Cybersecurity


“For end users, MSSPs with the right cloud- based platform and tools, can configure, monitor and update security defences round-the-clock, all remotely.”


What is the main cyber security challenge facing businesses in 2022? Even before the pandemic, limited time and resources were making IT security feel like an insurmountable challenge for many businesses. Now, with new work from home mandates and a growing threat landscape, delivering a robust security posture and reducing the odds of becoming another cyberattack statistic are even greater. Treats will vary dependent on your size and type of business,


but one thing is clear is that ransomware is rampant and is the threat that keeps most CISOs awake at night. With low risk, high returns and a virtually unlimited supply of victims, it’s a no brainer for cyber criminals. Te arrival of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) that lowers the bar for would-be attackers, has only served to increase the scale of the problem. And as larger corporations get better at protecting themselves, smaller businesses become more attractive targets. Tere is no silver bullet to preventing ransomware attacks but


there are basic measures that everyone should implement and observe. For example, every network needs a strong firewall, along with an arsenal of scanning engines to provide visibility and protection against spyware and viruses, malicious apps, data leakage and unknown zero-day threats. Most ransomware attacks start with a phishing or social


engineering attack. It is increasingly difficult to spot a sophisticated attack but good phishing education programmes can reduce click rates on malicious links from 40-50% down to below 10%. Tese programmes should intrinsically link technical controls with human behaviour and interaction to learn from mistakes and move away from the blame culture.


Are we still talking about the problems of passwords? Despite reports of their demise, passwords are still alive and kicking – and still oſten too simple to guess or steal. As we all struggle with remembering long, complex passwords, the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) is compelling. MFA simply


www.pcr-online.biz


requires more than one method of authentication. While traditional MFA solutions can be costly and complex, cloud-based MFA cuts down on costly deployment and management, while a choice of authentication methods such as push notifications, one-time- passwords or QR codes sent to a mobile device provides good security and user experience. Furthermore, MFA delivered through an MSSP removes all the headaches for the end user as everything is managed and automated remotely. Last year Microsoſt introduced password-less authentication for


Windows for digital validation but continued focus on single-factor authentication logins. Microsoſt could have truly solved the digital identity validation problem by making MFA mandatory, but if Microsoſt does not force companies to embrace MFA, the growing cyber insurance industry may do it instead. As cyber security insurers realise that the pay-out costs to cover ransomware threats have increased dramatically, they are not just demanding higher premiums but also now actively scan and audit the security of clients before providing cover. In 2022, if you don’t have the proper protections in place, including MFA, you may not get the cyber insurance you need at the price you would like.


Are companies getting the other basics right? While many are doing better at measures such as backing up, others are still leaving their businesses exposed to attacks by not doing the simple stuff. According to a recent Gartner report, 99% of the vulnerabilities exploited would have been known to security professionals and IT administrators at the time of the incident. In fact, 80% of successful attacks exploit vulnerabilities that have known patches to fix bugs and vulnerabilities in soſtware. Soſtware patches are a necessary inconvenience for IT


administrators, as they are time-consuming and can cause disruption for users. But hackers don’t waste time and have been known to exploit vulnerabilities just days aſter a patch is released. One of the main reasons why smaller companies fail to regularly patch their systems is a lack of technical staff and know how. But with cloud- based managed security services, there is no excuse or blame game.


April 2022 | 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52