¿Cómo evitar las amenazas de ciberseguridad ?

¿Cómo evitar las amenazas de ciberseguridad ?

Cybersecurity threats continue to grow. Even with people returning to the office, the rapid demand for us all to be present online has also led to a dangerous surge in cyberattacks, data breaches and fraudulent activity targeting individuals and businesses.

According to McAfee Enterprise, during the pandemic, 81% of global organizations experienced increased cybersecurity threats and 79% experienced downtime as a result of a cybersecurity incident. Preparation is key.

How to avoid cybersecurity threats ?

Training

One of the most common ways cyber criminals get access to your data is through your employees. They’ll send fraudulent emails impersonating someone in your organisation and will either ask for personal details or for access to certain files. Links often seem legitimate to an untrained eye and it’s easy to fall into the trap. This is why employee awareness is vital.

One of the most efficient ways to protect against cyber attacks and all types of data breaches is to train your employees on cyber attack prevention and inform them of current cyber attacks.

Keep your systems up to date

Often cyber attacks happen because your systems or software aren’t fully up to date, leaving weaknesses. Hackers exploit these weaknesses so cybercriminals exploit these weaknesses to gain access to your network. Once they are in – it’s often too late to take preventative action.

Control access to your system

It’s essential to control who has access to your computers. Having a perimeter security system installed is a very good way to stop cybercrime as much as break ins.

Access Management

Having managed admin rights and blocking your staff installing or even accessing certain data on your network is beneficial to your security. That is why we recommend you to know the importance of IoT Identity And Access Management (IAM)

Passwords to avoid cybersecurity threats

Having different passwords setup for every application you use is a real benefit to your security, and changing them often will maintain a high level of protection against external and internal threats.

 

Summary of avoid cybersecurity threats

Preventing a cyberattack is crucial for your business’s survival. It takes a lot of time, money, and effort to recover from a cyberattack, and you’ll need to work with the relevant authorities to resolve the issue and set up new systems to thwart future threats.

The business will suffer reputational damage if it loses customer data or fails to alert them early about a breach. Companies that rely on your business for their operations will also be hurt in the process.

 

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Convergencia: Una necesidad para la Ciberseguridad

Convergencia: Una necesidad para la Ciberseguridad

Converged IAM is the future of IAM because the digital transformation of enterprise and government continues to gain speed.

The adoption of measures to mitigate intangible risks against visible and immediate corporate requirements are limited. Significant gaps are ever-present in the assessment, management and operations surrounding risks arising from converged security.

Asset-intensive industries, are generally at risk with the proliferation of industrial IoT and legacy systems interfaced to their IT networks. Especially those within a critical infrastructure setting such as power, water or transport.

To assist organizations in risk management, must work with skilled professionals who can deliver a framework for integrated security governance.

Digital transformation

Digital transformation delivers many benefits to organizations including greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the agility to respond to changing needs.

But it also delivers challenges in the form of dispersed data warehousing. Así como también el uso de servicios públicos que no controlan completamente el grupo de TI de la organización, y una proliferación de aplicaciones únicas para administrar y monitorear.

How can companies bring their digital visions to reality when their people, data and infrastructure are moving outside of their control?

 

Converged IAM

Organisations need a heightened focus on the protection of both their own and customer information to ensure business sustainability and to retain customer trust. Converged IAM is indeed the future of IAM. It’s only a matter of realizing this importance and educating stakeholders to ensure organizations are better equipped to handle today’s sophisticated threat landscape.

As we mentioned in our post a few months ago, Converged Identity and Access Management (CIAM) unifies disparate physical and logical access control systems to create a singular trusted identity and credential to match rights and access them across the enterprise.

CIAM is born out of growing customer demands. The gist of these demands are quite consistent: quick, reliable, and trustworthy service. Furthermore, customers want seamless, no-fuss experiences.

Security must be like a living organism that can adapt to global risks and increase or decrease security as the threat landscape changes.  The level of security, of course, can impact friction with employees, so it is important that during normal operations the security controls have zero friction and visibility for employees. This ensures usable security and increases the effectiveness of controls.  

Here, an interesting information from KPMG about the future of identity and access management

 

 

Sources:
(1) KPMG
(2) CSO Online
(3) Security Week

 

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¿Riesgo, amenaza o vulnerabilidad? ¿ Son diferentes?

