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The Future Of Adtech

As our lives increasingly get tangled with technology, cybersecurity and online privacy becomes an increasing concern for individual users, companies and even governments. 

The field of cybersecurity is as vast as the internet and hence Knovo has interviewed an industry leader in cybersecurity, Checkmarx to get an in-depth understanding regarding online safety. Checkmarx is constantly pushing the boundaries of Application Security Testing to make security seamless and simple for the world’s developers while giving CISOs the confidence and control they need. 

One of the rising concerns with online safety is due to exponential expansion of adtech. Trillion dollar company Meta may be known as a social media platform but it is the second largest digital marketing platform just behind Google.

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What does adTech mean?

AdTech is a short form of advertisement and technology and is an umbrella term comparison of the digital tools and softwares used for analyzing advertisement campaigns.Every single move made online is tracked and monitored to be monetised by businesses. As adtech gets more complex, there are rising concerns of internet privacy and security. Although privacy laws prohibit companies from collecting any personal information, the definition of ‘personal data’ has been vague. While they may not allow companies to collect identifying information such as names, there are various other details such as user ID in cookies that still may be used to identify individuals.

How can the government and companies improve our online security?

Adtech gets tangled in a web of ethical questions as personal data breaches become more common. The government plays a large role when it comes to minimizing the effects of adtech especially to minors. The Singapore Code of Advertising Practice has strict rules laid out which aim to promote a high standard of ethical advertising in Singapore. It states digital marketing aimed towards children should be deemed appropriate and any personal information should only be disclosed upon permission from their parent or guardian. These Codes help make the internet a safer place for minors and reduce their exposure to a plethora of advertisements. 

Adtech relies on your digital footprint and in light of these ethical questions, Apple has made it harder for companies to track their users as now they are required to ask their users if they allow the apps to track them. This update has been up for debate as even when users opt-out of being tracked, it doesn’t apply to all data metrics and apps are still collecting data which only marginally improves privacy on the internet. Other tech giants such as Meta have called this feature a disadvantage to small businesses that rely on these metrics to improve their advertisements and in return their revenue. 

Industry leaders in cybersecurity such as Checkmarx is also optimistic about the improvements in this field with “new technologies coming up that can help software development teams prevent some of the newest supply chain security threats.”

Ad Fraud and Cybersecurity 

With such a high volume of data being tracked, it opens the doors for ad fraud and leaves even advertisers susceptible to huge losses. Ad fraud has cost advertisers $30 billion in 2019, an increase from $6.5 billion in 2019 which is almost a five-time multiple. These trends have led experts to estimate ad fraud to cost advertisers $50 billion in 2022. 

Developments in the cybersecurity field also help improve online safety. “Checkmarx specializes in constantly innovating our application security testing tools and platform to make it extremely simple for software developers to push a button and check for a vast variety of code vulnerabilities that can be fixed before an application is ever released. In addition, the use of machine learning in analyzing and predicting the likelihood of certain types of threats continues to evolve.”

What can I do to stay safe online?

Our time spent online is likely to increase by the day which means the fight against online privacy is only going to get harder. Checkmarx believes that the “traditional ways of practising security hygiene remain effective at protecting all of us to a large degree. These practices include using complex passwords that differ from site to site, double-checking the ratings and developer reputation of any app you’re considering installing on your devices, and using two-factor authentication wherever it’s offered.”

To learn more in-depth about cybersecurity and how you can protect yourself online, click here to read the full interview with Checkmarx.

References: 

– Bird & Bird, SINGAPORE –NEW GUIDELINES RELEASED TO REGULATE ADVERTISING ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS, <https://www.twobirds.com/en/insights/2016/singapore/new-guidelines-released-to-regulate-advertising-on-digital-platforms> 
-Flashtalking.com, FIGHTING AD FRAUD: HOW CYBERSECURITY IS EVOLVING THE AD TECH APPROACH, <https://www.flashtalking.com/blog/2020/6/25/fighting-ad-fraud-how-cybersecurity-is-evolving-the-ad-tech-approach>

How to Be Safe Online?

