As the digital domain faces new and more threatening challenges, defenders are being driven to innovate and collaborate more closely than ever. Cybersecurity is a defining challenge of our time. Organizations of every size across every industry around the globe feel the urgency and pressure of protecting and defending against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Watch Connection’s Cybersecurity Practice and Microsoft as they discuss the evolving cyber threat landscape, utilization of emergent technologies, and the importance of collaborative defense. Discussion topics will include cyber hygiene, multi-factor authentication, zero-trust strategies, and artificial intelligence.
Host: James Hilliard
Guests:
Jean-Francois Gilbert – Senior Security Technology Specialist, Microsoft
Stephen Nardone – Senior Director, Security and Network Solutions Center, Connection
To listen to the recording, register here.
The Escalating Threat Landscape
Cybersecurity has emerged as a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. According to Microsoft’s 2023 Digital Defense report, a staggering 4,000 attacks per second underscore the severity of the challenge organizations are currently navigating. The surge in cyberattacks, coupled with the advancing tactics of cybercriminals, creates an unprecedented challenge for organizations striving to safeguard their data and systems.
Several factors contribute to the rise in cyber threats, including the proliferation of Internet-connected devices, the exploitation of vulnerabilities by cybercriminals, and the increase in social engineering attacks. These elements collectively contribute to the complex cybersecurity landscape faced by organizations. However, strategic updates in processes, people, and technology can effectively combat these challenges and fortify cybersecurity defenses.
Current Cybersecurity Challenges
The increasing volume of data breaches and cyberattacks can be attributed to several challenges, including:
Cybercriminals’ Evolving Tactics and Techniques
Cybercriminals’ evolving tactics have intensified the challenge of combating cyber threats. Their increased sophistication, lower entry barriers, and adaptation of advanced technologies make it challenging for traditional security measures to keep pace.
Techniques such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are not only being employed by defenders, but are also harnessed by malicious actors to refine their attacks. This cat-and-mouse game complicates the security landscape, requiring constant vigilance and innovative approaches to stay ahead.
Ransomware Attacks Stemming from Unmanaged Devices
The cybersecurity landscape has seen a significant increase in both the frequency and sophistication of ransomware attacks, posing substantial risks to organizations of all sizes. The Digital Defense report emphasized the rise of ransomware attacks originating from unmanaged devices. This challenges the prevailing notion that only larger organizations bear the brunt of such attacks.
Organizations, regardless of their size, are now potential targets for malicious activities. The increased focus on unmanaged devices highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures across the board, as cyber threats evolve to target the broadest possible range of potential vulnerabilities.
Budget Constraints and Gaining Leadership Buy-in
Communicating the importance of security investments to executives is a crucial responsibility. Adopting a collaborative approach that involves engaging various stakeholders – including IT, Operations, HR professionals, and financial leaders – is essential for success.
Building credibility is also paramount. Before expecting approval for financial commitments, it is crucial to comprehend and communicate risks comprehensively across the spectrum. Prioritizing these risks and presenting a compelling case for budget allocation can be achieved through a nuanced understanding of the organization’s risk landscape. This involves creating a clear connection between proposed initiatives and their impact on overall risk reduction or resource optimization.
Translating this information into a cohesive executive summary facilitates effective communication with the board. This summary should encapsulate key issues, their critical importance, and actionable steps, enabling leadership to make informed decisions aligned with the organization’s security objectives.
The Human Element
The human element remains a critical vulnerability in cybersecurity. Despite technological advancements, social engineering attacks exploiting human psychology pose a significant risk. Employees, often unaware of the latest cyber threats, can inadvertently become entry points for cybercriminals.
A recent breach at a Las Vegas casino exposed these vulnerabilities. Cyber attackers, armed with information about an administrator obtained from LinkedIn, exploited this data during a call with the service desk, gaining unauthorized access to the network. Subsequently, they escalated privileges and disrupted numerous services, underscoring the real-world consequences of human-centric cybersecurity risks.
Combating Cybersecurity Threats
Practical strategies that encompass people, process, and technology are crucial in combating evolving cyber threats. These strategies include:
XDR (Extended Detection and Response)
One of the most advanced cybersecurity approaches today is XDR. XDR utilizes advanced machine learning and anomaly detection to provide a comprehensive view across various attack vectors, enhancing incident response and addressing threats efficiently.
