Cybersecurity threats will remain a big challenge in 2022 as cybercriminals step up criminal activities with an added degree of sophistication.
In a recent webinar, Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Security Policy for Facebook, said its platform is currently expanding its Facebook Protect, the company’s security program, said, “We’re expanding our security program for groups of people that are more likely to be highly targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists, and government officials. No action is required unless you’re prompted to enroll. We’re also making it easier for these groups of people to set up two-factor authentication.”
Gleicher added: “These people are at the center of critical communities for public debate. They enable democratic elections, hold governments and organizations accountable, and defend human rights around the world. Unfortunately, this also means that they are highly targeted by bad actors.”
He said Facebook Protect helps these vulnerable groups of people adopt stronger account security protections, like two-factor authentication, and monitors for potential hacking threats.
Gleicher said Facebook Protect had a pilot test in 2018 and expanded it ahead of the 2020 US election. The global expansion started in September 2021. Since then, more than 1.5 million accounts have enabled Facebook Protect and of those, nearly 950,000 accounts newly enrolled in two-factor authentication.
Gleicher said the two-factor authentication—particularly by using third-party authentication apps—significantly improves the security of online accounts. He encouraged everyone to enroll in two-factor authentication.
However, he noted this important feature has been historically underutilized across the Internet—even by people who are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as journalists, activists, political candidates and others.
With Facebook Protect, he said the social-media giant has worked to make enrollment and use of two-factor authentication as frictionless as possible for these groups of people by providing better user experience and support. He added this is an important step forward for these highly targeted communities. He said the initial results have been encouraging so far with adoption rates breaching the 90 percent level in one month for these groups.
Meanwhile, major local systems integration technology company Radenta Technologies Inc. recently launched its enhanced Global Reconnaissance Intelligent Defense System (GRIDS) designed to strengthen the security posture of any client.
In an e-mail interview with BusinessMirror, Radenta’s chief executive officer Randalle Lozano said its fully managed security operations allow organizations to benefit from using the most advanced security information and event management (SIEM) technology, which does not require a company to own and require such a system.
With a security operations center (SOC) functioning as a service, Lozano said Radenta collects security logs, detects indicators of attack or compromise, and gives actionable alerts, remediation guidance, and incident response services.
Meanwhile, Radenta co-manages the client’s SIEM and offers advanced content and SOC services. Strategic services provide add-ons to custom-tailor the SOC-as-a-Service component. This means that individual solutions are crafted to address specific needs.
“GRIDS lets you experience the most advanced and world-class SIEM technology that deals with the complexity and constant change in the cybersecurity landscape,” said Radenta Business Development Officer for Security Operations Center Christopher Christian Flores.