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Security Risk Assessments Unearth Crucial Insights

A thorough and accurate risk assessment can unearth a host of crucial insights from even the deepest and darkest alleys of your IT environment to ultimately empower your decision making. Having actionable insights at your disposal can help you build strategies to reduce risk levels in practical ways instead of shooting in the dark by testing various tools. 

Here are some of the most important details that become more apparent and unambiguous with every risk assessment. 

 

01

 

Baseline of the System 

A risk assessment helps you chart out the lifecycle of all data that is collected, stored and managed in your entire network. 

 

 

02

 

Identification of Threats 

A meticulous risk assessment identifies all the possible threats, such as intentional, unintentional, technical, non-technical and structural, that your business data is exposed to.  

 

 

03

 

Identification of Vulnerabilities 

With each assessment, you get the latest list of vulnerabilities prevalent in your network with respect to patches, policies, procedures, software, equipment and more. 

 

 

04

 

Current Status of Existing Controls 

From the assessment report, you can also understand the existing security and privacy controls protecting your business against vulnerabilities. 

 

 

05

 

Probability of Impact 

An accurate assessment report is fully capable of anticipating the probability of a threat that might exploit one of your network’s existing vulnerabilities. 

 

 

06

 

Strength of Impact 

Risk assessment also helps you gauge the possible impact of any threat hitting your business. 

Imagine how easy it would be for you to build and implement a strategy to fix the security loopholes in your business while maintaining a well-documented record of your efforts. 

 

                                       

                        (more information in next weeks blog)

 

 

First Step to Compliance: A Thorough and Accurate Risk Assessment

Complying with data privacy and protection regulations wouldn’t give several business owners sleepless nights if it only meant installing a predefined list of security solutions. Compliance goes way beyond this and for good reason. In principle, regulators, local or international, want businesses to: 

01

 

assess the type of data that is stored and managed

02

 

 

gauge the potential risks the data is exposed to 

03

 

 

list down the remediation efforts needed to mitigate the risks 

04

 

 

undertake necessary remediation efforts regularly 

05

 

 

most importantly, document every single step of this seemingly arduous process as evidence

Each of the above steps are mandatory and non-negotiable. A closer look will tell you that installing a list of expensive security solutions comes only after the first three steps in the process have been followed. Skipping past these initial steps and acting merely on presumptuous knowledge is tantamount to leaving your business’ future to sheer chance. It’s anyone’s guess what that would lead to. 

That’s why we’re going to explain to you why a thorough and accurate risk assessment is truly the first step towards achieving compliance. Moreover, when repeated regularly, it can help you demonstrate continuous compliance while keeping cyberthreats at bay.

(more information in next weeks blog)

 

7 WAYS TO SPOT A

PHISHING EMAIL

One of today’s biggest phishing risks is email spoofing. This form of phishing involves cybercriminals mimicking official corporate communications to lure unsuspecting employees into interacting with them. In this scheme, emails purporting to be from large firms, such as Amazon, Microsoft or DHL, are malicious. Discerning what is real versus what is fake can help your organization prevent costly cybersecurity breaches.

 

 

01

 

CHECK THE SENDER’S

DOMAIN AND EMAIL ADDRESS

Legitimate companies send emails from their official domain, like “microsoft.com,” and not variants like “microsoft.business.com.” If a domain looks odd, check the address on the company’s website.

 

 

02

 

PAY ATTENTION TO THE

HEADER AND FOOTER FOR CLUES

If the header or footer is inconsistent with other messages from that brand or
has missing information or is just slapdash, it’s likely the message is a phishing attempt.

 

 

03

 

LOOK AT THE

SUBJECT LINE AND PREHEADER

Does the subject line or pre-header of a message seem a little “off” to you? Are
there odd phrases, emojis or unusual things in the subject line and/or pre-header? If yes, it indicates phishing

 

 

04

 

ANALYZE THE

CONTENT AND IMPLIED URGENCY

Claiming an action is urgent, offering a special that’s too good to be true or insisting a company must make a payment before services are cut off are all hallmarks of phishing.

 

 

 

 

05

 

BEWARE OF

FORMATTING RED FLAGS

This is where many of us catch phishing attempts. If the message has strange
formatting, spelling mistakes or bad grammar, or the colors, logos and fonts are
“off,” it’s probably phishing.

 

 

06

 

BE WARY OF

UNEXPECTED ATTACHMENTS LIKE PDFs OR WORD DOCS

If you aren’t expecting an attachment or an attachment looks suspicious because it has a strange name, it might be malware or ransomware, which are frequently deployed through phishing.

 

 

07

 

USE CAUTION IF A MESSAGE ASKS

YOU TO LOG IN THROUGH A NEW LINK

Consider the links that a message asks you to click to see if they go to the company’s actual domain or log in on their site directly. Fraudulent password reset requests are a staple of phishing.

 

 

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY WHEN IT COMES TO EMAIL MANAGEMENT

Phishing is one of the most common attack vectors employees encounter. The good news, however, is that regular security awareness training empowers employees to spot and stop bogus messages, such as fake branded emails, and reduces your company’s chance of experiencing a damaging cyberattack.

