Rethinking Network Security: Embrace Inevitability of Breaches to Strengthen Defenses
Absolute security is a myth, and trying to achieve it can be dangerous, as it often forces companies to settle for a false sense of security, which can also distract your teams’ attention away from the real threat, which is often more practical and less glamorous. Rather than searching for a mythical cybersecurity silver bullet, businesses must accept that getting hacked is more often a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if.’
Recognizing that breaches are often inevitable and not always catastrophic, companies can view such attacks as a catalyst for strengthening their cybersecurity infrastructure and an opportunity to reinforce previously unknown susceptibilities. This shift, focused on risk management and controlling the blast radius of attacks, forms the basis of an effective, longterm, sustainable security strategy with an organizational culture with repeatable processes focused on continuous threat detection.
Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, like a code sent to a person’s phone via text or email, often requiring a challenge response (CR) from the user on a second channel, like faceid or other biometric scanning, in addition to the password. Businesses must enforce MFA whenever possible, especially for privileged. This is especially vital for remote employees and business partners attempting to access the internal network.
Utilize Zero Trust Architecture
In the past, security protocols assumed everyone inside the firewall was trustworthy and that everyone outside was not. This outdated philosophy is insufficient against insider threats, whether malicious or accidental. Alternatively, zero trust architecture (ZTA) focuses on managing the blast radius, reducing exposure time and accelerating remediation. ZTA also involves changing and rotating passwords and reevaluating access – in the case of departures, companies must decommission employees’ credentials for all company systems immediately.
End to End Connectivity
As the world becomes more connected through smart technology, it is paramount that businesses are clear on connectivity. From endpoints to services, controls and sensors must be in place to protect entry points, such as laptops, desktops and mobile devices. Likewise, businesses need secure Wi-Fi connections. Unless personnel use a secure channel overlay, people should never access sensitive information on public Wi-Fi networks.
Inventory & Classify Data
An up-to-date data inventory and classification helps you properly inventory your data, understand your real asset value, and how you can manage the threat. Without it - you cannot prioritize, which hackers love, because the effort to get to something harmless will not be about the same as getting to your Crown Jewels - one size fits all never works in security. Likewise, it allows teams to identify unauthorized data access or see if a system was disabled or negatively affected during a breach. Data classification, another essential element of risk management, involves organizing data into categories (rather than storing everything in one chunk) according to their level of sensitivity. Be sure to implement sensors and logging between these data classifications as well.
Segregate Networks Network
Network segregation is the process of separating network elements, allowing security teams to more easily isolate breaches, thereby restricting the lateral movement of bad actors. By limiting the spread of malware, for example, across the network, businesses can reduce the overall damage of an attack and respond more effectively.
Deploy & Test (Again & Again) Your Incident Response Plan
An incident response (IR) process helps detect, contain and restore affected systems quickly. Ideally, an IR process should include an escalation path, evidence tracking and executive team notifications. Additionally, it must contain a list of the various roles and responsibilities of the security team members, as well as other people who may get called upon during an attack. In theory, everyone within the organization has a part to play in security, and incident response training should not be reserved for cyber teams only.
Enhance Your Cybersecurity Posture Today With EPAM
Risk management is an agile science – threats are constantly evolving, and businesses need all the help they can get from IR and partners to run exercises and identify weaknesses. As your cybersecurity partner, EPAM empowers our digital forensics (DF) customers to bolster their resilience against this evolving threat landscape through the latest technologies and organizational transformation. Connect with your EPAM account manager to evaluate your current security needs and seamlessly implement these industry best practices without delay, and download this helpful guide for essential security recommendations to help you protect your information.
