including Trojan horses and spyware. Cyber espionage can be used to target various actors- individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments, and others- in order to obtain personal, economic, political or military advantages. It may wholly be perpetrated online from computer desks of professionals on bases in far away countries or may involve infiltration at home by computer trained conventional spies and moles or in other cases may be the criminal handiwork of amateur malicious hackers and software programmers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced persistent threat</span> Set of stealthy and continuous computer hacking processes

An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a stealthy threat actor, typically a state or state-sponsored group, which gains unauthorized access to a computer network and remains undetected for an extended period. In recent times, the term may also refer to non-state-sponsored groups conducting large-scale targeted intrusions for specific goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese espionage in the United States</span>

The United States has often accused the government of China of attempting unlawfully to acquire U.S. military technology and classified information as well as trade secrets of U.S. companies in order to support China's long-term military and commercial development. Chinese government agencies and affiliated personnel have been accused of using a number of methods to obtain U.S. technology, including espionage, exploitation of commercial entities, and a network of scientific, academic and business contacts. Prominent espionage cases include Larry Wu-tai Chin, Katrina Leung, Gwo-Bao Min, Chi Mak and Peter Lee. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) maintains a bureau dedicated to espionage against the United States, the United States Bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyberattack</span> Attack on a computer system

A cyberattack is any offensive maneuver that targets computer information systems, computer networks, infrastructures, personal computer devices, or smartphones. An attacker is a person or process that attempts to access data, functions, or other restricted areas of the system without authorization, potentially with malicious intent. Depending on the context, cyberattacks can be part of cyber warfare or cyberterrorism. A cyberattack can be employed by sovereign states, individuals, groups, societies or organizations and it may originate from an anonymous source. A product that facilitates a cyberattack is sometimes called a cyber weapon. Cyberattacks have increased over the last few years. A well-known example of a cyberattack is a distributed denial of service attack (DDoS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Computer Emergency Response Team</span> Indian government cybersecurity agency

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India. It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. It strengthens security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.

Cyberwarfare is a part of Iran's "soft war" military strategy. Being both a victim and wager of cyberwarfare, Iran is considered an emerging military power in the field.

Cozy Bear, classified by the United States federal government as advanced persistent threat APT29, is a Russian hacker group believed to be associated with one or more intelligence agencies of Russia. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) deduced from security camera footage that it is led by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); this view is shared by the United States. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike also previously suggested that it may be associated with either the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) or SVR. The group has been given various nicknames by other cybersecurity firms, including CozyCar, CozyDuke, Dark Halo, The Dukes, NOBELIUM, Office Monkeys, StellarParticle, UNC2452, and YTTRIUM.

Fancy Bear is a Russian cyber espionage group. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has said with a medium level of confidence that it is associated with the Russian military intelligence agency GRU. The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office as well as security firms SecureWorks, ThreatConnect, and Mandiant, have also said the group is sponsored by the Russian government. In 2018, an indictment by the United States Special Counsel identified Fancy Bear as GRU Unit 26165. This refers to its unified Military Unit Number of the Russian army regiments. The headquarters of Fancy Bear and the entire military unit, which reportedly specializes in state-sponsored cyberattacks and decryption of hacked data, were targeted by Ukrainian drones on July 24, 2023, the rooftop on one of the buildings collapsed as a result of the explosion.

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. is an American cybersecurity technology company based in Austin, Texas. It provides cloud workload and endpoint security, threat intelligence, and cyberattack response services. The company has been involved in investigations of several high-profile cyberattacks, including the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, the 2015–16 cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and the 2016 email leak involving the DNC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixgill</span> Israeli B2B cyber intelligence company

Sixgill is an Israeli B2B cyber intelligence company that analyses and monitors the deep web and dark web for threat intelligence. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafay Baloch</span> Pakistani ethical hacker

Rafay Baloch is a Pakistani ethical hacker and security researcher known for his discovery of vulnerabilities on the Android operating system. He has been featured and known by both national and international media and publications like Forbes, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and The Express Tribune. He has been listed among the "Top 5 Ethical Hackers of 2014" by CheckMarx. Subsequently he was listed as one of "The 15 Most Successful Ethical Hackers WorldWide" and among "Top 25 Threat Seekers" by SCmagazine. Baloch has also been added in TechJuice 25 under 25 list for the year 2016 and got 13th rank in the list of high achievers. Reflectiz, a cyber security company, released the list of "Top-21 Cybersecurity Experts You Must Follow on Twitter in 2021" recognizing Rafay Baloch as the top influencer. On 23 March 2022, ISPR recognized Rafay Baloch's contribution in the field of Cyber Security with Pride for Pakistan award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anomali</span> American cybersecurity company

Anomali Inc. is an American cybersecurity company that develops and provides threat intelligence products. In 2023, the company moved into providing Security Analytics powered by AI.

References

  1. Coetzee, Isabelle (June 27, 2018). "How 'exposed' was Liberty Holdings to hackers?". Just Money. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  2. Pao, William (November 30, 2018). "Singapore companies among least exposed to cyber threats: poll". Asmag.com. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  3. "Singapore-listed companies among the least exposed to cyber-threats". Enterprise Innovation. November 11, 2018. Archived from the original on November 26, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Williams, Ann (October 2, 2017). "More than 60% of Singapore-listed companies score well on cyber security: Study". The Straits Times. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Zhu, Michelle (November 21, 2018). "Singapore listed companies among world's least exposed to cyber threats, finds study". The Edge Singapore. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Location Matters for Cyberthreat Exposure". CDO Trends. November 26, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  7. "Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia listcos less exposed to cyber threats than global peers: Survey". The Business Times. November 27, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  8. Middlemiss, Nicola (October 6, 2017). "Singapore's cyber-security efforts in the spotlight". HRD Asia. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  9. "Hacked App Password & identity monitoring tool for Android". CNET. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  10. "Cyber Intelligence Research Group". SABRIC. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  11. "Findings from the Cyber Intelligence Research Group Cause Doubt". Payments Afrika. October 20, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2018.