The aim of the KiberPajzs program is for customers, together with authorities and market players, to create a ‘bulletproof’ protection against digital criminals.
The first year of the KiberPajzs digital security enhancement program was realized in an unprecedented collaboration. The experience of the cooperation was summarized at a conference, and the continuation of the CyberShield was announced – the National Media and Communications Authority informed Computerworld.
Fake bank calls, deceptive online commercial offers, spoofing, call-back fraud (wangiri), phishing emails are just some of the deceptive practices we encounter every day. In November 2022, the National Bank of Hungary, the Hungarian Bank Association, the National Media and Communications Authority, the National Cyber Security Institute of the National Security Service, and the National Police Headquarters signed an agreement to prevent and curb financial abuses committed in the digital space. The cooperation was later joined by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Hungarian State Treasury and the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities.
The goal of the KiberPajzs program is for customers to create “bulletproof” protection against digital criminals together with authorities and market players. In the framework of the KiberPajzs project, institutions and market players are conducting extensive, coordinated communication campaigns on the presentation of cyber security risks and the possibilities of defense against them, and the Médiaunió Foundation (kiberpajss.hu, akulcstevagy.hu).
However, CyberShield is more than communication. During the year, the analysis and further development of cybersecurity official and market processes takes place with intensive cooperation. In addition, domestic and international professional knowledge sharing and collection of best practices are ongoing for the purpose of implementing the strongest and most effective financial cyber protection.
After summarizing the experiences of the first annual cooperation signed until December 31, 2023, the partners announced the continuation of the program.
Dr. András Koltay, president of the NMHH, emphasized that in the first year of CyberShield, the Authority was seriously affected by two topics, the review of service provider interventions to make phone number spoofing more difficult and the related regulatory options, and the use of the names and images of postal service providers , investigating fraud that harms users of financial services.
“In these areas, we have made significant progress, both in terms of technology and regulatory issues. Service provider interventions and the development of new regulatory frameworks have significantly contributed to strengthening the cyber security environment. one of our most important professional tasks.” He added: NMHH is committed to working closely with its partners to further strengthen the security of the online space.
In his speech, Dr. Csaba Kandrács, the vice-president of the MNB, said: the Hungarian banking and payment system is safe, but further action is required because 72 percent of financial abuses are now phishing attacks against customers. The KiberPajzs customer education program must therefore be continued effectively in 2024 as well. It is a significant success that the kiberpajzs.hu website, which was renewed in April this year, was visited by 171,000 consumers in recent months – two-thirds of whom were over 55, who are considered one of the vulnerable groups.
The MNB recently issued its anti-fraud recommendation aimed at dealing with fraud in banks, investigated abuses related to online loans, and participates in EU and domestic legislation (e.g. establishing a hotline between the police and banks). And as the owner of GIRO, which processes money, it is building a Central Abuse Monitoring System, which will help banks prevent abuses on interbank networks.
“When developing the rules and practice of fraud prevention and treatment, the aim is to protect consumers and restore and increase trust in payment services. Whenever possible, we manage our finances carefully and in calm conditions. The basic principle is that if something goes wrong, you must act immediately: notify your financial service provider immediately , we will help our account manager bank and the work of the investigative authorities if we immediately take the steps there as well” – Dr. Anikó Túri, the State Secretary for Administration of the Ministry of Economic Development, highlighted this in his speech.
Dr. János Balogh r. lieutenant general, national police chief, added: the police are the vanguard of the Cyber Shield initiative, as it can be seen that the number of violations committed in the online space is increasing. At the conference, he drew attention to the fact that neither the national police chief nor the police chiefs write payment demands, so if someone receives an e-mail with such content, they should suspect that they are trying to trick them. He also explained that compensation for damage caused by crimes and asset recovery is one of the cornerstones of the police’s law enforcement strategy, which also applies to fraud committed online.
He informed those present that in the fall of 2023, ORFK launched the Matrix Project, within the framework of which 300 cyber investigators across the country work to coordinate and detect crimes committed online. The detective work of the first month also has results, as arrests and suspicions have already taken place, and several perpetrators have been arrested. The international contact system of the police is good, so there is also a chance of detecting foreign criminals. As a closing thought, he sent a message to the perpetrators: “Don’t sit back, because we will find them!”
In his speech at the conference, Dr. Biró Marcell, the president of the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities, emphasized: “In Hungary, our Authority performs the supervisory tasks of cyber security certification of digital products. First of all, we prepare the certification rules for so-called IOT products (i.e. products connected to a digital network). We will agree on the draft regulation with the European Commission in mid-November. It is necessary to carry out the technical notification procedure, which is expected to take at least 3 months. With adequate preparation time, the introduction is expected by the middle of 2024, which will make Hungary the first member state in the European Union to introduce the the entire legal regulatory environment necessary for cyber certification.”
Dr. Róbert Répássy, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, said that the ministry is connected to cyber security in two ways: on the one hand, through consumer protection awareness education and decisive consumer protection official action, and on the other hand, through helping victims of crimes and property violations. He added that education aimed at the population is ongoing and there is still a lot of work ahead of us. Unfortunately, with the newer and newer methods, cybercriminals even succeed in scamming people – up to several million forints – who have already been informed on the subject at least once. Due to the constantly changing and increasingly sophisticated methods, active, regular information and education is necessary. That is why the Ministry of Justice will provide all the help it can to support the CyberPajzs program and deliver its messages to everyone.
Dr. Csaba Kiss nb. Brigadier General, Director General of the National Security Service, emphasized that their goal is to achieve high-quality cyber security, with particular regard to public administration bodies and vital system components. In addition, their main mission is to help people protect themselves against abuse in cyberspace and to support their preparation for future cyber security challenges. He emphasized that they are happy to participate in the CyberPajzs cooperation and are committed to supporting its further activities.
According to Csaba Bugár, the president of the Hungarian State Treasury, due to the importance of the case, the Treasury is an active member of the CyberShield collaboration and its aim is to increase customers’ awareness of cyber security and the protection of savings in securities accounts. To this end, in the near future, new security functions aimed at preventing phishing cases will be added to the WebKincstár and MobilKincstár interfaces.
In his speech, Dr. Levente Kovács emphasized that in the digital era there are no more telegram carriers, bank robbers have ceased to exist. In their place, new risks have appeared, the fraudsters of cyberspace, against whom you can defend yourself most effectively with cooperation, with the CyberShield program. As a co-founder, the Hungarian Bank Association confirms that it is committed to continuing the KiberPajzs program and will continue to organize and coordinate the wide-ranging professional cooperation with the same momentum in the future.”
