By utilizing vulnerability scanning tools, the cybersecurity team can easily identify security risks and attack vectors across your organization’s network, systems, hardware, and software.
Once vulnerabilities have been identified, the IT security team can patch them, close ports, reconfigure systems, etc.
The Benefits
Vulnerability scanning is an essential step in the vulnerability management lifecycle, which allows business executives to take a proactive approach and maintain a strong security for business systems, data, employees, and customers.
Unfortunately, data breaches are often the result of unpatched vulnerabilities, so identifying and eliminating these security gaps in time can save your organization from the hassle of slowly recovering from a cybersecurity incident.
Also, cybersecurity compliance and regulations demand secure systems. For instance, NIST, PCI DSS, and HIPAA specify regular vulnerability scanning in organizational systems and applications.
Types of Vulnerability Scans
There are complex vulnerability scanning tools able to perform multiple types of scans across several operating systems such as Unix, Linux, Windows, and scanning tools that serve certain niches.
Based on use case, here are some ways that scans may be categorized:
Internal Vulnerability Scans
These scans focus on your corporate network. They can identify risks that otherwise will leave you vulnerable if a hacker or piece of malware penetrates your network.
External Vulnerability Scans
These scans target your websites, ports, applications accessible to customers or other external users who can reach your IT ecosystem utilizing the Internet.
Environmental Scans
These are specialized scans available for different technology deployments, such as IoT devices, mobile devices, websites, cloud, etc.
Intrusive Vs. Non-Intrusive Scans
Non-intrusive scans identify vulnerabilities and provide reports that your IT security team can use to remediate the problems found.
On the other hand, intrusive scans will attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities they found. This can highlight the impact of a vulnerability and may also disrupt your operational systems and processes.
Credentialed Scans vs. Non-Credentialed Scans
Also known as authenticated and non-authenticated scans, these are increasingly popular categories of vulnerability scanning.
Credentialed scans require logging in with a set of credentials. These scans can discover many vulnerabilities that non-credentialed scans can’t.
On the other hand, non-authenticated scans do not require access to the systems they are scanning. While they can provide valuable insights, non-credentialed scans offer an incomplete picture over the security state of your systems.
Vulnerability Scanning Challenges
Scanning still needs human input or further integration to deliver the expected results.
Although the scanning process itself is automated, a cybersecurity professional must review the results, remediate the problems, eliminate, or mitigate the risks, etc.
Depending on the complexity of the credentialed scan, it may require access to many connected systems.
Therefore, automating the integration of these credentials with the scanner is critical.
A scan is a moment in time.
Because your systems are likely changing all the time, you should run vulnerability scans on a regular basis, as your IT ecosystem evolves.
A scan will only search for known vulnerabilities.
A scanning tool is only as good as its database of signatures and vulnerability information. So, keeping it updated is paramount.
Scanning Tool Capabilities
When analyzing the suitability of a vulnerability scanning tool for your organization, you should consider the following aspects:
Integrations
The vulnerability scanner should be able to integrate with a patch management solution, a bug tracking system, and other similar tools.
Updates
Your vulnerability scanner database should be regularly updated to include emerging vulnerabilities.
Actionable results
The scanner should provide you with detailed reports allowing your IT security team to remediate the problems as quickly as possible.
Quality and quantity of vulnerabilities
Your scanning tool should identify all vulnerabilities in a timely manner, while minimizing false positives and providing valuable information on flaws, threats, risks, and remediation options.
Conclusion
A vulnerability scanning tool is a professional solution utilized to identify and assess modern cybersecurity risks, providing your organization with the information it needs to take the right action to protect its assets and meet regulatory compliance and standards.
Remote Access Security
/in IT Security /by MihaiIn today’s dynamic business world, many users are no longer confined to an office. However, the need for secure and convenient access has grown due to emerging cybersecurity threats.
For cybersecurity professionals, it is crucial to understand which remote access security technologies can enable employees to increase productivity, while protecting the organization from malicious actors. For this purpose, companies use remote access security solutions which allow users to authenticate and access business resources from outside the organization’s private network.
