Cybersecurity: Ordinary People Need to Think About Cybercrime, Aura Says.

"Consumers buy lots of smart technology, but they aren't so smart about securing it.

Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received more than 800,000 complaints about cybercrimes from individuals and organizations, representing an estimated $10.3 billion in losses.

Hari Ravichandran, chief executive of Aura, wants families to take charge of their personal cybersecurity. The promise of Aura's monthly subscription model has made it a unicorn, with backers who include Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Hollywood mogul who co-founded DreamWorks, and actor Robert Downey Jr., a hacking victim himself.

Ravichandran spoke with WSJ Pro about Aura's challenges, and how it uses artificial intelligence to make cybersecurity invisible.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

WSJ: How did you get interested in consumer cybersecurity?

A: In 2014, I think, I was applying for a home mortgage and it got rejected, which I was surprised by. My identity had gotten stolen and someone had set up a whole bunch of fake credit card accounts, etc. I had no idea. I spent the better part of two weeks looking around to see how this had happened, where exactly did the information leak from, had it affected the rest of my family? I couldn't make head or tail of what I needed to actually get to make the problem better.

WSJ: What is so hard about keeping your digital life secure?

A: With cybersecurity, people don't think about a lot of the basic views from which your data can get exploited. They'll use the same password, for example, over and over and over again. Multifactor authentication -- a lot of people don't turn that on. If there's a data breach, people don't necessarily go back and look at how this happened. This is almost akin in my mind to locking your door shut and leaving all your windows open.

WSJ: What's your vision for Aura?

A: It shouldn't take a lot of training for a family to go figure out how to keep themselves safe.

  The two most vulnerable populations we find within a family unit tend to be the elders and the younger [children].

WSJ: We are hearing a lot about how the bad guys can use AI to write better scam emails or to spoof our voices. How do you use AI to outsmart these kind of hacks?

A: When a scam happens, it's not a one-and-done event. It's like a sequence of stuff. In a grandparent scam, for example, somebody calls pretending to be your grandson or a granddaughter saying, "Hey, I've been kidnapped. Please, can you send $15,000 very quickly?"

The grandparent then actually goes to the bank. They withdraw the money, they actually send the money over. What we try to do with AI is find every one of these intersection points.

If it's a transaction where you're actually sending out a transaction from a bank account, can we monitor transactions and make sure that it's not off kilter? We use a fair amount of AI to detect sentiment in the voice, for example, categorizing something as a scam call or a real call. Same thing with the text messages.

WSJ: What are the challenges in getting consumers to change their behavior?

A: Building a brand, making sure they trust you. Your product has to be very easy to use and more than anything else, you want to be there when the person has the problem.

We get to market two different ways. One is direct-to-consumer, where you can go to the app store, download our app. Or go to aura.com and get the product through the web.

We also get to consumers through large companies as a benefit. A lot of CISOs are worried about the safety of their enterprise as it relates to people using devices at home. So we will work with these companies to offer our product up as a voluntary benefit that employees can sign up for during the open enrollment cycle.

Sometimes the enterprise will pay for it. Sometimes, they will tell the employee, "Hey, this is a good service to have from a safety standpoint for you and for our company."

WSJ: What kind of growth are you expecting for Aura?

A: Aura is growing at the moment about 50-ish percent, year on year. We're profitable, we're generating cash flows, we're growing fast. It's in the hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue a year." [1]

1. Cybersecurity: Ordinary People Need to Think About Cybercrime, Aura Says. Nash, Kim S. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 06 July 2023: B.4.

 

Kibernetinis saugumas: paprasti žmonės turi galvoti apie elektroninius nusikaltimus, sako Aura

„Vartotojai perka daug išmaniųjų technologijų, tačiau nėra tokie išmanūs, kaip jas apsaugoti.

 

     Praėjusiais metais Federalinis tyrimų biuras iš asmenų ir organizacijų gavo daugiau, nei 800 000 skundų dėl elektroninių nusikaltimų, o tai sudaro apie 10,3 mlrd. dolerių nuostolių.

 

     Hari Ravichandranas, „Aura“ vadovas, nori, kad šeimos imtųsi rūpintis savo asmeniniu kibernetiniu saugumu. Pažadas, kad „Aura“ mėnesinis prenumeratos modelis tapo vienaragis, o jo rėmėjai yra Jeffrey'us Katzenbergas, Holivudo magnatas, vienas iš DreamWorks įkūrėjų, ir aktorius Robertas Downey jaunesnysis, pats įsilaužimo auka.

 

     Ravichandran kalbėjosi su WSJ Pro apie Aura iššūkius ir kaip ji naudoja dirbtinį intelektą, kad kibernetinis saugumas būtų nematomas.

