Security A proxy infrastructure enables web scanning that identifies such


malicious ads and domains. Te larger the proxy pool, the more geo-specific content is accessible, allowing companies to report and remove more online threats.


Checking marketplaces for brand misuse Plenty of bad actors aim to profit by selling subpar products in the guise of a trusted brand. Counterfeit products and misuse of trademarks cause substantial reputational and financial damage to businesses. Effectively monitoring various e-commerce websites requires a


reliable and extensive pool of proxy IPs. Tools that extract data from dynamic e-commerce web pages and automatically rotate IPs to avoid bans help brand protection specialists avoid slip-throughs and process breaks.


Dark web monitoring Stolen company data is bought and sold in dark web marketplaces or hard-to-access Clearnet forums. Hackers also tend to boast about their achievements on these forums. Monitoring these marketplaces and forums allows uncovering previously unknown leaks and vulnerabilities. However, bad actors have protections in place here. Tey will ban


Knowing in which country the target is and what Internet Service


Provider (ISP) they use, hackers can diversify what happens when the link in a phishing email is followed. Te client connecting from their company IP will go to a malicious website. Meanwhile, an email protection company using an IP belonging to a different country and ISP might be directed to a legitimate website, such as the actual website of the client’s bank. Tis way, the protection tool is tricked into greenlighting a phishing email. Access to a proxy pool consisting of IPs from various countries


and providers solves this issue. An email protection tool can use a proxy IP address associated with the same ISP and location as the client’s IP. With a sufficiently similar IP, the tool will be directed to the exact same website as the client. Tus, using a diverse proxy infrastructure, companies can reliably protect clients all over the world from phishing attacks.


Fighting URL hijacking and malvertising Typosquatting is a URL hijacking technique that exploits typos users make when typing domain names. By slightly misspelling a legitimate website’s URL, users might be directed to a domain that is deliberately made to look similar but belongs to malicious actors. Treat agents use this technique to steal personal information or trick users into downloading malware. When combined with malicious advertising (malvertising) in


search engine results pages (SERPs), URL hijacking does not rely on users misspelling names. A correctly spelled name of a soſtware application can return sponsored content with a similar-looking domain name at the top of the results page.


www.pcr-online.biz


IPs associated with cybersecurity firms and deny access to anyone they find suspicious. Opening multiple forum pages from a single IP every few seconds immediately tells administrators that someone is using automation to gather intelligence. Tus, companies need rotating proxy IPs to mimic organic user activity when extracting information from these websites. Oſten, proxies are more stable and less recognizable than other solutions usable for this purpose.


Integral solutions It is crucial to note that proxies are not meant to be sufficient cybersecurity solutions by themselves. Instead, they should be integrated into systems that address specific threats. For example, proxies cannot scan emails and attachments on their own to identify suspicious and potentially harmful material. However, proxy- supported web scraping solutions can follow links in the emails and check the websites they lead to. Additionally, protection is oſten facilitated by sandbox technology.


Sandbox is a secure virtual environment where suspicious emails are sent before reaching the recipient. Security tools can then check what attachments or lines of code are within the email traffic and how they behave. Tis is a safe way to identify malware without endangering the internal network. Proxies can be integrated into sandbox-based security systems. In


this case, they direct traffic into the sandbox, helping ensure that the traffic has no contact with the internal system before being inspected in the sandbox. Proxies show their best colours when helping cybersecurity


specialists conceal their online identity and access content that informs about vulnerabilities and emerging threats. As threat actors constantly leverage new technologies, we must match them in innovation and ingenuity. Over the years, relatively simple functions of proxies proved flexible and indispensable in action. Time will show how else they can be adapted to improve cybersecurity and help extract timely and actionable threat intelligence.


July/August 2024 | 39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52