High-Tech Bridge's CEO interview in "Swisster"

“Swisster” magazine has published an interview with CEO of High-Tech Bridge Mr. Ilia Kolochenko.

The articles speaks about information security and explains the latest IT risks for businesses today. Competitive advantage of High-Tech Bridge’s approach to Ethical Hacking is highlighted.

Cyber crime up by a third, says 'Ethical Hacking' firm

Cyber crime increases by around a third over the first half compared to 2009, according to High-Tech Bridge, a Geneva-based company specializing in "ethical hacking" to test clients’ IT security systems. The first six months of 2010 witness a surge in cyber attacks such as the theft of confidential data, the group says on Tuesday. Swisster interviews company CEO, Ilia Kolochenko.

"The main reason is because of the financial crisis," according to Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of High-Tech Bridge after the Geneva-based IT security auditors warned that cyber crime had increased by a third over the first six months of 2010.

Using data assembled from customers, High-Tech Bridge noted a high concentration of the theft of confidential data such as sensitive customer information (passwords and credit card details), mainly to be used for "high-profit" operations or sold to third parties.

Aside from sophisticated "phishing" or "malicious spamming" methods employed by hackers to extract information from victims, Kolochenko blames the rise in cyber crime on cost-cutting measures by firms.

Much of the scanning software on the market will "miss half" a company’s IT vulnerabilities, he told Swisster.

On the other side of the coin, industrial espionage also provides a cash-saving strategy, he pointed out. "To win market share they [companies] have to increase efficiency, so one way is that they can simply ask hackers to hack into competitors and this will cost less than a fresh marketing campaign."

Unethical IT experts, many from Eastern European countries, are responsible, claimed Kolochenko. "Those who were fired or recently lost their jobs are sometimes forced to commit a crime to make a living."

Working under "strict authorization", High-Tech Bridge offers several services in the cyber security game based around the concept of "ethical hacking".

"Digital forensics" and "penetration testing" probe a client’s IT system for defects and provide an extensive audit with an offer of training.

Although "any system is hackable", defensive strategies often revolve around deterrence, or making an attempt at infiltration a waste of time or money for intruders, explained Kolochenko.

With some "25 major companies" including several local banks as clients, High-Tech Bridge employees are subject to intensive vetting and Big Brother-like scrutiny.

"All our security experts we know personally for a long time. We also have a department which controls their emails and movements," he said.

"In some cases [as with one big bank] we were working under video and audio [observation] which could track every click of the mouse."

"All our experts who work in Geneva – they’re from Switzerland. Because banks would like to see people from Switzerland working on their IT security," he added.

"We also have a team of independent consultants from other countries and they make investigations on our behalf, but they don’t work directly with our customers and never know who they are."

Individuals provide easy pickings for cyber criminals, warned Kolochenko. "Today the biggest flaws are forums and online chats."

"Hackers introduce a Trojan or virus and anyone who goes there will be compromised and controlled," he added ominously.

Very much akin to the balance of power in sports between doping and detection, the battle between security and hackers is a perpetual one.

"I would say that absolute security is not possible. If someone tells you that it is they are lying," said Kolochenko.

While cyber crime has been around for a long time, it’s only more recently that hackers have become more serious. "In 2001 and 2002 they were doing it just for fun," he said.

"Before almost every website was easily hackable – today they are more secure and hackers are using different approaches and are much more efficient."

In the future, Kolochenko expects cyber attacks on mobile phones to become more prevalent.

By Marcus Berry