What is a Firewall?

The term firewall originates from construction. Basically, it’s a fire-resistant barrier that sits inside the walls of a building, which helps prevent the spread of a building fire.  

While it uses the same name, a computer firewall serves a different purpose. Essentially, the firewall allows and denies access to traffic. Thus, it acts as a barrier between a private network and the public internet.

Types of Firewalls

Furthermore, your firewall is your first line of defense against attackers. Now you might be thinking there is only one generic firewall. However, there are several different types.

Software Firewalls

A type of computer software that runs on your computer/ network. Unlike hardware firewalls, these one’s are installed on individual devices.

Hardware Firewalls

This type sits between your local network of computers and the internet. This firewall will inspect all the data that comes in from the internet allowing safe data packets to come through while blocking harmful ones.

Packet-filtering Firewalls

The packet-filtering firewall is the most basic as it controls data flow from network to network. It allows for network packets to move across networks using user-defined rules, IP addresses, ports, and protocols.

Circuit-level Gateways

A circuit-level gateway heightens security between User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Typically, these gateways are used in combination with other firewall applications. 

Stateful Inspection Firewalls

This firewall type monitors the state of active connections and uses this information to determine which network packets to allow through the firewall.

Proxy Firewalls

A proxy firewall acts as a gateway between the internet and internal users. It monitors security and blocks traffic for the internal network that is transmitted to and from the internet.

Next-Generation Firewalls

Next-Generation firewalls (NGFW) are like a stateful inspection firewall but with some additional features. It allows for access control and blocks modern threats such as advanced malware and application layer attacks. 

Cloud Firewalls

Cloud firewalls protect against malicious network traffic. However, these ones are hosted by the cloud.

Common Reasons People Disable Firewalls

Performance Concerns

Some people disable their firewalls because they think that firewalls are the reason why their computers are lagging, or that firewalls cause their internet speed to slow down. As firewalls filter the incoming and outgoing traffic from your computers, they do indeed have an impact on your internet speed. This especially applies to computers with weak CPUs. However, computers with stronger CPUs usually don’t feel any significant impact of the firewalls on the internet speed, or maybe only experience a very minimal impact.

Trusted Networks

People also sometimes lower their guard and disable their firewalls on trusted networks, such as their homes, family or friend’s place, or even within their workplace. This false sense of security leads them to believe that everything will be okay even with their firewalls turned off in these environments.

Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness

Some people may turn off their firewalls due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness, meaning that they don’t know a firewall’s function and purpose. This lack of awareness makes them vulnerable to instructions from websites asking them to turn off their firewall. This is very risky as suspicious websites that offer free software downloads may request their visitors to turn off their firewalls. This is because the “software download” they offer may contain malware.

The Risks of Turning Off Your Firewall

Malware Infection

Turning off your firewall increases the risk of malware infection. This is because firewalls can block suspicious or unauthorized traffic that may carry malware. They can also protect you by blocking access to known malicious websites or servers that distribute malware. Thus, if you download a suspicious file or access a malicious website with your firewall turned off, it opens the possibility of malware infecting your systems.

Data Breach

A device with a disabled firewall is more vulnerable to malware infections, thus it is also vulnerable to data breaches, as malware is often created to give cybercriminals access to sensitive information. This includes passwords, credit card information, and other personal details. You can learn more about why you should watch out for malware here.

Business Impact

As mentioned previously, disabled firewalls might expose the entire company network to potential attacks. This can lead to data breaches and malware infections, which eventually can also impact businesses negatively. This is because malware may cause downtime, and data breaches also will affect the business’s credibility and reputation.

Firewall Best Practices

Regular Firewall Updates

Like every other software, you also need to regularly update your firewall. These updates usually include security patches that help shield your systems against the latest vulnerabilities. Keeping your firewall updated helps ensure that it can protect you against the latest attack methods effectively. These updates can also improve your firewall’s performance and efficiency in handling traffic and detecting potential threats.

Firewall Audits

A firewall audit is an examination of your firewall’s settings, rules, and configurations. For businesses, it’s important to conduct this audit routinely to ensure optimal security of your systems and networks. These audits help you identify misconfigurations in your firewall rules that may create network vulnerabilities. It also helps you ensure that your firewall is effectively implemented.

Make Sure That Your Firewall Is On

Last but definitely not least, whether you are using a company device or a personal device, you should always make sure that your computer’s firewall is turned on. You should also make sure that it remains operational, as sometimes changing some computer settings can disable our firewall.

Other Security Measures

Strong Password Practices

One of the ways you can prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to your company networks, aside from implying the firewall best practices, is by requiring your employees to use strong passwords. Encourage them to not use weak or commonly used passwords like “password” or “123456789” for all their accounts.

Multi-Factor-Authentication Implementation

Implementing MFA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts, as cybercriminals who manage to gain your passwords will still not be able to access your accounts without access to your MFA codes or devices. For businesses, it’s best to require your employees to turn on their MFA for all their accounts.

Stay Updated on Cybersecurity Trends

According to a report by Verizon in 2022, 74% of data breaches involved the human element. Thus, it’s important to make sure that all your employees and the people around you stay updated with the latest cybersecurity trends and best practices. This prevents them from falling victim to phishing attempts, malware, or other cyber threats.

