Latest news with #digitalsecurity
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Civil Aviation Authority enhances cybersecurity awareness at Muscat and Salalah airports
Muscat: As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) organized an awareness event at Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport, in collaboration with strategic sector partners. The event is part of the Civil Aviation Cybersecurity Awareness Program and was held under the theme 'A Safe Journey in a Digital Space.' The initiative aims to raise awareness among travelers about safe digital practices and to empower them to protect their personal data before, during, and after travel. By doing so, it contributes to creating a secure and informed travel environment in line with the requirements of the digital era. The event received strong engagement from both passengers and aviation personnel. A dedicated awareness booth showcased the most common cybersecurity threats travelers might encounter, alongside the distribution of informative materials providing practical tips for maintaining data security while traveling. This initiative forms part of the second edition of the Civil Aviation Cybersecurity Awareness Program, which targets various segments of society in alignment with the national direction to enhance digital security awareness across all sectors—particularly civil aviation as one of the nation's vital industries. Civil aviation plays a pivotal role in connecting the Sultanate of Oman to the world, supporting trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. With the increasing reliance on technology and advanced digital solutions, cybersecurity has become crucial to ensuring the sector's safety, operational continuity, and public trust. The importance of cybersecurity in civil aviation lies in protecting sensitive aviation systems, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, safeguarding travelers' personal data, and maintaining uninterrupted operations. The Civil Aviation Authority reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the sector's capabilities in facing digital challenges, in collaboration with its strategic partners, and to fostering a sustainable security culture that supports Oman's digital transformation vision and strengthens its position as a regional aviation hub. © Muscat Media Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Times of Oman
4 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Civil Aviation Authority enhances cybersecurity awareness at Muscat and Salalah airports
Muscat: As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) organized an awareness event at Muscat International Airport and Salalah Airport, in collaboration with strategic sector partners. The event is part of the Civil Aviation Cybersecurity Awareness Program and was held under the theme 'A Safe Journey in a Digital Space.' The initiative aims to raise awareness among travelers about safe digital practices and to empower them to protect their personal data before, during, and after travel. By doing so, it contributes to creating a secure and informed travel environment in line with the requirements of the digital era. The event received strong engagement from both passengers and aviation personnel. A dedicated awareness booth showcased the most common cybersecurity threats travelers might encounter, alongside the distribution of informative materials providing practical tips for maintaining data security while traveling. This initiative forms part of the second edition of the Civil Aviation Cybersecurity Awareness Program, which targets various segments of society in alignment with the national direction to enhance digital security awareness across all sectors—particularly civil aviation as one of the nation's vital industries. Civil aviation plays a pivotal role in connecting the Sultanate of Oman to the world, supporting trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. With the increasing reliance on technology and advanced digital solutions, cybersecurity has become crucial to ensuring the sector's safety, operational continuity, and public trust. The importance of cybersecurity in civil aviation lies in protecting sensitive aviation systems, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, safeguarding travelers' personal data, and maintaining uninterrupted operations. The Civil Aviation Authority reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the sector's capabilities in facing digital challenges, in collaboration with its strategic partners, and to fostering a sustainable security culture that supports Oman's digital transformation vision and strengthens its position as a regional aviation hub.
The Independent
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Flight schedule ‘stabilised' after airline cyberattack
Russian airline Aeroflot announced it has stabilised its flight schedule following a major cyberattack on Monday. Two pro-Ukraine hacking groups, Belarusian Cyber Partisans and Silent Crow, claimed responsibility for a year-long operation that compromised Aeroflot's network. The hackers asserted they crippled 7,000 servers, extracted data on passengers and employees, and gained control over staff computers. The cyberattack resulted in the cancellation of 59 round-trip flights from Moscow on Monday, with further cancellations and significant delays reported on Tuesday. The Kremlin described the incident as 'worrying', leading to a criminal investigation by Russia 's prosecutor's office and calls from lawmakers for increased digital security.
