Researchers advise cyber self defense in the cloud

IDG News Service - Security researchers are warning that Web-based applications are increasing the risk of identity theft or losing personal data more than ever before.

The best defense against data theft, malware and viruses in the cloud is self defense, researchers at the Hack In The Box (HITB) security conference said. But getting people to change how they use the Internet, such as what personal data they make public, won't be easy.

People put a lot of personal information on the Web, and that can be used for an attacker's financial gain. From social-networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook to the mini-blogging service Twitter and other blog sites like Wordpress, people are putting photos, resumes, personal diaries and other information in the cloud. Some people don't even bother to read the fine print in agreements that allow them onto a site, even though some agreements clearly state that anything posted becomes the property of the site itself.

The loss of personal data by Sidekick smartphone users over the weekend, including contacts, calendar entries, photographs and other personal information, serves as another example of the potential pitfalls of trusting the Cloud. Danger, the Microsoft subsidiary that stores Sidekick data, said a service disruption almost certainly means user data has been lost for good.

Access to personal data on the cloud from just about anywhere on a variety of devices, from smartphones and laptops to home PCs, shows another major vulnerability because other people may be able to find that data, too.

"As an attacker, you should be licking your lips," said Haroon Meer, a researcher at Sensepost, a South African security company that has focused on Web applications for the past six years. "If all data is accessible from anywhere, then the perimeter disappears. It makes hacking like hacking in the movies."

A person who wants to steal personal information is usually looking for financial gain, Meer said, and every bit of data they can find leads them one step closer to your online bank, credit card or brokerage accounts.

First, they might find your name. Next, they discover your job and a small profile of you online that offers further background information such as what school you graduated from and where you were born. They keep digging until they have a detailed account of you, complete with your date of birth and mother's maiden name for those pesky security questions, and perhaps some family photos for good measure. With enough data they could make false identification cards and take out loans under your name.

Identity theft could also be an inside job. Employees at big companies that host e-mail services have physical access to e-mail accounts. "How do you know nobody's reading it? Do you keep confirmation e-mails and passwords there? You shouldn't," said Meer. "In the cloud, people are trusting their information to systems they have no control over."