 

     Šis interviu buvo redaguotas siekiant tinkamo ilgumo ir aiškumo.

 

     WSJ: Kaip susidomėjote vartotojų kibernetiniu saugumu?

 

     A: Manau, 2014 m. kreipiausi dėl būsto paskolos ir ji buvo atmesta, o tai mane nustebino. Mano tapatybė buvo pavogta ir kažkas sukūrė daugybę netikrų kreditinių kortelių sąskaitų ir pan. Neturėjau supratimo. Didžiąją dviejų savaičių dalį praleidau, apžiūrinėdamas, kaip tai atsitiko, iš kur tiksliai nutekėjo informacija, ar tai turėjo įtakos likusiai mano šeimai? Negalėjau susimąstyti, ko man reikia, kad problema išspręstų.

 

     WSJ: Kas taip sudėtinga, kad jūsų skaitmeninis gyvenimas būtų saugus?

 

     A: Naudojant kibernetinį saugumą, žmonės negalvoja apie daug pagrindinių vaizdų, iš kurių gali būti naudojami jūsų duomenys. Pavyzdžiui, jie vėl ir vėl naudos tą patį slaptažodį. Daugiafaktoris autentifikavimas – daugelis žmonių jo neįjungia. Jei įvyksta duomenų pažeidimas, žmonės nebūtinai grįžta ir žiūri, kaip tai atsitiko. Mano galva, tai beveik panašu į tai, kaip užrakinti duris ir palikti atidarytus langus.

 

     WSJ: Kokia jūsų „Aura“ vizija?

 

     A: Šeimai nereikėtų daug treniruotis, kad išsiaiškintų, kaip apsisaugoti.

 

       Dvi labiausiai pažeidžiamos populiacijos, kurias randame šeimoje, yra vyresni ir jaunesni [vaikai].

 

     WSJ: Daug girdime apie tai, kaip blogiukai gali panaudoti dirbtinį intelektą, kad galėtų rašyti geresnius sukčiavimo el. laiškus arba apgaudinėti mūsų balsus. Kaip naudojate AI, kad aplenktumėte tokius įsilaužimus?

 

     A: Kai įvyksta sukčiavimas, tai nėra vienkartinis įvykis. Tai tarsi dalykų seka. Pavyzdžiui, senelių sukčiavimo metu kas nors skambina apsimesdamas tavo anūku ar anūke ir sako: "Ei, mane pagrobė. Prašau, ar galite labai greitai išsiųsti 15 000 dolerių?"

 

     Tada senelis iš tikrųjų eina į banką. Jis išima pinigus, iš tikrųjų siunčia pinigus. Tai, ką mes bandome daryti su AI, yra rasti kiekvieną iš šių susikirtimo taškų.

 

     Jei tai operacija, kai iš tikrųjų siunčiate operaciją iš banko sąskaitos, ar galime stebėti operacijas ir įsitikinti, kad tai nėra netikėtina? Naudojame nemažą kiekį dirbtinio intelekto, kad aptiktume nuotaikas balse, pavyzdžiui, ką nors priskirdami sukčių skambučiams arba tikram skambučiui. Tas pats ir su tekstinėmis žinutėmis.

 

     WSJ: Kokie iššūkiai kyla norint priversti vartotojus pakeisti jų elgesį?

 

     A: Kurkite prekės ženklą ir įsitikinkite, kad jie jumis pasitiki. Jūsų gaminys turi būti labai paprastas naudoti ir labiau, nei bet ko kito, jūs norite būti šalia, kai asmuo turi problemų.

 

     Į rinką patenkame dviem skirtingais būdais. Vienas yra tiesioginis vartotojui, kur galite eiti į programų parduotuvę, atsisiųsti mūsų programėlę. Arba eikite į aura.com ir gaukite produktą internete.

 

     Taip pat gauname naudą vartotojams per dideles įmones. Daugelis CISO nerimauja dėl savo įmonės saugumo, nes tai susiję su žmonėmis, naudojančiais prietaisus namuose. Taigi, dirbsime su šiomis įmonėmis, kad pasiūlytume savo produktą, kaip savanorišką naudą, kurią darbuotojai gali užsiregistruoti atviro registracijos ciklo metu.

 

     Kartais įmonė už tai sumokės. Kartais jie darbuotojui pasakys: „Ei, tai gera paslauga jums ir mūsų įmonei saugos požiūriu“.

 

     WSJ: Kokio tikitės „Aura“ augimo?

