Cybersecurity has been this 2020 more relevant than ever. The evolution of teleworking and the increase in third-party access to internal company networks, as well as the proliferation of cyberattacks, means that company executives and employees must be continually updated in terms of security tools and policies in the network .

According to the latest international study by Forrester for Hiscox, losses related to cyberattacks increased six-fold in 2019, from an average cost of € 9,000 to € 51,200 per company. However, firms are responding with stricter security measures and increased spending on cybersecurity (+ 39% in 2019).

To avoid the risks of a cyberattack, which can cause financial and reputational damage for the company that suffers them, it is important that companies increase their efforts to educate their staff. And that happens by making clear some points to follow.

The security of the company begins by implementing a cybersecurity plan against threats from abroad, with tools that define the security perimeter.

Firewalls are a common option, “however the main handicap of companies today is something as basic as the correct management of passwords, essential in order to block access to those who do not have the key, but which, continues today in today the main gateway for cybercriminals, ”explains Xavier Lefaucheux, head of sales and marketing at the cybersecurity company Wallix .

To be fully effective, password policies must enforce minimum complexity requirements . This happens because they are intelligible and that the user uses symbols and capital letters in their creation. Also, changes must be made from time to time.

And it is that security in remote access is increasingly critical as external service providers and teleworking increase.

Keeping systems up-to-date is not only essential for the security of a company to be robust, it is also something in which all users must be committed. And is that, when a new version is received for download, whether it is an operating system or an application, inside it usually has solutions for open breaches through which a cybercriminal could carry out an attack. Therefore, it is essential to keep everything updated.

Attackers are clear about what they want by using a ” ransomware ” type of virus , which is one of the main threats a company faces online. The goal is to get valuable information to ask for a ransom. But how does the virus access the data?

One of the main entry routes for the attack is through the use of “phishing” techniques. In other words, impersonating third parties to deceive any of the members of the company under attack, either through an email or some other type of communication, and get the malicious code to be downloaded.

It is essential that the members of a company have the necessary knowledge in cybersecurity to be able to locate these types of threats. One of the keys is to systematically mistrust all emails that are suspicious.

Many types of this virus destroy copies secu rity that are on the devices or the system they have infected. To avoid even more serious consequences, it is vital that companies have remote “backups” that no one can access.

«Ransomware is one of the biggest enemies I have ever had in my life. I have been facing him since 2012. His evolution has been brutal. The former allowed to recover deleted files and information from Windows restore points. As of today they are very well designed.

They are much more effective and sophisticated. My recommendation is to prevent, but many security tools can be saved by cybercriminals, so it is important to have backup copies. And for this, you have to have a good back up system.

The only effective solution is that, in addition, it is “ransomware” proof, in particular, “Lorenzo Martínez, technical director of Securízame , recently explained to ABC .

To ensure the effectiveness of the company’s cybersecurity strategy, it must be implemented from a ” Security by design ” approach, which guarantees the control of security in an integrated way throughout the process, and not through external processes, as well as take into account the longevity of the technology itself and of the solutions that will be applied to the company’s infrastructure.

“It is important to have a sustainable plan and to emphasize long-term and adaptable security in view of future threats and as yet unknown regulations. It is a preventive and proactive approach ”, points out Xavier Lefaucheux.

France and the Netherlands have signed a joint document in which they ask the European Union (EU) for a stricter regulatory framework to supervise large technology companies, such as Amazon , Facebook or Apple , and their operations in the Old Continent. In the statement, unveiled by CNBC , it is requested that an authority common to the Twenty-seven should control these companies.

If at the beginning of October it was the United States Congress that called for antitrust reforms to curb the power of big technology, now the EU could follow in its footsteps after the joint lawsuit of France and the Netherlands against the so-called Big Tech. be endorsed in Parliament but that “will guarantee the freedom of choice of consumers . “

This was expressed by the Secretary of State for the Digital Transition of France, Cédric O, who also made it clear through his social networks that the approach must “design a framework that is efficient enough to address the economic footprint of these actors in the European economy “.

The EU has intensified negotiations on Big Tech and the competitive landscape over the last 12 months, in addition to working on data protection rules through the Commission. It is expected that by the end of 2020 there will be a clear regulation to “comprehensively improve the functioning of digital markets through the use of information collected during these consultations.”

In the eyes of the French and Dutch governments, the EU should prevent these companies from favoring their own services to the detriment of other companies, as well as impose an obligation to share specific data.

“No ‘company hit list’ will be drawn up or drawn up. The Commission does not make legislation to target individual companies.”

