What is a threat landscape and how do you determine yours?

Well known in the field of business security, the concept of threat landscapes can also help individuals better understand and protect themselves from the threats around them. Find out how to refine your daily protection with this innovative strategy.

Threat landscape: kesako?

Some methods used by business security specialists can sometimes be very useful for individuals. This is the case with the concept of a threat landscape (or threat model) which consists of establishing a complete overview of the cyber threats that weigh on a society during a given period. Concretely, this method aims to avoid unnecessarily multiplying the layers of protection and security measures which end up harming usability. The goal, then, is to focus on the protections that are truly relevant to a particular business or person. Overview of a threat landscape that you can apply to yourself to better protect yourself.

Create your personal threat landscape

Not everyone is necessarily exposed to the same threats. The risks are generally closely linked to your online habits, that is to say the services, social networks (TikTok, Instagram, X, etc.), or even the software that we use on a daily basis. There are many factors to take into account such as the operating system, location, messaging software and social networks used, the type of activity carried out, or even the people with whom you are communicating. If you are a big consumer of social networks, you should be particularly careful about solicitations from strangers, or tempting ads that are often too good to be true, for example.

Messaging services are being invaded by phishing attacks that encourage users to click on a link, disclose personal information or download an attachment. It is more complicated for data leaks, because they are the consequence of human error, technical failure, or a cyberattack on a service or website. In this case, it is important to use a security suite like Kaspersky Premium which has a data leak alert system.

How to take your digital portrait?

Creating your digital portrait helps you identify the potential risks to which you are exposed. This personal audit consists of listing your habits, protection services (antivirus, VPN, password manager, etc.), messaging services, social networks, or even e-commerce sites that you use on a daily basis. Also determine what fixed and mobile equipment you use, whether privately or professionally. Using this, you can then identify which services and activities pose the most risks and what steps you can take to protect yourself against them.

Determine an overview of cyber threats

Like any business, each individual has their own threat landscape based in particular on their online habits and activities. For specialists, the threat landscape is divided into two distinct parts: the common part with threats that concern everyone, and the individual part specific to each person.

What are the universal threats?

Universal threats concern the common part of a threat landscape. That is to say, the cyber threats that everyone must protect themselves against. Phishing, data leaks and online scams are some of the most common threats. The best defense is to stay informed about current scams so you can better know how to detect and block them. It is very important, among other things, to learn about phishing, which is one of the oldest and most devastating attack techniques. A few tips such as getting into the habit of checking the sender’s address, the content of the message (grammar, spelling, syntax, etc.), or even suspicious links can already help to spot a phishing attempt quite easily. There are also identity protection tools like Kaspersky Identity Protection (included in Kaspersky Premium) that can monitor data leaks about you.

If a data leak is detected, you must immediately react by changing the password of the compromised service, deleting the account if necessary, canceling a bank card, etc. It is impossible to describe all the types of scams that are rampant on the Internet and which can also differ from one country to another. Cybercriminals often use major events (Covid 19 epidemic, Football World Cup, natural disasters, etc.) as a pretext to instigate all kinds of scams at one point or another. All means are good to divert users’ attention, play on their emotions (compassion, fears, confidence, etc.), or even stress them out to deceive them and encourage them to do what they want. Be particularly wary of unsolicited urgent requests.

What are the individual threats?

Whether you are passionate about video games, an investor in cryptocurrency, or addicted to social networks, the threats are not the same. Gamers are, for example, the target of Trojan horses which attempt to take over their accounts or steal their personal data. To protect yourself, it is essential to learn about attack techniques in progress on online video game platforms and carefully configure their security options. Those who invest in cryptocurrency also represent prime prey for cybercriminals.

As transactions are not protected by law, cybercriminals are becoming more inventive in hacking cryptocurrency wallets. You must therefore be very vigilant about security measures to protect your wallets and their passwords. Those who use social networks (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, etc.) are threatened by hacking or account hijacking. It is therefore very important not to neglect the privacy features of these services. Each service and activity requires taking specific measures.

Kaspersky Premium: comprehensive protection against cyber threats

Regularly awarded awards by independent test laboratories, the Kaspersky Premium security suite is based on one of the most efficient detection engines on the market. Over time, the publisher has supplemented its software with numerous security tools (VPN, password manager, advanced firewall, identity protection, anti-phishing, etc.) to ensure overall protection. against all cyber threats. The anti-phishing module helps protect users against fraud attempts by email or via fake websites. To do this, the module analyzes messages and URLs and searches for matches with the database of phishing addresses and malicious addresses.

The publisher also uses a cloud database and heuristic algorithms to monitor the subject of messages, the content, and even the graphics to be able to block phishing scams that have not yet been listed. That’s not all, the Kaspersky Identity Protection module monitors leaks of personal data (email addresses, banking information, telephone numbers, etc.) of its users on the Internet and the Dark Web. If detected, the system immediately alerts the user to take appropriate action. Comprehensive protection to face all cyber threats.