The Incident Response Playbook: Rapid Defense Against Cyber Attacks
Modern warfare takes place not only on the physical front but also in cyberspace. The number of information security incidents increased. Most cases involved phishing, malware distribution, vulnerabilities, and account hacks. Sit back comfortably, this article is going to be very interesting.
Cyber Attacks Landscape
Every complex cyberattack consists of several preparatory stages hidden from our attention. We only see the end effect, effectively the “tip of the iceberg”: when a certain service stops working, your computer is encrypted, or fraudsters steal your private information. For example, in January 2022, more than 70 Ukrainian government resources were attacked, 10 of which were compromised. Several important government resources, including the Action portal, were temporarily shut down to localize the problem and prevent the attack from spreading.
However, it’s not only government structures that suffer from cyber threats. Businesses are increasingly facing the following risks:
- Breach of confidentiality and exposure of business information. An intrusion into a business’s system to steal sensitive data.
- Hackers attack to cause financial damage. Rerouting transactions or creating false payments, erasing or redirecting data sets, compromising enterprise information security.
- Workflow paralysis. Locking down systems, encrypting or destroying data and backups, and resulting in users being unable to log in.
- Insider harm. Personnel transfer important information to outsiders via electronic networks, and virus infection of enterprise digital systems.
As the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2023 (MDDR) study shows, the largest number, namely one-third of all hacker attacks in Europe in 2023 were targeted specifically at Ukraine, with the vast majority of such attacks leaving from Russia.
Hacker attacks significantly intensified and intensified, leading to the leakage of important confidential information, data loss, and other negative consequences. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that approximately many companies conduct their business using software developed by vendors in Russia (1C/BAS ERP, Bitrix24, Galaxy, Parus, BOSS-Kadrovik, AmoCRM, etc.).
Many of these companies still do not know how to protect their developments and business even with playbook cybersecurity. After all, to solve the issues of IT systems security, it is necessary to consider not only external threats but also to consider the potential possibility of harm caused by employees themselves: unintentionally (due to negligence) or intentionally (due to malicious intent).
What do I need to know about cyber security?
Information security involves a set of different methods that assist in safeguarding information from various undesired circumstances, such as phishing, unauthorized viewing of secret information and computer applications, money stealing, or file erasure. To secure your enterprise, you should perform several mandatory actions. You should first outline significant IT systems and threats, and then find means to ensure their operation. Next, you need a response plan if there is a cyber-attack: how to stop the threat from spreading, how to recover the system with a backup, etc.
You should provide regular cybersecurity training. Staff needs to understand which emails should not be opened, which links should not be clicked, and which information should not be outsourced.
How to protect your files and devices: important tips
- Regularly update your programs, browsers, and operating systems. You can set up automatic updates for this purpose.
- Back up important files automatically to an external hard drive or the cloud.
- Enter separate user accounts.
- Use equally complex passwords, or better yet, multi-factor authentication for all laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Don’t connect to unknown Wi-Fi networks, and don’t leave devices unattended in public places.
- Encrypt devices and other media containing sensitive information.
- Deploy solutions to protect against malware, detect and respond to endpoint device incidents, and protect credentials.
- Allow access to information only from devices that meet recommended basic security requirements.
- Protect user accounts with multi-factor authentication and grant least privilege access to resources.
- Use intelligent access restriction systems that analyze the current situation and control who can access sensitive information and under what conditions.
Also, analyze the entire range of software used at the enterprise. After all, even seemingly neutral applications can become the source of an insidious attack at a certain time.
Migrating to the cloud will significantly strengthen your defenses
Our experience shows that one of the most effective ways to strengthen information security is to use cloud-based solutions. How does it help?
Cloud functionality provides ongoing protection and detailed analytics to create a secure environment for storing and processing information. All data is encrypted, and secure network traffic meets regulatory and risk management requirements.
Cloud-based services offer a data backup service that allows you to store backups of needed items in another region and ensure they can be restored in the event of hardware failure or other unforeseen events.
Implement a Zero Trust Architecture
Zero Trust assumes that the threat can arise from within and outside. Perimeter-based security models are not enough, and thus, it becomes critical to authenticate all access requests as if they are from an untrusted entity.
The key Zero Trust ideas are:
- Least privilege access. The users are only provided with permissions required for their work, and the insider risk is reduced.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA). Multiple verification steps prior to granting access to sensitive systems provide security.
- Microsegmentation. Restricts access to sensitive information and systems based on user role, reducing damage from a breach.
- Continuous monitoring. Offers constant authentication of users and devices entering the network.
A good Incident Response Plan (IRP) helps organizations detect, contain, and recover from cyber incidents in an effective manner. However, it is not enough if an IRP exists. It must be tested regularly for its effectiveness. Tabletop exercises and cyber crisis simulations allow organizations to practice their response mechanisms in a simulated environment.
Conclusion
These steps may not be easy for everyone, but they are important and impactful. So if your company doesn’t have the right level of expertise, it’s advised to seek professional help. And don’t forget that company information security is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. You should not risk your business by neglecting cyber defense.