A clever remote access solution will always involve the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) functionality to verify the remote user’s identity and the Single Sign-On (SSO) functionality to simplify the remote access process and improve user experience.
Multi-Factor Authentication
The MFA functionality helps organizations defend against credential theft attempts and user impersonation by verifying and confirming the user’s identity.
With MFA, a remote user is required to present several pieces of evidence to gain access to a network or cloud-based application or system. For instance, some information the user knows, like a user/password combination, or something the user possesses, such as an access card or a mobile device for fingerprint or facial scan recognition. Some MFA solutions also take the user’s location into account when applying the access factors.
NOTE! Many compliance standards require MFA for privileged remote access.
Single Sign-On
The single sign-on functionality allows remote users to access multiple applications and systems using just a set of credentials (username and password) or a one-time password. Therefore, single sign-on boosts the user experience by preventing password fatigue and mitigates risk by eliminating reckless user behavior like writing passwords on a piece of paper or using the same credentials for many applications or services.
Adaptive Authentication
Some of the latest remote access security solutions support adaptive authentication which uses relevant data such as the IP address, the device type, user location, time-of-day, etc. and business logic to determine which authentication factors should be applied to a specific remote user in a specific situation. For example, an employee can easily load a business application from a trusted home desktop just by entering the username and password, but to access the same app from a foreign country, the user might also have to enter a one-time access code sent to his mobile phone.
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Many companies rely on third-party organizations to manage users’ secure remote access. These organizations need privileged access to corporate IT systems to maintain and update access data.
Privileged access management (PAM) solutions allow organizations to securely extend privileged access to third-party vendors without installing any endpoint software, or using a VPN, etc. Such solutions utilize multi-factor authentication to validate and authorize third-party clients.
Best Practices
Enforce a set of protocols that allow admins to control sessions and restrict remote users from certain activities. So, make sure that only authorized users can access and manage resources remotely.
Always apply the least privilege policy to ensure that employees and third parties are only granted the minimum access required to perform their tasks. It is critical to know who or what is requesting access, why, and from where.
Monitor logs and user behavior in real time to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access. A complex cybersecurity audit will help identify vulnerabilities and trace suspicious sessions.
Train your employees and ensure they strictly follow the security standards before connecting to the enterprise network. Conduct regular training on the importance of basic cybersecurity policies involving the integrity, confidentiality, accessibility, and availability of critical data.
Final Thoughts
Remote access security solutions allow teleworkers to safely utilize business applications and services. Contact StratusPointIT and find out how to better protect your organization against identity theft.
Penetration Testing: Key Aspects
/in IT Security /by MihaiPenetration testing, also known as pen testing, is basically a simulated cyberattack that is utilized to identify vulnerabilities and to plan for different defense measures.
Pen tests also boost employee security awareness, estimate the effectiveness of incident response plans, and help evaluate an organization’s compliance.
Testing your staff and processes against emerging cyber threats will help your organization avoid breaches and disruptions ensuring business continuity.
Common Types of Penetration Testing
When running a pen test, it is crucial to remember that there is no perfect test that fits all industries, environments, etc.
Here are some of the most common types of penetration tests.
Internal Pen Testing
It will allow you to assess your organization’s internal systems to find out how a hacker could move throughout your network.
External Pen Testing
It evaluates your Internet-facing systems to determine if there are exploitable vulnerabilities that may expose sensitive data or allow any unauthorized access.
Web Application Pen Test
It assesses your web application typically using a three-phase process:
Reconnaissance is the first phase where the testing team gathers crucial information such as the operating system, services, resources in use, etc.
Discovery is the second phase where the team attempts to identify the vulnerabilities of your web application.
Exploitation is the final phase where the testing team will leverage the discovered vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Wireless Pen Testing
This type of testing will allow you to identify the risks and vulnerabilities associated with your wireless network. The testing team will assess weaknesses such as network misconfigurations, unauthorized wireless devices, etc.
Physical Penetration Testing
The designated team will identify the risks and vulnerabilities to your organization’s physical security by attempting to gain access to a corporate physical device. The team will apply social engineering methods, badge cloning, etc.
When To Conduct a Penetration Test?
The most important time to conduct a penetration test is before a cybersecurity incident occurs.
