Roberto Popolizio
Published on: July 4, 2024
In this interview, Safety Detectives invited Álvaro Díaz Hernández, co-founder of Red4Sec Cybersecurity, to share his decade-long expertise in safeguarding digital assets.
Álvaro has 10 years of experience in the Cybersecurity sector focused on audits of Web Applications, Infrastructure, Mobile Applications and Smart Contracts audits. He is currently Co-Founder of the company Red4Sec Cybersecurity.
Graduated with Honors in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, he also has the OSCP, OSWE and OSWP Offensive Security certifications, and has an International Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity and Cyberdefense. He also spent several years in the Spanish Cybersecurity team at the ECSC (European Cybersecurity Challenge).
What you’ll learn:
- The core services and mission of Red4Sec
- Common cyber threats and scams that businesses often overlook
- Sophisticated online scams you probably haven’t heard of
- Lessons learned from years of battling cyber threats on how to stay ahead of cyber criminals
Let’s dive in!
What are Red4Sec’s core services and mission?
Red4Sec is a cybersecurity firm specializing in various aspects of security consulting and auditing. Following find overview of their core services and mission:
Core Services:
- Security Audits and Assessments:
- Comprehensive security audits for software, applications, and systems.
- Penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
- Source code reviews to uncover security flaws in codebases.
- Blockchain Security:
- Audits for blockchain protocols and smart contracts.
- Security assessments for decentralized applications (dApps).
- Consulting on secure blockchain implementation and best practices.
- Consulting Services:
- Security consulting for organizations to improve their overall security posture.
- Risk assessment and management.
- Compliance with industry standards and regulations.
- Incident Response and Forensics:
- Assistance in responding to security incidents and breaches.
- Digital forensics to investigate and analyze security incidents.
Mission:
Red4Sec’s mission is to provide high-quality cybersecurity services to help organizations protect their digital assets and infrastructures. They aim to build a safer digital world by ensuring that their clients’ systems are secure and resilient against cyber threats. Their commitment includes:
- Delivering thorough and precise security audits and assessments.
- Staying updated with the latest security trends and technologies.
- Offering tailored security solutions that meet the specific needs of each client.
- Fostering a security-aware culture within organizations through training and education.
In summary, Red4Sec is dedicated to enhancing the security of its clients by providing expert consulting, comprehensive security assessments, and effective incident response, all aimed at mitigating risks and protecting against cyber threats.
What are the most common or overlooked cyber threats and online scams that you see in your industry?
Today, there are numerous cyberattacks and online scams. However, the most common ones are as follows, though they are not the only ones:
- Phishing: It is one of the most common threats. Attackers send fake emails that appear to be from trusted sources to trick users into obtaining personal information such as passwords or banking details.
- It is important to be aware of scams such as “vishing” (voice phishing), and “smishing” (SMS phishing).
- Ransomware: Attackers encrypt a victim’s data and demand a ransom to unlock it. This type of attack has grown exponentially in recent years and affects both individuals and large organizations.
- Malware: Malicious software that can include any type of virus, trojans, spyware, etc. This type of software can steal information, damage devices, among other things.
- Other types of scams: Promises of great returns on investments, which turn out to be fraudulent schemes.
What sets Red4Sec apart as a leader in cybersecurity?
Red4Sec distinguishes itself through its comprehensive approach to security, combining extensive expertise in blockchain and traditional cybersecurity with a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. Our team of professionals excels in conducting thorough audits, penetration testing, and risk assessments, ensuring robust protection for our clients’ digital assets.
By staying at the forefront of cybersecurity trends and technologies, Red4Sec delivers tailored solutions that address the unique challenges of each client, making us a trusted partner in safeguarding against evolving cyber threats.
What are some of the most creative or sophisticated online scams you’ve encountered in your career?
Throughout these years we have encountered numerous scams, however, some notable ones could be the following:
Spear Phishing
Unlike general phishing, these attacks are highly personalized. Attackers research their victims thoroughly, using social media and other sources to create emails that appear very credible and specific to the victim. This significantly increases the chances of success of the attack. In fact, in many cases cybercriminals are able to verify in real time whether the information obtained from the victim through phishing is correct (for example, passwords), sending an error message if not.
