The Digital Insider | Category: Digital Security

Turn the tables: Advance your security with evidence-backed expert insights – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In 2023, the cyber threat landscape evolved at a record-breaking pace. Global cyber attacks increased by roughly 48%. Threats became more sophisticated and expensive to contend with than ever before.

Cyber security leaders who overlook recent developments risk being blindsided by powerful, persistent and potentially damaging cyber adversaries. The bad actors are well-financed and are finding network “footholds” in unprecedented ways.

More than two-thirds of companies report having experienced a cyber attack in the last 12 months. The alarming truth is that businesses aren’t adapting fast enough. As cyber crime accelerates, will your organization be able to keep up?

Included in the report

Newly developed ransomware techniques have intensified the malware’s impact on businesses. In 2023, Check Point Research observed a notable spike in large-scale ransomware attacks intended to disrupt multiple businesses in quick succession. Actual incidents impacted hundreds or thousands of entities.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail,”
– Benjamin Franklin

And other evolving threats are even more pernicious than that. Threat actors have developed new tactics that covertly exploit edge devices for the purpose of executing extensive DDoS attacks, spam campaigns and network takeovers. Attackers have also increased their use of AI to scale efforts. AI is now used to analyze information, enhance phishing threats and to automate attacks.

The aforementioned represent just a fraction of the ways in which cyber attackers and attacks are becoming more sophisticated. Ensure that your organization knows which advanced security tools to implement. In the Check Point Research Cyber Security Report, get expert recommendations for strategic and innovative products that can keep pace with the latest threats.

Context as a compass

Context around contemporary threats can be just as critical as product recommendations, as context is what enables your organization to ‘see around corners’; to predict problems. Context defines agility. In short, context enables organizations to effectively anticipate, adapt to and respond to threats.

The environmental information included in the Check Point Research Cyber Security Report empowers security leaders to identify issues with greater accuracy and to present a stronger response.

Further details

In 2024, for the vast majority of organizations, confronting cyber security challenges will be a core business objective. As your organization looks ahead, ensure that it accounts for the latest cyber security trends, research, intelligence analyses and recommendations — as explained by preeminent industry experts.

Get valuable insights that can translate to stronger cyber security, improved business resilience, fewer nightmares and more sleep for your security staff. Discover why leading brands trust the Check Point Research Cyber Security Report. Download now.

For more information about the forces shaping the cyber threat landscape, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter. Get timely insights, cutting-edge analyses and more, delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Hackers steal faces to create deepfakes and empty bank accounts

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

A new form of mobile malware is designed to harvest personal information, including facial biometric data, which hackers then process for the purpose of generating deepfakes. Once the deepfakes are deployed, they deceive electronic security systems, allowing hackers to break into bank accounts and disappear with the funds.

The hackers are also impersonating local bank representatives and government organizations, as this multi-part malware scheme relies on the provisioning of select verbal commands. One early victim of the scheme lost approximately $40,000, according to police.

Biometric data theft

Known as GoldPickaxe, the malware is disguised as one of roughly two dozen apps. The malware can steal photos stored on a device, request information from users during a supposed app onboarding process, and prompt people to photograph both sides of an official identity card, which allows the app to gather profile pictures. All data is then sent to an attacker-controlled cloud bucket.

Cyber security researchers believe that the Chinese-speaking threat actor group called GoldFactory is likely responsible for the malware. The group is also known for the creation of GoldDigger, GoldDiggerPlus and GoldKefu — all banking trojans.

“The gang has well-defined processes and operational maturity and constantly enhances its tool set to align with the targeted environment, showing a high proficiency in malware development,” says malware analyst Andrey Polovinkin.

Asia-Pacific risk

At present, GoldFactory predominately targets people in the Asia-Pacific region. Police have identified victims in Vietnam and Thailand.

In March of 2023, Thailand’s central bank ordered banks around the nation to comply with new mobile banking security requirements. This involves the use of biometric authentication whenever someone attempts to open a new bank account or attempts to facilitate digital financial transfers of more than 50,000 bhat. GoldPickaxe emerged three months after these security measures were implemented, seemingly in an effort to circumvent them.

Given the ubiquity of facial recognition as an access and security feature across banks, both in Asia and elsewhere, the malware threatens to become a global menace. GoldPickaxe-like malware could be adopted by other threat groups and/or incorporated into existing malware strains.

