Cybersecurity

Why Do You Need a Robust Cloud Security Platform – There are more headlines about companies going under due to poorly implemented cloud compliance policies and cloud security incidents in recent times. When it comes to storing business data in public clouds, it does not come without risks, especially if you are just entering the cloud environment.

So what should you do to ensure compliance and security in the network? As you can see on websites like https://sonraisecurity.com/solutions/cloud-security-platform/, working with a robust cloud security platform is the best way to dodge data breaches and stay up in the game.

Besides the obvious data security reasons, what are the other reasons to work with a reliable cloud security platform?

It Offers Centralized Security

Similar to how cloud computing services centralize data and applications, a robust cloud security platform centralizes protection. As cloud-based business networks work with numerous endpoints and devices, it can sometimes be challenging to coordinate and manage BYOD or shadow IT.

When you manage these devices and endpoints centrally, it helps enhance web filtering and traffic analysis; it streamlines the monitoring process, which naturally leads to fewer policy and software updates. A cloud security platform that offers centralized security also turns out to be beneficial when implementing disaster recovery plans and actions.

Helps Reduce Costs

One of the most important benefits of opting for cloud security and storage is that it reduces the need to invest in specific dedicated hardware. Besides helping reduce the total expenditure, it also helps cut down administrative costs.

There were days when IT teams exerted themselves to fight security issues reactively. But now, cloud security platforms offer different proactive features which provide round-the-clock protection with lesser to no human intervention.

Helps Cut Down Manual Resources

When you work with a reliable cloud security platform, you can confidently cut down a percentage of manual security configurations and constant updates regarding security.  As such tasks call for a significant contribution from resources, if you shift them to the cloud security platform, all administrations related to security will occur in a centralized way.

Curbs the Alarmingly Growing Instances of Security Breach

In recent times, there is an exponential increase in different instances of security breaches in cloud-based networks. A few security breaches can even disable mobile applications and websites temporarily.

Certain security breaches can lead to a loss of significant amounts in the annual turnover of the business. It is not easy to identify, manage, and curb such security breaches without a cloud security platform’s backup.

Helps Prevent Unauthorized Data Access

Based on their specific role, enterprises can move customer and corporate data to the cloud to access it at any time from anywhere. However, none of the enterprises can maintain security and prevent unauthorized data access during the process.

To avoid this, you must implement a policy to define data roles and rules clearly. Multi-factor and multi-level authentication is also essential when it comes to authorization. Such factors help make sensible data accessible to selected employees. These security roles will help different enterprises to keep the data securely stored in the network.

To Eliminate the Chances of Data Breach and Loss

When working with cloud storage, the enterprises will be able to move customer and corporate data to various remote servers.  There are high chances of such data in remote servers getting lost due to unexpected events.

So, the enterprise must ensure the safety of the data stored in cloud networks. For this, the data in the cloud should be backed up and duplicated at infrequent intervals.

It Can Increase Reliability

When it comes to dependability, cloud security platforms and services offer the best chances. With proper cloud security measures, different users can access applications and data safely in the cloud network. No matter what device they are handling or from where they are accessing it, a robust cloud security platform makes the process more effective and reliable without giving way for vulnerabilities.

To Access In-Depth Metrics and Reports

A reliable cloud security platform usually offers automated and additional in-depth reports and metrics on the multi-cloud infrastructure. This helps ensure the health, security, and policy compliance of the infrastructure. Having access to the metrics showing data related to policy compliance will give you a clear idea about the number of vulnerabilities in the network.

Custom policy configurations, a remediation history, and an audit report presents real-time data about vulnerabilities and also helps resolve issues by giving a detailed record of all the security issues in the cloud infrastructure.

The Internet is a global tool that has two different faces – a good and a bad. Besides enabling excellent business opportunities and profits, it equally creates security challenges too. A reliable cloud security platform is the solution that helps tone down security breaches in the cloud environment.

The browser is a fundamental part of connecting to the Internet. As we know, there are many options available. Some are more privacy-oriented, others have more tools and plugins. But in general, they all have the same purpose: to allow surfing the net. However, there are dissimilar aspects that must be taken into account to preserve security, make it work smoothly, and that the navigation speed is adequate. We are going to talk about it and give some interesting tips to achieve it.

How to Maintain Security and Privacy in the Browser?

