Category: Cyber Security

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

a-comprehensive-overview-of-infrastructure-vulnerability-management

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

What distinguishes a business continuity strategy from a catastrophe recovery plan

Posted on Feb 10 2023 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Data Protection

What Distinguishes a Business Continuity Strategy from a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Feb 9,2023

What Distinguishes a Business Continuity Strategy from a Disaster Recovery Plan?

The terms disaster recovery and business continuity planning are sometimes used interchangeably, but despite their similarities, they refer to two different strategies companies use to recover in the event of a disaster.

A business continuity plan emphasizes on all facets of catastrophe preparation as they pertain to avoiding a disruption of operations. A disaster recovery plan, particularly when it comes to IT systems, is more narrowly focused on the response and recovery phases of a disaster.

How and Why are a DRP and BCP Crucial?

Several threats that can hinder a business’s capacity to operate exist. Natural catastrophes like fires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, or hurricanes may cause them. Malware, cyberattacks, ransomware, inadvertent data deletion, and even internal sabotage are just a few examples of man-made risks. Businesses risk severe consequences by not being ready for disasters if they don’t have a business continuity plan and a disaster recovery plan in place.

How a Disaster Recovery Plan and a Business Continuity Plan Differ

In reality, when discussing a business’s catastrophe readiness, whether for prevention or reaction or both, both strategies are frequently mentioned.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that a systematic business continuity plan will already include a catastrophe recovery strategy. Your business continuity plan (BCP) is a comprehensive document that should cover all facets of a company’s disaster prevention, mitigation, and response, as well as the recovery procedures. Without considering how the company will bounce back from various crises, a business continuity strategy is useless.

Planning for Business Continuity

A business continuity plan is a comprehensive strategy to keep a company operating in the case of an emergency. In addition to drilling down to highly specific scenarios that pose hazards to operations, it focuses on the business as a whole.

In general, when you prepare for business continuity, you focus on the vital processes that must resume after a disruption so that normal operations can continue. Businesses should be able to continue operating with little disruption during or just after a disaster if the plan is implemented effectively. The needs of vendors and business partners are also a key component of the plan.

Planning for Disaster Recovery

One component of a business continuity plan that is more focused and detailed is a catastrophe recovery plan.

A disaster recovery plan may be exclusively concentrated on a company’s data and information systems, depending on who you ask.

A disaster recovery plan can also be used to describe procedures that are not IT-related. For instance, the strategy can outline how recovery staff should look for a backup facility to resume vital operations. Or, if the main lines of communication are down, instructions on how to reestablish communication between emergency personnel could be included.

Disaster recovery planning need not be solely IT-focused. Just make sure that all non-IT recovery processes are included within the larger BCP documents if your IT staff is developing an IT-focused disaster recovery plan.

The following sections are frequently needed in a business continuity plan:

Contact information: Names and phone numbers of the people who created the BCP and/or the main recovery staff members within each department.
Plan objectives: The general goal of the plan, including what it intends to achieve, why it is important, what areas it concentrates on, etc.
Risk assessment: A comprehensive evaluation of disaster scenarios that potentially impair operations, categorized according to effect likelihood and/or severity.
Impact analysis: Determining the precise effects of each disaster scenario and how much they harm the company, such as the price of idle labor, recovery expenses, hardware damage and repair, etc.
Preventive measures and systems, such as the installation of antimalware programs to stop specific cyberattacks, are taken to avoid each of those catastrophes.
Response: How the company should react to any disaster to lessen effects and start a quick recovery, including restoring backups after a data loss.
Areas for improvement: Any flaws found throughout the BCP’s development, along with suggested fixes and actions to close these gaps.
Contingencies: A list of secondary backup resources, including processes, equipment, and/or locations for backup offices and/or data centers.

Contents of a Disaster Recovery Plan

The “Response” part of your business continuity strategy is essentially your catastrophe recovery plan. It includes all the techniques, tools, and goals required to carry out a speedy recovery following a catastrophe. This recovery could be related to lost data, broken hardware, downed networks, failed applications, or practically any other point of failure within your business.

Disaster Recovery & Backup

Keeping a server at a backup location where you can access all of your data is one of the greatest disaster recovery preparation solutions. In this way, a backup of all crucial data is accessible in the event of a calamity at the primary site. How you handle and access data from the secondary site as rapidly as feasible will be determined by a sound disaster recovery plan.

In the case of hybrid cloud backup solutions, for instance, you have a variety of recovery alternatives. In the event of a disaster at the primary site, you can boot the full backup as a virtual computer or recover data via the cloud. While a full recovery is taking place, the virtualization technique enables for immediate access to data and applications.

Your disaster recovery plan’s dependability ultimately depends on all of the infrastructure, procedures, planning, and testing you’ve incorporated into it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What distinguishes a disaster recovery plan from a business continuity strategy?

The key distinction is that a business continuity plan focusses on the overall goal of preventing any operational delays, whereas a disaster recovery plan is more concerned with the specific steps for recovering after a calamity, mostly with relation to IT systems.

2) Disaster recovery or business continuity: which comes first?

Business continuity planning typically comes before disaster recovery planning; it is the keystone of a company’s disaster preparedness. Continuity planning will use a risk assessment and impact analysis to determine the main risks to a company. These evaluations can help with IT disaster recovery planning.