GoldPickaxe is available for both Android and iOS, which is extremely rare. In general, Apple iOS blocks the installation of unapproved apps.

In this case, attackers attempt to socially engineer victims into installing the malware — either via Apple’s online TestFlight service (for app beta-testing) or by allowing a device to be enrolled in an attacker-controlled mobile device management program.

Why this malware is effective

This malware is effective for two reasons: The first is that deepfake technology is now more sophisticated, it’s “smarter,” than biometric authentication mechanisms.

Facial recognition systems that don’t use 3D data are relatively easy to bypass using images.

The second is that the vast majority of security professionals, product developers and the general public lack awareness of the fact that deepfakes can fool biometrics-based systems.

Further thoughts

This malware remains in an active stage of evolution. Ensure that you and your organization stay up-to-date regarding the latest cyber threats. Subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter here.

Lastly, for more threat intelligence insights, please download Check Point’s 2024 Security Report.

Threat prevention & defense for government agencies – CyberTalk

Pete Nicoletti is a Field CISO for the Americas region at Check Point. Pete has 32 years of security, network, and MSSP experience and has been a hands-on CISO for the last 17 years. Pete’s cloud security deployments and designs have been rated by Garter as #1 and #2 and he literally “wrote the book” on secure cloud reference designs, as published by Intel Press: “Building the Infrastructure for Cloud Security: A Solutions View.”

If you’ve noticed the recent, alarming surge in targeted phishing, successful ransomware attacks and exfiltrations plaguing government agencies, you’ll want to explore these crucial insights around proactive prevention and how to strengthen defenses.

In this interview with Check Point CISO Pete Nicoletti, discover why government agencies are prime hacker targets, delve into recent cyber security breaches, and find out about how to deftly avoid potentially ruinous cyber threats.

Tell us about the phishing and ransomware trends that you’re seeing among government agencies:

We now have millions more college-level English speakers and above-average Python programmers, as ChatGPT enables this for $20/month! ChatGPT can pass advanced English and has an IQ over 120! Highly targeted phishing/whaling emails using previously exfiltrated information, combined with over-posted social media information, are enabling criminals to create familiarity with their target. Once accomplished, they add a sense of urgency and the result is a significant click rate on phishing emails.

Government agencies are losing….Why? They are the #1 target, and email is the #1 vulnerability/malware delivery vector.

Why have CISOs struggled to prevent nation-state attacks in the past?

Disparity in resources between offense vs. defense
- As per Christopher Ray: Chinese Communist Party hacking resources are ~50 – 1 vs U.S. federal staff resources
Poor tool selection, not based on efficacy, but based on lowest price only
Dependency on substandard cloud service provider/email provider tools

Microsoft tools protecting Outlook are just not good enough…

Can you share two or three best practices you’d like to see government agencies adopt?

Evolve from traditional gateway solutions to API-based architecture.
Don’t trust tools that are bolted onto your license. Again, they are not good enough.
Analyze tools for efficacy during the purchase phase. Demand 3^rd party test results, test in your environment with real traffic and loads.

Why is phishing prevention through an AI-driven inline, API architecture most effective?

Security by obscurity: Hackers cannot easily determine what security technology is in use. Gateways are trivial to identify and then they test their phishing and malware against them.

Scalability: API-driven technology can scale with message volume and can be easily deployed, managed, and upgraded….or added in-line with other tools.

You must have AI-driven analysis to keep up with AI-driven threats. Old signature-based tools and end-user reporting of spam are not good enough to protect critical assets.

If you work for or with government agencies and would like more information from CISO Pete Nicoletti regarding cyber security best practices and technologies, please click here or join this webinar.

Aussie data breach report exposes supply chain risks – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Approximately 60% of Australian organizations lack a comprehensive understanding of third-party data breach risks, with over 50% failing to implement impactful measures to assist with long-term third-party risk management. Authorities are concerned…

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s recent data breach report highlights growing concern over supply chain risks and breaches. The report reveals a significant number of multi-party incidents.

These often originate from cloud or software providers, raising questions about awareness of and efforts to mature supply chain security measures.

Commonly reported incidents, catalyzed by supply chain breaches, include phishing, compromised account credentials and ransomware.

OAIC response

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is intensifying its pursuit of regulatory actions against organizations that have experienced data breaches. Civil penalties are being exacted through the Federal Court.