However, the body led by Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed that it will not target specific companies with its work. “Let us clarify that no ‘list of company results’ will be drawn up or drawn up. We work based on criteria that will allow us to objectively define who the insurers are. The Commission does not make legislation to target individual companies,” it was expressed from the Commission to CNBC .

Wall Street Concerned About Big Tech Concentration Risks in the S&P 500

A simple glance at this year’s high-end mobiles is enough to realize that, on paper, the technical specifications of the new iPhones do not stand out at all. No cameras over 100 megapixels, no telephoto lenses with a 50 or 100x zoom, no double-digit RAM, or batteries with several thousand extra milliamps.

Quite contrary to the others, in fact, those from Cupertino do not even make public some of those figures .

On paper, we insist, it might seem that even the biggest of the new iPhones, the 12 Pro Max , is just one of many mid-range devices. Although, yes, with a price that does not lower than 1,200 euros in its cheapest version , which offers 128 GB of memory for storage, and that exceeds 1,600 euros in which it includes 512 GB.

Why then is the new Apple flagship considered not only high-end, but an iconic mobile, among the most desired of the moment? And how is it possible that with its bare-bones 12-megapixel cameras it is able to produce extraordinary images (better than most of its competition, in fact) and videos whose quality, stabilization, detail and sharpness no one has been able to beat until now?

How do you explain that despite its “little” RAM memory this terminal can run half a dozen applications at the same time without any problem, without any suffering or slowing down?

Normally, when analyzing a mobile phone, its different components (processor, memory, cameras, battery, etc.) are shelled to determine the solvency of each of them. But with an iPhone this exercise is misleading, since the final performance of the device is far superior to what could be expected from the simple sum of its parts.

The secret, in my opinion, lies in the exquisite balance that Apple is able to achieve between the software and all the components of its phones. 12 GB of RAM is not needed if with less than half, but well tuned and used, the same or even better results are achieved.

No 64 or 108 megapixel sensors are needed if our 12 megapixel cameras are perfectly “understood” and work together as one.

Of course, the Apple “secret” I’m referring to is an open secret. It’s called iOS, and it’s the brand’s exclusive operating system, which powers and “gives life” to all its mobiles and is now in version 14.

So, after several weeks regularly using an iPhone 12 Pro Max (the top of the range), this time I opted for what we could call a “holistic” analysis, based more on user experience than on user experience. technical characteristics. And I already anticipate that the experience has been ten.

In this model, as in the rest of the iPhone 12 family, Apple has opted for a “return to the classics . ” No more curved edges. The straight lines win the battle and the completely flat edges give the terminal a glass-clad monolith look that is both attractive and evocative.

We can almost imagine him planted among the rocks of a prehistoric world and surrounded by hominids throwing their crude tools into the air. Its slight overweight (228 g) and good grip already tell us, as soon as we pick it up, that we have a solid and well-finished product in hand.

All in all, the phone is somewhat smaller and thinner than the previous iPhone 11 Pro Max, and that’s despite the larger Super Retina XDR display at 6.7 inches.

With a resolution of 458 pixels per inch, images and videos are reproduced in high quality, even in bright sunlight. Apple’s color treatment achieves, once again, that what we see on the mobile really looks like the “real” world, without the fanfare and oversaturated tones that are common in other brands.

As for the cameras, they are undoubtedly the best mounted by Apple on a mobile until now. And the rest of the iPhone 12 this year are also included there. In the 12 Pro Max, in effect, we have three lenses, with 12-megapixel sensors in all cases: a main sensor, a wide-angle and a telephoto lens that allows a 2.5x optical zoom. At the front, the front camera is also 12 megapixels.

Without going into too much technical detail, the cameras perform really good in all lighting conditions, even at night, where previous models could lag. The larger pixel size of the main sensor, which is 1.7 nanometers, allows more light to be captured, resulting in excellent night images.

Of course, it has HDR, and we can record videos in 4K or in Dolby Vision. On this occasion, the front camera can also record in slow motion.

However, if there is one thing in which Apple places itself far above the rest, and that is where the differences are marked, it is in the way in which the processor, the new A14 Bionic , treats the images and monitors what they do. cameras at all times. In this way, and although it is possible to apply manual adjustments whenever we want, in automatic mode, that is, without having to do anything other than shoot, the result is exceptional. The processor manages the sensors to measure and correct colors, definition, movements … so that the result, which is the photo we have on the screen, will always be the best possible.