Unfortunately, there are many organizations that don’t run such tests until after a security breach occurs, so after losing important data, intellectual property, and reputation.
NOTE! If your organization has experienced a breach, a remediation penetration test should be conducted to ensure the vulnerability is fixed.
Penetration tests should be conducted whenever changes are made – new additions to the network infrastructure or whenever key applications get important updates, or at least annually. Factors including company size, infrastructure, regulatory requirements, and emerging threats will determine the most appropriate frequency.
However, testing more often can highlight potential security risks more frequently, giving you a more comprehensive overview of your security status.
Who Performs Such Tests?
While pen testing can be conducted internally, external professionals can offer greater insight, as they have no prior knowledge of your system.
Under US legislation, organizations must sign a consent form outlining the exact area and depth of what is subject to test.
There are three different levels of testing, or methodologies:
After a Pen Test
Pen test results provide detailed insights into the severity of any weakness in your environment. So, you will be able to get actionable findings to help you strengthen your systems’ security.
Acting on the results of pen tests as quickly as possible is crucial for avoiding downtime, disruption and any brand damage caused by potential breaches.
Conclusion
Penetration testing is about developing your organization’s long-term cybersecurity strategy, based on tested and patched real-world vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
For more details and a comprehensive approach please fill out this form.
Burlington
/in City /by MihaiVulnerability Scanning: Benefits & Challenges
/in IT Security /by MihaiBy utilizing vulnerability scanning tools, the cybersecurity team can easily identify security risks and attack vectors across your organization’s network, systems, hardware, and software.
Once vulnerabilities have been identified, the IT security team can patch them, close ports, reconfigure systems, etc.
The Benefits
Vulnerability scanning is an essential step in the vulnerability management lifecycle, which allows business executives to take a proactive approach and maintain a strong security for business systems, data, employees, and customers.
Unfortunately, data breaches are often the result of unpatched vulnerabilities, so identifying and eliminating these security gaps in time can save your organization from the hassle of slowly recovering from a cybersecurity incident.
Also, cybersecurity compliance and regulations demand secure systems. For instance, NIST, PCI DSS, and HIPAA specify regular vulnerability scanning in organizational systems and applications.
Types of Vulnerability Scans
There are complex vulnerability scanning tools able to perform multiple types of scans across several operating systems such as Unix, Linux, Windows, and scanning tools that serve certain niches.
Based on use case, here are some ways that scans may be categorized:
Internal Vulnerability Scans
These scans focus on your corporate network. They can identify risks that otherwise will leave you vulnerable if a hacker or piece of malware penetrates your network.
External Vulnerability Scans
These scans target your websites, ports, applications accessible to customers or other external users who can reach your IT ecosystem utilizing the Internet.
Environmental Scans
These are specialized scans available for different technology deployments, such as IoT devices, mobile devices, websites, cloud, etc.
Intrusive Vs. Non-Intrusive Scans
Non-intrusive scans identify vulnerabilities and provide reports that your IT security team can use to remediate the problems found.
On the other hand, intrusive scans will attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities they found. This can highlight the impact of a vulnerability and may also disrupt your operational systems and processes.
Credentialed Scans vs. Non-Credentialed Scans
Also known as authenticated and non-authenticated scans, these are increasingly popular categories of vulnerability scanning.
Credentialed scans require logging in with a set of credentials. These scans can discover many vulnerabilities that non-credentialed scans can’t.
On the other hand, non-authenticated scans do not require access to the systems they are scanning. While they can provide valuable insights, non-credentialed scans offer an incomplete picture over the security state of your systems.
Vulnerability Scanning Challenges
Scanning still needs human input or further integration to deliver the expected results.
Although the scanning process itself is automated, a cybersecurity professional must review the results, remediate the problems, eliminate, or mitigate the risks, etc.
Depending on the complexity of the credentialed scan, it may require access to many connected systems.
Therefore, automating the integration of these credentials with the scanner is critical.
A scan is a moment in time.
Because your systems are likely changing all the time, you should run vulnerability scans on a regular basis, as your IT ecosystem evolves.
A scan will only search for known vulnerabilities.