As technology seeps more into our daily lives, it is important to become aware of our digital responsibility. The Singapore Cyber Security Awareness Alliance (CSAA) talks about safety guidelines for parents to ensure maximum safety for their children online.

Have an open and honest conversation: Parents are encouraged to have open discussions with their children to be aware of their online behaviour and gauge their interests. They should not be privy to the threats that loom on the internet and it is important they have a safe space to talk about their online behaviour.

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Teach and explain internet safety to them: Parents should have conversations to explain to them how to use the internet safely.  

    • Explain the importance of passwords: The CSAA recommends using analogies in daily life such as a key to your house to explain the importance of online passwords. These passwords should be secure, not shared with anyone and changed frequently to remain safe online. 
    • Explain the parental controls and privacy filters in place. The importance of these filters helps children understand the need and also encourages them to report any suspicious activities online. 
    • Show and teach children how to identify pop-ups and to never click on links sent by strangers. Ensure that parents model this same behaviour and always check with an adult if they are unsure of any websites.
    • Set rules on what can be shared online. List out personal information that children are not allowed to post or share with strangers online such as home addresses, names of family members, or their daily schedule.

Build a two-way trust with children: Parents are encouraged to be open about the rules set regarding device usage to build trust both ways. The CSAA has an example of a Family Contract for Device Usage which highlights a comprehensive set of rules to ensure child safety on the internet. It is important that they are aware of the importance of these rules to truly appreciate them. 

Discuss and show children what fake news and advertisements look like: They are likely to have poor formatting, have unusual website names, and poor writing quality. It is encouraged children always verify any news or advertisements with adults to ensure they are not tricked into false realities.

Online safety goes beyond just these measures and it is important both parents and children are aware of these guidelines. If you want to find out more on how internet security impacts children and how to improve our digital responsibility, click here to find out more.

References: 

– Go Safe Online, TALKING TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY, <https://www.csa.gov.sg/en/gosafeonline/Go-Safe-For-Me/For-Parents/Talking-to-Your-Child-About-Internet-Safety> 

5G and Cybersecurity

What is 5G? 

    • 5G refers to the new generation of mobile networks and a new wireless standard that is being rolled out in many countries. Singapore’s Singtel launched its first standalone 5G network in May 2021. 
    • 5G is roughly 100 times faster than 4G which increases the performance needed for our highly technologically dependent society. 
    • 5G also has a much lower latency rate which refers to the delay between sending and receiving information. This will help the development of new services and speed up the development of connected cars, virtual-reality gaming, remote surgical operations, and translation software.
    • The widespread use of 5G would usher the world to increase the integration of objects which would allow devices to connect faster and collect real-time data. Since 5G is on a different frequency than 4G, it is less affected by physical barriers such as walls and thus encouraging ‘smart homes’  and ‘smart offices’ 
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New threats to cybersecurity 

    • The implementation of 5G opens up the doors for more cyber attacks and leaves old measures not as effective. The increased connectivity can be leveraged by hackers to launch more widespread network attacks. 
    • The increase in integrated objects leaves far more potential entry points into the network. Integrated objects are no longer limited to just computers and smartphones but also include a wide range of technologies such as smart home objects and other wearable devices. 
    • There is a lack of security experts that are equipped to deal with the increasing threats. The 2021 (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study predicts a cybersecurity workforce gap of 2.72 million. 

We can expect to see an exponential rise in the use of 5G across the world. However, the safety and security around its use is still in development.

References: 

– IT Business Edge, 5G CYBERSECURITY RISKS AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM , <https://www.twobirds.com/en/insights/2016/singapore/new-guidelines-released-to-regulate-advertising-on-digital-platforms> 
-Thalesgroup.com, 5G VS 4G: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?, <https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide-digital-identity-and-security/mobile/magazine/5g-vs-4g-whats-difference#:~:text=With%205G%20reaching%2010%20gigabits,5G%2C%20it%20takes%20just%20nine>

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