Network Monitoring

Aside from firewall audits, it’s also best for companies to regularly monitor their networks, as firewalls sometimes cannot identify zero-day malware. Therefore, by regularly monitoring your networks, you can identify potential suspicious activities that might not be detected by firewalls, and prevent them from infecting your networks and systems any further.

Conclusion

We have learned about what a firewall is, its types, the risks of turning it off, and what are its best practices. Often, people turn off their firewalls because of misconceptions: assuming it impacts internet speed, feeling secure on familiar networks like home or office, or simply due to lack of awareness. However, turning off your firewall increases the risk of getting infected by malware, which may lead to data breaches. For businesses, this may cause a negative business impact. Thus, aside from ensuring that our firewall is turned on, we must also make sure that it is regularly updated. For businesses, it’s also important to regularly conduct firewall audits. Additionally, to ensure network security, it’s important to also apply other necessary security best practices such as strong password policies, MFA, conducting cybersecurity training, and monitoring your networks regularly.

The post Importance of Turning On Your Firewall appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Why is Protecting Patient Privacy Important?

Patient privacy and data security are paramount in the healthcare industry. EHRs contain sensitive information that includes everything from medical history to personal identifiers, making them a prime target for cybercriminals. A breach in network security can lead to devastating consequences such as identity theft. Furthermore, maintaining patient trust is foundational to the doctor-patient relationship, and compromised security can erode that trust.

Why is Healthcare a Common Target for Threat Actors?

The healthcare industry is an attractive target for cyberattacks due to the value of the data it holds and the potential impact of disrupting healthcare services. Ransomware attacks and phishing attempts have become increasingly common. Attackers may exploit vulnerabilities in:

• Outdated software
• Weak passwords
• Unsecured medical devices

Our Recommended Network Security Strategies for the Health Industry

1. Encryption: Utilizing encryption for data, both at rest and in transit, can thwart unauthorized access. Encryption converts sensitive data into unreadable code. This is done to ensure that even if a breach occurs, the stolen data remains indecipherable to hackers.
2. Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): Implementing MFA adds an extra layer of security. This method requires users to provide multiple forms of verification before accessing systems or data. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access in case passwords are compromised.
3. Regular Software Updates and Patch Management: Outdated software is a prime target for cyberattacks. Regularly updating and patching operating systems and medical devices minimizes vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
4. Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): These tools monitor network traffic and detect unusual or suspicious activities. Firewalls establish a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, while IDS alerts administrators to potential security breaches.
5. Employee Training and Awareness: Human error is the most common contributor causing 88% of security breaches. Educating employees about social engineering tactics and best practices for data handling can significantly reduce the risk of successful attacks.
6. Vendor Security Assessment: For healthcare organizations that rely on third-party vendors for services or software, conducting thorough security assessments is crucial. Ensuring that vendors adhere to stringent security standards helps safeguard patient data.
7. Incident Response Plan: Having a well-defined incident response plan in place can minimize damage in the event of a security breach. Rapid and coordinated action can help mitigate the impact of an attack and prevent further compromise.

Network security in the healthcare industry is not merely a technical concern; it directly impacts patient well-being and the integrity of healthcare services. As technology continues to shape the future of healthcare, the importance of a secure network cannot be overstated. By implementing encryption, multi-factor authentication, regular updates, and comprehensive employee training, healthcare organizations can create a strong defense against cyber threats. In an environment where information is sensitive, prioritizing network security is a non-negotiable step towards ensuring a more secure digital healthcare ecosystem.

The post The Healthcare Industry and Protecting it Against Threat Actors appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

What are the 12 Benefits of a Dedicated Server Solution?

1. Enhanced Performance with a Dedicated Server Solution

When it comes to performance, a dedicated server takes the lead. By having all the server resources exclusively at your disposal, you ensure high-performance levels and lightning-fast loading times for your website or applications. Say goodbye to sluggishness and hello to seamless user experiences.

2. Increased Reliability

With a dedicated server solution, you never have to worry about other users’ activities impacting your website’s performance or availability. By having exclusive access to the server, you can rely on its robust infrastructure and enjoy uninterrupted operations.

3. Enhanced Security with a Dedicated Server Solution

Security is paramount in the online realm, and dedicated servers provide a higher level of protection compared to shared hosting. With a dedicated server, you have the power to implement stringent security measures, customize firewall settings, and have complete control over your server’s security configuration. Safeguard your valuable data and protect your customers’ privacy with peace of mind.

4. Customization and Flexibility

One size does not fit all in the digital landscape. Thankfully, dedicated servers offer extensive customization options. Tailor your server to meet your exact hardware specifications, operating system preferences, and software configurations. Enjoy the flexibility to optimize your server environment according to your specific requirements.

5. Scalability

Businesses evolve, and your server should be able to keep up with the changing demands. Dedicated servers provide seamless scalability, allowing you to effortlessly upgrade or downgrade server resources as your business grows. Add more CPU, RAM, storage, or bandwidth whenever necessary, ensuring your server aligns with your expanding needs.