A scanning tool is only as good as its database of signatures and vulnerability information. So, keeping it updated is paramount.
Scanning Tool Capabilities
When analyzing the suitability of a vulnerability scanning tool for your organization, you should consider the following aspects:
Integrations
The vulnerability scanner should be able to integrate with a patch management solution, a bug tracking system, and other similar tools.
Updates
Your vulnerability scanner database should be regularly updated to include emerging vulnerabilities.
Actionable results
The scanner should provide you with detailed reports allowing your IT security team to remediate the problems as quickly as possible.
Quality and quantity of vulnerabilities
Your scanning tool should identify all vulnerabilities in a timely manner, while minimizing false positives and providing valuable information on flaws, threats, risks, and remediation options.
Conclusion
A vulnerability scanning tool is a professional solution utilized to identify and assess modern cybersecurity risks, providing your organization with the information it needs to take the right action to protect its assets and meet regulatory compliance and standards.
Cybersecurity Help Desk | Benefits
/in IT Security /by MihaiAccording to recent studies, most IT security breaches are caused by human errors. These errors include downloading unpatched software or using the same credentials across multiple devices and platforms. A cybersecurity help desk mitigates the risk of human error.
With the average cost of data breaches hitting an all-time high of $4.35 million in 2022, according to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report, a cybersecurity help desk is an investment that will pay for itself.
What is a cybersecurity help desk?
An IT security help desk is a specialized team within an organization that provides professional assistance to employees on matters related to cybersecurity, such as guidance on identifying and responding to potential threats while helping employees understand how to better use security tools and apply best practices.
A cybersecurity help desk can alleviate the risk by creating a culture of awareness and responsibility in your organization.
The cybersecurity help desk may have a crucial role in many preventable IT security incidents.
Also, the team may play a significant role in assessing, developing, implementing, and monitoring security policies, which are critical tasks within your organization’s cybersecurity strategy.
Common human errors that can be mitigated
Firstly, clicking on a link or providing personal information in response to an email or text message that appears to be from a legitimate source are just two examples of preventable human errors.
SlashNext’s State of Phishing Report revealed a 61% increase in phishing attempts year over year.
According to the FBI, phishing is the most common type of social engineering tactic, and with today’s transition to hybrid working, phishing attacks are becoming even more prevalent.
One-third of organizations don’t offer cybersecurity training. Ongoing cybersecurity training with reinforcement from a help desk is essential to keep preventable data breaches top of mind.
Using weak passwords or reusing passwords across multiple accounts and devices makes it easier for hackers to gain access to sensitive information.
NOTE! According to Zippia, 83% of Americans reuse the same passwords, this includes the 59% of Americans who use their birth date or name as a password. 24% of all Americans simply use variations of “abc123”.
Failing to keep software and operating systems updated with the latest security patches can leave your business systems vulnerable. Updating software is a complex issue when so many employees are now working remotely. Just in 2022, 60% of the data breaches were correlated to unpatched cyber vulnerabilities.
Falling for social engineering scams is easier than you think. Social engineering seeks to engage an end-user in divulging sensitive information. According to SlashNext, cyberattacks from social engineering techniques increased by 270% in 2021.
Failing to implement proper access controls, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or role-based access controls to limit access to sensitive data can have serious repercussions.
The physical security of company equipment is a particular point of concern for business executives dealing with remote workers. Eventually, lost, or stolen equipment should be a worry for any employee that takes work home.
Most companies lack a cybersecurity incident response plan. An incident response plan trains employees on what to do in the case of a cybersecurity event. A help desk will impact the incident response outcome by providing prompt support in case an employee makes an error that threatens business data.
When it comes to cybersecurity, what we don’t know can hurt us, therefore an approach where cybersecurity is top of mind is essential. It is up to organizations to keep employees aware of the risks involved.
Consequently, one important resource for safeguarding your business against evolving IT security threats is a cybersecurity help desk. It can play an essential role in preventing and mitigating cybersecurity threats to ensure the overall security of your organization’s network and systems.
Contact StratusPointIT and find out how to better protect your organization and mitigate the risk of a cybersecurity breach.
What is digital trust?
