Your password and username may be the most widely used access credential and cyber criminals can easily compromise them, exposing your user credentials.
This usually happens when an unsuspecting team member falls victim to phishing and enters their login information on a fake website and with compromised credentials, an intruder gains insider access.
Even though analyzing and monitoring can help identify malicious activity, these credentials can bypass security and impede detection. The consequences vary, depending on the access they provide.
For example, privileged credentials offer administrative access to systems and devices, posing a higher risk than consumer accounts.
Keep in mind that humans aren’t the only ones who own credentials.
Security tools, network devices, and servers generally have passwords to enable communication and integration between devices. Intruders can utilize them to activate movements throughout your enterprise both horizontally and vertically - their access is almost unlimited.
To avoid this scenario, you should implement stringent password controls. Another great idea is to include longer and complex passwords, as well as frequent changes. Combining these principles is another effective method to prevent compromised credentials.
Vulnerability #4 - Lack of Network Segmentation
Cybercriminals can target inadequate network monitoring and segmentation to obtain full access to your system. This is a huge vulnerability as it enables attackers to maintain their access longer.
One of the leading causes of this weakness is the failure to develop subnet monitoring or outbound activity control.
Overcoming this obstacle in a large company can be challenging if hundreds of systems send outbound traffic and communicate with each other. Nevertheless, solving the problem is a must.
To do that, you should primarily focus on controlling your network access in systems within your subnets and building robust detection strategies for lateral movements. Plus, make sure to pinpoint strange DNS lookups, behavioral traffic trends, and system-to-system communication.
Also, microsegmentation, firewalls, and proxies can help create restrictive policies for system communications and traffic.
Vulnerability #5 - Misconfiguration
Misconfiguration refers to errors in your system configuration. For instance, enabled setup pages and default usernames or passwords can result in breaches.
If you don’t disable setup or application server configuration, hackers can recognize hidden vulnerabilities, giving them extra information. It’s because misconfigured apps and devices are an easy gateway for cyber criminals to exploit.
To prevent this, establish systems and procedures to tighten the configuration process and employ automation whenever possible. Monitoring device and application settings and comparing them to the best practices also reveal potential threats across the network.
Vulnerability #6 - Ransomware
Ransomware is cyber extortion that prevents users from accessing their data until the attacker receives a ransom. They instruct the victim to pay a certain fee to obtain their decryption key. The costs can reach thousands of dollars, but many criminals also opt for Bitcoin payments.
Making sure your system is ready to address a ransomware issue is integral to protecting your data. To do that, keep your system up to date with the latest security standards as it reduces the number of vulnerabilities. Another recommended defense mechanism is to stick to trusted software providers only.
Neutralize Threats For Peace Of Mind
Successfully running a company with poor cybersecurity measures is virtually impossible. The risk of losing precious data and reputation is just too high.
To ensure your organization isn’t a sitting duck for cyber attackers, you must implement reliable defense strategies.
If you would like to review your organization's security measures and ensure you are taking appropriate precautions please give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 or click here to request more information.