3) What are disaster recovery and business continuity?

A business’s ability to continue operating in the face of a disaster is referred to as business continuity and disaster recovery, or BC/DR. Although other IT systems are also covered by the phrase, data backup and recovery systems are where it is most frequently.

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

how to spot Insider Attacks in Your Organization

Posted on Jan 19 2023 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

How to Spot, and Avert, Insider Attacks in Your Organization

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Jan 19,2023

How to Spot, and Avert, Insider Attacks in Your Organization

Let’s face it. Insider attacks have increased considerably over the past several years, whether they originate from accidental insiders who are vulnerable to phishing scams or from vicious elements seeking to reveal sensitive information. A 2019 study suggests that 70% of cybersecurity professionals surveyed think that insider attacks have become more frequent only in the past year. And a staggering 62% of businesses have seen at least one insider attack in the previous year.

What can your organization do to stop insider threats, why are they on the rise, and who is to blame? Let’s hash it out!

Why insider threats are on the rise

Today’s businesses have increasingly fallen prey to malicious threats, with an Insider Threat report suggesting that nearly 70% of the security teams polled believe they have, at some level, been exposed to insider attacks. No wonder, in today’s tech-savvy business milieu, the attacks have seen a spike in sophistication, ranging from using social engineering techniques like phishing emails to searching LinkedIn and other online data repositories for information on corporate settings.

Internally, IT systems are becoming busier and more complicated. Security teams may not obtain or give appropriate levels of training since they are expected to perform more with less. Together, these many components can act as infection vectors into your environment, opening doors for people to mistakenly or purposefully carry out destructive actions within your systems.

In fact, the same study shows that over 70% of security teams were worried about accidental insider risks, which are triggered by breaches brought on by malevolent practices like phishing emails. More than 66% of cybersecurity experts are very concerned about inconsiderate insiders who knowingly disregard security standards. This includes developers, for instance, who have access to the company’s production computers and disregard security protocols, working from home on an unprotected network, in order to save time or money.

Insider attacks cost your organization dearly

The fact that many security teams can be unaware of the financial impact insider attacks can have on a business is one of the report’s most worrying findings. More than half of those surveyed think that handling or mediating an insider attack would be less expensive than $100,000. However, studies suggest that the cost of these attacks is much higher. In fact, according to some recent statistics, the average cost of a cyber event nowadays at large firms can reach as high as $20 million.

As well as dealing with forensic issues, you must watch out for financial loss in order to determine how the incident occurred. Your internal security personnel will need to spend a lot of time remediating the event, which will take time away from other strategically important tasks. To plug any gaps, you may need to employ external consultants, undertake more training, or even buy new equipment. All of them taken together result in an unexpected expense for your company.

How to manage user privileges more effectively

When it comes to the management of user privileges, many firms adopt manual or inefficient approaches. It is understandable why more than 75% of cybersecurity professionals believe that managing user privileges is ineffective given the sheer number of systems and applications, the lack of centralized management, the labor-intensive nature of the processes, and the ambiguity surrounding the access levels necessary for different roles. Automating provisioning in accordance with the different phases of the user lifecycle is one technique to deal with this.

Another best practice is the implementation of role-based access controls (RBAC). This means having solid, well-defined roles in place and knowing specifically which access privileges each role needs. As organizations grow and evolve, the right IGA solution can allow for more efficient changes and decrease risk by focusing on role definitions and role assignments, rather than on individual accounts.

Key Ways to Prevent Insider Threats

While a lot of time and attention is put into addressing persistent, harmful threats from bad actors and focusing on external risks, security teams may not always be sufficiently focused on what is occurring within their environment. To guarantee you have the proper defences and depth in your entire security strategy and approach, use the proper layered security model. The following three strategic areas of emphasis help direct insider threat prevention in your company:

One of the key strategies that may help avert a potential attack is preemption or deterrence. And this method entails putting in place right policies, robust data encryption, access controls, and more. The second most effective tool is detection that ensures actively tracking what users are doing and ensuring insight into network threat-related actions. Once it’s done, analysis and post-breach forensics is the step that enables experts to respond to attacks and prevent more in the future.

You must be able to respond swiftly and effectively if a breach does occur. This entails looking at what has already happened in the environment and having a simple way to view and examine what is happening in real time.

Real-time threat identification and prioritization are essential features of a complete Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. Keep in mind that people who do not constantly utilize Windows PCs can harm your systems. To enter your parking lot, you may occasionally need to use an IoT device, Wi-Fi access control, security camera, or even a card system. All of these interconnected components provide security vulnerabilities where someone may abuse their access or attempt to maliciously take over your environment.

Conclusion

Insider attacks are likely to continue to increase across all organizations, regardless of their type and size. However, businesses can actively participate in attempting to stop, or avert, them. You can take advantage of a layered security approach that puts your business in a successful position by keeping an eye out for threats, educating and empowering people, and equipping security teams with cutting-edge cybersecurity tools and solutions.

Finally, to reduce the rising threat of insider attacks in your organization, start by implementing a plan that emphasizes defence and depth.