/in IT Security /by MihaiDigital trust represents the general expectation that digital services, technologies and the organizations providing them can create and maintain the highest level of integrity of all digital assets including data, applications, and infrastructure.
Data has become one of the most valuable assets of the modern age, so digital trust is not only an IT imperative but also a catalyst for growth. It can ensure transparency, accessibility, security, reliability, privacy, control, and ethics.
According to a recent research conducted by McKinsey, organizations leading with digital trust are 1.6 times more likely than the global average to see earnings growth rates of at least 10%.
Building digital trust
An interdisciplinary approach that includes people, process, governance, regulation, and technology is necessary for building digital trust.
Nowadays, organizations are beginning to utilize AI-based data monitoring tools integrated throughout the network that alert security teams and block further attempts.
Also, a robust blockchain-based system can help verify data ownership, transaction details, etc. The necessary mechanisms can be embedded within a smart contract.
Organizations implement multi-layer safeguards within their networks and communication channels or utilize data trusts for secure digital information-sharing.
Under these circumstances, other organizations will likely have greater confidence in sharing sensitive data, execute payments, etc.
Guiding principles of digital trust
Digital trust-driven transformation needs a set of principles organizations must follow for maximum efficiency:
Cybersecurity is key.
Cybersecurity is probably the most important enabler for achieving long-term digital trust.
Enforce policies at all levels of the company to drive accountability for cybersecurity and privacy.
Start with what is measurable today and create a plan to add more sophisticated metrics to determine the business impact of all security activities.
Digital trust became even more important as users now rely more on online services than they did before the pandemic.
Digital trust has a significant impact on customer behavior, brand reputation, and customer loyalty.
The Customer Perspective
When customers trust a business, they feel comfortable sharing sensitive information, utilizing online services or making purchases. Strong data protection measures will encourage customers to engage in digital marketing and personalized services. Overall, digital trust plays an important role in modeling consumer behavior, including their willingness to share personal information.
The Brand Reputation Perspective
Reputation is incredibly important for any organization and digital trust can affect how people perceive a brand. If an organization at some point discloses a security or data management issue, it will harm the brand’s reputation and make customers less likely to trust it. However, if it prioritizes digital trust and applies strong security measures, it can enhance its reputation which will help the organization become an industry authority.
Unfortunately, organizations that don’t foster digital trust risk losing customers and missing out on growth opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Technology alone can’t build long-term trust.
Digital trust involves establishing a strong online reputation, transparency, and providing an exceptional customer experience. This includes being transparent about how customer data is collected and utilized, implementing security measures to protect against incidents, while ensuring that all online operations can be performed quickly and seamlessly.
EDR vs MDR
/in IT Security /by MihaiAn Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution provides organizations with a platform to investigate and remediate threats, while a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solution adds to an EDR a certified team of cybersecurity professionals that will handle monitoring, incident response and remediation services to help keep your organization secure. Endpoint Detection and Response is part of the tool kit used by MDR providers.
EDR records and stores certain events and will trigger rule-based automated responses. When a suspicious situation is identified, an alert is automatically sent to the IT security team for a detailed investigation.
EDR solutions allow cybersecurity teams to use more than just indicators of compromise (IoC) or signatures to discover malicious attempts.
Over time, the EDR tools have become more and more complex, incorporating modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, behavioral analysis, and the ability to integrate with other advanced solutions.
What is Endpoint Detection & Response?
EDR will incorporate the prevention, detection, and proper response to a threat into a single solution. It focuses on improving efficiency in detecting cyber threats by increasing the visibility of an endpoint.
Strong Points:
There are several benefits to opting for endpoint detection response solutions for your organization.
Endpoint Security
Today, with remote work and employees using personal devices to carry out essential work tasks, EDR provides a necessary layer of security. Through threat detection and response, EDR offers an enhanced level of endpoint protection and security ensuring that business data remains safe and sound.
Error Identification
EDR uses the latest technologies and digital software to detect suspicious behavior and system-critical errors at an endpoint. By identifying threats early on and acting accordingly, the chances of unauthorized access will be significantly reduced.