6. Improved Website Performance

A slow-loading website can lead to frustrated users and high bounce rates. With a dedicated server, you can bid farewell to these concerns. By efficiently handling high traffic volumes and large data transfers, a dedicated server ensures optimal website performance, resulting in superior user experiences and increased customer engagement.

7. Better Control and Administrative Access

Take the reins of your digital infrastructure with a dedicated server. Benefit from full root/administrator access, granting you complete control over server settings, software installations, and application configurations. Shape your server environment precisely to your liking and streamline your operations.

8. Dedicated IP Address

Establishing a reputable online presence is crucial for businesses. Dedicated servers come with a dedicated IP address, providing a multitude of advantages. From running SSL certificates to facilitating seamless email server setups, a dedicated IP address bolsters your online credibility and enhances your digital communication channels.

9. Enhanced Data Privacy

Data privacy is a top concern for businesses, especially those handling sensitive customer information. With a dedicated server, you are the sole user, ensuring your data remains private and isolated from others. Safeguard your critical data and maintain compliance with data protection regulations confidently.

10. Resource Optimization with a Dedicated Server Solution

Efficient resource utilization is a key factor in maximizing server performance. Dedicated servers allow you to allocate server resources according to your needs, ensuring optimal resource utilization and maximizing your server’s performance potential. No more wasted resources or bottlenecks holding you back.

11. Improved SEO Ranking

A dedicated server can be a game-changer for your SEO efforts. Fast loading times, server reliability, and dedicated IP addresses all contribute to better search engine rankings. Boost your online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and surpass your competitors in the search engine results pages.

12. Better Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

In certain industries regarding data storage and security are stringent. A dedicated server empowers you to implement the necessary measures to meet these standards effectively. Stay ahead of legal obligations, build trust with your customers, and safeguard your business reputation.

Choosing the best server solution is paramount for businesses and individuals seeking high performance and security for their hosting needs. With these mentioned pros, dedicated servers unlock your true potential in the digital landscape. Embrace the power of a dedicated server and thrive in today’s competitive online world.

The post The Best Server Solution for Enhanced Performance and Reliability appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Based on Cisco’s 2022 Global Hybrid Cloud Trends Report, which surveyed 2500 IT decision-makers in 13 countries, 82% of IT leaders have adopted the hybrid cloud. However, the same survey also found that when deploying a hybrid cloud, the top 3 challenges are:

1. Security (37%)
2. Increased operational complexity and cost management (33%)
3. Compliance and privacy (31%)

What are Some Hybrid Cloud Best Practices?

To address the challenges mentioned in the previous section, businesses can implement a set of best practices to optimize their hybrid cloud deployment and mitigate potential risks. These are some of those best practices: 

Evaluate your needs and requirements

Evaluating your company’s needs and requirements ensures that your hybrid cloud deployment is tailored to your specific needs while avoiding unnecessary costs. This involves assessing storage needs, computing power, and network bandwidth. However, it’s important to note that this evaluation is an ongoing process. Regularly tracking resource usage and evolving needs allows you to optimize resource utilization and prevent unexpected costs. 

Additionally, consult with your provider to see if they allow you to pay only for what you use, or provide bundled service packages that can help you save money and avoid overspending. 

Check the hybrid cloud provider’s SLA

A provider’s Service Level Agreement outlines the provider’s guarantees regarding uptime, performance, availability, support, and security. Thus, before choosing a hybrid cloud provider, make sure that you review and understand their SLAs. By making sure that the SLA aligns with your organization’s requirements, you can minimize the risk of downtime and ensure business continuity.  

Implementing security measures

Security is a crucial best practice for hybrid cloud usage as you want to make sure all private information related to your business is kept confidential. Implementing security measures in your cloud environment can be done through encryption strategies, managing access controls, and regularly patching and updating your systems. Moreover, you should also continuously monitor your systems for potential security threats and make disaster recovery plans for your business, so that you can respond to any security issues quickly. It’s recommended to consult with your provider to see if they can help you with implementing these security measures so you don’t have to manage all that on your own.  

Who should use a hybrid cloud?

Small medium businesses (SMBs) 

Hybrid cloud is the perfect solution for small-medium businesses as it allows them to store their sensitive data securely in a private cloud while still utilizing the public cloud for scalable and cost-efficient resources. This ensures that the business has optimal website performance and delivers an excellent and secure customer experience. 

Software developers

Hybrid cloud provides software developers with an affordable and flexible platform to build, test, and deploy applications quickly and efficiently. Developers can still keep their sensitive data on the private cloud while using budget-friendly resources from the public cloud for development and testing needs. 

Regulatory-driven businesses

Hybrid cloud allow businesses that have strict compliance requirements to maintain control over sensitive information by safely storing them in the private cloud while still enjoying the scalability and cost benefits of public cloud services. This is so they can comply with regulatory standards and ensure data privacy and security, while still saving some costs.  

Media and entertainment industry

Businesses in the media and entertainment industry has to deal with large files that require big-sized storage. This includes high-resolution video, images, and graphics. Using the this type of cloud can help them store and process those data cost-effectively. They can also use the public cloud resources for their content distribution and streaming while safely storing their valuable assets and information on the private cloud. This helps them to ensure a smooth content delivery while maintaining the protection of intellectual property. 