TAGS

Cyber Crime
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

Key Trends That May Change Cybersecurity Landscape in 2023

Posted on Dec 19 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

Key Trends That May Change Cybersecurity Landscape in 2023

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Dec 19,2022

Key Trends That May Change Cybersecurity Landscape in 2023

With the advent of the digital revolution, corporations, organizations, and even governments are turning to computerized systems to conduct their daily operations. As a result, cybersecurity has become a top priority to protect data from various online threats and any unauthorized access. As news of data breaches, ransomware, and hacking becomes the norm, it follows that there will be a similar shift in cybersecurity trends as a result of ongoing technological advancement.

Security teams will continue to have sleepless nights over the course of the next two years as a result of ransomware and phishing assaults as cybercriminals will become more ingenious and craftier. Security leaders must therefore consider how to negotiate this constantly changing cybersecurity landscape.

Here are the top cybersecurity trends renowned cybersecurity experts and tech leaders should pay attention to in order to prevent the uptick in cyberattacks.

1) AI’s Immense Potential

With the introduction of AI into all commercial sectors, this technology combined with machine learning has significantly changed cybersecurity. The development of automated security systems, natural language processing, and other major features has all benefited greatly from AI. However, it is also used to create ingenious malware and attacks that get through the most recent data security mechanisms. Threat detection systems with AI capabilities can anticipate new assaults and immediately alert administrators to any data breach.

2) Increasing Auto Hacking

Today’s vehicles are loaded with automated software that enables smooth connectivity for drivers in features like airbags, cruise control, door locks, and advanced driver aid systems. These vehicles use Bluetooth and WiFi to connect, which exposes them to a number of security flaws or hacker threats. With more automated vehicles on the road in the next year, it’s expected that attempts to take control of them or listen in on conversations will increase. Autonomous or self-driving vehicles use an even more complicated process that demands stringent cybersecurity precautions.

3) Cloud Could Also Be Vulnerable

To protect the data from leaks, security procedures must be regularly evaluated and upgraded as more businesses establish themselves in the cloud. Although cloud programs like those from Google and Microsoft still have strong security measures in place, it’s the user end that often leads to mistakes, malicious software, and phishing scams.

4) Smartphones a Potential Target for Hackers

In 2019, mobile banking malware or attacks are expected to expand significantly (by 50%), making our handheld devices a possible target for hackers. Our emails, chats, financial transactions, and images all pose greater risks to people. The malware or virus that affects smartphones may be the focus of 2023’s cybersecurity developments.

5) IoT with 5G Network: A New Era of Risks and Technology

With the development and expansion of 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT) will usher in a new era of interconnectivity. Because of the connectivity between numerous devices, they are vulnerable to outside interference, attacks, or unidentified software bugs. Even Chrome, the most popular browser in the world and one that Google supports, was discovered to contain significant problems. Since 5G architecture is still relatively new in the market, extensive study is needed to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen the system’s defences against outside attack. The 5G network could introduce several network assaults at every stage that we may not be prepared for.

6) Integration and Automated Systems

Automation must be integrated to provide more sophisticated control over the data because data size is increasing virtually every day. Automation is more vital than ever because of the pressure placed on experts and engineers by today’s frantic job demands to provide rapid and effective solutions. To create software that is safer in every way, security metrics are incorporated into the agile development process. Due to the difficulty in protecting large and sophisticated web applications, automation and cyber security are significant concepts in the software development process.

7) Specific ransomware

Targeted ransomware is another significant cybersecurity development that we simply cannot ignore. Industries, particularly those in advanced countries, rely largely on particular software to carry out their daily operations. Even though ransomware typically threatens to make the victim’s data public unless a ransom is paid, it can also harm very large organizations or entire countries.

8) Internal Threats

One of the main reasons of the data breach is still human mistake. Millions of stolen data can bring down a whole corporation on any bad day or purposeful loophole. 34% of all attacks were either directly or indirectly carried out by workers, according to a report by Verizon on a data breach that provides strategic insights on cybersecurity trends. Therefore, be sure to raise awareness about data security within the facility.

9) Data Breach is the Key Victim

Organizations all over the world will continue to prioritize data. Protecting digital data is now the main objective, whether for an individual or a business. Any tiny defect or weakness in your computer’s software or browser could allow hackers access to your sensitive data. Starting on January 1st, 2020, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) was implemented to protect consumer rights in the state of California.

10) Government-sanctioned cyberattacks

The competition between the western and eastern powers to establish superiority won’t be stopped. Despite the attacks being rare, the conflict between the US and Iran or Chinese hackers frequently makes headlines around the world and has a big impact on events like elections. Political and business secrets, as well as high-profile data breaches, are predicted to dominate cybersecurity themes in 2023.

The Bottom Line

The worry that firms will increase their security measures in response to these cybersecurity trends in 2023 is inevitable. This year, it’s expected that businesses would spend over $100 billion on asset protection alone. It would be a wise decision to begin their learning curve in cybersecurity now so that they may become authorities for tomorrow, as infrastructure security is becoming a crucial component of virtually any organization. Professionals in the IT sector who are skilled and experienced in cybersecurity typically earn among the top salaries.

TAGS

Cybersecurity
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

Enterprises face serious challenges related to DevOps security

Posted on Dec 12 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

Enterprises face serious challenges related to DevOps security

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Nov 12,2022

Enterprises face serious challenges related to DevOps security

Enterprises that adopt DevOps practices often see significant benefits in terms of their ability to quickly and efficiently deliver new software and updates. However, this increased speed and efficiency also introduces new challenges in terms of security. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the key challenges that enterprises face when it comes to DevOps security and discuss some strategies for addressing them.

