Remote/Hybrid Workforce
Don’t let cybercriminals enter your office via unprotected endpoints
Danny O’Neill, Director Managed Detection & Response Security Operations at Bitdefender explains the risks of not correctly securing endpoint devices such as printers and the cyber security threats this presents.
Here’s what Danny O’Neill told PCR.
Can you tell us more about the Bitdefender and Sharp Partnership and how this will Boost Treat Prevention in Multifunction Business Printers? As the threat landscape evolves and businesses increasingly employ a wide range of Internet- connected smart office devices, cybercriminals have learned to compromise multifunction printers (MFPs) to use as an entry point into business networks. When organisations unconsciously leave their MFP network connections vulnerable, cybercriminals can hijack the MFPs and plant trojans and credential stealers or use the devices to spread malware throughout the network. End-users can also (intentionally or unintentionally) compromise MFPs by plugging in USB memory devices infected with malware. Te partnership will help strengthen security for organisations that use Sharp printers by protecting these endpoints and ensuring cybercriminals cannot use them as entry-points.
What are the current cyber threats companies are experiencing? Te threat landscape is ever evolving; however, ransomware and supply chain vulnerabilities are the biggest threats businesses are currently experiencing. Pairing this with a shortage of cybersecurity skills and a lack of expertise to deal with sophisticated attackers, it’s a recipe for disaster for businesses. Cybercriminals always seek to innovate and find ways to go around even the best and most advanced technological defences.
20 | December/January 2023
Because of their ever evolving techniques and changing tactics, it is important for businesses to be proactive about security. Businesses should have the tools like managed detection and response (MDR) and extended detection and response (XDR) implemented to monitor, detect and, most importantly, respond to anomalous behaviour and suspicious activity from seemingly legitimate users. Tese tools add more data sources and provide greater visibility to the business’s environments across their network, which is essential to early detection of attackers before they get to the endpoint.
How are peripherals like printers posing a threat to the hybrid workforce? When businesses think about securing their endpoints, they oſten think of personal computers, servers and networks. Peripherals are a risk area and are as important to secure as the endpoints mentioned above. Although printers can oſten be forgotten about when securing endpoints, they are devices connected to the businesses’ network and thus can be used as an easy route to access networks or other end goals within a business. However, businesses shouldn’t stop at printers. In an increasingly connected environment and a growing Internet of Tings, there are many ways an attacker can access an environment indirectly from an unprotected source. An example of this is the cyber-attack that was launched on 150,000 printers by a hacker called Stackoverflowin. Fortunately, the hacker’s main goal was to demonstrate his skill but acted as a warning to businesses on the risks of an exposed endpoint like a printer. Businesses need to look wider and ensure all devices with access to their network are protected.
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