Educational institutions and research organizations

Hybrid cloud can help educational institutions and research organizations as they allow them to keep their students and research data secure on the private cloud while taking advantage of the public cloud for hosting online courses and learning platforms. This way, they can enjoy easy and convenient access to resources, while still keeping their sensitive data private.  

Overall, a hybrid cloud is a perfect solution for organizations or individuals who want flexibility, scalability, affordability, and secure data management by combining private and public cloud environments to meet their specific needs.

Click here to learn more about how Hybrid Cloud works. 

The post Hybrid Cloud Best Practices appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

A strong security posture is less vulnerable to cyber threats or cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and a company with a weak security posture is justifiably more vulnerable. A company’s security posture is also not static. Cyber threats are constantly emerging and evolving. New types of threats keep appearing every day, so companies need to be constantly on the alert and evaluate their security posture and prepare themselves on how to respond to the ever-changing security threats.

• Read More: Impact of Rising Cyber Attack on Businesses Operation 

Security posturing is different from security compliance in the sense that security posturing is more focused on how a company can protect itself against cyber threats, while security compliance is focused more on how a company can follow the existing rules, standards, and regulations related to cybersecurity (for example HIPAA and ISO 27001).

Why is it important?

1. To know which areas need improvement or investment

Understanding your security posture means recognizing which specific areas in your business are more susceptible to outside threats. Knowing this will allow you to know which areas need more security improvement or investment.

2. Poor security posture puts company and customers’ data at risk

By knowing and improving your security posture, you are protecting not only your company’s sensitive information but also your customers. Having a poor security posture means you are vulnerable to cyber threats, which include ransomware and data breaches, that can impact not just you but also your customers.

3. Poor security posture can make your company fail at complying with security standards

To comply with or pass audits of security standards such as HIPAA and SOC, you need to maintain a strong security posture and review it regularly. Complying with these security standards increases your company’s reliability and thus, creates trust with your current or future customers.

• Read More: Why SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Matters for Your Business 

4. To know what to do when an attack comes or how to prevent attacks

Cyber threats can cost you a lot, but you can prevent this from happening if you (and your employees) know what to do when it happens and how to prevent them from happening in the first place. By understanding your security posture, you can prepare your employees better for what they should do when an attack does happen and how to prevent them from happening.

How to measure?

A security posture review is usually conducted in four stages:

1. Planning Stage

In this stage, a team leader or project manager from the company will plan out the whole process of assessing the company’s security posture and also assign tasks to the members accordingly.

2. Documentation Stage

After planning out the process, the team leader will document the current security practices of the company.

3. Evaluation Stage

Next, the company’s security posture will be evaluated based on the available security posture assessment resources. We recommend you collaborate or consult with an external security service provider in doing this to make sure that you get the best evaluation. They can also help in providing cybersecurity metrics resources.

4. Reporting Stage

Finally, the company will review the security posture level based on the evaluation, highlight the areas that need improvement or needs to be prioritized, and conduct further planning on how to improve the areas that are vulnerable to cyber threats.

How to improve?

1. Automate Threat Detection and Response

Requiring the IT team to monitor your company’s security systems and networks 24/7 could be risky as there is always room for human error. A recommendation you could use is to utilize automated threat detection and automated endpoint protection software. It’s more reliable and saves your employees’ time. SentinelOne automatically stops malware in its tracks without requiring the system administrator to take care of it, thus helping its users to save time while still protecting their endpoints.

2. Provide Security Training

As mentioned in our previous blog post , a survey in 2021 held by Kenna Security found that 31% of companies do not provide cybersecurity training to their employees or multi-factor authentication for their systems. Because of this, threat actors are able to take advantage of companies. The best defense for these security gaps is to provide corporate security training. While it can be pricey it is worth the investment as everyone gets on the same page. Additionally, it prepares your employees to take action when a cyberattack happens.

It is important to note that companies should provide training for off-boarding to help ensure that resigned employees no longer have access to the company’s networks or data.

3. Update Software Regularly

Regular software updates are a must. Remember that every outdated software and patch you have running makes your devices and data more vulnerable and easily exploited. Updating the software regularly is very important as it gives you the best security patch available, keeping you secure and safe.

4. Security Assessment

Risk assessments should always take priority when improving and optimizing security posture. It allows you to get a holistic environment of the current security situation of your business. Completing a cybersecurity risk assessment will allow you to identify all possible vulnerabilities and weaknesses that are exploitable across all assets. A risk assessment identifies the most important IT assets at your company, the likelihood of an exploit, the potential impact of a data breach, and more. Going through these exercises is necessary to know the information in the event of a breach. There are security tools that can run through this kind of assessment for you, but it can also be done by an in-house security team.

5. Incident Management Plan

The incident management plan is a plan that lists the contingency plan when a cyberattack happens – typically, one would be created for every individual cyber vulnerability or risk. An incident management plan highlights the necessary steps to take so that when that type of cyberattack occurs, the business can mitigate the damage and recover quickly, making policies to protect the business in the future. The plan should also highlight what each employee or team member should do and who to notify when a cyberattack occurs.

6. Access Control

Controlling access to networking, hardware, and operating system settings is crucial in security. Allowing only vetted required personnel to have access; not everyone in the company should be given access to modify system settings, mitigating the dangers of unauthorized personnel accessing crucial security tools.

