Data Interception and Remote Manipulation of Devices on WiFi and Cellular Networks

CoroNet’s Enterprise Offering Helps Carriers, MSSPs and Device Manufacturers to Protect their Customers from the Fastest-Growing Cyber Threat

CoroNet, a cyber security software company, today formally announced the launch of its breakthrough new product that squarely addresses the fastest growing cyber threat worldwide. This growing security threat seeks to hijack or “commjack” the communication channel between any device and the WiFi network or cellular tower to which it is connected. CoroNet is the only software-based provider that detects and evades commjacking on any wireless network, in real-time, making any device resilient to eavesdropping, data interception and device manipulation.

Commjacking gives cyber attackers the ability to eavesdrop on or record conversations, intercept data transmissions to and from the device, and alter the data and messages or the device itself remotely. Cyber criminals can intercept all of someone’s data, such as emails, chats, passwords, browsing, personal information, etc.

Users who use public WiFi networks such as those at an airport or hotel, or cellular networks, have little to any protection against these new advanced threats. Industrial spies, elusive crime syndicates and hackers typically look to steal company IP, valuable business data such as contracts or pricing sheets, credentials and passwords.

Laptops, tablets and smartphones all have a high risk of being commjacked. The biggest threat, however, looms with the anticipated explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT). Everything from automobiles to thermostats to medical equipment to front door locks, are highly vulnerable to cyber attacks, as many lack appropriate security and privacy protections, making them the perfect unprotected back door into home and enterprise networks. According to IDC, 2.7 billion IoT devices will be in use by 2018.

Over the past 18 months, software that enables commjacking went open source, and cheap, commercial hardware became readily available, giving cyber attackers access to sophisticated technology previously available only within the governmental domain. The once oversized, multi-million dollar hardware is now the size of a toaster and costs between $30 and $1,500 dollars, with no training required, opening new backdoors for cyber criminals to exploit.

“Until now, cyber criminals, industrial spies and crime syndicates could readily commjack the crown jewels of an enterprise. CoroNet is the first and only software solution available for the enterprise that stops commjacking in its tracks,” stated Dror Liwer, Chief Security Officer of CoroNet. “Through the use of CoroNet’s breakthrough technology, carriers and MSSPs can protect enterprise customers by successfully and immediately plugging this backdoor that cyber criminals are rushing to exploit.”

CoroNet’s Industry-First Solution

Like submarine sonar, CoroNet employs proprietary “echoing” technology to map the network behavior around the protected device through more than 300 parameters collected on it. Applying advanced behavioral algorithms, CoroNet actively monitors radio networks near the device as well as the device itself. It seeks both recognized behavioral models and unknown anomalies, thus uncovering the presence of commjackers. CoroNet’s solution cloaks cellular or WiFi-enabled laptops, tablets, smartphones and IoT gadgets, making any device resilient to commjacking.

CoroNet’s solution includes:

• An enterprise-grade, radio security platform comprised of a lightweight application that runs on Windows, iOS and Android ⎯ with no need to jailbreak or root the device, or as an SDK for IoT.
• On the backend is a sophisticated, offline machine learning system that leverages data collected from devices, publicly available databases, as well as feeds from CoroNet’s own attack lab, which continuously generates variants and mutations of new attack vectors.
• An enterprise-grade dashboard that enables CSOs to define key field behaviors, roles and responses. It also provides a real-time threat map that shows current risk levels by geography, device, or role.

Upon detection, there are two different modes that an organization can set. Most users will never know about a commjacking threat, because CoroNet discovers the commjacker and prevents the device from connecting to the malicious access point, instead automatically routing the user to a safe network. In Executive mode, CoroNet alerts the user of the presence of a commjacker and guides them what to do next, including providing alternative networks that the executive can use, each one graded by safety level.

CoroNet Detects and Evades Remote-Based Threats
While Wi-Fi and cellular networks require some degree of proximity to attack a local access point, remote attacks are also on the rise. Commjackers can now remotely take control over routers and cellular base stations, giving them the same level of access to voice and data traffic as if the cyber criminals were right next to the commjacking target. CoroNet also detects and evades against this type of remote-based commjacking.

Availability and Platform Support

Targeting the enterprise market through partnering with carriers, device manufacturers and managed security service providers (MSSPs), CoroNet is available immediately. CororNet can be installed on every device, including mobile phones, tablets, laptops and IoT devices. It works on iOS, Android, and Windows operating platforms. CoroNet has an SDK available for the IoT market.

About CoroNet

Based in Be’er Sheva, Israel, privately-held CoroNet detects and evades commjacking (eavesdropping, interception and manipulation on WiFi and cellular networks), making devices resilient to attackers. CoroNet’s suite of enterprise management tools enables CSOs and organizations to proactively detect threats, attacks and compromised devices in real-time, so they can protect company IP, sensitive data files, credentials, and employee personal data from cyber criminals and corporate spies. CoroNet’s founders are veterans of the security sector, Israeli defense industry and well-recognized researchers from academia. CoroNet is counting, amongst its shareholders, prominent backers, including Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), Israel’s leading cyber security investors, with recent successes such as CyberArk and CyActive (recently acquired by PayPal) as well as prominent executives from the financial services industry.For more information visit HERE .