Information Retention & Log Aggregation
Endpoint detection and response systems offer log aggregation of data and machine learning to analyze the data, providing organizations with crucial information on the current state of an endpoint.
EDR solutions are a great way to protect endpoints from cyber threats, and unfortunately these threats are 24/7. To ensure you are protected 24/7, you also need to ensure your IT team is working 24/7. MDR is another cybersecurity option that can enhance the cybersecurity posture of your organization.
What is Managed Detection & Response?
MDR is a complex cybersecurity solution preferred by organizations that want to partner with an MSP to take over the management of their in-house security efforts.
By choosing an MDR solution, organizations gain access to expert personnel, trained IT security teams, and state-of-the-art cybersecurity tools that better protect their IT infrastructure.
Strong Points:
24/7 Monitoring
MDR providers offer 24/7 monitoring via a Security Operations Center (SOC). Therefore, organizations can benefit from continuous monitoring, minimizing the risk of a cybersecurity incident.
Access to Expert Assistance and Skills
There is so much at stake when it comes to managing the IT security of a company, therefore entities need to make sure that IT is being handled professionally.
Knowing this, a company can rest assured that the risk of false positives is reduced and that all the required protocols are executed accordingly.
Reduce Costs
Choosing a professional MDR solution can help reduce IT costs by lowering the expenses related to hiring and managing an internal department.
Active Threat Detection & Response
Active threat detection is a crucial part of an MDR service. By actively searching for intrusions and mitigating IT security threats, organizations will enjoy better data security and protection. MDR providers will initiate appropriate incident responses to any alerts or potential advanced threats.
Both MDR and EDR offer their own benefits to organizations.
EDR is preferred by certain organizations, usually the ones looking specifically to enhance their endpoint security and have an internal global team to monitor and remediate 24/7. On the other hand, MDR is a better option for those companies that don’t have the internal resources to monitor and remediate 24/7 to protect their business data.
The world of cyber threats and cybersecurity changes rapidly, so MDR providers constantly adapt, offering organizations best-in-class protection.
With the addition of a SOC, an MDR service is the preferred solution to small and medium size businesses that don’t have the 24/7 global internal team yet require the same level of security to protect their data, employees, and build trust with their customers.
Security Awareness Training: The Human Firewall
/in IT Security /by MihaiIt is crucial to know what security awareness training is and why your employees need such recurrent training.
Firstly, a security awareness program ensures that your staff is well informed about the latest types of threats, lowering the risk of a successful cyberattack while improving the overall security of your organization.
Avoid Data Breaches
According to recent studies, most breaches occur because of employee negligence. These are usually small mistakes that can cause irreversible losses.
Therefore, training which teaches employees how to spot suspicious emails is recommended. For instance, getting tens of emails on a daily business is a common thing, but differentiating between an informative email and a phishing email is crucial. There are cases where employees accidentally open attachments of phishing emails. A basic security awareness training would prevent that.
Increase Security Measures
Security awareness training always highlights the importance of monitoring and tracking of any sort of suspicious activity.
Prevent Downtime
In the unfortunate case of a breach, it can be costly and time consuming to repair and reinstate normal business operations. If your staff is familiar with cybersecurity basic principles and realize their role in keeping the organization secure, there are far less chances of a cyberattack to succeed.
Ensure Compliance
In case your organization handles sensitive or classified information and regulatory compliance is required, compliance violations are fineable.
Putting together a security awareness training plan will ensure your personnel understands the compliance policies and how to handle sensitive data, reducing the risk of a data breach.
Save Reputation
There are a few industries, for instance, healthcare, banking, and real estate, which can be easily trapped, and attackers often create confusion among potential victims. The right training can protect the reputation of your organization.
Develop Security Knowledge
Unfortunately, there are still many who don’t know much about security awareness and safety measures.
Nowadays, scams are presented in such a sophisticated manner that employees can easily fall into the trap. With the added knowledge, at least the basic safety measures will be followed keeping organizations safe. For better security and safety, there are service providers who can assist the organizations with the best support.
Also, without official training on security, different departments or locations of a business may utilize different principles. Security should be a cohesive process across all departments.
For the best results, training needs to be delivered in a consistent manner, and to fit employees’ busy schedules.
