When it comes to cybersecurity, many think about protecting themselves against hackers who use technological flaws in a system to steal data. But cyberattacks can’t just be malware intrusions, there are other ways to infiltrate organizations and networks with the victim’s consent and without the victim’s knowledge of what is going on. This type of deception is known as social engineering, which in essence is manipulating someone until sensitive data and access permissions are granted.

A well-known example of this is when an intruder poses as the IT support of a particular company, asking users to provide information such as their usernames and passwords. The scam is accomplished when this information is shared.

It is surprising how many people do not think twice about sharing this information, especially if it looks like it is being requested by a legitimate representative.

In this context, we bring you some information relevant to the precaution against these attacks! Keep reading and learn how to protect yourself from social engineering attacks.

What Would Social Engineering Be?

The definition of social engineering embraces many types of psychological manipulations. This concept can generate positive results when it is taken to the area of behavioral promotion.

Information Security, however, tends to treat social engineering as an evil that provides benefits to the criminals, involving manipulation to obtain private information, such as personal and financial data. Thus, social engineering can also be defined as a cybercrime.

How Does Social Engineering Work?

Unfortunately, for humans, there are still some relationship patterns that are established. Social engineering works by taking advantage of these cognitive prejudice situations where criminals steal financial and personal information.

A strong example of this can be seen in the human tendency of trusting people who look nicer and more friendly, or even who hold a position of higher authority.

Social engineering techniques exploit this natural human confidence. In 2018, vacation rental phishing scams, in which hackers impersonated owners offering real vacation listings, were common enough that the US Federal Trade Commission issued a warning about them.

In many cases, the contact information and emails of the real owners were hacked, leaving little reason for victims to think they were not discussing a rental with the real owner.

Who is Most Vulnerable to Social Engineering?

Anyone can fall victim to a social engineering attack. Each one has their cognitive prejudices that, most of the time, go unnoticed during social life.

However, there are some particular groups that, in a way, are “easy” targets for these criminals, such as the elderly, who may not have knowledge of technology, generally have fewer human interactions, and may be perceived as having a lot of money and goods to discard.

What Are Common Social Engineering Techniques?

Social engineering techniques can take many forms. Below we list the commonly used techniques.

Trust Exploitation

Users are less suspicious of people they are familiar with. An attacker can become familiar with system users before the social engineering attack. The opportunist can participate in social events and other environments, which makes the attacker familiar to users.

Intimidating Circumstances 

We tend to avoid people who intimidate others around us. Using this technique, an attacker could pretend to have a heated discussion on the phone or with an accomplice to the scam, and could then ask users for information that would be used to compromise the security of their system.

Users are more likely to give the correct answers just to avoid a confrontation with the criminal. This technique can also be used to avoid being checked at a security checkpoint.

Phishing

This technique uses tricks and cheats to obtain users’ private data. The social engineer might try to impersonate a genuine website, such as Google, and then ask the unsuspecting user to confirm their account name and password.

This technique can also be used to obtain credit card information or any other valuable personal data.

Exploring Human Curiosity

Using this technique, the social engineer can deliberately leave a virus-infected USB stick in an area where users can easily pick it up. The user will likely connect the USB stick to the computer.

Thus, the USB stick might run the virus automatically or the user might be tempted to open a file with a name, such as Employee Review Report 2013.docx, which might actually be an infected file.

Exploring Human Greed

Using this technique, the social engineer can entice the user with the promise of earning big money online by filling out a form and confirming their details using credit card details, etc.

How to Protect Yourself from a Social Engineering Attack?

Social engineering attacks are stealthy. This makes it critical for everyone to be aware of the threat. Some best practices you can follow to ensure you are protecting yourself from social engineering attacks include:

• Never responding to a request for financial information or passwords. Legitimate organizations will not send a message asking for personal information.
• Adjusting your spam filters. Every email program has spam filters, make sure yours is set to block potential threats.
• Protect your computing devices and accessories. That means protecting your digital space with antivirus software, firewalls, and email filters. It also means protecting USB sticks, external hard drives, and other pieces of equipment that could be compromised.

Finally, managers must develop plans to raise awareness among the staff. There are many essential precautions available on the internet, and for corporate environments, the in-house team needs to be aware of how to protect against digital threats.

Making sure employees are aligned for this purpose is an essential step in the process of preventing social engineering attacks and other cyberattacks.

Cyberattacks have been causing concern and discomfort for those who use and depend on digital spaces for some time now.

This type of activity disrespects the private life of social subjects, in order to expose them to different types of risks.

They usually occur unexpectedly and victims suffer numerous damages, whether monetary, psychological or otherwise.

This action is commonly practiced by malicious hackers, who are dedicated to committing crimes in virtual systems through their technical knowledge of the software.

Hackers can infect connected devices by sending a virus, affecting their performance, and causing irreversible damage.

Likewise, these malicious attackers can steal personal data and information from computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and other connected digital technology devices.

The practice of these crimes can generate harm with no turning back for those who suffer them, and they are more common than it seems.