In particular, Australia is prioritizing actions in cases where there were clear failures to adhere to reporting requirements and obvious lapses around protecting personal information. This includes situations where organizations have left data vulnerable by retaining it for undue lengths of time.

“As the guardians of Australians’ personal information, organisations must have security measures in place to minimise the risk of a data breach. If a data breach does occur, organisations should put the individual at the front and centre of their response, ensuring they are promptly told so their risk of harm can be minimized,” said Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk.

Steps for organizations

An organization’s third-party risk management approach should be unique to the given enterprise on account of who it works with, its role in the larger ecosystem, regulatory requirements, data protection requirements and risk tolerance.

There are numerous ways in which to go about being more proactive around third-party risk. As a strong initial step, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner recommends, among other things, embedding risk management into third-party contractual agreements.

If your organization is just starting out in this area or would like to improve existing agreements, consider the following:

Define clear expectations and requirements

Establish well-defined SLAs. They should clearly outline cyber security expectations and requirements for all parties.
Specify ownership of data. Clearly define who is responsible for which data and how it can or cannot be used.
Address access and use of customer data. Ensure that data handling aligns you’re your organization’s privacy and security standards.
Call out data retention. Define how long data can be stored for. Specify when it should be securely deleted.

Create backup and contingency plans

Retain backup vendors for critical services. Should one provider fail for whatever reason, your organization will be able to quickly switch to an alternative without operational disruption.
Have a data breach response plan. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined. Establish communication channels and procedures for notifying affected parties, should a breach occur.

Regularly monitor and assess

Conduct risk assessments. Understand third-party security practices and evaluate risk posture.
Conduct compliance audits. Conduct audits in order to verify compliance with contractual obligations. Ensure that third-parties adhere to agreed upon cyber security measures.

Further thoughts

In our global business landscape, supply chain risk management is a critical practice. By limiting supply chain breaches, organizations protect their reputations, avoid emergency costs, and reduce the potential for risk management related lawsuits — Which, again, are about to affect a number of organizations in Australia.

If you’d like to get ahead of potential regulatory and legal challenges, be sure to read A CISO’s Guide to Preventing Downstream Effects (And Litigation) After a Breach.

7 best practices for tackling dangerous emails – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Email is the #1 means of communication globally. It’s simple, affordable and easily available. However, email systems weren’t designed with security in mind. In the absence of first-rate security measures, email can become a hacker’s paradise, offering unfettered access to a host of tantalizingly lucrative opportunities.

Regarding email threat prevention, adherence to security best practices positively influences outcomes. In this article, discover seven unbeatable ways to tackle the issue of email security and dangerous emails. Reduce your organization’s risk, safeguard systems, and minimize your mean time to incident recovery.

7 best practices for tackling dangerous emails

1. Develop and enforce a corporate email policy. This document should provide guidelines around use and monitoring of corporate email services.

Specify that email communications should center around work tasks, work projects and official business. Excessive non-work related email is not acceptable, as it can introduce undue security risks.

Provide guidance around creating strong passwords, rotating them on a regular basis and avoidance of password sharing. Encourage employees to use unique passwords for corporate accounts.

An email policy might also note that in an effort to prevent insider threats, employees may be subject to monitoring of messages that reside on the mail server.

2. Implement an advanced email filtering system. Invest in technologies that can sift through emails before they reach the end-user. These technologies analyze patterns, identify anomalies and continuously adapt to new threats — providing your people with high-quality threat protection.

3. Incorporate AI-powered tools into your email security stack. AI and ML bring new capabilities to the table. They can identify threats that may be missed by more traditional tooling, blocking the most evasive and sophisticated of threats before they can evolve into intimidating multi-stage attacks.

4. Endpoint security. Ensure that devices used by employees to access email and network resources are secure. Install and regularly update endpoint security software. In addition, implement a password management policy and device encryption.

5. Leverage email encryption. By encrypting emails, your organization ensures that sensitive data remains impervious to interception and unauthorized access. Encryption means that only the intended recipient can open and read through the contents of messages.

This cuts down on the possibility that a bad actor will attempt to parse through data for social engineering purposes, and it reduces the potential for malware-based email attachment attacks, among other threat types.

6. Provide employees with awareness training. Ensure that employees are well-informed about corporate security policies, their responsibilities in helping to maintain organizational security, and common types of threats that they should look out for – many of which are email-based.

