D24 Fintech Group Chief Technology Officer Osama Bari has outlined how crypto firms may improve security to prevent breaches on a similar scale as the ByBit hack. D24 is based in Singapore and it provides various services for financial platforms.
The ByBit breach is the largest CEX attack ever, with $1.5 billion reportedly pilfered from the platform. Once again, North Korea is apparently behind the attack.
Bari advised platforms to do the following:
Multi-party approval systems
- “To mitigate such risks, exchanges should implement a threshold-based, multi-party approval system for all transactions. Additionally, secure platforms require real-time monitoring systems to analyze deposits and withdrawals, with automated cross-checks for unusual spikes. If required, large transactions must be manually verified with a comprehensive report. Each withdrawal should undergo a transaction audit score assessment before being processed.”
2FA
- “2FA is no new phenomenon, but its importance as a tool for verifying users and ensuring only the right personnel can manage and withdraw balances or view confidential information cannot be understated. This is a basic form of protection that exchanges should absolutely be offering to their customers and can be a vital deterrent for hackers as it increases the difficulty of breaching gated accounts. All financial providers have a duty to protect their users and 2FA is a guaranteed way of raising the level of in-built security they provide.”
Use Custodians
- “Exchanges should not underestimate the level of responsibility that comes with holding considerable volumes of assets on behalf of customers. Failure to put the appropriate measures in place to protect these funds, as we’ve just seen with the Bybit hack, could result in disastrous consequences for both the company attacked and the users impacted. Turning to external organizations to bolster security is a viable option for exchanges that lack the infrastructure and liquidity to manage millions, or even billions, worth of currency. Partnering with a trusted custodian will ensure that customer investments stay safe, allowing exchanges to focus on other important activities such as enhancing user experience and increasing the financial literacy of their customers.”
Liveness Checks
- “For crypto exchanges, and financial institutions more generally, a liveness check adds that final layer of protection to dissuade hackers from attempting an attack. Having access to passwords, secure keys, or even primary devices is no longer enough to successfully bypass security measures—customers are protected as their face, fingerprints, and even voices are all unique.”
CEX Security
- “A pivotal element of cryptocurrency’s appeal throughout its history has been its decentralized nature, with many early adopters drawn to this form of tender by its anonymity. However, as crypto has become increasingly mainstream and a viable investment for individuals globally, it’s important to reshape our thinking and start putting security at the top of the list of priorities. Due to Bybit’s centralized approach, the exchange was able to freeze $42.85 million in stolen assets within 48 hours through collaborations with other platforms. This highlights the increased resilience of CEXs and how trusted partnerships with other organizations in the crypto field can limit the damage inflicted in a hack.”