During the crisis of the new coronavirus, this became even more evident.

The Scenario of Cyberattacks During the New Coronavirus Pandemic

It is possible to state that, if the situation was already quite serious before the pandemic, with the arrival of the new coronavirus, it only worsened.

The new virus brought many complications and, due to the preventive measures required to avoid a more catastrophic situation than the current one, preventive sanitary measures were taken, including social distancing.

This has led many people to work from home. The number of home office jobs had a considerable increase because companies and businesses across the country had to start a process of moving from the physical to the virtual world to survive the crisis.

A consequence was people starting to consume more products online due to isolation, which caused the virtual market and the demand for connectivity to skyrocket.

From this perspective, especially considering the emergency context of society’s shift to the digital world and coinciding with the growth in the number of users, the consequence was a considerable increase in the number of cyberattacks.

This demonstrates a problematic situation in several spheres.

For this reason, it becomes increasingly important to take preventive measures, both concerning the new coronavirus, as well as the security of your electronic equipment and digital devices.

Some precautions and preventive measures can be essential so that a situation as unpleasant as cybercrime is avoided, preventing possible troubles and losses that can often be irreparable.

Protect Yourself from Cyberattacks During the Pandemic

Although it is regrettable to have to worry about the security of your electronic devices, as well as data and personal information in virtual systems that, presumably, should be protected, it is important to be aware of the dangers that exist within the digital world.

By knowing the risks, one can look for preventive measures and, in this way, reduce the chances of potential damage. Here’s some information that can help protect against cyberattacks.

Choose Your Password Wisely

It may seem trivial, but choosing a more complex password makes it very difficult for attackers to gain access to your systems and networks.

Therefore, an important tip is to choose passwords with a higher degree of difficulty, especially those used in more significant virtual spaces; try to develop a more elaborate password.

At the same time, it is interesting to change the password from time to time, helping to reduce the number of data recorded during a certain period.

We often access websites or virtual platforms on different electronic devices and this can facilitate access by malicious individuals.

In the last year, there was also an increase in the number of leaks of various users’ data and information throughout Brazil.

For this reason, it is recommended that you double-check if you are among this group of people. You can perform this check through the senhasegura Hunter website and find out if any of your data has already been exposed.

If after checking it, you discover that your privacy has been invaded and your data has been exposed, immediately change your passwords and check that there has been no serious damage.

Search for PAM Solutions

PAM (Privileged Access Management) solutions work as a great support in managing the passwords of your organization’s critical systems and in protecting your data.

This type of solution works as a repository that stores and protects passwords, information, and important documents of your business. Also, a PAM solution such as senhasegura monitors access and ensures control and security of the passwords provided.

In a world of complex cybersecurity threats and mobile workforces armed with multiple apps and devices, security in Zero Trust aims to provide comprehensive protection.

The Zero Trust approach never assumes that a request comes from a trusted source, even if it originates from inside the corporate firewall, for example.

Everything is treated as if it came from an open, unsecured network, and trust itself is seen as a responsibility within the zero-trust framework.

Zero-trust security can also be called non-perimeter security. This term shows how it is the opposite of traditional security models, which follow the “trust, but verify” principle and consider users and endpoints already authenticated within the company perimeter or those connected via VPN (Virtual Private Network) as secure.

But this implicit trust increases the risk of data breaches caused by insider threats, as it allows for extensive, unverified sideways movement across the entire network. Keep reading and learn more about Zero Trust-based security.

What is Zero Trust-based Security?

Zero Trust is a security framework that requires all users, inside or outside the organization’s network, to be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and behavior before receiving or maintaining access to applications and data.

Zero Trust assumes that there is no traditional network edge. Networks can be on-premises, in the cloud, or a hybrid combination with resources anywhere, as well as workers anywhere.

The execution of this framework combines advanced technologies such as multi-factor authentication, IAM (Identity and Access Management), identity protection, and state-of-the-art endpoint security technology to verify user identity and maintain the system’s security.

This approach also requires considering data encryption, email protection, and asset and endpoint hygiene verification before connecting to applications.

Therefore, zero-trust-based security requires organizations to continuously monitor and validate that a user and their device have the correct privileges and attributes.

Also, it requires the organization to know all of its services and privileged accounts and be able to establish controls over what and where they connect. One-time validation is simply not enough, as threats and user attributes are subject to change.

How to Implement Zero Trust-based Security?

The concept of zero trust can be built on your existing architecture and does not require you to eliminate and replace existing technology.

There are no Zero Trust products. Some products work well in Zero Trust environments and others that do not. Zero Trust is also quite simple to deploy, implement, and maintain using a simple five-step methodology. This guided process helps you identify where you are and where to go.

Identify the protection surface of your environment.

1. Map data transaction flows.
2. Build an architecture using zero trust concepts.
3. Create, communicate, and educate based on a zero-trust policy.
4. Continuously monitor and maintain processes and technologies.

How Important is Zero Trust-based Security?