Explain recommended best practices and provide contact information for cyber security personnel, should they have any questions or encounter anything seemingly malicious.

7. Opt for an email security solution that goes beyond email. Because email-based threats can spread through an organization horizontally, consider an email security solution that covers all collaboration channels — think G Suite, Teams, Slack and OneDrive. Solutions like Avanan provide this service and offer free proof-of-value.

Bonus: While this isn’t a means of proactively tackling dangerous emails, it will assist with addressing dangerous emails after they’ve been opened or clicked on:

Have an incident response plan. If your organization can take swift action after learning of a threat, you may be able to avoid far-reaching damage and unexpected expenses.

Regularly evaluate and update an incident response plan. This will help ensure that your organization can combat new and emerging email threats. Check out our incident response resources, here.

Lastly, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter for timely insights, cutting-edge analyses and more, delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Scam alert! The most subtle tax season scams to avoid this year – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Cyber scammers love tax season. Emotions run high and it’s easy for scammers to prey on FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). In the U.S., almost everyone is petrified (and peeved) by the tax system’s complexity, discouraged by deceptive tax service providers, and perpetually uncertain about their calculations.

Then of course, there’s also the possibility of owing a significant bill, of failing to receive funds, or of the inability to submit taxes on-time due to technological failures. Given the anxiety-ridden and sometimes grueling nature of the tax return process, cyber scammers have a field day preying on people.

Whether you’ve been filing taxes for just five years or for fifty years, anyone can fall victim to a tax season scam. This year, take care. Memorize the techniques employed in the most subtle and insidious scams and don’t forget to share insights with colleagues, family and friends:

IRS impersonation scams

1. Phone calls from the IRS. Scammers can spoof the IRS phone number, leading targets to believe that the IRS is on the line; that a legitimate IRS agent has a message for them.

Because no upstanding citizen wishes to deliberately flout the law or to ignore a call from an official agency, people are prone to providing ‘IRS agents’ with personal information — especially social security numbers.

2. Emails impersonating the IRS. Scammers send zillions of fake emails to people that appear to be from the IRS. Emails may display the IRS logo and otherwise look official. These emails ask for personal information or instruct people to input personal data into fake websites.

Last year, Americans lost $4.2 million to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) impersonators.

3. Account set-up assistance scams. Scammers sometimes chase vulnerable populations (the elderly, the differently-abled, the very young) to offer assistance with online account set-up. If you need assistance setting up an online account, contact the IRS directly.

Tax professional scams

4. Ghost tax preparers. Fraudulent tax preparers sometimes promise significant rebates or huge tax returns. However, their practices are illegal.

5. ‘I’ll help you negotiate a settlement’. Scammers may pose as helpful negotiators who can expeditiously resolve tax issues. Individuals who face mountains of debt may be tempted to talk to anyone who can ease the burden. While some scammers will prepare taxes for individuals, the red flag is that they won’t sign the taxes. Legitimate service providers will.

High-income filer scams

6. Charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT) scams. These scams promise to eliminate ordinary income or capital gains tax on property sales. In essence, high-income individuals transfer assets into a trust, receive annuity payments and specify a charity as the ultimate beneficiary. While created as an altruistic mechanism for sharing wealth, scammers can manipulate situations and lead people to use CRATs as tax shelters.

7. Monetized installment sales scams. In these scams, fraudsters sell assets and assist individuals in deferring capital gains taxes. Legal grey areas are exploited and deals are structured in such a way as to fit the dictionary definition of tax evasion.

8. Captive insurance arrangements. High-income earners sometimes seek to reduce tax liability by developing their own insurance companies (captives). These are intended to insure risks related to a business, but there are ways in which scammers can abuse this structure for their own gain.

General scams

9. Tax refund accelerator scams. To execute these scams, fraudsters send personalized emails or share website details about a special service that promises to expedite the tax refund process, ensuring that consumers receive money faster than average.

Scammers manipulate people by emphasizing that the service is exclusive and only available for a limited length of time. Once victims provide personal details, the scammers disappear.

10. Unexpected calls from the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Although the Taxpayer Advocate Service is a legitimate IRS program, scammers may impersonate the group in order to gain a potential victim’s trust (and ultimately, their data, which can be used for multiple types of theft).