Security Settings

If we talk about the main browsers, we can name Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. They are two of the main ones and also those with the most options and alternatives. Here we can include the possibility of configuring security. They offer different sections for this, and we can also improve Privacy.

In the case of Google Chrome, we can enter the menu, go to Settings, access Advanced Settings, and in the Privacy and security section, we can configure different things.

We can configure the synchronized services, what data we share when browsing, delete the history, access the allowed plugins… In short, a wide range of possibilities.

If we talk about Mozilla Firefox, we have similar options. We can enter Options and also access Privacy and security. Here we can configure different sections equally.

Extensions to Improve Privacy and Security

As we have mentioned, the main browsers that we can use today have a wide range of possibilities. We can make use of very varied extensions and accessories. This allows us to use different functions that the browser does not natively offer.

And yes, there are also extensions aimed at Privacy and security. Both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have this option. We can navigate more securely, protect ourselves from the various varieties of malware on the net, and ultimately make it work better.

Keep it Updated

It is certainly a fundamental aspect of security. If we do not keep the browser updated, we could be victims of attacks that take advantage of existing vulnerabilities. Therefore it is vital to always have the systems and devices with the latest versions. Understanding what type of browser you have is essential, visit history of internet browsers to learn more information about the browser you have.

Sometimes vulnerabilities can arise that are exploited by cybercriminals. It is the producer themselves who release security patches. This fixes those issues that make devices vulnerable.

Of course, keep in mind that you always have to update them from official sources. We must avoid possible external links that lead us to maliciously modified software, as well as false updates that compromise security.

Avoid Adware

The adware is one of the threats that compromise browsers. It is what we know as invasive advertising. It can come through extensions and accessories that we install. Sometimes they add additional address bars and other features that really do nothing but harm browser security.
It is vital to control this and to avoid this type of problem, putting our security and Privacy at risk when browsing the Internet.

How to Preserve the Proper Functioning of the Browser?

We have seen some tips to improve the security and privacy of the browser. However, it is also vital to keep it running smoothly and, ultimately, to be able to navigate at a good speed.

For this, it is important to take care of some aspects of the browser. It is right that not all devices will be the same since it also depends a lot on the available resources. But we can have a general idea about this.

Control Extensions and Tools

The extensions and tools that we add to our browser can be very useful. We have seen that they can even protect our security. However, abusing extensions and plugins could also lead to operational problems. We could see how the browser slows down and causes problems when it comes to browsing.

It is important to control the number of extensions installed, as well as the ones we have active. We can always control them and prevent those that we do not frequently use from consuming resources. All with the intend of improving speed and fluidity when accessing a website or service.

Keep it Clean and Tidy

It is also important to keep it clean and tidy. With this, we can go back to what we previously mentioned about adware. Additional bars and tools like this only reduce the proper functioning of the navigator.

Having many tabs open also has a significant influence. This will be more noticeable if our team does not have advanced resources. Especially those pages that can consume more, it is convenient to have them controlled.

In short, these are some tips to keep the browser running smoothly. A series of recommendations with which to improve safety and also fluency.

In today’s fast-paced world, companies face many threats to their security. From hackers trying to steal sensitive information to cyberattacks that can disrupt operations, protecting a business has never been more challenging. One of the most effective ways to boost a company’s security is through advanced training programs. This article will explain why these programs are crucial and how they can help elevate enterprise security.

Understanding the Need for Advanced Security Training

In a world where cyber threats are evolving rapidly, businesses must stay ahead of these risks. Traditional security measures, like firewalls and antivirus software, are not enough on their own. Employees, who are often the first line of defense, need to be well-trained to recognize and respond to threats.

Advanced security training programs help employees understand the latest threats and how to handle them. These programs cover a wide range of topics, including identifying phishing scams, responding to security breaches, and implementing best practices for data protection.

Components of Advanced Security Training Programs

Advanced security training programs are designed to be comprehensive and cover various aspects of cybersecurity. Here are some key components of these programs:

1. Threat Identification and Awareness

Training programs start by educating employees about different types of threats. These can include phishing emails, malware, ransomware, and social engineering attacks. Employees learn how to spot these threats and understand the tactics used by cybercriminals.