Zero Trust is one of the most effective ways for organizations to control access to their networks, applications, and data. This concept combines a wide range of preventive techniques, including identity verification and behavioral analysis, micro-segmentation, endpoint security, and least-privilege controls to stop potential intruders and limit their access in the event of a breach.

It is not enough to establish firewall rules and block by packet analysis. A compromised account that goes through authentication protocols on a network perimeter device must still be assessed for each subsequent session or endpoint it tries to access.

Having the technology to recognize normal versus anomalous behavior allows organizations to tighten authentication controls and policies rather than taking over the connection via VPN or SWG (Secure Web Gateway), which means the connection is completely secure and reliable.

This additional layer of security is critical as companies increase the number of endpoints on their network and expand their infrastructure to include cloud-based applications and servers, not to mention the boom of service accounts on microsites and other locally-hosted machines, VM, or via SaaS.

These trends make it more difficult to establish, monitor and maintain secure perimeters. Additionally, a borderless security strategy is vital for organizations as a global workforce that offers employees the ability to work remotely.

What Are the Benefits of a Zero Trust Approach?

The main benefits of a zero-trust model for protecting systems, information, and other valuable assets for businesses are:

Superior risk mitigation by closing security breaches and controlling lateral movement in the net.

• Improved cybersecurity and support for mobile and remote workers.
• Strong protection for applications and data, whether in the cloud or on-premises.
• Reliable defense against advanced threats such as APT (Advanced Persistent Attack).

Finally, by segmenting the network by identity, groups, and role and by controlling user access, zero-trust-based security helps the organization contain breaches and minimize potential damage. This is an important security measure, as some of the more sophisticated attacks are orchestrated by invasive credentials (internal or compromised).

As the classic approach to enterprise security is no longer viable, companies must shift to meet their users’, applications’, and data’s needs wherever they are.

Today, that means the cloud, which offers greater and better flexibility, collaboration, connectivity, and performance.

Learn about senhasegura and check our services! Also read about the 7 Signs Your Business Needs to Improve the Security of Sensitive Data.

This May, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) has launched version 8 of the security control tool for critical systems, especially marked by structural progress aimed at cloud and mobile environments. The concentration of online tasks and the remote work model are becoming increasingly popular due to mobility restrictions caused by the pandemic, which generates, proportionally and positively, technological evolution to ensure the execution of work, social and entertainment activities.

What Is Different?

 CIS Controls v8 is based on the activities performed, not on the user who controls the devices or on the devices themselves. Whereas previous versions focused on a centralized network that grouped all coordination and security endpoints, version 8 tracks virtual changes and assimilates new cyberattack modalities based on real threats cited in Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report.

 Until the previous version (7.1), the set consisted of 20 main controls and 171 sub controls, but the modernization of the system condensed the total to 18 controls and 153 safeguards (yes, the term has also changed!) divided into 3 Implementation Groups (IGs), which work as a practical guide to help organizations of all sizes with their particular needs and to adapt them to current regulations. 

 As IG1 is the primary Implementation Group, every company needs to start with it, as it is considered the set of “basic cyber hygiene” and serves to preserve the information system from the most recurrent attacks. In the current version, it supports 56 safeguards in total, while IG2 has 74 and IG3 has 23 safeguards, making up the complete package.

To ensure essential protection, the following controls must be adopted: 

4: Secure configuration of company assets and software

5: Account management

6: Access control management

14: Security awareness and skills training

 

v8 Extra Points: 

CIS CSAT Pro self-assessment capabilities, with location tracking, optional data sharing, separation of roles and user behavior;

Community Defense Model (CDM) v2.0, with safeguards mapping and consultation of reports released by the industry, which indicate the main threats and frequent attacks;

CIS Controls Mobile Companion Guide and CIS Controls Cloud Companion Guide, which are guides for implementing CIS security best practices for mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets; and for cloud environments, respectively.

What Does the Launch of Controls v8 Mean? That CIS understood the defense priorities of the critical data environment and streamlined the cybersecurity process. For businesses, the result is the quality of critical system security options and the practicality of complying with regulatory data protection requirements (PCI-DSS, SOx, HIPAA, and others).

Source: https://www.cisecurity.org/blog/18-is-the-new-20-cis-controls-v8-is-here/

Text: Priscilla Silva

In the digital age we are in, it is essential to protect all the data we have, whether it is our own data or from the users who provided it. No user without permission should have a chance to access sensitive information.

According to Trend Micro’s annual cybersecurity report – A Constant State of Flux -, in 2020, more than 1453 vulnerabilities were identified – that’s just the number of warnings published ⎼, 173 of which consisting of critical severity and 983 of high severity.

Vulnerabilities like these are an open door for cyberattacks to happen. But let’s better understand what they are and how privileged access management prevents cyberattacks.

What are cyberattacks?

Cyberattacks are basically attacks by hackers on a specific computer, system, or computer network.

The goals of an attack like this can vary widely: they range from stealing user data, making modifications to systems, or even bringing down an entire network.

This type of crime can be associated with the category of extortion, considering that it is quite common for hackers to charge an amount of money for the attack to stop, so that important information is not leaked or any other aspect that may be extremely important for the victim.