Another subtle sign of fraud…

Should you receive a notice about a “duplicate tax return” or a notice stating that additional taxes are owed, contact the IRS directly.

If you think that you’ve fallen for a tax scam…

If you think that you’ve become the victim of a tax scam in the U.S, reach out to the IRS immediately and report the scam to the Better Business Bureau.

Lastly, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter for timely insights, cutting-edge analyses and more, delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Cyber threat prevention ahead of U.S. elections – CyberTalk

Mark Ostrowski is Head of Engineering, U.S. East, for Check Point, a global cyber security company. With over 20 years of experience in IT security, he has helped design and support some of the largest security environments in the country. Mark actively contributes to national and local media, discussing cyber security and its effects in business and at home. He also provides thought leadership for the IT security industry.

In the U.S., election season is underway. In this exclusive interview, Check Point’s Head of Engineering, U.S. East, Mark Ostrowski, discusses disruption, misinformation and more. Explore the challenges. Stand prepared for a season like never before. Don’t miss this!

What kinds of cyber-related election threats are you seeing? What are you seeing in relation to voter data and attempts to steal it, if anything?

A few thoughts as we approach November. Not hearing too much real time chatter on active threats or activity. However, the there has been no slowdown or shortage of ongoing attacks that have been accumulating user credentials and identity information. Only the future will show whether this data will be used in mass during the election cycle.

What to expect as we approach the election? Disruption with DDoS and misinformation on internet based platforms (social media). With the AI evolution, we can also expect more sophisticated campaigns.

What attack surfaces should local governments and state governments strive to protect ahead of the upcoming elections?

State and local governments need to protect all attack surfaces, as any weakness will be exploited to create disruption. These entities should now be exploring what ‘normal’ is and begin to model traffic to identify any anomalies as the election cycle carries on.

How can government agencies work to ensure the security of the election supply chain?

Supply chain security is more critical than ever and all levels of government need to understand from where their vendors’ and partners’ source code, equipment and updates to software derive. Ensuring protection from code to runtime is critical during times of heightened security concerns, as again, any known vulnerability will be exploited.

What measures are government agencies putting in place to protect the integrity of voter registration databases? Or what kinds of software should they have in-place?

Protecting the integrity of voter registration data is a 365 7×24 job and not something that should be overlooked at any time. Wherever there is identity or user data, all layers of preventative security should be in place; network, endpoint, threat hunting activities, ransomware protection, mobile, email security etc… all of these vectors should be secured if the user or application has access to the registration information.

In the event of a cyber attack on an election day, what kinds of contingency plans should local and state governments have in-place to ensure that voting can proceed?

All organizations should have table topped real life scenarios that invoke contingency plans in case there is an active attack on election day. These exercises should include vendors and partners and open lines of communication, accounting for scenarios both as election day approaches and in the days after. These scenarios should not be limited to cyber security alone; they should also include physical security scenarios.

Lastly, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter for timely insights, cutting-edge analyses and more, delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Ransomware paralyzes healthcare organizations, jeopardizing compensation – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Across the United States, healthcare providers are struggling to process payments due to a week-long ransomware outage affecting a linchpin group within the American healthcare industry.

According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare networks, and other healthcare providers, some large hospital chains cannot process payments at all.

Smaller healthcare enterprises say that they are running low on cash, while sole-proprietorships (ex. therapists) are on the brink of business collapse on account of the ongoing payment processing problems.

What happened

Reuters’ journalists were unable to gauge the full scale of the issue by press time, however, at least six small businesses across the country – one laboratory and five therapists – stated that they cannot process claims and have thousands of dollars’ worth of overdue payments.

“We are 100 percent down when it comes to billing right now,” said Phil Seubring, the legal director of Michigan-based lab Forensic Fluids.

“I am not getting paid,” reported Junna Wolfson, a California-based clinical social worker who provides therapy to roughly 30 patients per week.

The issue has also affected electronic pharmacy refills and insurance transactions. Some have had to revert to using pen and paper.

Analyst insight

Most healthcare entities aren’t sufficiently resilient to sustain themselves for long throughout this type of outage. While larger organizations will fare better due to their more extensive resources and cash reserves, smaller healthcare groups may suffer.

Restoring core services in the wake of a ransomware attack can take as long as 30 days. For less critical functions, the process can be even more protracted.