Increased use of automation:

One of the biggest challenges with DevOps security is the increased use of automation and continuous integration. With DevOps, software is typically developed and tested in short, iterative cycles, and changes are automatically integrated and deployed to production environments on a regular basis. This can make it difficult to ensure that security controls are being properly implemented and maintained, as security must be considered at every stage of the development process.

Complex software systems:

Another challenge is the complexity of modern software systems. As software becomes more complex, it becomes more difficult to detect and fix security vulnerabilities in a timely manner. This is particularly true in the case of microservices architectures, where a single application may be made up of hundreds or even thousands of individual services. With so many moving parts, it can be difficult to identify and address security vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

To address these challenges, enterprises need to take a holistic approach to DevOps security. This means considering security at every stage of the development process, from the initial design of the software to its deployment and ongoing maintenance. It also means implementing appropriate controls to ensure that security is built into the DevOps process from the start.

Embracing a shift-left approach

One key strategy for improving DevOps security is to adopt a shift-left approach. This means that security testing is integrated into the earliest stages of the development process, rather than being treated as an afterthought. By testing for security vulnerabilities early and often, enterprises can identify and address issues before they become major problems.

Another important strategy is to implement appropriate automation and monitoring tools. Automated tools can help to ensure that security controls are properly implemented and maintained, while monitoring tools can provide real-time visibility into the state of the system and alert teams to potential security issues.

Investing in people and systems

Finally, enterprises need to invest in the right people and processes to support their DevOps security efforts. This means hiring and training security professionals who are familiar with DevOps practices and technologies, and implementing processes that ensure that security is considered at every stage of the development process.

Conclusion

To summarize, while DevOps has the potential to greatly improve an enterprise’s ability to deliver new software and updates, it also introduces new challenges in terms of security. By taking a holistic approach to DevOps security and implementing the right strategies and controls, enterprises can ensure that their DevOps practices are secure and effective.

TAGS

Cyber Crime
DevOps Security

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

3 Serious Data Breaches That Could Have Been Avoided

Posted on Nov 07 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

3 Big Data Breaches That Could Have Been Avoided

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Nov 7,2022

3 Big Data Breaches That Could Have Been Avoided

According to The Cyber Incident & Breach Trends Report, a greater emphasis on cybersecurity principles could reduce the number of preventable accidents, which can be brought on by anything from wrongly setup servers to human mistake. Unfortunately, even the biggest businesses and authorities commit these easy errors.

Let’s examine three major data breaches that could have been avoided if the proper security measures had been in place.

Facebook’s Data Breach

In the beginning of 2018, Facebook improperly shared data from more than 80 million users with the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The company used the data for political advertising and other purposes without getting the users’ permission.

This is Your Digital Life, an app produced by Cambridge Analytica, established an informed consent procedure for study. About 300,000 Facebook app users consented to participate in a poll for solely academic purposes. Due to a bug in Facebook’s technology, the app was able to gather data on the users’ followers without getting their consent.

To generate a psychographic profile, Cambridge Analytica gathered information from the user’s public profile, page likes, birthday, current city, news feed, timeline, and messages. Utilizing these profiles, the business decided what form of advertising would be most successful in convincing a specific person in a certain place to vote a certain way.

If Facebook had better managed the access rights it granted to outside apps, it might have been able to stop the security breach. For instance, it might have restricted the collection of data to the roughly 300,000 Facebook users who opted in to do so rather than the millions who opted out but still had their data shared.

Even though not all businesses function as platforms like Facebook, many do connect with outside parties who have access to their data. Make sure that only the data that has been agreed upon is accessible to third parties, and stop sharing data when it is no longer necessary. This includes managing outside contractors who could occasionally have access to particular databases.

Baltimore’s Data Breach

In May 2019, a ransomware attack on the City of Baltimore shut down its voicemail, email, and other crucial systems that its residents depend on on a daily basis.

The attackers encrypted the data on the compromised systems using the well-known ransomware tool RobbinHood, which analyses computer systems for weaknesses, such as holes in protocols used to enable remote access to machines. The hackers sought around $100,000 in Bitcoin for the key to unlock the data in a ransom note sent over the internet.

To restore systems and make up for lost or delayed revenue, Baltimore believes that the ransomware attack would cost the city at least $18 million. In addition to Baltimore, at least 46 ransomware assaults occurred in 2018 and at least 24 ransomware attacks occurred in 2019. Between Atlanta, Georgia, and Greenville, North Carolina, these attacks have targeted U.S. cities.

Even if not all ransomware attacks may be stopped, risks can be significantly reduced by following cybersecurity best practices. While content scanning and filtering for mail servers and networks can stop one frequent attack vector, anti-virus, anti-malware, and firewall solutions can also spot threats and close security holes.

Encrypting data and keeping secure cloud backups can significantly reduce the effects of a ransomware attack. Everything may be deleted from a computer after a ransomware attack, vulnerabilities can be corrected, and lost data can be recovered in a matter of minutes. Consumer data is not at risk of exposure, and data recovery is not cost-prohibitive.