Perhaps it may seem like something that does not happen very often, given the apparent difficulty of invasion, but Brazil alone has suffered more than 8.4 billion cyberattack attempts in 2020. This shows us that it is essential to always be aware of our system’s flaws and gives us an idea of the size of the risk we are facing.

How do hackers manage to break into systems?

There are several ways to break into a system, and with each passing day, criminals invent new ways to do this. Among them, we can mention:

Ransomware

The term ransomware is a fusion of the terms ransom, which is exactly what it means, and malware, a term referring to malicious software.

It is basically malware that blocks a series of files or an entire system, from which a ransom is charged for their release. It is literally a virtual kidnapping.

Ransomware can gain access to the system in different ways: via email links, social media links, websites, or by installing apps. Once inside, the virus encrypts the data, preventing the user from gaining access.

Generally, the ransom is charged in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. This is due to the virtually zero chance of tracking it, making it almost impossible to identify the criminal.

Spyware

This is used as spy malware. It is quite difficult to detect as it works in the background.

It is widely used for stealing confidential information such as passwords, banking, credit card, or any other information that is useful for criminals.

They usually have access by downloading free files or programs from the Internet.

Keylogger

Malware like this has the function of recording everything that is being typed on a keyboard. It is a type of spyware, that is, they are occasionally used in so-called phishing attacks, those designed for identity theft.

A Keylogger can also be hardware, such as a USB cable or a flash drive.

DDoS Attack

Also known as distributed network attacks or distributed denial-of-service attacks. DDoS attacks work by making a large number of requests to an online service to exceed the system’s capacity, preventing it from functioning properly.

They usually do this intending to request an amount to stop the attack. For this to happen, the hacker uses a series of infected computers; the network that these computers are part of is called a zombie network.

What characterizes privileged access?

As its name suggests, users who have this type of access have privileged accounts to access sensitive administrative information. They can change passwords, view user data, modify settings, and perform other related actions.

In general, users like this have accounts with very complex passwords and, in many cases, these accounts are shared among several administrators. But that alone is not enough. It is necessary to closely monitor each credential, especially those that are common among several people.

How does privileged access management prevent cyberattacks?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is here precisely to help organizations to implement control of privileged actions efficiently.

Users who have this type of access are constantly accessing critical organization resources. Monitoring who joins the system, when that person logs in, and also if they are performing the activities assigned to them is of utmost importance.

A PAM solution is used for this very purpose. Thus, one can guarantee the user is really the one with the authorization, not a hacker who got someone’s credential information.

The solution does this by forcing the person to request a just-in-time authorization, limiting the space they have to work with and also setting a sufficient time limit to perform the required task.

This way, there is no unnecessary exposure of information, ensuring greater security and exponentially reducing the loopholes for hackers to work.

A PAM system can go further and block the user if they are performing unauthorized tasks, which is great for reducing the chances of falling victim to a cyberattack.

It is important to mention that no solution is 100% effective, but the more barriers there are between people and data, the lower the risks.

As we have seen, hackers have a variety of ways to perform their activities. When we talk about users with privileged access, we are dealing with a huge risk for the organization. A hacker can simply steal someone’s authorized credential and use it to break into the administrative system.

A PAM system is essential to put another virtual barrier, reducing the number of loopholes and considerably reducing the vulnerability of a system.

senhasegura is a PAM solution that allows and helps you to secure and protect your data. You can request a demo and learn more about the quality of the service provided. Do not waste time and do not be one more person in the victim statistics!

We are already in the month of May, and you know what we celebrate on the first Thursday of this month, rigtht? That’s correct, it is World Password Day. Celebrated since 2013, this day reminds us of adequate cyber awareness and the importance of password protection in all environments, whether professional or personal. It is not for nothing that passwords are called digital identities.

Our life has been linked more and more to the online world. Not only in relation to work, but also to learning, fun – our and our children’s, even physical activity, and much has been accomplished in digital environments, especially considering the covid-19 pandemic. And in these new times, when a large number of people perform activities remotely from devices without the proper cyber protection mechanisms, it is important to redouble the care with passwords and other sensitive data. Thus, we explain the importance of passwords and their adequate protection for users and organizations in this article.

The combination of user and password has been used as a basic defense mechanism for computer systems since the beginning of their implementation, preventing unauthorized access to data stored on systems and devices. Despite the creation of authentication mechanisms without a password, such as biometrics or one-time passwords (OTP), the combination of user and password is still widely used to access systems and devices. This is because such combination is easy and inexpensive to implement.

In a digital transformation scenario, the multiplication of systems, devices, and their respective credentials is a perfect scenario for malicious attackers to collect passwords and, thus, access data improperly. After all, remembering a password is much easier than the dozens (or even hundreds) of services that require some kind of authentication. It is estimated that the number of passwords per user is between 70 and 100.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the world ended 2020 with 300 billion passwords to protect. And the trend shows this number will increase dramatically. Email accounts (personal and professional), banking services, corporate systems, devices, and applications are some examples that require authentication through passwords. And with the increase in the number of data leaks, it is easy to find compromised credentials on forums on the dark web being sold for pennies.