2. Incident Response Procedures

Knowing how to respond to a security incident is crucial. Training programs teach employees the steps to take if they suspect a breach or encounter a suspicious email. This includes reporting the issue to the IT department and following proper protocols to contain the threat.

3. Password Management

Strong passwords are a fundamental part of security. Training programs often include guidance on creating strong, unique passwords and using password managers. Employees learn about the importance of regularly updating passwords and avoiding common pitfalls.

4. Data Protection and Privacy

Protecting sensitive data is a top priority for any business. Training programs cover best practices for handling and storing data securely. Employees learn about encryption, secure file sharing, and the importance of safeguarding personal information.

5. Security Policies and Procedures

Every company should have clear security policies and procedures. Advanced training programs ensure that employees understand these policies and how to follow them. This includes protocols for using company devices, accessing sensitive information, and reporting security issues.

6. Simulations and Practical Exercises

One of the most effective ways to learn is through practice. Advanced training programs often include simulations and practical exercises that mimic real-world scenarios. This hands-on approach helps employees apply what they’ve learned and respond effectively to actual threats.

Benefits of Advanced Security Training Programs

Investing in advanced security training programs offers numerous benefits for businesses. Here’s how these programs can elevate enterprise security:

1. Enhanced Threat Detection

Well-trained employees are better at identifying potential threats. By understanding what to look for, they can spot suspicious activities and report them before they cause harm.

2. Improved Incident Response

When employees know how to respond to security incidents, the company can react more quickly and effectively. This reduces the impact of a breach and helps contain the threat before it spreads.

3. Reduced Risk of Human Error

Many security breaches are caused by human error. Advanced training programs help minimize these mistakes by teaching employees the correct procedures and best practices for maintaining security.

4. Compliance with Regulations

Many industries have strict regulations regarding data security and privacy. Advanced training programs help companies meet these requirements by ensuring that employees are aware of and follow the necessary guidelines.

5. Increased Confidence

Employees who are well-trained in security practices feel more confident in their roles. This confidence translates into better performance and a stronger overall security posture for the company.

Implementing an Advanced Security Training Program

Creating and implementing an advanced security training program involves several steps. Here’s a basic guide to help you get started:

1. Assess Your Needs

Begin by evaluating your company’s specific security needs. Identify the areas where employees may require additional training and determine the types of threats your business is most likely to face.

2. Choose a Training Provider

There are many providers that offer advanced security training programs. Look for one that aligns with your needs and offers comprehensive, up-to-date content. Some providers offer online courses, while others provide in-person training sessions. For businesses looking to scale their efforts, considering a platform that specializes in enterprise cybersecurity training can provide a structured and extensive approach to enhancing staff skills and preparedness.

3. Develop a Training Plan

Create a plan that outlines the training objectives, schedule, and methods. Decide whether you will use a combination of online and in-person training, and how often employees will need to participate.

4. Deliver the Training

Implement the training program according to your plan. Ensure that employees have access to all necessary materials and resources. Make the training engaging and interactive to keep participants interested.

5. Evaluate and Update

After the training, evaluate its effectiveness. Gather feedback from employees and assess whether they are applying what they’ve learned. Regularly update the training program to keep up with new threats and changes in security practices.

Conclusion

In today’s digital world, advanced security training programs are essential for protecting your business. By equipping employees with the knowledge and skills they need to recognize and respond to threats, you can enhance your company’s security and reduce the risk of breaches. Investing in these programs is not just a precaution; it’s a crucial step in safeguarding your enterprise and ensuring its continued success.

When we surf the Internet, we can suffer a wide variety of attacks. There are many kinds of malware that, in one way or another, can affect us. Many strategies are used by cybercriminals to achieve their goals. That is why it is interesting to know which are the most common attacks You can Suffer Online and see how we can protect ourselves. We are going to talk about this in this article, where we will give some interesting tips.

Most Common Attacks on the Network

The hackers are continually refining their techniques to achieve the objectives. They always look for a way to steal information, passwords, infect computers. For this, they use different techniques and attacks. We are going to see which are the most common attacks we may suffer online.

It is important to know how the enemy acts in order to defend ourselves. In this way, we will know what to expect when surfing the net.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are undoubtedly very present on the Internet. They are a method that hackers use to steal passwords. Basically, what they do is impersonate legitimate companies and organizations to gain the trust of the victim.

