The recent ransomware attack dubbed as WannaCry brings to the forefront one of the most recurrent challenges global organizations are confronting today: safeguarding business data from cyber crooks.
Indeed, as modern-day enterprises embrace digital revolution, critical data has become the most prized-asset, which cyber criminals look to seize by taking your information systems to hostage through sophisticated malware, targeted, and phishing attacks. Insider threats override corporate boardroom discussions as a spate of non-accidental data breach incidents involving some of the well-known companies incised hard-earned reputation and hurt productivity.
Information, digital and cyber security needs a closer look. It does not start and end with firewalls and a host of antivirus software as cyber criminals get increasingly canny. Enterprises need to be more vigilant To safeguard the inner peripheries, organizations must overhaul access controls. Uncontrolled and unmonitored access endpoints (privileged identities), in most cases, compromises business data.
Likewise, reinforcing network through security solutions such as Intrusion Detection System (IDS), Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) will help in significantly enhancing cyber security; however, sometimes a carelessness on our part can also lead to a disaster.
For instance, the recent malware attack could have been avoided had organizations updated PCs on time. Hackers exploited Microsoft vulnerability, which was patched in March, but not updated by users, experts suggest.
But that’s not all. According to Paresh Makwana, VP Business Development (Africa) at ARCON, deploying a host of security solutions in your IT ecosystem is insufficient. “Today’s enterprises should have a two-pronged strategy, which is prevention and recovery”, says Makwana.
“I always recommend to have a recovery plan because cyber criminals as seen in the recent ransomware attack are shrewd enough to exploit slightest of the vulnerability”… (Therefore) “Enterprises should always keep a backup for data”.
“Keeping your backup files on Disaster Recovery (DR) site, is a good policy”… but he warns “Some highly-advanced ransomware attack can scan for backup files. To counter that firms should also store back up files offline, which should be always encrypted”, adds the Cyber Security consultant.
ARCON is a leading enterprise risk control solutions provider, specializing in risk-predictive technologies. ARCON | User Behavior Analytics enables to monitor end-user activities in real time. ARCON | Privileged Access Management reinforces access control and mitigates data breach threats. ARCON | Secure Compliance Management is a vulnerability assessment tool.
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