As cyber-attacks become more and more frequent, it is important for companies everywhere to try and do everything possible to prevent their systems from being compromised.
In recent days, there have been cybersecurity advisory alerts from CISA that highlight increased destructive malware targeting organizations in Ukraine and Iranian cyber threats.
Recently, public and private Ukrainian entities have become victims of malicious cyber-attacks, including the defacement of government websites, and reports of destructive malware targeting the private sector. Destructive malware is of particular concern, as malware deployed in the past (WannaCry and NotPetya) led to large-scale damage to infrastructure.
US officials say there are no specific threats to American organizations, however, any cyber-attacks on Ukraine have the potential to spread outside the country and impact organizations globally.
What does this alert mean for my organization?
At this time, there have been no credible or specific cyber threats to the US; however, it is possible that future cyber-attacks on Ukraine will impact critical infrastructure and organizations within the region and beyond. This means all organizations should be prepared to respond to cyber incidents at any time.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has set out a list of recommendations (Shields Up) for organizations of any size to improve their security posture immediately and reduce security vulnerabilities.
Strategies include:
- Ensure multi-factor authorization is enabled and use strong passwords.
- Disable all ports and protocols not essential for business operations.
- Ensure all software is updated, prioritizing known exploited vulnerabilities as identified by CISA. Switch on automatic updates.
- Restrict admin privileges to ensure limited users can make significant changes to settings, etc.
- Ensure cloud security and controls are reviewed and implemented according to CISA guidance.
- Monitor, inspect, and mitigate any unusual activity, particularly if working with Ukrainian organizations and isolate traffic from those organizations.
- Enable regular backups of data to prevent loss in the event of a cyber-attack or disaster.
Improve your business security posture now
Preventing cyber threats should be of concern to all organizations. Preventing the loss of mission-critical and sensitive business data is something every company should have in place, especially with the increase of ransomware threats.
It might seem far-fetched that events on the other side of the world could filter through to your business, but one cyber-attack can have a huge knock-on effect. Cybercriminals are using sophisticated tools such as automation to gain access to networks and systems, targeting businesses and disrupting operations. They can use these tools to increase the likelihood of exploiting vulnerabilities, using targeted spear-phishing and social engineering techniques to gain access to networks without being detected.
Now is the time to review your organization’s security detection, mitigation, and response strategies and measures. To ensure your company is secure and prepared to deal with a cyber event, the cybersecurity experts at Technology Solutions offer comprehensive security solutions tailored to your business needs. Improve your organization’s security posture today with Technology Solutions and stay safe.
I am certain that in the future, attacks on Ukraine will start impacting many countries including the US. There’s no doubt about it in my mind. We need to plan accordingly and do whatever possible to help decrease the risks for both the US and Ukraine. Helping them means helping the US and other countries as well.
The strategies you outlined are a must. From multi-factor authorization being enabled and all employees using strong or very strong passwords (I would recommend passphrases instead of passwords) to daily backups.
Cyber-attacks have always been a threat for companies worldwide but now they are even moreso. With the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, things are sure to heat up pretty soon and we will eventually see more cyber-attacks hitting US based companies. Now is the time to start preparing for worst case scenarios. We can’t just rely on just being protected against what we think may hit us, we must be prepared in case hackers manage to access sensitive data.