Payment clearing

Whether or not payment clearing could be temporarily rerouted through an unaffected group remains to be seen. Hospitals are anxious to hear about workarounds.

Although some healthcare groups may be able to submit claims through an alternate clearing house, the associated fees may eat up a large percentage of the profits.

Nation-state attack

Who’s behind this mess? Thus far, the culprit appears to be a nation-state group; the cyber criminal gang known as BlackCat or ALPHV.

BlackCat or ALPHV’s activities have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars’ in losses worldwide.

In December of last year, the F.B.I. attempted to dismantle the ransomware ring. While BlackCat/ALPHV was offline for a time, it seems to revive its operations quickly.

Industry action-items

On Tuesday of this week, the F.B.I, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warned hospitals and healthcare facilities, saying that BlackCat/ALPHV threat actors are exploring opportunities to disrupt systems.

The advisory noted that hospitals should close unused network ports, remove applications that aren’t needed for day-to-day operations, and prioritize the remediation of known vulnerabilities that are actively under exploit.

Further details

The U.S. Department of State is offering a $10 million reward for information about the identity and location of BlackCat/ALPHV’s leadership. It’s offering an additional $5 million for information resulting in the arrest or conviction of the group’s members.

For more on this story, please visit Reuters. Lastly, subscribe to the CyberTalk.org newsletter for timely insights, cutting-edge analyses and more, delivered straight to your inbox each week.

Telemetry data, the new oil: the importance of securing IoT – CyberTalk

Miri Ofir is the Research and Development Director at Check Point Software. Antoinette Hodes is a Global Solutions Architect and an Evangelist with the Check Point Office of the CTO.

Introduction

In today’s interconnected world, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become ubiquitous, enabling the efficient exchange of data between various devices and systems. IoT devices generate a lot of valuable data, including telemetry data. What is telemetry data? Telemetry data refers to the information collected and transmitted by devices, including sensors, actuators and other connected (IoT or OT) devices. It encompasses a wide range of data, such as information about resources: disk space, CPU, memory, and data from open ports and active connections. Furthermore, environmental metrics like temperature, pressure, humidity, location and speed are collected by sensors and being sent as telemetry. Lastly, system and security events, anomalies and alerts are also telemetry. Telemetry data provides real-time insights into the status, behavior, and performance of devices and the systems that they are connected to.

In the age of Industry 4.0, collecting telemetry data has become increasingly important. This data is vital for the efficient functioning of modern industries and offers several benefits. Firstly, collecting telemetry data allows businesses to gain valuable insights into their operations and processes. By analyzing this data and pursuing in-depth monitoring, companies can identify areas for improvement, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall productivity. Secondly, telemetry data enables predictive maintenance, where potential issues or faults in machinery can be detected in advance. This proactive approach helps prevent costly breakdowns, reduces downtime and increases equipment lifespan. Additionally, telemetry data plays a crucial role in ensuring product quality and safety. By constantly monitoring data from sensors, manufacturers can monitor and control the production process, ensuring adherence to quality standards and minimizing defects. Finally, telemetry data facilitates real-time decision-making. By obtaining up-to-date and accurate information, managers can make informed choices, react swiftly to changing conditions, and improve operational efficiency.

Securing telemetry data | The key to protecting sensitive data

Depending on the context and the specific information it contains, telemetry data can be considered sensitive. In some cases, telemetry data may not be inherently sensitive, especially if it only contains general operational information without any personally identifiable information (PII) or sensitive details. For example, telemetry data that simply indicates the temperature or power consumption of a device may not be classified as sensitive. However, certain types of telemetry data can indeed be sensitive. For instance, if telemetry data includes PII, such as user identities, email addresses, or other personal information, it would be considered sensitive data. Additionally, telemetry data that reveals intimate details about an individual’s behavior, preferences or health could also be deemed sensitive.

Importance of securing telemetry data | The safe future of IoT

1. Data privacy and confidentiality: IoT metrics and telemetry data often contain sensitive information about individuals, organizations, or critical infrastructure systems. Unauthorized access or manipulation of this data can lead to privacy breaches, industrial espionage, or even physical harm. Securing IoT metrics and telemetry data ensures the confidentiality and integrity of the information.

2. Protection against cyber threats: For cyber criminals, IoT devices are attractive targets due to their potential vulnerabilities. Compromised devices can be used as gateways to gain unauthorized access to networks or through which to launch large-scale attacks. Securing telemetry data helps mitigate these risks. Implement robust encryption, authentication, and access control measures.