¿Riesgo, amenaza o vulnerabilidad? ¿ Son diferentes?

Cyber threats are real—and more common than you think.

The word “threat” is often confused with (or used interchangeably with) the words “risk” and “vulnerability.” But in cybersecurity, it’s important to differentiate between threat, vulnerability, and risk. A threat exploits a vulnerability and can damage or destroy an asset. Vulnerability refers to a weakness in your hardware, software, or procedures. (In other words, it’s a way hackers could easily find their way into your system.) And risk refers to the potential for lost, damaged, or destroyed assets.

 

Cyber threats

A cyber or cybersecurity threat is a malicious act that seeks to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life in general. The term » cyber threats » include computer viruses, data breaches, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and other attack vectors.

Additionally, cyber threats also refer to the possibility of a successful cyber attack that aims to gain unauthorized access, damage, disrupt, or steal an information technology asset, computer network, intellectual property, or any other form of sensitive data. Cyber threats can come from within an organization by trusted users or from remote locations by unknown parties.

 

Vulnerabilities

A vulnerability is a weakness that cybercriminals exploit to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Following the exploitation of a vulnerability, a cyberattack occurs. Where it executes malicious code, installs malware and even steals sensitive data.

To exploit vulnerabilities use a variety of methods. These include SQL injection, buffer overflows, cross-site scripting (XSS), and open source exploit kits that look for known vulnerabilities and security weaknesses in web applications.

Risk

When we talk about cybersecurity we refer to the probability that your company will lose valuable information or money as a result of a cyber attack. That can include anything from a virus or malware attack to a phishing scam or data theft.

As the world becomes more reliant on technology, the risk of cybersecurity breaches grows. That’s why it’s important for individuals and businesses alike to understand what cybersecurity risk is and how it can affect their company.

Some of the key points to be considered while designing risk management strategies are:

1- Risk Prioritization

It is important for organizations to address breaches and risks as per priority and relevance. Many vulnerabilities in the systems not be prone to exploitations and hence do not pose a higher risk. So, vulnerabilities should be patched as per the risk levels.

2- Risk Tolerance levels

It is important that the company knows and estimates its level of risk tolerance. When a risk management framework is in place, the risk-bearing capacity of the company is regularly verified.

3- Knowledge of Vulnerability

Threats will exist, but if there are no vulnerabilities, there is little or no risk. Therefore, we must identify them and for this we resort to regular monitoring of vulnerabilities.

 

Conclusion

Vulnerabilities, threats and risks are different. Organizations spend a lot of resources on all three, and many don’t understand the differences between them. A threat generally is a malicious act that destroys data, inflicts damage, or disrupts operations. In cybersecurity, threats generally are ransomware, viruses, denial-of-service attacks, and data breaches. Something threatens the action, but the action was not performed.

Vulnerabilities are flaws in a system that leave it open to potential attacks. The main problem behind vulnerabilities has to do with weaknesses that leave systems open to threats. Risk represents the potential harm related to systems and the use of systems within an organization. Threats, vulnerabilities, and risks are different and often interconnected when it comes to cybersecurity.

See how learning about Cybersecurity into the company ‘s DNA

 

Sources:
(1) Security Boulevard
(2) Forbes
(3) threatanalysis

 

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Beneficios de contar con una gestión de identidades

Beneficios de contar con una gestión de identidades

Identity and Access Management (IAM) helps ensure that only authorized people have access. No one else, have access to the technology resources they need to do their jobs.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have grown uncontrollably. So no longer have enough time and resources to control and manage the access that each user should have to carry out their daily activities. This has created gaps in security that can be disastrous for companies.

This is why managing the life cycle of identities is so important. Since it allows establishing an identity governance model focused on the needs of each company. Likewise, being able to automatically manage tasks such as the creation, deletion, modification and auditing of users. All in the respective applications used in companies.

 

Why is so important IAM?

Today, nearly 100% of advanced attacks rely on exploiting privileged credentials to reach a target’s most sensitive data and applications. If abused, privileged access has the power to disrupt your business. In the face of these modern threats, it is clear that identity has become the new security battlefield. An “assume breach” mindset, based on Zero Trust principles, is absolutely essential. But while cyberattacks are inevitable, the negative business impact is not.