Equifax’s Data Breach

In September 2017, a data breach at Equifax, one of the biggest credit scoring companies in the world, exposed about 150 million client records.

The company had subpar security methods and regulations, and its systems were outdated, according to a House Oversight Committee investigation. For instance, months before to the hack, Homeland Security had warned the corporation about a known weakness in Apache Struts, a popular open-source web server.

The attackers opened a web shell on the server using this flaw and held onto it for more than two months. The attackers accessed roughly 50 distinct databases that held unencrypted consumer credit data using more than 9,000 searches on 265 different occasions after discovering an unencrypted file with many passwords.

To make matters worse, the organization was unaware of the data breach because the network traffic monitoring device had been dormant for 19 months as a result of a security certificate that had expired. The organization discovered the unusual online traffic right away after updating the certificate, indicating that the presence of a network monitoring solution might have prevented the incident.

A simple security patch to fix a known vulnerability could have stopped the entire attack, but there were at least two other measures to reduce the severity of the data loss. To ensure that the sensitive data was protected, the company ought to have encrypted all of its customer records and kept up its network monitoring system.

The Bottom Line

As more people and devices are connected to the Internet, data breaches are taking place more frequently. Even if not all data breaches can be avoided, the majority of them can be, and recovering from one doesn’t always have to be expensive. There are easy steps you can take to defend your company against ha

TAGS

Cyber Crime
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

Posted on Oct 31 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

5G Security Challenges: What They Are and How to Solve Them

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Oct 31,2022

5G Security Challenges: What They Are and How to Solve Them

5G is the newest mobile data transmission standard. While it will help improve speeds, it will also enable new cutting-edge forms of data transmission that were unheard of earlier. In order for businesses to benefit from 5G, a more fundamental readjustment must occur rather than merely looking to the technology for faster downloads.

This blog will discuss how 5G will change our way of communication, what industries it will affect, and how to get ready for (and protect against) any future security threats.

What 5G Will Do to Communication

Although not all at once, 5G will make communications between devices faster, significantly more scalable, and have much reduced latency. In general, 5G uses the low, mid, and high frequency bands. Low-bandwidth wireless communication gives slow but wide coverage, making it perfect for rural locations.

Mid-bandwidth, also known as eMBB, or enhanced mobile broadband, offers faster connectivity speeds than 4G at close range. This is suitable for the majority of electronic devices used by business personnel. Moreover, mMTC, or huge machine-type communications, is made possible by mid-bandwidth connectivity. As a result, a large number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices can rely on 5G in a small area without taxing the network’s infrastructure.

The most intriguing element that 5G brings about is probably high-bandwidth connectivity. This makes ultra-reliable, low-latency communications possible. In addition to enabling speedy communication between self-driving cars, this type of connection’s exceptionally low latency can enable remote procedures for medical experts who previously could not rely on mobile technology.

The Effects of 5G on Business

Faster data speeds will be beneficial for every company, but there are several particular industries where 5G will have a dramatic impact. Everyone working in these fields has to be aware of 5G’s potential as soon as possible so they can put it into practice.

5G will immediately have an impact on industries that rely on field employees executing remote operations for extended periods of time. Faster data rates will enable quicker communication between employees and management, enhancing the productivity and safety of frontline personnel. Roles in the field service sector like repair technicians and sectors like manufacturing that rely on physically demanding warehouse work may be impacted by this.

The healthcare industry will be particularly transformed by low latency. Surgeons should be able to do surgery remotely with no loss of control once they have access to low-latency 8K video feeds of a surgical site, equivalent to in-person surgeries. Additionally, 5G will provide a smoother and faster connection for any of the millions of patients who have used telehealth services throughout the pandemic, ensuring that visits go as planned.

High-bandwidth cell towers will change the transportation industry despite having a very small coverage area. Through the usage of URLLC, self-driving cars may quickly transmit and receive information from other vehicles, making their use safer than before.

Challenges of 5G Technology for Security

The advantages that 5G offers inevitably come with a few major security issues. For instance, since more data is transmitted in a given length of time on 5G networks, data exfiltration attempts by thieves are more lucrative. Because employees who have full control over their devices can download malware more quickly than before, organizations have no room for careless device use.

Connection stability is a necessity as low-latency communications grow more and more important. In the case of surgery or remote driving, URLLC interruption (either intentional or accidental) could be fatal.

Businesses may automate numerous crucial operations as more and more gadgets communicate with one another. Automation, however, makes existing organizational weaknesses worse. Automation eliminates the possibility that someone will detect a significant problem while on the job in person if an organization has “blind spots” that no one is responsible for resolving.

The majority of businesses implementing 5G will also require a sizable amount of new hardware. The vast amount of equipment needed will make this a logistical difficulty because it will take a while to put everything up. This may lead to casual errors that are difficult to spot after the fact, and these oversights may later result in significant problems.

Additionally, a lot of networks are currently switching from 4G to 5G. As a result, for as long as the upgrade process takes, 4G network vulnerabilities will persist in 5G networks.

How to Address 5G Security Issues

The new technology doesn’t fundamentally alter what companies must do to safeguard their assets, but it significantly reduces the margin for mistake and raises the costs of failure. No matter if a gadget uses 4G or 5G, it’s crucial to limit what users may do with company-owned devices. Additionally, it’s crucial to conduct a proof-of-concept before introducing a large number of IoT devices into an office.