7. Prioritize Risk

Cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities look differently based on industries and individual companies. These vary from low to high-level impact exploits and occurrences. Prioritization is necessary to create plans to eliminate risks that are more likely to happen and have the greatest impact on your business before you go on the risks that are less likely to happen or have a smaller impact.

Ultimately, Evaluating and continuous optimization of your organization’s security posture is essential to safeguarding and securing your valuable data. Implementing any of these tips will improve your cybersecurity presence and lessen vulnerabilities being exploited in your systems. Remember, it is not if an attack happens, it is when an attack happens and the best way to mitigate attacks is with a knowledgeable staff.

The post What is Security Posture? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

IAM Key Components

IAM involves several key components, including authentication, authorization, and user provisioning and de-provisioning. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or device that is requesting access to a cloud resource. This can be achieved through various methods, such as passwords, security tokens, and biometric factors like fingerprints or facial recognition. By verifying the user’s identity, organizations can ensure that only authorized users have access to their cloud resources.

Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a specific cloud resource based on the user’s identity and access privileges. Access privileges are typically assigned based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. For example, a user with administrative privileges would have access to more sensitive data and systems than a user with a basic user role.

Added Layer of Security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is becoming increasingly popular as an added layer of security for the authentication process. MFA requires users to provide more than one form of authentication, such as a password and a security token, to verify their identity. This helps to prevent unauthorized access by ensuring that a potential attacker would need to possess more than just one factor of authentication to gain access to cloud resources.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a model for managing access to cloud resources based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. RBAC allows organizations to manage access to resources more efficiently and securely by limiting access to only those users who require it to perform their job duties. This reduces the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access.

User provisioning and de-provisioning are crucial components of IAM that ensure that users are provided with the necessary access privileges when they join an organization, and those privileges are removed when they leave the organization. This helps to prevent former employees from retaining access to sensitive data and systems after they have left the organization.

Conclusion

Ultimately, IAM is a critical aspect of cloud security that allows organizations to manage the digital identities of their users and control their access to cloud resources. By implementing IAM frameworks, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access to cloud resources. IAM provides organizations with greater control over their cloud resources, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and systems. As more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud, IAM will become increasingly important in ensuring the security of cloud-based data and systems.

Let’s start the conversation today! Click here to discuss how Wowrack can enhance your organizations security.

The post A Brief Overview of Identity & Access Management (IAM) appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

In 2020, 61% of organizations experienced malware activity. That percentage has grown to 75% since then. This begs the question: “how do I handle malware?”.

What is Destructive Malware?

Destructive malware is a malicious code that destroys data. As you can guess, having your assets and data destroyed can be detrimental for your company’s daily operations.

Typically, malware will target a vast array of systems executing across multiple systems in a network. It uses various communications tools to spread itself which includes:

• Worms sent through email and instant messenger
• Trojan horses
• Virus infected files 

Since malware has the capability to execute in a myriad of ways, it is important for organizations to assess their environment for atypical channels for malware delivery throughout their systems.

Some systems that should be assessed include Enterprise applications – specifically those that directly interface with and impact the different hosts and endpoints. Common examples include:

• Patch management systems
• Asset management systems
• Remote assistance software 
• Antivirus (AV) software
• Systems assigned to system and network administrative personnel
• Centralized backup servers
• Centralized file shares

Additionally, while these are not specifically applicable to malware, threat actors could compromise additional resources to affect the availability of important data and applications such as:

• Centralized storage devices
• Network devices

How do I prevent Destructive Malware?

As mentioned earlier in the article, 75% of malware attacks come from person-to-person communication. Ultimately, this shows that there needs to be an emphasis on company policy and procedures for proper communication amongst workers.  

Best Practices

For starters, you should make sure that your network is segmented. In addition to your network being segmented, you should make sure your access control lists are configured to permit server-to-host and host-to-host connectivity via the minimum scope of ports and protocols.

For enterprise systems that directly work with different endpoints, make multi-factor authentication a requirement for interactive logons. Furthermore, ensure that authorized users are mapped to a specific subset of enterprise personnel.

Be sure to audit and review security logs for anomalous references to enterprise-level admin and service accounts. And be sure to review network flow data for signs of abnormal activity, including:

• Connections using ports that do not correlate to the standard communications flow associated with an application,
• Activity correlating to port scanning or enumeration, and
• Repeated connections using ports that can be used for command and control purposes.

In terms of file distribution, when deploying patches and signatures in an enterprise be sure to stage the distributions to certain grouping of systems. Additionally, monitor the patches and signatures that are distributed out.

Ultimately, destructive malware can destroy valuable assets that your company needs for it’s daily operation. Understanding how malware operates is the first step in defending against it. 

Please contact us today if you would like to further discuss malware and let’s talk about how Wowrack can help enhance your security. 

The post How to Handle Destructive Malware appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Have you seen a similar message or pop-up as you browse through the internet? These kinds of pop-up messages are fake virus warnings, and clicking on one of these links may result in your computer getting infected for real.  

This begs the question “How is that possible?”. Because those suspicious pop-up messages are designed with the intent of getting its audiences to install malware on their devices. 

