Strengthen Your Security Posture with These 5 Tips
You may have noticed that Mimecast, SonicWall, Malwarebytes, FireEye, Microsoft, CrowdStrike and Solarwinds have all been in the news in recent weeks from cyberattacks. Thankfully, not all of the attacks were successful, and to be fair, like VIPRE Security, these are companies that are passionate about cybersecurity. All of these recent compromises remind us of the importance of practicing good security hygiene to stay safe.
Applying foundational security principles is the first step to a sound security practice. A layered security approach accounts for and protects the most common attack methods of cybercriminals. Protecting the network, endpoint devices, email inboxes and user & data solutions form the bands of layered security.
VIPRE recommends these immediate 5 security implementations:
1. Keep your software up to date, especially your defensive security software.
Security software often depends on having the latest and greatest technology so that it can stay ahead of determined attackers. Of all the software you use, it’s most important to keep your security software up to date. For VIPRE users, when’s the last time you updated your VIPRE installation? Are all the agents up to date? VIPRE makes it easy to find out; just look in the console and check.
2. Lock down RDP connections.
The increase from employees transitioning to working from home also pushed an uptick in man-in-the-middle attacks. Remote Desktop Protocol or RDP is an easy way to provide employees remote access, but comes with inherent security risks. Consider creating strong passwords or using a password manager solution, especially for accounts with access to RDP. Always utilize multi-factor authentication and change the listening port from 3389 to a different port. That helps hide the traffic but in and of itself won’t solve for RDP hacks. Finally, keep up with Microsoft Tuesday patches and enable Network Level Authentication.
3. Automate third party patching.
Cybercriminals have exploited vulnerabilities in third-party software programs like Adobe, Java and web browsers for over a decade, so this may seem obvious to most. However, a little over a year ago, according to an article on DarkReading, “Eight out of the 10 most exploited vulnerabilities in 2019, in fact, impacted Microsoft products. The other two—including the most exploited flaw—involved Adobe Flash Player, the previous top attacker favorite, according to an analysis by Recorded Future.” The need to find an automated approach to third party patching is ideal. VIPRE Endpoint Security provides this critical component for free as part of their endpoint protection. You can find out more information here.
4. Implement the principle of least privilege.
The principle of least privilege applies a rule set in which users are provided the minimum level of access and permissions needed to fulfill necessary job functions. By restricting wider access to high-value data and machines, a protective mechanism is achieved and hedges against credential harvesting and theft. How big of a problem is credential theft? According to a Forbes article from this past July, a new Dark Web audit revealed 15 billion stolen logins from 100,000 breaches.
Start the New Year off right with a full audit of administrator credentials and purge and unnecessary admin privileges. Only grant access on an as-needed basis and separate standard and administrator accounts to track privilege user sessions.
5. Have an incident response plan.
When considering the importance of a documented and tested incident response plan, the Robert Burns poem comes to mind that quipped, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” This sentiment rings especially true in information technology and cybersecurity. There may come a time when defensive measures fail, even for those that follow cybersecurity best practices to a tee. If the worst should happen and data is stolen or exposed for example, it won’t be a good idea to “wing it.” Building out a comprehensive plan may seem overwhelming but there are great resources available to assist. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a great place to start. NIST’s cybersecurity programs seek to enable greater development and application of practical, innovative security technologies and methodologies. For specifics on building out an incident response plan and step by step guidance, check out the National Vulnerability Database.
VIPRE Security recommends that all organizations utilize a layered security approach when implementing defensive measures. A top-rated endpoint security solution coupled with advanced email security and threat intelligence solutions will ensure that you are protected from malicious threats via multiple attack vectors.
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