Picture this: a hacker infiltrates your small company's network, and before you know it, they hold your data hostage or exploit it for malicious purposes. The ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats may seem like an insurmountable challenge, but fear not – there are ways to improve your defenses and navigate the intricate world of cybersecurity.
In an era where hackers and ransomware run rampant in the digital environment, the vulnerability of small businesses is more pressing than just a few years ago.
As a small business owner, the topic of cyber threats might seem overwhelming, often compounded by the cryptic language of the cybersecurity industry. I sometimes feel the cybersecurity community has done a poor job marketing and, in part, confusing the consumer with acronyms and scary technical terms.
Acronyms like EDR, SOC, and NextGen AV mean little to most people.
They leave folks with more questions than answers. I believe the simpler cybersecurity can be explained, the more it will help consumers, specifically the small business owner.
I’ve seen business owner’s eyes glaze over when being engaged about cyber software. They shut down and either sign the contract and buy more than they need, or worse, simply back-burner the whole idea of properly protecting their data and assets. However, understanding the basics can be the key to securing your company and ensuring your peace of mind.
Here’s A Quick Overview
Imagine your company's digital infrastructure as a house, and hackers as cunning thieves seeking to get through any wall crack, unlocked door, or window to exploit what you have. The traditional methods of protection, like firewalls and VPNs, may not be enough anymore. To truly safeguard your assets, it's crucial to adopt a proactive approach.
To make this easy, I will use the “Five Pillars” of The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The NIST Cybersecurity Framework helps businesses of all sizes better understand and reduce their cybersecurity risk to protect their networks and data. But it can get boringly technical. So, here it is in plain English…
The Five Pillars of Cybersecurity
The foundation of any robust cyber strategy lies in the five pillars of NIST. These pillars are:
Identify - Protect - Detect - Respond - Recover
Pillar One: Identity
The first step in this cybersecurity journey is Asset Identification. Much like taking inventory of your valuables, you need to identify your digital assets. Tools such as Remote Monitoring & Management software (RMM) can be your trusted companions in this endeavor. Think of it as a digital review, ensuring you know what you have and where your vulnerabilities are.
Pillar Two: Protect
This is sometimes known as “reducing your attack surface”. It’s like putting up a fence around your most valuable assets in your digital world. It's about minimizing the number of potential entry points that can access your data, systems, or networks.
The bigger the surface area, the more chances for attackers to find a weak spot and get in. By reducing the attack surface, you're making it harder for hackers to find those vulnerabilities.
You may hear people talk about being "SOC" or "ISO" compliant. Those are acronyms that are more on the technical level. It’s nice to hear an MSP or IT Tech standing behind the fact that they're a SOC or ISO compliant. The fact is, these compliances do not deter hackers.
Hackers focus on the nitty-gritty details. Bad actors want to know if your services are vulnerable and if software patches are up to date. The game of cybersecurity is one of strategy and attention to these crucial details.
Unfortunately, the misconception that traditional antivirus and backups are sufficient protection still exists among small business owners.
Most hackers aim to become the “domain admin” of your system, granting them unparalleled control. This level of control leads to breaches, stolen data, or the nightmare of ransomware, often plaguing smaller organizations that assume they're immune.
Pillar Three: Detect
If a hacker lands in your network, the first thing they want to do is understand what type of user they’re piggybacking. Is the employee a non-privileged user with little access to admin controls, or are they higher on the executive chain of command?
From that point, the hacker begins to look around at the assets he can see. He wants to find indicators, like whether you're naming devices based on the department, the employee name, or their role in the company. A hacker loves to see computers named “CEO Desktop.” It helps them in their discovery. However, when a computer name is some random string of characters, that is much harder for the hacker to decode and slows down the attack.
Strategies like this work to increase the dwell time of the adversary so there’s a better chance of catching him. It’s like a burglar who breaks into a bank. They have only so much time. The longer they’re in the bank, the better the chance you have of thwarting their efforts. Keep in mind, although this type of enumeration obscurity does help a little, it’s not an entire strategy. So, don't start renaming your computers just yet...
The smaller the company and the number of endpoints a hacker has to sort through, the quicker he can get what he needs. This is why small companies are appealing to hackers.
The hacker can continue through the system looking for open ports, available endpoints, or servers they can infiltrate. Endpoints are anything that connects to your network: Computers, laptops, servers, smartphones, etc. - and then connects to the internet. This is considered lateral movement.
Most small businesses exist under the assumption they will never get breached. In most cases, they may not.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “You don’t buy car insurance because you expect to get into an accident.” As committed business owners, we set ourselves up with the proper precautions to trustfully and responsibly conduct business. We protect our data and we protect our client’s information.
Pillar Four: Respond
This is where we get into detecting and shutting down the hacker. In the intricate dance between cyber attackers and defenders, the ability to respond swiftly and decisively is paramount. The Respond pillar of the NIST framework is the equivalent of a guardian, ever-watchful for signs of intrusion and ready to stop any malicious activity.
When a hacker infiltrates your network, identifying them during the discovery phase is similar to catching a thief red-handed. This is the opportune moment for intervention, a chance to halt their progress before they delve deeper into your system. Proactive services like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) play a pivotal role here.
As the hacker explores your network, attempting to understand user contexts and gather information, detection services act as your digital security guards. They scrutinize all the digital nooks and crannies, looking for anomalies, unauthorized access, or patterns indicative of a potential threat.
For example, a company like Port Haven Cyber for Small Business does this continuously on your system by analyzing user behavior and network activities.
These services can raise the alarm during this critical phase. Imagine it similar to your security system alerting you the moment a thief steps onto your property - before they even attempt to breach your front door.
You want to avoid something called Lateral Movement. This is when a hacker advances into your system to find valuable assets – the response strategy intensifies. This is the equivalent of a burglar having gained access to your house and navigating room to room.
Pillar Five: Recover
In the fabric of cybersecurity, the Recover pillar is vital to your digital infrastructure. After any incident is the need to restore normalcy and fortify against future threats. This phase is the post-incident recovery where learning and reinforcement take precedence.
This begins with an assessment to understand the extent of the damage. Cybersecurity services scrutinize compromised systems, identifying the impacted areas and assessing the effects.
The next step involves eliminating any remnants of malicious software that might linger within your network. This process ensures that no dormant threats remain, ready to resurface and reinitiate an attack.
Cybersecurity services work diligently to shore up vulnerabilities and strengthen the security of your systems.
This involves patching potential entry points, updating software, and implementing enhanced security protocols to guard against future incursions. Lessons learned from the incident are invaluable, providing insights and guidance to help build a robust defense mechanism that anticipates and counters future threats.
Small businesses often underestimate the importance of having a resilient business strategy in place. This involves creating contingency plans, data backups, and redundancy measures to ensure that, in the face of a cyber incident, operations can continue with minimal disruption.
Also, if you’re a company that handles personal information and requires cyber insurance then you will also need to have a cyber security policy. It assists in the procedures and policies involving disclosure and information regarding breach-related incidences.
Safeguarding Your Business's Future
The world of cybersecurity may seem complex, but by understanding the fundamentals and embracing proactive measures, small business owners can safeguard their digital assets. Port Haven Cyber for Small Business is dedicated to demystifying cybersecurity for you, so return often for more information.
Comments
Post a Comment