So, What is Malware?  

Malware, or malicious software, refers to any kind of software designed by cybercriminals to infect a device (laptop, PC, and mobile devices) and steal data from it.  

Aside from data loss, getting infected by malware can also result in the device systems getting destroyed. Research by AV-Test Institute has found that as of now, there is more than 1 billion malware out there and that around 560,000 new malware are detected everyday. This makes it even more urgent for every user to know why protecting their devices against malware is crucial and how to do so. 

Types of Malware 

Understanding the types of malware that exist today is one way to protect yourself from it. These are the types of malware out there: 

• Ransomware 

Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to lock a computer’s systems, files, or applications. To regain access, or to prevent their data from being leaked to the internet, the user will be asked to pay some specific amount of money, or a ransom, to the attacker. 

• Spyware 

As the name suggests, spyware is software that can monitor all the activities and information on a person’s devices This information will then be sent to a third party. 

• Adware 

Adware is a type of malware that keeps on displaying advertisements or pop-ups whenever the victim goes online. Users often install adware on their PCs unconsciously when they download paid software for free or when they click on pop-up links on websites that offer paid content for free.  

• Scareware 

As mentioned in the example earlier, scareware is malicious software that is designed to scare its targets into thinking that their device has been infected by a virus. This is being done so that their victims will be tricked to click on suspicious links and download fake “antivirus software” that may end up being dangerous.  

• Viruses 

A virus is a type of software that is designed to perform malicious actions on the target’s device or network. Viruses can come in the form of an e-mail attachment, or an attachment found on a suspicious website, and once the file is downloaded and/or opened, the victim’s device will get infected.  

• Trojans 

Trojan, or Trojan horse, is malicious software that often appears to be harmless and legit but is dangerous. Due to their deceiving appearance, many install them accidently. Trojans are usually designed to steal sensitive data and/or spy on their victims and can come in the form of e-mail attachments or files on a website.  

• Worms 

A computer worm is a type of malware that can replicate itself from computer to computer, without the need for human intervention, and also without the need of attaching itself to software/programs.  

• Fileless Malware 

Fileless Malware is malware that hides in the user’s computer systems. It is called ‘fileless’ because it does not require the user to install malicious files on their desktop. This makes it hard for traditional antivirus software to detect because they usually only focus on scanning files.  

Why Malware is Dangerous? 

From knowing the types of malware available out there, we can conclude that malware can be very dangerous as it can: 

• Slow down your computer 
• Give cybercriminals access to sensitive information 
• Lead to data loss and breach 
• Disrupt business operations 

How to Protect Yourself

Now that we know the types of malware and how harmful they can be, what should we do to protect ourselves against them? Can we prevent them from infecting our devices? 

The good news is, yes. These are some of the things you can do to you to protect yourself against malware: 

1. Protect your endpoints 

The moment when cybercriminals gain access to your endpoints is also the moment when they gain access to your company’s networks. This makes protecting your endpoints very important and we recommend you invest in high-quality endpoint protection software that can detect threats automatically without the need for human intervention, or the need to connect to the internet.  

SentinelOne is endpoint protection software that we can recommend for you as it is software that can also detect and stop fileless malware from infecting your systems, which is not something that traditional antivirus software can do.  

2. Be careful when you surf the internet 

Never click on pop-ups or unknown links, no matter how convincing they may sound as they may be a trap that intends to lure you into downloading unwanted files or software. Cisco Umbrella is software that can help you with this, as deploying it will prevent not just you, but all the people in your house, or your company from clicking on suspicious links.  

It is also important to only purchase or download applications from the official website or app store instead of relying on ‘free’ websites that may be misleading.  

3. Regularly update your software 

A lot of malware tries to take advantage of software vulnerabilities. Therefore, keeping your applications always up to date is one way you can protect yourself from malware infection, as software updates usually also include the latest security patches and keep you away from potential threats. 

4. Only connect to secure (encrypted) networks 

Cybercriminals may exploit unsecured network connections as a way to distribute malware. They can put malware and files on your device if you allow file-sharing across a network. They can also cause a pop-up window to appear as you connect to the network, and clicking on them will install malware on your device. This is why it is very important to always only connect to secure networks, and when you want to use public Wi-Fi, make sure to utilize your company’s VPN to stay safe.  

Having your own company’s VPN for your employees to utilize is very important in keeping everyone safe. This is a best practice that we use ourselves.  

5. Stay educated 

Malware attacks these days often try to take advantage of a company’s employees. Research by Kaspersky and B2B International found that the major contributing factor to malware and targeted attacks are employee carelessness and phishing. Thus, it is very crucial to continually stay educated, and educate the people around you, regarding the current trends in cybersecurity, how to avoid clicking on unwanted files or links, and the best practices on how to stay safe as we use today’s technologies.  

The Latest Trend in Malware 

As mentioned previously, keeping up with the trends on cybersecurity-related issues is one way you can protect yourself against them.  

The current trend in malware suggests that attackers are targeting gamers. Ever since the pandemic, the number of people who play video games has been on the rise, and so is the number of cybercriminals targeting those gamers.  

