The Cyber Launch Newsletter #8!


1. Your first step into Cloud Security!

Cloud Administration and Cloud Security are rapidly taking over the IT / Cybersecurity job market.

The average US salary range for a Cloud Security Engineer is roughly $90k – $150k /yr!

Whether you are a beginner or an already established IT professional, I would highly recommend learning at least the basics of popular cloud ecosystems!

IBM has released a FREE vendor agnostic cloud class designed for beginners or those looking to move from traditional IT / Cybersecurity!👇

What you’ll learn:

✅AWS, GCP, Azure, and IBM

✅IaaS, PaaS, SaaS models

✅Cloud Security

✅Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud

✅and more!

Get it here: ​Introduction to Cloud Computing​

2. Cybersecurity news you missed: iOS, Android Malware Steals Faces to Defeat Biometrics With AI Swaps

​Full article here!​

Quick summary:

Chinese hackers have developed a sophisticated banking Trojan named “GoldPickaxe” that targets individuals, primarily the elderly, tricking them into providing personal IDs, phone numbers, and face scans. The malware, operating on both iOS and Android devices, disguises itself as a government service app. It utilizes the collected face scans to create deepfakes, bypassing biometric security at Southeast Asian banks.

Researchers from Group-IB identified a Vietnamese victim who lost $40,000 to the scam. The Trojan exploits the gap between deepfake technology and biometric authentication awareness. The Bank of Thailand’s facial recognition policy, implemented to combat fraud, was quickly undermined by GoldPickaxe. Experts suggest a rapid shift in the banking industry’s approach to address evolving threats, recommending sophisticated user session monitoring for banks and advising customers to exercise caution in app downloads and communication verification.

3. Cyber Tool Highlight: Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services and solutions for computing, storage, analytics, networking, and more.

Azure is one of the leading cloud providers and it enables businesses to build, deploy, and manage applications and services through Microsoft’s global network of data centers.

Want to learn how to get started with Azure? Check out this FREE training from Microsoft!

👉 ​Microsoft Azure​

Newsletter Partner: ​ProtonVPN​

One of the only FREE VPNs I would personally trust is ProtonVPN.

Why?

Because they are the ONLY open-source, publicly audited VPN with strong legal protection via Swiss privacy law.

Personally I prefer their paid plans for the additional features and security, but their FREE VPN and email offerings are fantastic.

You can get the free VPN or get a deal on their paid plans using the link here👇

​ProtonVPN​

What is a VPN?

VPN stands for “virtual private network” — a service that protects your internet connection and privacy online. VPNs create an encrypted tunnel for your data, protect your online identity by hiding your IP address, and allow you to use public Wi-Fi hotspots safely.

Interview Question of the Week!

Each week I pose a question that I have personally asked or have been asked in real interviews. Try to answer the question by speaking your response out loud! It may feel weird at first but trust me: it will level up your interview game! Practice makes perfect!

This Week’s Interview Question:

“Please explain SaaS in your own words.”

Next week I will write out how I would answer this question, so look out for next weeks newsletter!

Last Week’s Interview Question / Answer:

Question: “Why is it important to encrypt network traffic?”

Answer: “Encrypting network traffic is essential for safeguarding sensitive data, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting against unauthorized access, maintaining data integrity, and securing Wi-Fi networks, ultimately mitigating the risk of cyber threats.