Additionally, you must examine the people infrastructure of your business because organizational “blind spots” are a bad actor’s fantasy when it comes to data exfiltration and similar activities. Considering that 4G-related vulnerabilities may still affect older systems and networks, you should keep an eye on them.

It’s critical to manage 5G devices in this way as soon as they are compatible with mobile device management software in order to keep them secure. You should choose a device management system that can scale with your organization’s needs in order to protect the devices that will make use of 5G technology. You should seek out a solution that places a strong emphasis on IoT management in particular.

Although it can be upsetting, be aware that if your company is located in a remote region, 5G coverage might not be very good. It’s crucial to adjust your expectations in accordance with the level of 5G access you’re going to receive.

Conclusion

It’s critical to realize that 5G represents an important change for many businesses rather than merely an incremental improvement. Companies can position themselves to become industry leaders in this era by investing the time in securing 5G infrastructures.

TAGS

Cyber Crime
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

Posted on Sep 23 2022 | by Saima Naz | 1 Comment

Posted in Data Protection

10 Ways to Boost Data Protection

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Sep 23,2022

10 Ways to Boost Data Protection

Organizations worldwide are grappling with the serious issue of security breaches virtually on a regular basis. And this points to the organizations’ inability to adopt robust security measures from falling prey to malicious actors ready to cause you harm beyond your imagination.

The survival and success of your company depends primarily on foolproof security of your data—and this includes your financial information, employment data, and trade secrets. If there are gaps in your security apparatus, then you are at high risk of experiencing massive financial loss and reputational damage, posing a potent existential threat to your business.

Why is data privacy important?

Based on the sensitivity and value of the data, data privacy is a set of rules for how it should be acquired or managed. Personal health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII) are often covered by data privacy laws, which include data about finances, health, social security or ID numbers, names, dates of birth, and contact details.

All sensitive information that businesses handle, including that of their clients, shareholders, and workers, is subject to data privacy concerns. This data frequently has a crucial impact on corporate development, operations, and finances.

How to Improve Data Security: Some Tips

You may secure your data by using the following recommendations.

Be focused on insider threats

Since external threats are frequently depicted as the biggest and most expensive ones in media, it’s simple to visualize them. The truth is that insider attacks can be challenging to identify and stop due to their nature. It might be as easy as a worker opening an email attachment they think is from a reliable source and activating a ransomware worm. Threats of this nature are the most frequent and expensive worldwide.

Secure the actual data, not simply the perimeter

With approximately 90% of security resources going toward firewall technology, it appears that many firms are focusing on protecting the walls around their data. However, there are countless potential workarounds for firewalls, including through clients, partners, and staff. These individuals can all get beyond external cybersecurity and abuse sensitive data. Because of this, you must make sure that your security efforts are concentrated on the data itself rather than just the perimeter.

Secure every device

More and more people in today’s modern world prefer to work on their personal or mobile devices. How can you be certain that these tools are reliable? Ensure that all data is encrypted before storing it and that it stays encrypted across migrations.

Delete superfluous data

Sensitive information is a crucial component of the operations of many businesses, particularly those in the healthcare, finance, public sector, and education. Having information disposal procedures in place helps stop outdated data from being lost or stolen later on. It will be much easier to prevent your staff from storing redundant data if you have a procedure in place for destroying, deleting, or otherwise altering it to make it unreadable.

Test your security

If you believe that putting antivirus software on every computer or device can shield your business from threats, you must be mistaken. Hiring a reputable company to undertake a security assessment will always find vulnerabilities you weren’t expecting, as previous data breaches have demonstrated. You should stroll across your workplace and inspect the desks of your coworkers. If you look closely enough, you can easily find a sticky note with a password scrawled on it.

Create strong passwords

Many businesses continue to have loose password standards, which results in basic, generic, and hackable passwords for important accounts that have access to sensitive and priceless data. The first step you can do to improve your security in this area is to implement strong passwords. Use passwords that are moderately complex and update them at least every 90 days. Passwords like “12345” or “Admin1” should never be used. Never write down your passwords and leave them on your computer where others could discover them.

Commit more money and time to cybersecurity

Since data security continues to be the biggest risk to your IT infrastructure, many CIOs have acknowledged that investing more time and money in it is essential. With the recognition that cybersecurity must be a crucial component of all business processes, many large corporations with critical corporate data to protect are employing chief security officers, frequently to board level roles.

Update your programs

You should ensure that your machine has the latest updates and patches. The most current update to your security software determines how effective they are. It is important to update these programs frequently because hackers and ransomware strains are continually adapting to exploit flaws in older software versions.

Regularly back up your data

This ought to be a key component of your IT security plan by now. You can survive anything, from an accidental file deletion to a full ransomware lockdown, if you have secure backups in place. Backup data should be kept in a safe location that is remote from your main place of business as a security best practice.

Educate everyone in the company about security

Anyone with a username and password is in charge of maintaining data security. Managers and staff must be routinely reminded by IT administrators not to divulge login information to any strangers. Everyone has a role in data security; it is not simply the responsibility of the IT team.

Conclusion

Remember, data is like God for organizations of all types and sizes, particularly large ones. Therefore, as a sagacious entrepreneur, you are duty-bound to safeguard it to be able to ensure the security of your organization’s and your employees’ sensitive information. All the points mentioned above will help you implement a robust security posture, enabling you to win the trust of your employees and ensure the longevity of your organization.