Kaspersky found that there were over 384,000 users affected by almost 92,000 malware or unwanted files between July 1st 2021 and June 30th 2022. Unbeknowist to the gamer, attackers disguse these malicious files as video games. Furthermore, the research also found that the attackers often target gamers who download games from untrustworthy sources (or third-party websites) for free. 

The malicious software can spy on any data entered on the keyboard, take screenshots, and steal sensitive information from the people who download them. This includes information on the victim’s login credentials, crypto wallet, and other banking details.  

This reminds us that we also need to educate our kids, or the younger generation about the importance of protecting ourselves against malware as now we learn that cybercriminals are not just targeting big corporations, but also small and medium ones, and they are also now targeting the younger generation.  

How Wowrack can Help 

Protecting yourself and your loved ones against malware and other security threats out there is very important, and it should not be a difficult process. Wowrack is committed to helping businesses to be able to grow in this era, where cybersecurity has become more important than ever.  

Wowrack Managed Service can help you deploy SentinelOne, software that can protect all your endpoints from malware and unwanted files autonomously so you don’t have to go through the process yourself. We can also help you deploy Cisco Umbrella which can prevent you, your employees, and your family from clicking on questionable links to prevent downloading unwanted files and getting infected with malware. Veeam is software that we can help you deploy for backup purposes so that you won’t have to worry about data loss.  

Moreover, Wowrack Security Operation can also help you prevent getting any malware from infecting your devices and systems by doing a regular checkup on your systems and networks for any suspicious activities.  

Let’s together build a safe and secure environment for your business and loved ones. Contact us now and let us know how we can help you.  

The post Everything you Need to Know about Malware appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Clicking on those links, downloading those files, and entering your details on those suspicious sites can result in not just your personal data being stolen, but sensitive data from your company can also be affected.

How is that possible? Because cybercriminals use those phishing messages to trick their targets into installing ransomware on their personal or company devices.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) that is designed to lock systems, files, or applications, preventing its user from accessing them. To regain access and prevent sensitive data from being leaked to the internet, users will have to pay a specific amount of ‘ransom’. Cybercriminals who use ransomware to attack their targets usually accept payments through wire transfers, credit card payments, or cryptocurrency.

However, even though ransomware itself has been around since 1989, the shift in working patterns ever since the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to why ransomware attacks have been on the rise since 2020, as the Working From Home (WFH) policy has made it harder for companies to keep track of their corporate and employee devices, networks, and systems. This also explains why we have been getting lots of phishing messages lately.

Research  also found that 3.4 billion phishing e-mails are sent daily. Data from Statista also revealed that 2 out of 3 ransomware attacks are being carried out through phishing e-mails, and other sources of ransomware attacks include malicious file downloads and/or online advertising that tricks people into getting infected by malware, or malvertising.

Nowadays, even people who don’t have the specific skills or resources needed to launch a ransomware attack can easily attack with the availability of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) on the dark web. With RaaS, ransomware developers can sell ransomware variants to all kinds of buyers, making ransomware an even more urgent problem in society.

Ransomware Statistics and Trends

In 2020, the US FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that based on the cases reported to them, approximately $30 billion is the total amount of combined losses due to ransomware attacks. The 2022 Data Protection Trends Report by Veeam also found that out of the surveyed individuals and businesses, only 24% were not attacked by ransomware — or they were unaware of an attack, and only 16% were attacked once in 2021, while 60% were attacked twice or more.

Another factor that contributes to the rise of ransomware, in addition to the shifting working patterns, is the lack of proper cyber security training that companies give to their employees. Research by Statista has found that in 33% of ransomware infection cases, the factor that contributed to the attack was the lack of training that the employees receive.

Recent Ransomware Cases

Over the past 2 years, there have been a lot of cases where giant companies get infected by ransomware. These are some of the notable cases:

Nvidia

Nvidia, a manufacturer of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), recently got their data stolen by ransomware group Lapsus$ on February 2022. The group claimed that they had stolen around 1TB of Nvidia’s sensitive data. Nvidia has also confirmed that it has been hacked and that the hacker has leaked employee credentials and other information on the internet. Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), a data leak monitoring website reported that 71,000 Nvidia employees’ credentials and passwords of their windows accounts have been stolen and shared on hacking forums.

University of California, San Fransisco

The University of California, San Fransisco’s School of Medicine’s IT environment got attacked by The Netwalker Ransomware operators in June 2020. The attackers obtained some of the university’s data and also made some of the School of Medicine servers inaccessible through malware that they launched. The university has confirmed that it paid approximately $1.14 million, to the attackers to unlock the encrypted data and get their data back.

Colonial Pipeline

Colonial Pipeline, a pipeline operator in the US, experienced an attack on May 2021. The ransomware program that attacked the company was created by DarkSide. The hackers gained access to the company’s shared internal drive, and the company has confirmed that it had paid the $5 million ransom to get the pipeline back up and running. The attack was caused by a breached employee password found on the dark web that was not protected by a Multi-Factor Authentication and not caused by a direct attack on the company’s systems.

Quanta

Quanta, Macbook’s supplier, was attacked on April 2021 by ransomware group REvil. The attacker claimed to have stolen the blueprints for Apple’s latest products at that time. REvil demanded $50 million ransom fee from both Quanta and Apple.

