IT security teams and enterprises must be well-prepared to mitigate cyber risk. In many instances, taking a few simple steps can have a significant impact on the ability to keep critical data secure and away from attackers and also the overall IT security posture.
Businesses can expect many of the threats they face now to still continue in 2023 and beyond, with one important difference: threat actors will increasingly use technological improvements to their advantage. Enterprises should expect that the deployment of new technology to facilitate remote and hybrid working arrangements will play a significant role.
Here are some instances of these threats and strategies companies can take to address them:
Large-Scale Social Engineering Attacks
In due course, bots will advance to the point where it will be challenging for the average person to recognize them. This is especially troublesome if they are widely used in the organization to engage and manipulate employees.
Email spam filters are insufficient to thwart this kind of attack. One of the most efficient ways to combat this threat is through security awareness and end-user education. It is crucial to ensure that people are aware that this kind of attack exists, and the techniques used to access sensitive content like credentials. They should be taught how to stay vigilant and ensure they are communicating with a trusted contact rather than a bot or threat actor.
An additional layer of security can be achieved by utilizing behavior analytics tools to track user behavior to find any compromised credentials or unusual patterns.
Are certain employees sending the same external party a suspiciously large number of files via email? Or do some employees access the network using IP addresses that aren’t recognized?
Also Read: Protecting enterprise networks from evasive script threats
Recruiting Insiders
Threat actors target employees and covertly recruit them as insiders by promising them money in exchange for giving up access to systems that store sensitive data and company credentials. Although not new, this strategy is growing in popularity. Because employees in a remote setting do not feel as carefully supervised as they would in an office setting, it is easier for threat actors to target them through private social networks.
Along with monitoring threat patterns and user behavior, it’s critical to be sensitive to and aware of the circumstances that can expose employees to this kind of outreach.
Additionally, it’s important to ensure that escalation protocols are understandable and simple to use. What should an employee do if they are asked to share their credentials by a threat actor or someone they know in order to obtain illegal access to the enterprise network? Should they contact the IT department? Their manager? Whatever the formal escalation procedure is in the company, it is important to ensure it is understood by all parties involved.
Security Gaps Because of Misconfigurations
Criminals are aware that as more businesses shift their applications and systems to the cloud, they have a greater possibility of finding systems that have been left vulnerable by configuration errors.
Some of these applications might meet the demands of a certain team or department. As a result, the necessity for secure integration and communication with internal systems and endpoints is less important, and the focus is more on the business concerns that the applications may be attempting to solve. The IT security team should be brought in early, not after the solution has been chosen, for any new cloud apps being deployed or onboarded by any department. On the basis of internal security policies, the IT security team can make sure that the application is evaluated as part of the selection process and complies with the configuration checklist requirements.
Also Read: Sharing Responsibilities is Necessary to Fail the Cloud Migration Journey
The shared responsibility model is another area that requires particular attention. Cloud service providers might promise that their products are protected by rigorous security protocols and are built into a safe architecture. This does not, however, ensure that the enterprise apps, data, and other assets are completely protected. It is essential to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities as well as that the configuration of the cloud application complies with the regulations and standards set by the organization.
In order to verify existing authorizations across all cloud platforms, IT security should also consider setting up regular audits and risk assessments. This will minimize the impact of potential security vulnerabilities like compromised credentials.
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