And yes, we know that it is not easy to manage so many passwords. Even the most tech-savvy can struggle to manage and protect credentials in so many different environments. In times of personal data protection legislation, such as LGPD and GDPR, ensuring the protection of such data has become more than a security requirement – it is a business must.

Despite all the risks associated with their use, many users and companies use passwords that are easy to guess, such as numbers or sequential letters (123456 or abcdef). SolarWinds itself, the victim of a serious attack on its supply chain, was using the password solarwinds123 in its infrastructure. Certainly, your email password or mine is stronger than the one used by this American technology company.

So, on this World Password Day, here are some tips that should be considered by users to keep their data protected:

1. Use long and complex passwords. This prevents hackers from using techniques to guess them. However, just using complex passwords may not be enough to protect them from hackers.
2. Many devices are configured with default passwords. Change them immediately.
3. Avoid reusing your passwords on different accounts. Also, constantly check if you have already been the victim of a data leak through senhasegura Hunter. If so, change your passwords immediately.
4. Configure your passwords to be changed frequently. The ideal is at least every 3 months.
5. Do not write down, store in an easily accessible place, or share your passwords with others, thus avoiding unauthorized access.
6. Consider password management solutions, or even privileged access management (PAM), to manage the use of systems and devices.
7. Use Multiple-Factor Authentication (MFA) mechanisms to add a layer of security to your accounts.
8. Set up means of retrieving access, such as including phone numbers or emails.

Passwords are one of the oldest security mechanisms in the computing world and are also one of the main attackvectors by hackers. And in the “new normal” era, with increasing threats resulting from the covid-19 pandemic, it is vital that users be alert and properly protect their digital identities. In this way, we can avoid cyberattacks that can cause considerable damage not only to people, but also to companies. And on this World Password Day, remember: security starts with you!

Undoubtedly, we are in the moment where the most precious asset is information. In addition to being much more dynamic, how information flows through the company must always be made with the security of sensitive data in mind.

First, you need to understand that if your company does not invest in security yet, it is taking serious risks. To give you an idea, there were about 30 billion records compromised by criminal actions in 2020 alone.

Moreover, companies have started to look for security areas to prevent attacks. Last year, about US $ 53 billion more was invested in cybersecurity, according to Canalys’s data.

Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to the security of sensitive data, since attacks are more and more frequent. With that in mind, check out 7 signs that your company needs to improve the security of sensitive data!

#1. Systems Are Out of Date

Applications and software, in particular, always need to be updated to maintain security. Over time, malicious people study software and develop threats to their data.

This concerns all applications or programs in the company. Does the application developed for customers stay updated? Is the computer software up to date?

Besides, if your company does not provide maintenance to software and machines, the situation may be even worse. When a program fails, it is quickly exploited by potential attackers.

Thus, to improve the security of your data, it is essential to keep programs and machines up to date. Older programs are a loophole for possible invasions.

#2. Your Company Spends a Lot on Repairs

Some equipment simply does not meet current security requirements anymore. Not only that, but they also lack the capacity to maintain the functionality that is needed.

For this reason, outdated hardware tends to have many flaws, and your organization needs to replace them. What usually happens is that repairs do not solve the problem.

Quite the opposite: they generate more expenses and make a company even less secure. So, if you notice a lot of old equipment or high repair costs, it is time to improve security to solve this problem once and for all.

#3. Backups Are Rare and Information has Already Been Lost Because of That

There is no use waiting for the worst to happen. To keep your data protected, periodic backup is critical. When performing this procedure with less frequency, the company is automatically in the hands of luck in cases of invasions.

In addition to being prepared to prevent this type of loss, you should be aware that a backup is a great option. It is also important to invest in good tools that keep data saved in secure places.

Without a secure storage location for your data, it will only be stored on the equipment. Thus, the chance of a leak is much greater and you will lose all the information at once.

#4. The Company has No Control Over Privileged Accounts

In a company, privileged accounts are those that have access to the organization’s sensitive data. Therefore, they are accounts that can, for example, disable security systems and access any information on those systems.

So, it is important to always know who is viewing and accessing this information. Even within a company, there may be people with negative intentions, leaking this sensitive data to the web or elsewhere.

So, if you have no idea who accesses this type of account, your company’s data security is at serious risk. You can check out ways to maintain control over this type of access here.

Do not forget to fill out the form below to receive a demo of our protection services!

#5. Your Employees Access Unverified Websites

It is important to invest in access restrictions for company employees on the web. Whether intentionally or not, someone may end up downloading malware that damages and disrupts the company’s security.

Also, several websites are exclusively known for offering hacking services and making cyberattacks. In this way, it is interesting to invest in restriction settings that prevent access to this type of website.

#6. Security Passwords for Sensitive Data Are Not Administered

It is very common that when entering passwords for certain accesses, some people use very simple templates. Besides, always choosing the same password for all company accesses can be very dangerous.