Accenture

Accenture, a global consulting firm, also became a victim of an attack carried out by ransomware group LockBit in August 2021. The group demanded $50 million for 6 TB of data from the company. According to VX Underground, which has a collection of malware source codes on the internet, stated that the attacker has released more than 2,000 files from Accenture to the dark web for some time. The files include case studies and presentations.

How You Can Protect Yourself from Ransomware?

There are several things you can do to protect yourself from ransomware, these are some of them:

Regular backups

We learned that ransomware attacks cause companies to lose access to their systems and data, so regularly backing up your data can help you ensure business continuity as you can always still restore your data. We recommend you invest in reliable backup software instead of relying on manual backups. Veeam is a backup software that can help you by providing 100% ransomware-proof backups, and we can help to deploy Veeam for your enterprise.

Access control

It’s important to only give users access to the data that they need for their work so that monitoring can be done easier. We also recommend you always require Multi-Factor Authentication for users who want to access the company’s systems or data, to prevent unwanted parties from gaining access.

Employee training

We have learned from Colonial Pipeline’s case that ransomware attacks can be carried out as a result of an employee’s mistake or lack of security awareness. Companies can prevent this by regularly providing security training for their employees, and why is it important to always connect to the company’s VPN, regularly check for software updates, use Multi-Factor Authentication, and beware of phishing messages.

Endpoint protection and monitoring

Protecting and monitoring all your organization’s endpoints is very important in preventing ransomware, but relying on manpower or having traditional Antivirus software may not be enough for this. We recommend you invest in endpoint protection software that can automatically detect and respond to threats before they infiltrate your corporate systems and networks. SentinelOne is an autonomous endpoint protection software that we offer and utilize here in Wowrack, and we can help you deploy it for your enterprise as well.

Read More: 3 IT Strategies to Combat Ransomware 

How Wowrack Can Help

Ransomware is a very urgent and crucial issue these days. Cybercriminals don’t only target big corporations for their next ransomware attack. They can also attack end-users and/or small and medium-sized companies.

However, protecting yourself and your company against ransomware doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Your data security matters and we want to help prepare you so your business can continue to move forward in this era where cybersecurity is a top priority for everyone.

Wowrack Security Operation can help you prevent data loss and data breaches from ransomware by regularly monitoring your systems and networks for any compromised user. Wowrack Managed Services can also help you deploy Veeam, a reliable backup software that can help you to recover all data quickly.

As mentioned previously, we also believe that protecting all your endpoints is important, and we can help you deploy SentinelOne for that. Moreover, with the growth of fake websites, we also think it is important for you and your employees to have a tool that can prevent you from clicking on suspicious links, and we can help you deploy Cisco Umbrella for that.

Ready to protect your business from Ransomware? Schedule a consultation with us now and let us know how we can help you.

The post What is Ransomware and How to Deal with It appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

It’s not uncommon for everyone to experience a network problem. As you can guess, everyday comes with a challenge whether it’s recovering files or fighting of a ransomware attack.

What was the Network Problem?

A local school district was targeted by cybercriminals. With a lack of budget and holding the belief that school districts are not typically targeted for cyber attacks, the school did not have the manpower or proper security in place.

Typically, cyber attacks happen on Friday nights or Saturday mornings to decrease detection. Also, they will typically attempt to break in right before a major operation, such as payroll, to add pressure to the situation. Like most hackers, the group initiated the attack late on a Friday night before payroll was due.

As Saturday morning came around, they went to access the student information database only to find an advertisement for Ryuk- a type of ransomware notorious for targeting government, education, and health-sector entities.

After doing some trouble shooting they discovered that the events happened as such:

• DBA reports issues with server
• Ryuk found, management notified
• All windows Servers powered off
• Payroll database ok, switches disconnected
• Server backups unrecoverable

Knowing that they had been hacked, the school district cut off their network and began to contact contractors for additional help with the issue at hand.

We were contacted Sunday morning and we began to help them with recovering their files and repairing their network. Looking into the issue, we discovered that they were using a flat network.

The Issue with Using Only a Flat Network

Essentially, a flat network only requires one switch to operate. A switch manages data flow in a network acting like a security door.

As you can guess, this security door determines which users are allowed in and out of a network. The problem is that if someone can get past that one security door, they have full access to your network.

How did you solve the Network Problem?

Luckily the school district had a physical backup, which helped us rebuild what they had lost. We went and installed proper malware security and segmented their network to further heighten their cyber security.

Working closely with their staff, we informed them of the backdoors they had open in their old network and gave them some best practice tips for keeping their network secure.

Over the next several months we assisted them with recovering lost files and other tasks needed to help rebuild their network.

Segmenting the Network Problem

Segmenting a network is a commonly used method to build a secure network. 

Essentially, when you segment a network, you add sub-networks. Within each new sub-network, you add a switch; or rather, a “security door”. Each security door decides who stays and who goes between each sub-network.  

Now with more sub-networks in place, an attacker has to go over more hurdles to access the entire system. Essentially, if a hacker gets into their network again, it will then be contained to a single sub-network.

After the incident was fixed, the school district acquired more funding and hired proper staff to run their network.

The post Helping a School District with a Network Problem appeared first on Wowrack Blog.