Save Time & Money
Organizations that have not trained their staff might face data loss/theft due to carelessness. Recovering from a data breach requires lots of money and time. It also tampers with the brand image of the company for a certain time, which can affect the target audience and their perception of your brand.
NOTE! According to Sophos’ State of Ransomware Report 2021, the average total cost of remediation from a ransomware attack was around $1.85 million.
Maintain Good Reputation
An organization with security-aware personnel will be able to maintain a good reputation and collaboration with its customers, since most c-level executives are reluctant to do business with an untrustworthy organization.
A business that is frequently subject to security incidents will eventually lose customers, regardless of the actual impact of any particular data breach.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, security awareness training will only improve the state of security of your organization.
At StratusPointIT, we offer comprehensive cybersecurity awareness solutions that help your employees protect themselves and your organization from various types of cyberattacks, including phishing, malware, pretexting, and other social engineering attacks.
Regular training will create better habits. When something becomes a habit, people tend to follow it. Make cybersecurity a priority and ensure your business stays security focused.
Springfield
/in City /by MihaiSecurity Information & Event Management
/in IT Security /by MihaiWhat is a SIEM solution?
A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution is a 24/7 intelligent threat detection system. It collects logs, makes statistical correlations, analyzes threat alerts across your network, combines data from several different sources, and helps security teams remediate issues before they cause serious damage to your company.
Your firewalls, intrusion detection systems, anti-virus software, wireless access points and Active Directory servers all generate tons of security alerts every day. With a SIEM, you can collect all of these in one place, with one set of reports and one centralized system for generating notifications.
NOTE! It can take several days, even months, to identify a data compromise. Modern IT security tools can generate millions of security alerts over the course of a day, but a SIEM solution filters out the noise, so the real threats get immediate attention.
Why Is SIEM Important?
The longer it takes to detect a threat, also known as “discovery time,” the more potential damage to your organization. A SIEM solution will identify real threats faster so your response team can act quickly before a breach occurs. It provides real-time visibility into what’s happening across your entire network 24/7.
A SIEM solution provides logging and reporting for compliance purposes. It provides centralized, built-in, easy-to-use, real-time log collection, alerting and reporting features.
Real threats are identified, isolated, and remediated quickly before they can cause serious harm and costly business disruptions.
SIEMs can help detect, mitigate, and prevent advanced threats, including:
A full SIEM solution also blends geolocation to increase its accuracy, ensures notifications are actionable in order to reduce false positives.
How Does It Work?
We call it E-R-I-N.
Events
Firstly, it collects millions of security alerts, or events, from your entire network, including cloud resources and mobile devices.
Rules
Secondly, we apply rules to determine which events are actionable threats. These threats become incidents.
We customize the ruleset to your network specific device types and against an established traffic baseline. We tune these rules continually based on changes to the threat landscape and changes to the customer’s hardware/software environment, as well as apply new rules based on new threats.
Incidents
Based on the criticality, an incident may be simply logged, it may be written in a report to be viewed later, or it may require immediate attention, generating an immediate notification.
Notifications
Finally, your response team is instantly notified so remediation can begin.
Who Needs a SIEM?
With today’s ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, a SIEM solution plays a crucial role in staying ahead of the latest threats.
While every business can benefit from a SIEM, those that must comply with industry and government regulations and those looking to qualify for cybersecurity insurance will find it essential.
Businesses in healthcare, finance, accounting, and government agencies must meet specific regulatory requirements. An effective SIEM is key to complying with PCI, HIPAA, and FFIEC standards.
SIEM can check all the boxes on today’s stringent cybersecurity insurance applications. And once you get coverage, a SIEM can provide the detailed forensic analysis insurers require before they pay out in the event of security breach.
Next-Gen SIEM Capabilities
User and entity behavior analytics in advanced SIEM solutions utilize artificial intelligence and deep learning to look at patterns of human behavior.
Next-gen SIEMs may detect the first stages of a ransomware attack and perform the necessary containment steps automatically on affected resources, before the attacker can encrypt the data, while simultaneously generating notifications.
For more information about SIEM and how it can help protect your organization, please reach out.