Keep your company safe with the help of a Security and Identity Management strategy

Organizations that apply identity management avoid vulnerabilities derived from improper access by users or the appearance of orphan accounts, among others; that, in short, allow access to the organization’s systems by users who should no longer be able to do so for different reasons. A good identity security strategy is based on the principle of least privilege, whereby users are given only the minimum levels of access necessary to perform their job functions.

The principle of least privilege is generally considered a cybersecurity best practice and is a critical step in protecting privileged access to high-value data and assets.

key benefits of identity management for businesses

Identity access and management is useful in many ways, because it helps you ensure regulatory compliance, promotes cost savings and simplifies the lives of your users, due to the improvement of their experience. These are the main benefits of having an IAM solution:

  • Easy access anywhere
  • It favors the connection between the different parts
  • Improve productivity
  • Optimize User Experience

Do you want to keep your company safe?

This means accurately authenticating the identity, authorizing each identity with the appropriate permissions, and providing access for each of the identities to privileged assets in a structured way, all in a way that can be audited (or accounted for) to ensure that all process is solid.

Shall we talk?

 

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Wi-Fi y Seguridad de Red

Wi-Fi y Seguridad de Red

The Internet enables businesses of all sizes and from any location to reach new and larger markets. In addition, it provides opportunities to work more efficiently through the use of computer-based tools. Wifi security should be part of the plan if the company uses emails or cloud computing.

Theft of digital information has become the most commonly reported fraud, surpassing physical theft. Every business that uses the Internet is responsible for creating a culture of security that will enhance business and consumer confidence.

Many employees access their emails and work networks through public Wi-Fi hotspots. However, there is a risk of hackers intercepting sensitive information such as login credentials. Many employees are unaware of the WiFi security threats that lurk in their favorite coffee shop and fail to take precautions. Even employees who are aware of WiFi security threats often ignore the risks.

Consumers may be willing to take risks on public Wi-Fi networks, but what about employees?

How to ensure the security of your employees’ home WIFI

It might not be apparent, but home wireless routers should be one of the most protected and secured devices in anyone’s home. More than computers, tablets, laptops, or smartphones. Why? Because a router is a gateway into personal information. If anyone is able to access one, then they are also able to access a plethora of sensitive data.

We are now also at a time when more people than ever are working from home. Although this transition has been going on for several years, it accelerated rapidly during the COVID-19 outbreak. As most companies conduct operations remotely whenever possible, the risks have increased.

Users have a need to access information from powerful unregulated home wireless networks. In other words, the protection of enterprise-grade routers and firewalls to the sensitive information is now useless.

Unfortunately, cyber criminals see the rise in remote work as an opportunity to infiltrate corporations

Businesses must ensure their remote workers’ Wi-Fi networks don’t risk exposing business data or secrets due to fixable vulnerabilities.

Home ownership is public information. A hacker can park near an employee’s home, steal their Wi-Fi credentials, and reroute the home network so that all traffic is sent to the hacker. The hacker can then infect the employee with ransomware, spy on corporate activity, or conduct other potentially devastating, malicious attacks.

According to an IBM study, human error is the cause of 95% of cybersecurity breaches. This staggering statistic indicates that people simply don’t know what to look for to protect their information. Few employees are well versed in regularly updating their router software to stay up to date on vulnerabilities, leaving countless attack vectors open at home.

 

Two Ways to Secure Employees’ Home Wi-Fi

  1. Educate Employees About Cybersecurity at Home
    It’s vital to train staff members how to spot and handle phishing attacks and other forms of social engineering. Educate employees on common tactics such as phony emails and spoofed websites and to always double-check before entering credentials anywhere. While educating employees is an essential first step, the fact of the matter is that all it takes is one mistake by a single employee to put an entire organization at risk for an attack.
  2. Secure Home Wi-Fi With Enterprise-Grade Networks
    A WPA2-Enterprise network is the most frequent type used by organizations due to its increased security and customization capabilities. WPA2-Enterprise networks use a RADIUS server with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) that ensures information sent to the RADIUS is protected. If employees are working remotely and accessing sensitive resources, you want to guarantee they have the best possible protection. WPA2-Enterprise is not only the best method for securing home WiFi networks; it’s become far more accessible in recent years

See how Soffid can help you stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital world. Let’s discuss your project!

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