They use baits to bite the victim. For example, indicate that your account has been stolen and that you have to change the password as soon as possible. But of course, as we can imagine, by changing the password, we are actually sending it to a server controlled by the attackers.

Malware in Applications

It is also another of the techniques most used by cybercriminals. They sneak malware into legitimate tools and applications. Ultimately they modify those programs that we install so that they install malware on the system in addition to fulfilling their function.

This is something that we can find very frequently in applications for computers, but also for mobile devices. They usually arrive when we download from sources that are not official.

Exploitation of Vulnerabilities

The security flaws are very present. These vulnerabilities affect devices of all kinds and can be exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks. Cybercriminals target these holes that are uncorrected to achieve their goals.

Something common is that they use these failures to access the system. They use them as a kind of back door.

Social Networks

Users widely use social networks. We have at our disposal an wide range of possibilities in this regard. They serve to communicate, be in contact with friends and family, inform us.

But you also need (have) to keep in mind that they are widely used by hackers to carry out their attacks. They use bots to send malicious links, fake coupons, Fake News. They are, in short, one more danger.

Fake Pages

Of course, we cannot leave behind the fake pages in the list of Most Common Attacks You can Suffer Online. Attackers use these types of websites to impersonate legitimate organizations. They look for a way to sneak malware through them.

Keep in mind that there are many sites on the Internet where we can find information of all kinds. However, not all of them are going away to be safe.

How to Protect Ourselves on the Internet?

We have seen the main types of attacks on the Internet. Now we are going to show some rabbits on how to protect ourselves on the net and thus prevent our systems from being in danger.

Security Tools

A good antivirus cannot be missing from our systems. It is a very important way to protect ourselves, to prevent the entry of malware. We must always bear in mind that we have many options in this regard. There is a free antivirus, paid, with very diverse functions.

We must apply this regardless of the type of device and operating system that we are using. We need to know that any system can be vulnerable.

Upgraded Equipment

Of course, it is also vital to have the latest versions and patches. As we have seen, there are many vulnerabilities that can exist in a certain computer or system. It is the developers themselves who let go (release) those security patches that we must apply.

But we are not only talking about operating systems. It is also important for router firmware, programs that we use, etc.

Use Legitimate Apps

This point is important. Occasionally we can indeed come across third-party programs that can have very different functions. However, that is a problem. It could be a threat and put our security at risk.

The advice here is only to use legitimate, safe applications that are not a risk to users.

Common Sense

Last, but perhaps most importantly, common sense. We must always avoid mistakes when navigating. Failures such as downloading untrustworthy email attachments. Those errors are the ones that can compromise our equipment and put security and privacy at risk.

In short, these are some important tips that we must always apply to safely navigate the Internet.

BYOD Security Threats – Large portions of the workforce have taken on hybrid or fully remote modes of work in recent years. Many employees use their smartphones and laptops to work from home, saving their organization some hardware costs. This practice is known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). But what is BYOD in cybersecurity? Is it worth the risk?

The nature of BYOPC practice makes it inherently vulnerable to cybersecurity threats that may jeopardize corporate data. Fortunately, these security threats generally have solutions you can apply to protect your company’s confidential information. Hence, in this article, Venn will explain common BYOD security threats and how you can solve them.

BYOD security threats and ways to eliminate them

BYOD offers various benefits ranging from cost-saving to convenience but imposes a significant burden on an organization’s security resources. Here are the common threats you may face when you adopt BYOD and how to solve them:

1. Malicious apps

Many smartphone and PC users hardly care about device security when installing new apps. Users typically care more about functionality than security. Unfortunately, not all apps are trustworthy; some come with malware to breach the security of devices.

When an employee downloads a malicious app on their device, there is a risk of the hacker taking control of their device, including corporate data. Such breaches may lead to exposure, theft, and loss of corporate data.

How to prevent the installation of malicious apps

Download from trusted app stores: Popular app stores such as the Google Play Store, the App Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Microsoft Store generally employ security features that ensure that only secure apps are available for download on their platforms. Train your employees to download apps from only trusted platforms.

Install antivirus software: Antivirus software can help detect problematic apps before an employee installs them. You should choose software with robust security features that you may not find on a free option. Educate your employees to avoid apps detected as problematic.