This is because invasions can often occur on behalf of the employees themselves. So, the use of the same password can facilitate the access by malicious people to very important information.

If there is no good formulation for passwords, the company’s security is automatically more limited. Even due to unintended employee failures, data loss can create serious problems.

Therefore, regardless of the factors that allow improper access to this data, it is necessary to formulate good and unique access passwords.

#7. Slow Internet

Many malware work by downloading various programs on users’ machines. For this reason, the internet may be slower and it may be difficult to perform tasks that require more agility from this service.

As a result, a slow connection may indicate that your sensitive data are not protected. An infected computer can attract several hackers who work with information theft, and this can affect your company’s credibility.

The security of sensitive data cannot be endangered

Nowadays, a company needs to keep investments in data protection. Having confidential information leaked can even mean the end of a business.

For this reason, if your company needs to improve the security of sensitive data, according to the signs we have listed, pay attention. Hackers are increasingly qualified, and protection needs to be at the best level. Investing in security is essential.

Do you want to learn more about how to improve the security of your company? Check out the post we made explaining a little better about the management of privileged accesses! Click here and understand it.

With the growth of cyberattacks, access credentials have become a strong attack vector. In 74% of cases of data breaches, companies confirm unauthorized access to a privileged account as its main cause.

In addition, The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) has found that 29% of the total breaches in cyberattacks involved the use of stolen credentials, second only to phishing.

Once a credential is compromised, a malicious attacker is able to move sideways, infecting other devices and increasing the risk of data leaks, or even infection by ransomware. The reason behind this (and because administrator credentials remain an easy target for attackers) is the high level of access that these credentials provide.

Generally, PAM or Endpoint Privilege Management (EPM) solutions are not designed to deal with the risks associated with standing privilege.

The standing privilege is when administrator accounts with privileged access are always active (always-on). On average, in a large company, it is possible to find 480 users with administrator access on their workstations.

Thus, the concept of Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) aims to eliminate standing privileges within organizations and mitigate cybersecurity risks.

What is Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP)?

Administrative privilege provides the means by which attackers need to take criminal action, be it data exfiltration, data destruction, or other crimes.

When an organization has identities with standing privileges (always-on), it must prioritize efforts to control access to such identities, monitor their use, and protect them from misuse.

However, for most of the day, these highly privileged identities remain idle, unused, but still pose risks.

Traditional PAM approaches have focused on managing and controlling access to privileged account passwords or temporarily elevating privileges to manage when users can work with administrative privileges.

For example, a server administrator employee can check the password of the day to access their privileged personal account each morning. Or they can simply use a solution   to have their privileges elevated on demand.

Nevertheless, the focus of each of these approaches is to ensure that the employee uses their privileges in an authorized manner, considering that they are a good employee and not an attacker looking for ways to compromise the organization.

In both cases, the privileges granted to their privileged personal account or in the sudo configuration are permanent and at risk of being abused by a motivated criminal.

Just Enough Privilege (JEP) and Just in Time (JIT)

What if we can eliminate these standing privileges and replace them with a policy-driven process to allow privileged access only when necessary and with scope only for the required tasks?

The answer to that is using the concepts of Just Enough Privilege (JEP) and Just in Time (JIT). In a just-in-time workflow, there are no standing privileges for employees – no sudo settings to manage, no privileged personal account to monitor.

Instead, potential employee privileges are detailed in a centralized policy. When an employee’s job requires privileged access, they start an activity that describes what they want to do and what resources they need to do it.

Behind the scenes, an activity identity is created or activated and only required privileges are granted to perform just the desired task.

The activity is then performed interactively by the employee (for example, a remote desktop protocol for a server – RDP) or by the system on their behalf (for example, rebooting a server).

Upon completion of the activity, privileges are revoked from the activity’s identity and it is destroyed or deactivated.

By adopting this workflow, the privilege attack surface is reduced to the window during which the employee is actively using the privilege, which decreases the risk that an attacker will steal credential passwords.

Unlike traditional PAM, where the focus is on protecting the means (for example, privileged accounts or settings) that provide privileges, the focus of the JEP and JIT workflow is on the user.

All an employee needs to know is that they are required to restart a specific server, and the system will take care of providing, protecting, and destroying the privilege when they are done.

The goal of Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) can be achieved through just-in-time privilege access, improving operational sustainability for your privilege access program and dramatically reducing the privilege attack surface.

Benefits of Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP)

Standing privilege is defined as the fact that accounts have access with persistent privileges at all times to some set of systems. Zero Standing Privileges (ZSP) is just the opposite.

It is the purest form of just-in-time administrator access, ensuring that the principle of least privilege is applied by granting authorized users the privileged access they need for a minimum period and only the minimum rights they need.

This elimination of permanent privilege through Zero Standing Privilege is really an advantage for understanding the current privileged access and mitigating possible cybersecurity risks.

Final Thoughts

It is encouraging to see the market has started to recognize standing privilege as a key risk that needs to be addressed and that storing secrets and rotating local administrator passwords on critical servers is not enough.