Choose a training platform/learning management system that allows you to design training courses and then upload/deploy them to team members. The solution must host a wide range of training courses including employee safety, conduct (anti-harassment), orientation/employee onboarding, cybersecurity, policy changes and more.

We have the right training solution for your business.

Contact us to learn more.

http://asylumxcd.com/contact-us

 

 

Four Ways Disasters Fuel Cyberattacks

Your business, in all likelihood, already faces numerous challenges in today’s tech-driven world. However, the aftermath of an unexpected disaster can push your organization to breaking point. This unintentionally creates opportunities for cybercriminals to launch devastating attacks, amplifying the chaos caused by such events

Disaster preparedness should be a top priority for your business — not only for physical resilience but also for fortifying your digital defenses. By understanding how disasters fuel cyberattacks, you can proactively safeguard your business against these deceptive threats.

Understanding how disasters amplify cyberthreats

Let’s look at four major ways disasters amplify cyberthreats and what strategies you can utilize to bolster your cybersecurity posture in the face of adversity.

01

Leveraging diverted attention and resources

When a disaster strikes, the immediate focus shifts toward safety and recovery. Unfortunately, this diverts attention and resources away from maintaining and protecting your IT systems and networks.

With a reduced emphasis on cybersecurity measures, essential updates and monitoring may be overlooked, leaving your networks vulnerable to intrusion. Cybercriminals seize this opportunity to infiltrate your systems, compromise sensitive data and disrupt your operations.

To tackle this situation, establish a dedicated team responsible for monitoring and maintaining cybersecurity, even during times of crisis. Implement automated security systems to scan for vulnerabilities and apply necessary patches continuously. By ensuring cybersecurity remains a priority, even in challenging times, you can minimize the risk of cyberattacks.

02

Exploiting fear, urgency, chaos and uncertainty

Disasters create an environment of fear, urgency, chaos and uncertainty — prime conditions for cybercriminals to thrive in. They launch targeted attacks, such as deceptive emails or fraudulent websites, capitalizing on the sense of urgency and the need for quick solutions. By manipulating individuals into disclosing sensitive information, cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to critical systems.

To combat this, educate your employees about the tactics used in phishing attacks and social engineering scams. Train them to recognize warning signs, such as suspicious emails or requests for sensitive information. Encourage a culture of skepticism and verification, where employees double-check the authenticity of requests before sharing confidential data.

By fostering a vigilant and informed workforce, you can fortify your defense against cybercriminals seeking to exploit fear and uncertainty.

03

Damaging critical infrastructure

Disasters can cause severe damage to your critical infrastructure, compromising components integral to your cybersecurity measures. Destruction of servers, routers or firewalls can weaken your defense mechanisms, allowing cybercriminals to exploit security gaps.

To address this challenge, ensure your critical infrastructure has backup and disaster recovery in place. Regularly back up your data, store it securely off-site or in the cloud, and test the restoration process to ensure it functions smoothly. Implement robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including provisions for cybersecurity.

By maintaining resilient infrastructure and regularly testing your backup and recovery processes, you can mitigate the impact of infrastructure damage on your cybersecurity.

 

04

Impersonation and deception

In the wake of a disaster, cybercriminals often exploit the trust associated with relief organizations and government agencies. By impersonating these trusted sources, they deceive victims through phishing emails, messages or calls, tricking them into divulging sensitive information or engaging in fraudulent transactions. 

To protect yourself from such scams:

  • Encourage your employees to verify the authenticity of any communication received during a disaster.
  • Advise them to independently contact the organization or agency through known, trusted channels to confirm the legitimacy of any requests.
  • Establish robust security awareness training programs that educate employees about common impersonation tactics and teach them how to report them effectively.

By promoting a culture of caution and verification, you can defend against impersonation and deception tactics used by cybercriminals.

Act now to safeguard your business

Now that we know how cybercriminals can target your business during a disaster, prioritizing disaster preparedness and implementing the above-highlighted measures are important to navigate today’s ever-evolving technology landscape.

If you need expert guidance, we’re here to help fortify your disaster preparedness and cybersecurity efforts. Together, let’s ensure a resilient and secure future for your business. Contact us today to proactively safeguard what you’ve worked so hard to build.

No shortcuts to good deals

Don’t ignore the warning signs. Legitimate online stores tend to invest in professional web design while fraudulent sites often have misspellings or a poor appearance.  Explore the path to a safer online shopping experience by contacting us today.

It pays to verify

Unbelievable discounts can be tempting, which is why scammers leverage them to lure shoppers. Before hitting the buy button, double-check prices on trusted sites to make sure it isn’t too good to be true.  Follow us for more tips and tricks about online shopping. Always trust your instincts and remember — if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!

 

Practice safe surfing

Ensure your online shopping trip is secure by checking for https:// in the website URL or spotting the padlock in the website’s address bar. Steer clear of sites missing these security features and ride the waves of the internet with peace of mind.  Protect your digital paradise. Get in touch with us today to learn more.