Comparing identical images made with an iPhone 12 Pro Max and practically with any other mobile with higher theoretical performance, the best result is always that of Apple. If we want to check it, we just have to play the photos and videos on a large screen TV (for example 65 inches). It seems incredible that these images were made with a mobile, and not with a professional camera.

As for the sound, just say that it is of high quality and in stereo, thanks to the two speakers located in the upper and lower areas of the screen. The clarity of the bass stands out, which is often the weak point of mobile audio systems.

But the power of the processor, along with the large screen, are very useful for what is perhaps the greatest value of this phone: the user experience, which is unbeatable thanks to the iOS 14 operating system.

It has never been easier (and fluid) go from one application to another, do several things at the same time or consult, with the simple touch of a finger, any document or image that we have saved on the computer.

Yes, that is also possible with other systems, but what we are talking about here is sensations. A utility car and a luxury saloon are cars, and they will take us, both, anywhere we want to go. But you can’t compare the “how” they take us …

In my particular case, I have two computers in two different cities, as well as an iPad Mini (my favorite) and an iPhone. From the phone I always have, and with a single touch, access to any document I have on any of the other devices.

This same article, for example, I started to write on a Mac, but if while on the street I had an idea to add, I just had to pick up the phone, open the text document (which is on the computer), and keep typing on the iPhone.

When returning to the Mac, all the changes and additions made with the mobile were already in the document, ready to continue … Carrying the iPhone in your pocket is like always carrying the office with you.

If your name is Aaron and you plan to use your name as a password for a social network, know that this year 90,256 users have thought and done the same and that cybercriminals would take only three hours to decrypt your password and access your profile.

If you then prefer to use a number combination from 1 to 6, you will fall into the trap again; These are usually decrypted in a second and are used by more than two million users on the Internet. Both are weak passwords and easy to crack. Using them is almost the same as not having a password. However, they are among the most popular in the world. Why?

Most Internet users prioritize convenience over security and voluntarily expose their accounts and data to be easily stolen. How? By using passwords such as 123456 or password to protect bank accounts, social networks or their profiles on sites to buy on the Internet, for example.

NordPass, a cybersecurity company, has produced a list of the 200 worst passwords of 2020 after examining a total of 275.7 million keys. Of the 200, 122 are the same as those of 2019 and 2018 and 78 are new additions, products of the year of the pandemic.

Now, in a world that telecommutes and increasingly depends on the Internet, protecting accounts from cybercriminals is more than an advantage, an obligation.

The table shows the 50 most popular and worst options for a passkey, according to cybersecurity experts. But why are these combinations a bad idea for a password? The NordPass team and antivirus developers Eset Cibersecurity explain that the problem is in the predictable combination and frequency of use.

For example, seven of the ten worst passwords on NordPass’s list are made up of various number combinations, with 123456 , 123456789, and 12345678 ranking first, second, and fifth, respectively. Third place is taken by picture1 , a new addition to the list, followed by password.

These first five keys bring together more than 4.5 million users and all together they have been exposed more than 38 million times in different data breaches.

In other words, anyone who proposed it could enter the bank or Instagram account of these users in seconds, according to the writer and cybersecurity technician Amer Owaida , on WeLiveSecurity, Eset’s cybersecurity blog.

Of the 78 new additions to the 2020 password list, the most popular are senha (Portuguese for password ), Million2 or aaron431 . Part of the last password is also the most popular name used as a password. The most popular feminine name for passwords is ashley .

Safe but easy to remember keys, utopia?
How to migrate to a strong password without forgetting it? Cybersecurity experts recommend that all passwords move from the general to the personal, from simplicity to complexity, and mix numeric and special characters with letters.

Passwords with more than 10 characters, upper and lower case and numbers, are the strongest. A password that includes all of the above could take years to crack, not seconds, according to Eset. If phrases are used instead of words, the terrain becomes even more difficult for attackers.

“Consider using a unique passphrase for each of your online accounts. If you do this right, it will be much more difficult or even impossible to crack and while you do, avoid falling into password reuse, ”suggests Owaida.

However, having ten different passwords for ten different accounts can be confusing for the user. That’s why NordPass recommends using a “password manager”, also known as a password manager .

This is an application designed to store access credentials in an encrypted vault that has the functionality of generating complex passwords for each of the user’s online accounts. Complex passwords are generated by the system and the user only has to remember a single master password in order to access them.

Eset also recommends enabling double factor authentication on all services that offer the option. This process is an extra security measure that requires a code obtained from an application, or an SMS message, as well as a password to access the service.

It is very popular in banking applications, but can also be enabled for use on many websites and social media applications, such as Twitter , Gmail, and Dropbox.