TAGS

Data Protection
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

Top 6 Free Online Cybersecurity Courses with Certifications

Posted on Sep 20 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

Top 6 Free Online Cybersecurity Courses with Certifications

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Sep 20, 2022

Top 6 Free Online Cybersecurity Courses with Certifications

Upskilling employees is more crucial than ever as organizations get ready for the future of work. The goal of organizations is to replace displaced talent with a highly trained workforce that can propel the company forward during and beyond the post-pandemic recovery period. Competition is fierce for experts with in-demand talents. To stay relevant in a workplace that is becoming increasingly automated, it is imperative to engage in learning new skills. Upskilling or reskilling continuously will provide you a competitive edge in the global employment market, so be future-ready.

The top beginner-level online cybersecurity courses are listed below:

1. Introduction to Information Security

The free CISSP course gives IT professionals all the in-depth knowledge they need in order to pass the CISSP certification exam. The curriculum provides an introduction to information security and is in line with (ISC)2 CBK 2018. Enroll right away to learn how to define IT infrastructure and create and manage a safe work environment.

Before enrolling in this course, you should have prior job experience in fields including security and risk management, asset security, and security engineering.

There is a huge surge in information security positions across industries as a result of the rising demand for information security from all types of businesses. You can apply for jobs like information security analyst, security consultant, security architect, and forensic computer analyst after completing the information security course.

2. Introduction to Cybersecurity

The Free Cyber Security Basics Course is designed for beginners and provides them with a fundamental grasp of the existing cybersecurity landscape as well as introducing them to practical tools for assessing and managing security measures in information processing systems. You can perform business impact analysis and catastrophe recovery testing after enrolling in this program.

You will have a variety of work alternatives in the cybersecurity industry after completing the free online courses on ethical hacking. The occupations that are in demand include information security specialist, ethical hacker, cybersecurity specialist, and cybersecurity analyst.

3. Introduction to Cloud Security

The free Introduction to Cloud Security course will teach you the basics of cloud security. The program provides an overview of the risks to information security and elaborates on the best practices required to guarantee data protection. To recognize and address any threats to the cloud storage system, gain a thorough understanding of the principles of cloud security. Anyone interested in pursuing a career as a cloud security specialist may find the cloud security course to be the perfect starting point. Cloud architects, administrators, and analysts may all be high-paying employment for professionals with a history in cloud security.

4. Beginner’s Guide to Ethical Hacking

You may gain a thorough understanding of the core ideas behind ethical hacking. The ethical hacking beginner’s course has been carefully created to give students the knowledge and capabilities to defeat opponents from both a theoretical and tactical perspective. Learn about numerous ethical hacking techniques and tools in this program.

This free online cybersecurity course can jumpstart your career as a trusted cybersecurity professional. Ethical hacking professionals can choose high-paying career paths like Information security analyst, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Security consultant (Computing / Networking / Information Technology), Information security manager, Penetration tester, etc.

5. Introduction to Cybercrime

This basic buy important course is developed by specialists in the field to offer in-depth insights into the different cyberattacks that are now occurring in businesses across all industries. You’ll have a thorough awareness of the various cyber security dangers that exist as well as strategies for preventing cyberattacks by the time you’ve finished the course.

Job security is a result of having a respected cybersecurity certification. With job openings in virtually every business, the field of cybersecurity offers a wide range of opportunities. Cybersecurity analyst, ethical hacker, cybersecurity specialist, cybersecurity developer, and information security specialist are popular career paths in the field.

6. An Overview of CISSP Security Assessment & Testing and Security Operations

An introductory course that helps in the development of strong expertise in security assessment, testing, and operations is the free CISSP Security Assessment, Testing, and Operations for beginners. You will have comprehensive knowledge of the key elements, procedures, and tools required for CISSP domains 6 and 7. Vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, log management and transactions, investigations, incident management, and other skills will be taught to you.

The positions of information security analyst, security consultant, security architect, and forensic computer analyst are among the many that are in demand in the fields of security assessment & testing and security operations.

You may want to think about enrolling in our Cybersecurity Expert Master’s Program or Postgraduate Program in Cybersecurity after you have finished the course and achieved certification.

Conclusion

Meeting the changing needs of companies can be achieved by investing in new talents. Whether you’re a recent graduate, an early-career professional, or a seasoned professional, you’ll need to develop and maintain a set of abilities that are relevant today and will continue to be so in the future. Be willing to adjust, grow, and advance evolution, and maintain an edge over your peers and advance your career.

TAGS

Cybersecurity courses
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category:

An Overview of Infrastructure Vulnerability Management

Share this article

Ready to Get Started?

Our specialists are ready to tailor our security service solutions to fit the needs of your organization.

How Threat Intelligence Can Be Used to Prevent and Detect Fraud

Posted on Sep 18 2022 | by Saima Naz | Leave a Comment

Posted in Cyber Security

How Threat Intelligence Can Be Used to Prevent and Detect Fraud

Latest Blogs

By AMSAT Sep 30,2020

How Threat Intelligence Can Be Used to Prevent and Detect Fraud

Threat intelligence data is becoming increasingly crucial as cyber-threat actors launch new activities and eventually come into touch with one another. The cyber-threat landscape is continually changing.