CEO Scams Fraud
Cybercriminals impersonate the CEO or a senior executive of a company and send emails to specific employees, usually in the finance department, requesting urgent money transfers. They use social engineering techniques and sometimes even compromise executives’ email accounts to make the fraud more convincing. Furthermore, with the rise of AI and deep fakes, some cybercriminals are making use of this technology in order to even be able to interact via video conference with employees.
Cryptocurrency Scams
Attackers use the complexity and general lack of understanding about cryptocurrencies to carry out fraud. This can include fake initial coin offerings (ICOs), fake cryptocurrency wallets, and phishing schemes targeting cryptocurrency users.
Deep Fake Attacks
Using deepfake technology, attackers create fake videos or audio of people, usually authority figures, requesting money transfers or disclosure of confidential information. These attacks are especially difficult to detect due to the high quality of deep fakes.
Does Red4Sec have experience working with blockchain projects?
Yes, we have been deeply involved in blockchain and smart contract code audits since 2017. We have collaborated with leading blockchain companies to offer extensive auditing services. Our expertise includes auditing blockchain projects, smart contracts, and cryptocurrency systems.
Our goal is to thoroughly analyze your blockchain-based initiatives, token sale offerings, and smart contracts to ensure that the code and cryptographic elements are secure. Red4Sec’s proficiency covers a wide range of languages, protocols, consensus algorithms, and smart contracts, making us highly capable of addressing various blockchain security requirements.
What lessons have you learned from dealing with cyber threats and online scams in your career?
Learned lessons:
- Invest in security: Implementing continuous auditing within a company is crucial for maintaining security and compliance. For development teams, adopting a Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) is equally important. Continuous auditing helps identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in real-time, ensuring that security measures are consistently upheld.
- Ongoing Training: Constantly educating employees about phishing tactics and cybersecurity best practices is essential, such as using strong passwords, not reusing them, rotating them periodically, etc.
- Updates: Keeping all systems and software up to date helps prevent common vulnerabilities exploited by attackers.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implementing MFA is essential to protect accounts even if credentials are compromised.
- Incident Response Plan: Having a clear and proven incident response plan allows for a quick and effective reaction to any threat.
- Backups: Regularly performing and testing backups ensures that data can be restored without paying ransoms. It is important that these backups are not on the same network in order to prevent them from being affected by ransomware as well.
Are there any cybersecurity tools or software that you or your organization rely on?
Yes, we typically utilize a variety of tools, including both free and paid options, as well as proprietary tools developed by our team over the years. The choice of tools depends on the specific type of audit being conducted, making it difficult to provide an exhaustive list.
How do you balance the need for cybersecurity with other business priorities?
Balancing the need for cybersecurity with other business priorities is a common challenge, but it is crucial to ensure that the organization is secure without compromising its performance.
Here are some key strategies to achieve this balance:
1. Integrate Security into Business Culture:
Security Culture: Promote a security culture throughout the organization, where all employees understand the importance of cybersecurity and feel responsible for protecting company assets.
Training and awareness: Implement ongoing training programs to educate employees on security best practices and how to identify threats.
2. Adopt a Risk Approach:
Risk Assessment: Conduct periodic risk assessments to identify and prioritize the most critical threats to the business.
Risk Mitigation: Develop mitigation strategies based on risk analysis, focusing on the most vulnerable areas with the greatest impact on the business.
3 . Establish Clear Policies and Procedures:
Defined Security Policies: Develop clear and understandable security policies that align with business objectives.
Compliance Procedures: Ensure that security procedures comply with relevant regulations and standards, without interfering with business operations.
4. Encourage Collaboration between Departments:
Teamwork: Promote collaboration between IT teams, security and other departments to integrate security into all aspects of the business.
Open Communication: Maintain open and regular communication with business leaders to align security strategies with business objectives.
How do you stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices?
Staying informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices is essential in this field, as threats evolve and new vulnerabilities emerge daily. Some of the strategies to stay updated are the following:
- Security Bulletins: There are security newsletters from reliable sources.
- Security Conferences: Attend important conferences such as Black Hat, DEF CON, etc. It is important to learn about the latest research and trends.
- Communities and Forums: There are a large number of security groups/blogs/forums where you can obtain information about the latest threats and techniques used. In addition to discussing and addressing common topics.
- Continuous training: Although it is not essential, renewing and obtaining relevant certifications in the sector is always a plus.
