government digital shields to strengthen our cyber security
Faced with a digital “jungle”, the French government intends to develop a security label for digital sites and services. Also a browser extension responsible for fighting online fraud.
Man is a monster to man, and the digital world is one of his favorite hunting grounds. Therefore, Jean-Noel Barrot, Digital Minister Representative, announced a series of measures to protect the French. With two free digital “security barriers” with cyber-account and anti-fraud filters. The latter is even a promise made by candidate Emmanuel Macron during the last presidential election.
Also read: The cyber threat in France is increasingly important and is being addressed over time (June 2022)
During a visit to the new Cyber Campus at the La Défense site in the Paris region on October 27, the Minister announced the details of these two events. Which is the informational (cyber account) and technical (anti-fraud filter) shields that the country needs very much. Because along with the people these devices are meant to protect, the country is in the grip of a steady increase in digital attacks. Not only against their businesses, but also against their services like hospitals.
Cyber score: for food, but for digital
It’s the first weapon in the government’s arsenal: assessing the overall security of the digital sites and services you use. Its implementation will take place on October 1, 2023, that is, in less than a year. It is a long time because it is difficult to implement. Indeed, the account will be a legal obligation for all sites and services that “welcome at least 5 million visitors”. Therefore, from Google to Lemonde.fr, to Darty via LinkedIn, the “big” sites and platforms will be mandatory first…. Or 01net.com! It is not surprising, and it is not possible for companies to opt out in “we didn’t know” mode, as the full list of the first targeted companies will be published by decree. If the big players will be the first targets, no information has been leaked regarding the expansion of this device to the smallest sites.
Also read: Microsoft Admits It Ignored the Security of Millions of Windows PCs for Years (Oct 2022)
This score, ranging from A (very good) to E (poor), will be similar to the nutri-honey we already know in the food field. With the same now proven color code from green to red. The nature, number and weighting of the criteria are still under development. But we already have HTTPS, hardware infrastructure quality (encryption chips, etc.), XSS protection, internal rules for accessing user data, etc. we know the contours like
The French need clear and legible information about the level of protection of their personal data online.
My goal is to create ppl #CyberScore The platforms to be presented in the Milli Majlis this morning are being investigated. @naegelenchris @ac_loisier pic.twitter.com/LFFgM031BM
— Laurent Lafon (@L_Lafon) November 26, 2021
But an important unknown factor remains on the board: will the final score be the result of a government “mill” or a self-scoring system with the risk of penalties for manipulation? At least we know there will be fines, because unlike the sugar and palm oil filled chocolate chip cookies in stores with the ‘E’ mark, this grade will be fined in the medium term. Calculate up to 75,000 euros for an individual and up to 375,000 euros for a company (legal entity).
Anti-fraud filter: a free browser extension
If cyber-accounting will be a legal obligation, the use of an anti-fraud filter will be optional and voluntary. It will actually be an extension for web browsers for both computers and mobile devices. This extension should be available in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, and possibly a few Chrome-based browsers like Edge and Brave. Its role will be to proactively filter some or even all of the content listed or certain sites whose behavior is harmful.
Also read: Wish is no longer available on the App Store and Play Store due to government demand (November 2021)
Technical difficulty is on a completely different scale than cyber-ball. In this first case, it is clear that the big companies involved in business are not interested in robbing justice and paying fines. But with an anti-fraud filter, the government often targets a technical defense solution against actors based abroad, more or less anonymous, and outside of its jurisdiction. And its extension will have to be able to adapt to the paid systems of certain security packages. Behaviorally, this extension should act as a phishing filter that will alert you when your browser turns to problematic networks or even block the site from loading.
If a clear legal framework is needed for cyber-accounting, here the government aims to develop effective technology. Which will take longer: if the anti-cheat extension will be placed in beta testing from the summer of 2023, it must reach final version status by the summer of 2024.
Source:
Digital Factory, 20 Minutes