New digital technologies are attracting enemies’ attention to this sector as digital fraud is on the rise. Criminals are becoming ever more skilled at hacking and leveraging the information from hacked accounts to access additional accounts. For instance, by 2023, it is expected that e-commerce fraud will rise by 14% and cost merchants $130 billion.

In the digital age, fraud comes in a few distinct forms. One of these is Account Takeover (ATO), in which an uninvited third party successfully accesses a user’s account credentials. Payment fraud occurs when a criminal acquires a victim’s credit or debit card number, or information about their checking account, and uses it to make an unauthorized purchase. The automatic establishment of several user accounts that are unrelated to legitimate ones or that are generated without being aware of the information of a genuine person is known as fake account registration.

How threat intelligence can be useful

When it comes to identifying and preventing digital fraud, threat intelligence is typically significantly more successful than internal security tools.

According to a recent National Security Agency (NSA) report, one way businesses can deal with this is to incorporate the cyber-threat feeds into their current security solutions

By automating procedures and giving managers the resources, they need to better prevent possible risks, cyber-threat intelligence solutions can also assist an all-around improved security position. If done correctly, combining threat analysis with data analysis using machine learning can assist security teams in quickly converting raw data into useful information regarding cyber-threats. To help organizations better comprehend the cyber dangers they are likely to face, threat information systems can combine internal and external data sources.

Threat information can help appreciate the threat landscape and provide security personnel with the intelligence context they need to act more quickly and effectively. Integrated threat information can help you remain calm in today’s always expanding danger environments, regardless of whether you are able to create your own solution or use a threat information feed.

Companies can have access to a database that details a wide variety of dangers by investing in cyber- threat intelligence. A better knowledge of cyber risks and a more efficient reaction to the threat landscape can be achieved with the proper application of cyber-threat information. This is crucial because data centers all around the world may disseminate information about cyber-threats.

How threat intelligence can be used more efficiently

Security and system administrators have the information they need to create a plan that will best safeguard their networks thanks to the intelligence of the cyber-threat. Information regarding cyber-threats may in some cases expose previously unknown threats, enabling companies to make wiser security decisions. You can strengthen your security and defence systems if they can truly handle the threat by using cyber-threat analysis.

According to the Cyber Threat Intelligence Center, security professionals should use a multi-layered threat intelligence methodology that incorporates both malware-centric and enemy-centric methodologies to improve resilience in identifying and responding to threats. Your cybersecurity system should incorporate a threat-messaging platform with the capacity to react to attacks automatically.

This can include potential dangers to an organization, in-depth profiles of the actors involved in the cyber threat, and technical compromise indicators (IoC). The majority of the time, threat data is arranged in feeds, and these data points are connected to knowledge of the threat environment, such as risks to the network, network infrastructure, or organization infrastructure.

Cybersecurity solutions gather this kind of threat information, which is then utilized to find and stop approaching and ongoing threats. After the relevant data on cyberthreats has been retrieved from the threat data, it is subjected to structured processing before being shared with the necessary stakeholders, strengthening security measures, and averting further cyberattacks. This is becoming more crucial as all staff levels are required to respond to cyber-threats.

Top fraud attack vectors as use cases

Threat intelligence has quickly turned into a must for fraud teams. It’s crucial to understand that using threat intelligence to avoid fraud calls for much more than merely alerting.

Black markets on the dark web are expanding and trading stolen bank and credit card information. Enterprises expect losing US $100bn to card-not-present (CNP) fraud between 2018 and 2023 as a result of the surge in novel and sophisticated fraud strategies.

Account takeover

In the case of account takeover (ATO), criminals gain illegal access to any account. User accounts from any company could be subject to ATO. The primary objectives are often validated and active accounts. The major causes of ATOs could be the financial situation, money laundering, or prospective account credentials sales. The number of attempts to steal from consumers and online retailers through account takeover theft rose by 282% between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020. Businesses report higher fraud losses in the amount of 57% when accounts are opened or taken over.

Fake account registration

Five out of every ten account registrations are fake. In 2019, Facebook removed almost 2 billion phoney accounts. In the first half of 2019, 21.6 million phony LinkedIn accounts were either deleted or prohibited.

As intrusion techniques advance, it is increasingly difficult to detect fake account attempts. Advanced fake account formation attacks are very common and make use of forged or stolen identification. These attacks are carried out in brief bursts or over extended periods, making it challenging to detect and stop them on your own with conventional security measures.\

Misuse of loyalty

As significant as payment fraud and ATO, loyalty misuse goes often unrecognized or unchecked. The risks associated with running different customer loyalty programs are routinely disregarded, which exposes the organization’s fraud and risk management to failure. Losses resulting from loyalty abuse are frequently less obvious and can go unnoticed for a long time before a true reconciliation occurs.

TAGS

Cyber Crime
Security Updates

Recent Blogs

Saima Naz

Nov 17 2023

Category:

Red Team vs Blue Team in Cybersecurity: Goals, Differences, and Importance

Saima Naz

Nov 13 2023

Category:

Top 5 open-source host-based intrusion detection systems

Saima Naz

Nov 08 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Nov 03 2023

Category:

Saima Naz

Oct 30 2023

Category: