10 Ways Government Agencies Can Get Ahead of Cyber Attackers, and Stay There
Earlier this spring, Symantec released its 2015 Internet Security Threat Report and as you can imagine the findings were pretty scary (if you don’t want to download the entire report, you can read the summary here).
Massive data breaches, malware creation, and digital extortion are all on the rise. Compound this with threats to mobile technology and new cybercrime opportunities posed by the Internet of Things and it can seem like hackers are overwhelming us at every angle.
That being said there are some steps that public sector organizations and businesses alike can take to get ahead of attackers – and stay there. Here are just 10 that Symantec recommends:
- Adopt an Defense In-depth Strategy
A layered approach to security is nothing new, but Symantec emphasizes the importance of multiple, overlapping, and mutually supportive defense systems to guard against single points of failure. Including updated firewalls, gateway antivirus, intrusion detection, and so on.
- Educate Users on Basic Security Policies
As we revealed in The 4 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats of 2014, the careless and untrained government employees represent the top source of security threats to federal agencies. Educate users on malicious practices such as phishing as well as accidental insider breaches such as data copied to insecure devices, accidental deletion or modification of critical data, and use of prohibited personal devices.
- Monitor for Network Incursion Attempts
Receive alerts for new vulnerabilities and threats across vendor platforms for proactive remediation.
- Antivirus on Endpoints is Not Enough
Yes, have the latest version of antivirus installed on endpoints, but also be sure to deploy and use an endpoint security product that includes more protection such as endpoint intrusion detection, browser protection, file and web-based reputation solutions, behavioral prevention capabilities, and so on.
- Secure Websites against MITM Attacks and Malware
Protect constituents by implementing “Always on SSL”, scan daily for malware, assess your site(s) regularly for vulnerabilities, choose SSL certificates with extended validation, and display recognized trust marks on your site.
- Build Security into IoT Devices
Manufacturers of IoT devices are largely responsible for ensuring that security is built into the devices before shipping. IoT devices are specifically vulnerable to denial of service attacks (DDoS) which occurs when poorly configured or un-secured devices are rolled out.
Building security directly into the software and applications that run on IoT devices would prevent many attacks that manage to side-step defenses at the upper layers. Manufacturers should adopt and integrate such principles into their software development process.
- Protect Your Private Keys
Get digital certificates from established authorities and use separate test signing and release signing infrastructures, secure keys in tamper-proof, cryptographic hardware devices, and implement physical security to protect from theft.
- Add Data Loss Protection to Encryption Practices
In addition to data encryption, be sure to include a data loss protection (DLP) solution to help prevent breaches. DLP can help discover where sensitive data resides, monitor its use, and protect it from loss and is implement to monitor the flow of information as it lease the organization over the network.
- Get a BYOB Policy
Ensure a minimal security profile is established for any devices that are allowed access to the network. The federal government provides a Toolkit to Support Federal Agencies Implementing BYOD Programs which includes policies and guidelines.
- Restrict Email Attachments
Configure mail servers to block or remove common virus-host files like .VBS, .BAT, etc. and consider investigating policies for PDFs in email attachments.
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