2. Data leakage

You cannot rule out data leakage when you allow employees to work with their personal devices. The leakage may be intentional or unintentional, but there’s a huge risk of it happening. Corporate data can be exposed if a personally owned device harbors malware or is stolen/misplaced. Thankfully, you can avoid corporate data leakage by taking critical security steps.

How to prevent data leakage

Mobile device management (MDM): Install an MDM program on the personally owned work device to give IT access to remotely wipe it in case of loss or theft. This action helps to keep sensitive information from the wrong hands.

Smarter data provisioning: Limit employees’ exposure to critical corporate data as much as possible. Essentially, allow access only on a need-to-know basis to minimize potential exposure.

Use app segregation: Employ programs such as the Venn software that can create reliable barriers between personal and work activity on a personal device.

File integrity monitoring: Install file integrity monitoring software that detects and notifies IT immediately malware gains access to an employee’s device. The notification allows IT to take action before malware impacts the corporate network.

3. Device infection

Most users with infected smartphones have no idea their device carries malware, which is problematic if they use it for work. A company may give an infected smartphone access to corporate resources without knowing it is unhealthy.

How to solve device infection

Install antivirus software: A reliable program can fix an infected smartphone by detecting and removing malware.

Regular operating system (OS) update: Educate your employees to download all new OS updates to keep their security patches up to date. Using a current OS reduces a device’s vulnerability to infection.

File integrity monitoring: Even current OSs may have vulnerabilities, leaving file integrity monitoring as the best tool to immediately detect an infection and help IT to act appropriately.

4. Unclear and insufficient security protocols

A vast majority of all security breaches are linked to social engineering — the practice of tricking a user into providing access to sensitive information — as Kaspersky Labs reported in 2019. That means BYOD poses a significant risk to your organization if you do not create and enforce sufficient, straightforward security protocols.

How to address unclear and insufficient security protocols

Create strong security protocols: With BYOD allowing employees to stay out of the sight of the corporate IT department, create and enforce strong security policies to safeguard corporate data. Mandate them to use strong passwords, trusted apps, a VPN, a secure Wi-Fi network, current OS version, mobile device management, location tracking, and antivirus software.

Regular training: Conduct periodic training programs for your employees to educate them on security procedures. The programs offer you the chance to clearly communicate strong security policies for employees that may access corporate data.

5. Loss or theft

The loss or theft of a personally owned device an employee uses for work poses a security threat to corporate resources. A survey found that 68% of data breaches in the healthcare industry occurred due to the theft or loss of an employee device.

How to solve device loss or theft

Employee training: Train employees to set up strong passwords and biometric devices to prevent access in case of loss or theft

Tracking system: Employees should have a reliable device tracking system to help recovery in case of loss.

Mobile device management: Embrace MDM solutions to enable IT remotely wipe sensitive information off compromised devices.

Despite the security threats, BYOPC can be successful if organizations take necessary measures to safeguard their resources. This method of work is an inevitable choice for most companies, and they must manage the risks by setting up safeguards to tackle threats to corporate security.

Data protection is vital since it keeps sensitive company information from hacking, fraud, theft, and phishing. A company looking forward to protecting its data must put security measures in place to safeguard data from hackers.

As a company’s data increases, so does the need to develop strict safety measures. Since data breaching can damage an organization’s reputation, it’s vital to protect data at all costs and update its protective measures regularly.

Countless businesses move their data every day. However, this process faces data loss, breach, and misconfiguration risks. For this reason, most companies planning to migrate their data to the cloud should work hard to ensure data security.

While reputable cloud providers make the migration process easy and quick, data security remains the company’s responsibility. To help you secure your data during cloud migration, here are some safety tips for a secure, straightforward migration:

Restrict Data Access

Among safety measures you should take during cloud migration is restricting data access to everyone accessing it. You should also understand what is least privilege and who needs it. After the migration, the end user will regain access to continue their daily work-related activities. Besides restricting access, you should also use two or more authentication factors during the migration. Such authentication enhances data security since it prevents an unauthorized person from accessing data.

Additionally, you can decide to duplicate data. This process squeezes the required data to be migrated while reducing the footprint for storing new data. Once the duplication has reduced the amount of data to be migrated, it results in cost reduction and increased security.

Understand The Current Situation Of Your Data

Most business people and managers overlook the importance of understanding the current data situation during cloud migration. Unfortunately, this might result in storing or saving useless data. It’s vital to assess the situation of your current data before the migration and avoid such an incident.