Zawya
14-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kaspersky highlights top risks of Quantum Computing
Kaspersky is addressing one of the most debatable technological challenges of the coming decade: the rise of quantum computing and its potential impact on digital security. In this context, experts have identified the main quantum threats that demand immediate action from the cybersecurity community. As classical computers approach their physical limits, their performance growth is slowing — constraining progress in areas that depend on complex computation. At the same time, quantum computers, offering the potential to solve specific problems far faster than classical systems. For now, however, their practical use remains limited to narrow and experimental domains. Nevertheless, experts estimate that we may see a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer within the next decade — a development that could unlock significant advances, but also unleash a new era of cybersecurity threats. Supporting this urgency, Deloitte's 2024 Global Future of Cyber Survey reports that 83% of organizations are already assessing or taking steps to address quantum computing risks, demonstrating growing awareness and proactive strategies in the private sector. To better understand the scope of the evolving threat, Kaspersky has identified three of the most urgent quantum-related risks that demand action from the cybersecurity community: The top three risks Quantum computers could be used to compromise the traditional encryption methods that currently protect data in countless digital systems — posing a direct threat to global cybersecurity infrastructures. Threats include the interception and decoding of sensitive diplomatic, military, and financial communications, as well as the real-time decryption of private negotiations – something quantum systems could handle much faster than classical machines, turning secure conversations into open books. 1. Store now, decrypt later: the key threat of the coming years Threat actors are already harvesting encrypted data today, with the intention of decrypting it in the future once quantum capabilities advance. This ' store now, decrypt later ' tactic could expose sensitive information years after it was originally transmitted — including diplomatic exchanges, financial transactions, and private communications. 2. Sabotage in blockchain and cryptocurrency Blockchain networks are not immune to quantum threats. Bitcoin's Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), is especially vulnerable. Potential risks include forging digital signatures, which threatens Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies; attacks on ECDSA that secure crypto wallets; and tampering with blockchain transaction history, undermining trust and integrity. 3. Quantum-resistant ransomware: a new front Looking ahead, developers and operators of advanced ransomware may begin adopting post-quantum cryptography to protect their own malicious payloads. So-called 'quantum-resistant' ransomware would be designed to resist decryption by both classical and quantum computers — potentially making recovery without paying a ransom nearly impossible. At present, quantum computing does not offer a way to decrypt files locked by current ransomware. Data protection and recovery still rely on traditional security solutions and collaboration among law enforcement agencies, quantum researchers, and international organizations. Building quantum-safe defenses Quantum computers are not yet a direct threat — but by the time they are, it may be too late to respond. Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography will take years. Preparations must begin today. The cybersecurity community, IT companies, and governments must coordinate to address the risks ahead. Policymakers should develop clear strategies to migrate to post-quantum algorithms. Businesses and researchers need to begin implementing new security standards now. 'The most critical risk lies not really in the future, but in the present: encrypted data with long-term value is already at risk from future decryption. The security decisions we make today will define the resilience of our digital infrastructure for decades. Governments, businesses, and infrastructure providers must begin adapting now, or risk systemic vulnerabilities that cannot be retroactively fixed', states Sergey Lozhkin, Head of Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis Team for META and APAC. About Kaspersky Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. With over a billion devices protected to date from emerging cyberthreats and targeted attacks, Kaspersky's deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services to protect individuals, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments around the globe. The company's comprehensive security portfolio includes leading digital life protection for personal devices, specialized security products and services for companies, as well as Cyber Immune solutions to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. We help millions of individuals and over 200,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at
CNET
13-07-2025
- CNET
Microsoft Plans to Purge Passwords—Here's How to Protect Yours
Microsoft is moving closer to a password-free future, and if you're still using the Authenticator app to manage logins, big changes are coming fast. Starting Aug. 1, the app will no longer support passwords at all. This shift has already been in motion-new password creation was disabled in June, and autofill support was cut off in July. For years, Microsoft Authenticator was a go-to for managing both multi-factor authentication and saved passwords. But now, it's being refocused to support passkeys instead. That means your logins will soon rely more on things like PINs, fingerprint scans, or facial recognition-more secure, faster and harder to steal than a standard password. If you're still relying on Authenticator for password storage, it's time to move your data elsewhere before it disappears. Attila Tomaschek, CNET's software senior writer and digital security expert, said that's not a bad thing, though. "Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks," Tomaschek said. Passkeys get rid of the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, like using the same password for multiple accounts or using personal hints, according to a CNET survey. However, those convenient hints can pose a bigger risk to scammers, identity theft and fraud. If you're a fan of Authenticator and not sure where to start before the switch, here's what you need to do before Microsoft's Aug. 1 move. When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords? Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you're logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator. Starting this month, you won't be able to use the autofill password function. And next month, you'll no longer be able to use saved passwords. If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. "Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts," Tomaschek said. Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords? So what exactly is a passkey? It's a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That's generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack. Passkeys aren't stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they're stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager. How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. "If you have a password and 'one-time code' set up on your account, we'll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you're signed in, you'll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you'll be prompted to sign in with your passkey," according to the blog post. To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select "Set up a passkey." You'll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you're logged in, you can set up the passkey.