Attackers are targeting workstations as the easiest way and using the administrator access available on those workstations to spread across corporate networks.

It is necessary to consider a position of Zero Standing Privilege in our environments. Stolen credentials will continue to be the easiest target for attackers and will continue to contribute to 80% of data breaches.

Gartner is a company recognized for providing impartial, high-quality consulting and research on the IT market, as well as providing valuable information and insights to the entire technology community.

Through its more than 15,000 employees, Gartner also contributes to determining the IT standards in place and the market trends that will become a reality in the future. Its reach is global, being located in more than 100 countries.

Also, they have become a benchmark in the industry for maintaining high ethical standards and conducting meticulous research, while remaining independent.

Are you interested in the subject? Find out below the relevance of Gartner’s work and the importance of its Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities for PAM report for the technology market.

Gartner Relevance

Gartner not only provides important research for the technology market but also tools to help CIOs and IT leaders navigate an ever-changing world. In addition, it promotes conferences to help bring together leaders to talk about strategic actions for making commercial and technical decisions.

Among the extensive research documentation that Gartner provides to the community, there is a chart comparing competitors in many IT industries. They call it the Magic Quadrant.

What is the Gartner Magic Quadrant?

The Gartner Magic Quadrant uses a uniform set of assessment criteria with results plotted in a graphical form showing the competitive positioning, facilitating the verification of how vendors of digital products and services are meeting requirements and working in relation to Gartner’s market vision.

The Magic Quadrant is the first step in understanding what these vendors and their associated technology do. This tool helps you understand visions, strategic roadmaps, and all their ability to operate according to your specific needs.

Moreover, the report is an excellent tool for:

• discovering the relative competitive positions of digital services and technology vendors that compete globally;
• reflecting on individual business goals, needs, and priorities;
• contextualizing the assessment through the perspectives of the industry, region, and company size.

To fully understand the results of the Magic Quadrant, one needs to understand the meaning of each category or quadrant of the graph:

• Challengers: These are companies with excellent ability to execute. However, they are not yet able to direct the market in one direction.
• Leaders: These are companies that, in addition to offering a comprehensive set of tools, also have a vision and guide the market with new products and features.
• Visionaries: These are innovators with a strong understanding of current and future market trends, but still do not have the ability leaders have to execute;
• Niche Players: Here are the vendors that perform well in specific tasks, but their solutions are still quite limited in other aspects and functionalities.

What are Gartner’s Critical Capabilities?

As an essential companion to the Gartner Magic Quadrant, this methodology provides an insight into the capabilities of the vendors’ products and services, adding value to the assessment offered by the Magic Quadrant.

This research is used to better investigate the classifications of products and services based on key resources defined for important and differentiating use cases.

Gartner’s Critical Capabilities document is a comparative analysis that scores competing products or services against a set of critical differentiators identified by Gartner.

It shows which products or services are best suited in various use cases to provide actionable advice on which products/services you should add to your vendor lists for further evaluation.

Gartner’s Critical Capabilities and Magic Quadrant together offer powerful information such as:

• Deeper insights into product and service offerings from different vendors.
• Understanding of which products and services are best suited for common usage scenarios.
• Assistance in strategic planning and development of different value propositions with a comparative analysis of the main software, technology, or service offerings.

How important are Gartner’s Critical Capabilities for PAM?

Privileged Access Management (PAM) tools help organizations provide secure privileged access to critical assets, as well as meet compliance requirements by managing and monitoring privileged accounts and access.

According to Gartner in its Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities reports, PAM tools offer features that enable security and technology leaders to:

• Discover privileged accounts on systems, devices, and applications for subsequent management.
• Automatically manage and protect passwords and other credentials for administrative, service, and application accounts.
• Control access to privileged accounts, including shared and emergency access accounts.
• Isolate, monitor, record, and audit privileged access sessions, commands, and actions.

To qualify for inclusion in the PAM quadrant, vendors must deliver a service that has the following characteristics:

• Tools to discover, map and report on any privileged accounts across multiple devices, applications, terminals, and systems.
• A reinforced, secure, and highly available vault to store secrets and credentials.
• User interfaces for reviewing privileged credentials.
• Tools to automatically rotate and manage credentials for service, administrative, device, system, and application accounts.
• Support for role-based administration, including centralized policy management.
• Privileged account reporting and analysis tools.

As mentioned, Gartner is an institution that indicates the best technologies in its consulting services, so the better a solution is placed in its reports, the greater the chances of it being recommended.

Because of this, companies constantly invest in the development of their solutions, significantly increasing the quality and growth speed of their market.

senhasegura in The Gartner Magic Quadrant

Senhasegura has participated in the last two Gartner Magic Quadrants in the field of PAM (Privileged Access Management) solutions.

In 2018, the senhasegura solution was in the Visionaries category, and in 2020, it was included in the Challengers category, receiving recognition for all the work done.

According to Gartner, senhasegura stands out in aspects such as:

• Very efficient RDP proxy function.
• Excellent performance for session management.
• Advanced account discovery and mapping features.