Data migration can put your data at risk if proper measures aren’t taken. Organize the available data and separate valid from invalid data. This step ensures that the vital data is kept safe and invalid ones are discarded. Additionally, classifying data helps in easy access, tracking, and recovery.

Encrypt The Data

Before, during, and after cloud migration, your data should always be encrypted. Additionally, your data shouldn’t be in motion if it isn’t encrypted since it’s more vulnerable to attack. With that in mind, you should use a safe data transportation protocol to keep your data safe.

It might also be a good idea to consider using a transfer appliance to move extensive data safely. This can be possible through your provider or a third party. However, when using an appliance to transport data, ensure data is encrypted before moving it. The device should also be encrypted for maximum data security.

Consider A Phased Migration

While rapid migration might be necessary for your business, avoid quick or at-once migration at all costs. Instead, consider migrating in phases. Phased migration increases data security by allowing your staff members to get used to the cloud system.

During the phased migration, it’s advisable to begin transferring low-priority data to unload some storage-related resources under low risk. As you continue, study the configuration to determine if there are gaps before commencing with high-priority data migration. This move also helps you understand if extra security measures are required before transporting your company’s sensitive data.

Adhere To Compliance Requirements

Compliance is essential during cloud migration. Before commencing with the process, understand the compliance requirements for your data. For example, you must learn the encryption, storage, backup, and transfer needs. Compliance is even vital for large companies in highly regulated sectors.

Luckily, most service providers have compliance certificates for standard regulations. In addition to these, you might need to remove personally identifiable details before the migration begins. It’s vital to note that non-compliance might cost you a lot. While cloud providers provide tools for compliance, in case anything goes wrong, you’re the one to suffer the consequences.

Streamline The Monitoring Aspect

Transferring data to the cloud increases attack chances, so you should watch out for any gaps during the migration process. Additionally, when watching out for any threat during migration, it’s crucial to enhance the existing system’s security. It’s vital to note that migration influences a variety of on-site and cloud tools in the cyber system in your organization. Therefore, to manage these tools efficiently, you should supervise them thoroughly and develop quicker and more consistent authentication and response to threats.

Clean Up The Retiring Drives

Cleaning up the retiring drives is a part of the deactivating process. It’s, therefore, important to be careful to avoid wiping out vital information. If you doubt you can perform this activity successfully, consider hiring an IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) firm. During this process, determine if the remaining data will be moved offline for clean-up. You can also ask the ITAD for an effective data sanitization plan.

Revisit The Cloud’s Security

After the migration and cleaning up of retired drives, it’s wise to revisit the cloud’s security to determine if there are any gaps. Regardless of its nature, every cloud has its vulnerabilities and threats. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to be prepared to handle different threats and ensure proper security measures are in place to avoid and prevent attacks.

Parting Shot

Your data security during migration depends on the cloud migration you choose, the steps you take, and the provider you’re working with. It’s also vital to supervise your systems to be sure that your data is safe. Without a proper security plan, your data can fall into criminal hands, leading to your business compromise.

To ensure your data safety before and during migration, consider taking advantage of the above-discussed safety tips. You may never know how they can benefit you unless you try them out. You can also consider seeking help from IT security firms to ensure your data remains safe and away from manipulation.

Software Supply Chain – A supply chain attack known as a third-party attack happens when hackers gain access to a company’s systems and data through an external partner or provider with poor security procedures. Attackers may choose to target hardware or software for other businesses. Since most businesses now work with more suppliers and service providers, the attack surface has significantly increased.

According to TechRepublic, today, software chain attacks are increasing every year; it  increased by 51%in 2021 and this is not far from the fact that these attacks give them the ability to compromise hundreds or thousands of victims with a single breach and give them extensive internal access to the systems.

Although all attacks are harmful, software supply chain attacks are more harmful because aside from the fact that  they have more network access, these attackers are also very hard to detect. In this article, we’ll look at some common examples of software supply chain attacks in 2022.

Solar Winds

One of the examples of Software chain attacks was Solar Winds. Attacks against supply chains are uncommon, and the SolarWinds Supply-Chain Attack is one of the more dangerous ones we’ve seen recently.

