Keith Cutajar, D4n6 business development manager.Keith Cutajar, D4n6 business development manager.

What are cybercrime and digital forensics?

Cybercrime is the virtual activity of a criminal using ICT related technologies. This can include online fraud, denial of service, hacking, cyber terrorism, social engineering, cyber bullying, creation and distribution of cyber weapons and malware. It all happens online.

Cybercrime is becoming a more serious threat because, unlike the physical type theft where burglars need to break into premises using a strategy that carries several risks, cybercrime is armchair theft using a strategy that limits the attackers’ exposure and allows them to hack into a system remotely.

On the other hand, digital forensics is the process of analysing and identifying the behaviour of cybercriminals. When mentioning forensics, one usually attributes this to physical investigative work – however, the crime scene in this case would be a hard drive, a website or an e-mail. The investigation would go in depth in the software or on the web. Digital forensics experts need to be highly technical and experienced in ICT technologies so that they can understand how cybercriminals behave.

Is cybercrime common in Malta?

Although the majority of these are not made public or even reported, over 500 cases are reported to the police every year and this figure is steadily on the increase. This is no surprise considering the increasing number of internet users both locally and abroad. In today’s ICT world, we are connected globally, so we need to safeguard ourselves not only from our neighbours but also from international attacks.

While physical security plays a crucial role in limiting access to certain devices and protected information, cybersecurity has become a need. Cybercrime is on the rise and may be more destructive to an organisation than an actual burglary.

When looking for threats or responding to cybercrime, how do you compare technology and its advances to the human mind?

Information technologies change all the time. This, combined with the highly original and sophisticated mind of a criminal, makes for a deadly combination. In order to fight this, IT security experts need to keep updated with emerging technologies, cybercriminal techniques.

We are encountering more frequent cases of crime by script-kiddies, non-IT technical individuals who enjoy looking up tutorials on how to become hackers. These are shockingly easy to come by. The ease of use of some types of cybercriminal tools makes this very tempting as damage can be done from the comfort of one’s own home. Cybersecurity experts certainly don’t have it easy.

Who is at risk of becoming a cybercrime victim?

Everyone who is connected to a network can be a victim. Victims can range from kids on their smart devices to adults using their private or company devices. Criminal activities can come from external sources, as well as from within the company.

At D4n6 we assist individuals and parents to help mitigate cyber threats such as cyber bullying, cyber harassment and cyber stalking, analyse internal company threats as well as deliver training to company employees on how to protect themselves and their employers’ resources. Cyber security calls for a holistic approach and education plays a critical part. Having experts to guide organisations and help them to prevent as well as to assist once an attack happens is important but having the majority of the team trained on basic cybercrime awareness and knowledge could protect the company from even reaching that stage.

What should employers do to avoid the risk of being hacked?

Lack of knowledge on basic IT security principles, lack of interest in technological advancements, and ignoring standard business protocols all lead to greater risk. Hacking is the process used by cybercriminals after finding a weakness in an organisation’s IT infrastructure, and using it to their own gain. This could range from disruption of service, unauthorised transfer of company funds and other malicious actions. A disgruntled employee may well be the criminal, or the entry point for an external hacker through innocent or accidental wrong use of devices.

The first steps employers can take to protect the company’s data is to screen their employees regularly, seek professional consultation to carry out a risk analysis and adopt and enforce data security procedures that protect both the physical and soft data.

What needs does D4n6 address?

D4n6 stemmed from an idea of a small group of people involved in the field of security both locally and internationally. It was evident that there is a huge demand, especially locally, for an efficient service that helps organisations address information security breaches.

Today’s market and risks demand a dedicated company with a team of experts who can analyse, consult and offer tailor-made solutions to react to an attack as well as protect against one. Experience has shown that no incident has the same design, no requirement has the same solution, and no need can be addressed in the same manner. This is what D4n6 has been doing since its inception.

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