During Exposec, a security event that ended yesterday (15), there was a lecture entitled “Cybersecurity at the Service of Physical Security”, with Ariel Pinchasi, CEO of Global Group Israel, who presented cases and scenarios that illustrate the risks that everyone should be aware of.
He begins by dispelling a myth about hackers, stating that many people have an image of a hacker as someone shadowy, secretly operating in a basement. The vast majority, however, are children who carry out their actions in bed, still in their pajamas.
“Although they often act in a coordinated manner, these hackers don’t know each other, they don’t know who they’re working for. They don’t act for money, but for the ego of proving that they are capable of carrying out the proposed task,” explains Pinchasi. “That’s why they are very motivated.”
The relationship with security Physics takes place in an increasingly connected world that is dependent on digital solutions. Pinchasi gives the example of management systems for smart condominiums, capable of managing and controlling multiple access points and services, such as doors and gates, lighting, alarms, cameras, and sensors.
“Imagine a scenario where a hacker, remotely, accesses this system, grants access to criminals while simultaneously blocking employees from exiting, cuts off alarm communication with the police, and triggers the fire alarm so that residents can evacuate their apartments,” illustrates the CEO. “Many may think it’s a fictional scenario, from a movie, but if we think about it, in the future it could be very plausible.”
Another example of how the relationship between cybersecurity and the physical world is often dissociated came in a case study by Global Group. Hired by a large retail chain in Europe to test the security of its systems, it was proven that, cybernetically, the company was very well protected. “But since we are Israeli, we decided to push a little harder,” Pinchasi joked.
They then began to monitor the trash ...and the discarded items the company was disposing of. That's when they found dozens of routers discarded after an equipment replacement. With this old equipment, they were able to find customer data, connection data, employee logins and passwords, and even authentication keys.
The recipe for protection, explains the CEO, is simple: hire highly qualified professionals and invest in security at various levels.