A software service calledSolarWindsspecializes in providing IT specialists with systems management solutions. Orion, a network management system, is the SolarWinds product used most frequently.

Many of the US Federal government, including the Department of Defense, 425 of the US Fortune 500, and other customers around the globe are among SolarWinds’ more than 300,000 clients.

For some reason, NMS are popular targets for attacks. It is so because, firstly,  the Network Management Systems must be able to connect with any devices being controlled and monitored, rendering outbound ACLs useless.

Second, many NMS are set up to watch and react to occurrences. This indicates the Network Management System can make adjustments to the setup. They can use credentials for system monitoring to lateral move to target systems. Network traffic may be reshaped for MitM possibilities by an attacker who gained access to an NMS. Attackers are smart with the implementation of several tactics, but organizations can be smarter by relying on trustworthy software supply chain security guides.

So, here is how SolarWinds was attacked;

A routine software update was made available to customers by SolarWinds. It was intended to deliver the standard fare—bug fixes and performance upgrades—to the well-known network management system offered by the company, Orion, a software package that closely checks all the different parts of a network. Customers needed to provide their login information once to the company’s website for software development before waiting for the update to download to their servers automatically.

ASUS

The Taiwanese computer maker ASUS was hacked in 2019 when hackers discovered crucial code signing keys on their web update service. Reuters States that the hackers infected one million ASUS computers, including malware to legal ASUS updates. Customers of ASUS notebooks that had enabled Live Update, a feature that automatically looks for new software and firmware upgrades from ASUS, were affected.

Each backdoor malware included a table of hardcoded MAC addresses, which are used to identify network adapters when a machine is connected to a network. As soon as it was installed, the backdoor checked its MAC address against this table, and “if the MAC address matched one of the entries, the virus downloaded the next step of  the malicious code.

Kaseya

Kaseya is another example of companies that fell victim to software supply chain attacks.

It provides VSA, a unified remote monitoring and management tool for managing networks and endpoints. It also offers service desks, compliance systems, and a professional service automation platform.

Over 40,000 organizations worldwide are reportedly using at least one Kaseya software solution. Businesses and managed service providers (MSPs) make the company’s product. Kaseya is a vital component of a larger software supply chain because it offers technology to MSPs, which gives services to other businesses.

In contrast to Solar Wind attackers, Kaseya attackers took advantage of a previously unknown security flaw (CVE-2021-30116) in the Kaseya software. The recently identified vulnerability, which was initially only known to the attackers, enabled them to use the Kaseya software’s on-premises version to their advantage and ultimately launch the ransomware attack.

Additionally, the attackers spread the ransomware attack downstream to as many as 1,500 small and medium-sized enterprises that outsource their daily IT operations since so many of Kaseya’s clients are MSPs.

Unlike the SolarWinds hack, the attackers did not inject Kaseya’s software by compromising the upstream build process instead, they attacked victims through an automatic software update says Forbes

PipeMon

According to ArsTechnica, “the backdoor takes its name from the many pipes utilized for one module to interact with another as well as the project name of the Microsoft Visual Studio used by the creators.”

This backdoor bypasses built-in security measures by exploiting a legal, but stolen, code signing certificate granted to the computer games business Nfinity Games. Surprisingly, the private key theft for code signing happened two years earlier, but it seems that Nfinity wasn’t even aware of it at the time.

Thus, this code signing certificate was not canceled until much later, after Nfinity was informed that it was being used to disseminate malware.

Even when the certificate has been revoked, depending on how a timestamp was set up during the signing process, the malware may continue to function well for a very long period.

Just like all software supply chain attacks, the harm caused by a stolen, mishandled, or compromised code signing private key is tough to reverse.

Conclusion

Software supply chain attacks have negative effects that are pretty serious. To begin with, threat actors utilize the infected software vendor to get privileged access to a victim network and maintain that access.

They evade perimeter security mechanisms, such as border routers and firewalls, and acquire first access by hacking a software provider. Using the compromised software vendor, a threat actor may re-enter a network if they are denied access to it.

Threat actors will be more selective when deciding which victims they target for follow-up activities, even though getting initial persistent access can sometimes be accomplished very randomly.

A software supply chain attack might have many outcomes depending on the attacker’s motivation, resources, and expertise. Theft of data, espionage, sabotage, and extortion are some typical motives.