XDR essentially involves gaining visibility into incidents across endpoint identity, email collaboration tools, and staff applications. This allows for faster threat detection through the application of advanced machine learning and anomaly detection techniques, streamlining responses, including automatic attack disruption. Unlike traditional protection methods based on single Indicators of Compromise (IOC) for prevention and blocking, XDR utilizes a broader, more holistic approach. It relies on a subset of integrated products working together to offer enhanced visibility.
XDR takes an offensive-minded approach to provide defensive capabilities. A significant benefit is that it alleviates the challenge of human analysts processing thousands of events and prioritizing reactions. The XDR solution assists by consolidating policies and rules, collecting data from critical devices, and presenting analysts with prioritized information. This ensures that analysts can focus on addressing critical issues, such as potential escalation of privilege attacks or ransomware threats, rather than being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alerts.
XDR’s effectiveness can be seen in a real-life scenario of automatic attack disruption. By collecting signals from various products, XDR intervened in a production environment, successfully containing or disabling the affected device or user. This proactive action prevented the attack from progressing, highlighting the immense power of XDR in halting threats before they escalate.
Machine Learning and AI
The integration of AI, especially within the Microsoft ecosystem, plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Microsoft’s Security Copilot, utilizing AI, bridges the skills gap, automates routine tasks, and assists in cybersecurity education.
Microsoft’s Security Copilot
Supplementing human analysts, Security Copilot aids in interpreting scripts, building queries, and synthesizing information. It enhances efficiency, addresses cybersecurity challenges, and aligns with zero-trust principles.
Security Copilot’s impact is multifaceted. It excels in automating routine tasks, enabling human analysts to dedicate their efforts to more intricate threats, thereby accelerating response times and ensuring consistency in cybersecurity procedures. Its AI-driven capabilities boost efficiency and productivity by facilitating swift analysis, interpretation of scripts, and query-building for faster and more accurate incident response.
Beyond operational efficiency, Security Copilot becomes an integral component of cybersecurity education. It facilitates hands-on learning experiences, aiding analysts in interpreting scripts, querying databases, and synthesizing information in real-time. This continuous learning approach contributes significantly to the professional development of cybersecurity teams.
Collaboration for Collective Security
Collaboration across private sectors, public sectors, individuals, governments, and academia is indispensable for an effective cybersecurity strategy. Essential components of this collective security approach include fostering collaboration through information-sharing platforms like Infragard.
A critical element in this collaborative model is adopting a “zero-trust” mindset. This approach emphasizes a default stance of mistrust towards all entities. The key principle is to identify the data or resources in need of protection and limit access to authorized individuals.
Additionally, cybersecurity maturity is vital, underlined by certifications such as the CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification). This certification, focusing on supply chain security, ensures that third-party entities engaged with private sector companies, especially those selling products to the government, adhere to robust processes for assessment. The CMMC certification plays a pivotal role in fortifying the overall cybersecurity posture by emphasizing supply chain security and stringent evaluations of third-party involvement.
The Basics Matter: Maintaining Cybersecurity Hygiene
Basic security hygiene remains highly effective, safeguarding against approximately 99% of cyber threats. Essential elements of this hygiene include maintaining comprehensive asset visibility, ensuring the continuous updating of devices, implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), and steadfastly adhering to a zero-trust model.
To gauge the appropriateness of your management approach across the entire environment, consider a “Cybersecurity 101” perspective. This involves assessing whether all assets within your environment have designated owners and evaluating the existence of a robust program for consistently patching, configuring, and updating these assets. This foundational cybersecurity approach revolves around essential processes.
For instance, establishing a patch management system is crucial, emphasizing the need for a well-defined process rather than extravagant expenditures on technology. Achieving cybersecurity proficiency at the foundational level does not necessitate exorbitant investments; rather, it involves implementing effective processes, such as patch management, to bolster the overall security posture.
Navigating the Ever-evolving Landscape of Cyber Threats
To navigate the complex and ever-evolving cyber landscape effectively, organizations must adopt proactive measures such as XDR, machine learning, and AI, along with fostering increased collaboration. These elements form key components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.
By prioritizing cybersecurity initiatives, collaborating with industry experts, and leveraging advanced technologies, organizations can substantially diminish risks and fortify the protection of their data and systems. For further insights and resources on security solutions, explore www.connection.com/cybersecurity to kickstart your organization’s journey.
Stephen Nardone
Stephen Nardone, CISSP, is Director of Security Practice at Connection with over 38 years of experience in both the government side and the commercial side of the security business.