 

     A: Aura šiuo metu auga apie 50 procentų kiekvienais metais. Esame pelningi, generuojame pinigų srautus, sparčiai augame. Tai sudaro šimtus milijonų dolerių pajamų per metus.“ [1]

 

1. Cybersecurity: Ordinary People Need to Think About Cybercrime, Aura Says. Nash, Kim S. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 06 July 2023: B.4.

China Controls Largest Source of Nickel for Batteries.

"Across the Indonesian archipelago, new industrial plants are going up to process chunks of nickel ore for use in electric-car batteries. Five years ago, there were none.

What changed? Chinese companies had a breakthrough.

They tamed a refining process that was once unwieldy, unlocking Indonesia's expansive deposits for the nickel-hungry EV industry. In doing so, they established Chinese dominance over what has grown into the world's largest source of the commodity.

That gives China a leg up in the global race to secure minerals that are critical to the energy transition and is a blow to U.S. efforts to lessen American companies' dependency on China. The Biden administration is pushing hard to diversify energy supply chains. But with nickel, Chinese companies are tightening their grip.

Beijing's recent decision in response to American sanctions on China to impose export restrictions on gallium and germanium -- two metals with uses in semiconductors -- underscores the potential risks of relying on China for crucial inputs.

Companies from China have set up at least three EV-focused processing plants in Indonesia in recent years and others are on the way. One planned facility drew investment from Ford Motor this year, while another is being built by South Korean steel giant Posco Holdings. Both involve Chinese companies.

Indonesia has gone from being a marginal supplier of nickel for vehicle batteries in 2017 to the top source, accounting for around half of global supply in 2022, according to CRU, a commodities business-intelligence firm based in London. That number is likely to rise.

The archipelago nation holds one of the world's largest nickel reserves. Millions of years ago tectonic plates collided in what is now the country's east, thrusting the mineral-rich ocean floor to the surface and producing the nickel bounty. Indonesia's variety of nickel ore -- known as laterite -- was considered difficult to process for use in EVs and was refined mainly for stainless-steel production in decades past.

Chinese companies changed that. The method they use, known as high pressure acid leach, or HPAL, had been around for decades but earned a reputation for being more trouble than it was worth. It relies on extreme heat and pressure, which frequently damaged equipment and required laborious repairs.

Earlier projects in Australia, New Caledonia in the South Pacific and other places -- led by Western and Asian companies alike -- faced substantial delays and cost overruns.

A Chinese-run plant in Papua New Guinea was no major exception at first. But China ENFI Engineering, which designed the plant, and its production partners made gradual tweaks and fixes as problems arose. Their changes, while incremental and involving only minor innovations, nevertheless helped stabilize the plant, creating a new template for how such facilities can be run without major breakdowns, mining analysts said.

Other Chinese companies replicated that model, in part by bringing experienced technical support staff from the Papua New Guinea site to Indonesia, said Martin Vydra, head of strategy for Nickel 28, a Canadian company that owns a stake in the Papua New Guinea facility.

"The big thing was the Chinese ability to transfer skills and knowledge," he said.

Among the beneficiaries was China's Lygend Resources and Technology, which in 2018 joined with an Indonesian mining company, Harita Group, to build what would become Indonesia's first HPAL plant for EV materials.

It worked with ENFI, the designer of the Papua New Guinea facility, said an executive familiar with Harita's operations.

ENFI and Lygend didn't respond to requests for comment. In April, ENFI, which is a subsidiary of a state-owned company, said on its website that its success in HPAL technology had been transformational for Chinese companies.

"With these advancements, large-scale development of lower grade laterite is made possible, and Chinese enterprises are endowed with better access to resource development opportunities," it said.

Other Chinese-led ventures sprung up. Given HPAL's spotty record, mining analysts at first braced for a bust. Instead, the projects ramped up quickly.

"The usual phases of development, namely feasibility, approval, construction and commissioning have taken place in record time," Angela Durrant, an analyst at energy research firm Wood Mackenzie, wrote in an April note. "China could 'do' HPAL quicker and cheaper than the West."

Environmental analysts warn of significant risks. HPAL facilities are carbon intensive and produce lots of waste that is difficult to safely store in rainy, earthquake-prone countries like Indonesia. Untreated solution from the Papua New Guinea plant was in 2019 found to have contaminated nearby waters.

Harita said the company stores its waste safely on land. Indonesia's government said it doesn't allow HPAL waste to be deposited in the ocean." [1]

How can Europe save the car industry and get that nickel? Let's make Landsbergiukas, Armonaitė and Tall and Cute  crawl on their knees from Vilnius to Beijing. The Chinese there will laugh so hard that all their sins will be forgiven.

1. China Controls Largest Source of Nickel for Batteries. Emont, Jon. 
Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 06 July 2023: B.1.