Also, it received recognition for its great progress in the area of DevOps and the analytical resources in its PAM solution.

We know that the protection and security of business activities and processes are of paramount importance for a company. This is because, in addition to cyber invasions being vastly frequent in the virtual space, they also offer several problems for a company, especially in the case of data leaks – whose action is intolerable by LGPD rules, for example.

For this reason, we understand that virtual attacks are actions provoked by cybercriminals, who seek to steal business and customer data in order to use them for illicit purposes. Therefore, it is important to know how to prevent cyberattacks and how to better protect our systems from cybercriminals.

Do you want to learn more about it? So, keep reading our post and get all your questions answered.

What are the consequences of cyberattacks for companies?

As we all know, the importance of knowing how to prevent virtual attacks in a company is crucial, as we are not only dealing with sensitive internal data, but also with our customers’ data.

Thus, we can predict some negative consequences for an organization as a result of the virtual attacks. Take a look at them:

1. Unstable systems

In general, one of the issues that we need to take into account as a consequence of virtual attacks is the instability in the entire infrastructure of the company. In other words, this can mean weaker and slower systems, causing processes and activities to be interrupted so that the repair actions themselves can be initiated.

This process complicates the routine of work activities, disfavoring the quality and deadline for products and services to its end customers.

2. Reduction of customers

As a result of a completely inefficient system, we ended up noticing the loss of customers in the medium term. Customers dissatisfied with products and services offered by a company tend to cancel contracts immediately, generating even more losses for the organization.

That’s because employee and customer data can be exposed, which tarnishes the brand’s reputation and makes it less competitive.

3. Increasing costs

If computational and technological issues turn out to be frequent, repair and maintenance costs will also be higher.

This is because criminal attacks – when carried out efficiently – generate continuous losses, leading to the contracting of outsourced personnel for performing preventive maintenance and monitoring, in addition to the purchase of new equipment, software, and other items to stabilize internal systems.

The 4 most common virtual attacks on companies

Now that you know the concept and consequences of cyberattacks, check out the ones that occur most often in the business environment:

1. Phishing

In general, phishing is extremely well-known for being basically a strategy to clone pages, websites, messages, among others. The criminal who uses this practice seeks to win customers by having them send personal data, thinking that they are getting involved with reliable companies.

A practical example of this type of virtual attack is when we regularly see some internet pages – be it from banks, streaming services, e-mail providers – asking for personal data in exchange for benefits and advantages.

2. Ransomware

When dealing with virtual attacks, one of the most feared is, certainly, ransomware. In case you do not know, this type of attack is nothing more than an intelligent way to hijack sensitive data and information, asking for their release.

In practical terms, it can all start with malicious advertising, a social media trigger, or even a fake message.

After a certain employee of the company downloads a file with ransomware, the malware already begins to work on the computer system.

As soon as it is installed, the ransomware encrypts data and allows criminals to enter the company’s virtual systems and start browsing folders and documents, looking for personal information, data and bank accounts, strategies, among others.

When this occurs, the related processes for preventing virtual attacks become much more difficult.

3. Spear Phishing

Spear Phishing is nothing more than another type of Phishing, however, it is focused on specific companies and employees who work in the virtual environment.

Thus, we consider that it is an invasion segmented by the criminals themselves, having techniques, devices, and tools of social engineering to elaborate deceptive schemes and share them as a completely harmless email, website, process, or even a downloadable file.

4. DDoS

Currently, DDoS is considered one of the most powerful virtual attacks. This is because it is simply a “mix of actions” that are directed exclusively to the companies’ servers. In practice, it is totally controlled through a master computer, which in this case, would be the criminal behind the action.

With this, it works as if it were a type of system completely secure for the victims, and from there, it offers space for hackers and cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities to invade the virtual environment of companies.

Thus, one of the symptoms that the system itself can show is its poor performance.

How to avoid virtual attacks?

After understanding the seriousness of virtual invasions, we can now think of efficient ways to protect ourselves from these possible attacks:

1. Using strong passwords

One of the first tips is to have the responsibility and awareness to create increasingly strong passwords, and preferably they should be different between each account. This makes access by cybercriminals much more difficult, since complex passwords end up not being deductible.

The greater the importance of a given systemic process, the more complex the password must be. Examples: bigger passwords for banking processes and applications, less complex passwords for internet login, among others.

2. Using a good antivirus

There are several efficient antiviruses on the virtual market. So, search for the one that best fits your needs, taking advantage of all its benefits and ensuring that it understands all the fields of protection your business needs.

3. Relying on specialized security companies

If your company does not know where to start or does not have a more complete idea of the security processes its working activities must have, it can be crucial to have the support of a company specialized in this subject. Therefore, look for a trustworthy brand, which has experience in the subject and an excellent reputation in the market.

In addition to your virtual information being under the care of highly trained specialists, you will have even more time to focus on more important business activities.

Conclusion

As we have seen, virtual attacks are extremely frequent and must be a factor to be taken into account by companies that wish to obtain excellence and quality in the market.