3. Maintaining trust and reputation: Organizations deploying IoT devices must prioritize the security of metrics and telemetry data to maintain the trust of their customers and stakeholders. Instances of data breaches can lead to severe reputational damage and financial losses. Protecting the integrity and confidentiality of telemetry data helps build trust and credibility in IoT deployments.

Industry 4.0 use cases

In terms of Industry 4.0, several key applications have emerged to streamline operations and maximize efficiency. These use cases include:

Predictive maintenance: By extending the lifespan of assets, organizations can minimize downtime and optimize resource allocation.
Proactive remediation: Taking swift action to address potential issues helps minimize damage and ensures uninterrupted operations.
Anomaly and threat detection: By identifying anomalies and threats early on, companies can reduce the impact and mitigate the risks associated with security breaches.
Quality control: Automating the inspection process reduces the need for human intervention, resulting in improved accuracy and efficiency.
Enhanced cyber security: Analyzing network traffic and promptly identifying and responding to threats helps ensure a secure environment.
Improved resource optimization: Utilizing vehicle tracking, optimizing route planning, and reducing fuel consumption can enhance delivery efficiency in the transportation sector.
Supply chain management: Efficient inventory management, real-time tracking of goods, and fast response times enable streamlined operations and customer satisfaction.
Production planning: Optimizing production processes ensures efficient resource utilization and timely delivery of products. This results in improved customer loyalty, satisfaction and brand loyalty.

The roadmap to compliance | Telemetry data and industry regulations

There are specific regulations that pertain to telemetry data in certain industries or regions. Here are a few examples:

1. Healthcare: In the healthcare industry, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe impose specific requirements for the collection, storage, and transmission of telemetry data related to patient health information. These regulations aim to protect the privacy and security of sensitive healthcare data.

2. Automotive: Telemetry data collected from vehicles, such as GPS location, speed and vehicle diagnostics, may be subject to regulations in the automotive industry. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have specific provisions related to the collection and use of personal data from vehicles.

3. Aviation: The aviation industry has regulations governing the collection and transmission of telemetry data from aircraft. For instance, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets standards for flight data monitoring and analyses, including the collection and handling of telemetry data for safety and operational purposes.

4. Telecommunications: Telecommunications companies may be subject to regulations related to telemetry data, particularly in terms of data protection and privacy. These regulations can vary by country or region, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union or the Telecommunications Act in the United States.

As IoT continues to expand, securing sensitive data, metrics and telemetry data become increasingly critical. Protecting IoT data ensures privacy, mitigates cyber risks and maintains trust in IoT deployments. Predefined metrics offer consistency and efficiency. By embracing these concepts, organizations can enhance the security and reliability of their IoT systems, enabling them to fully leverage the benefits of telemetry data while minimizing potential risk.

In conclusion, collecting telemetry data is essential in the age of Industry 4.0, as it enables businesses to optimize processes, enhance productivity, ensure product quality, and make data-driven decisions. And securing telemetry data is even more imperative.

Must-know network security management insights (2024) – CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Network security management refers to the processes and systems that administrators put into place for the purpose of overseeing, regulating and safeguarding an organization’s network infrastructure.

A network security management strategy protects the heart of an organization – keeping employees productive, products competitive and the business resilient, even as disaster strikes.

Amidst a scattershot matrix of users, devices, locations and applications, all operating in a tempestuous threat landscape, how comprehensive (and effective) is your network security management strategy? Could your organization level-up?

Network security management

Discover essential elements of an effective network security management strategy right here. Get actionable recommendations designed to help elevate your organization’s security posture. Be ready for whatever comes next.

1. Establish a network security management framework. Organizations often create ad-hoc network security management strategies, resulting in vulnerabilities.

Recommendation: Avoid this. Establish a clear means of managing network security – from roles to resources. Ensure alignment with other strategy elements, as outlined below. Create a cohesive and comprehensive approach.

2. Identify all network assets. For a network security management strategy to work, it has to include absolutely everything on the network, accounting for the risks associated with all resources.

Recommendation: Maintain a comprehensive inventory of network resources and regularly update it, as to include new devices, applications and services.

3. Analyze points of concern. After identifying network resources, identify more expansive infrastructure risks that could compromise network integrity.

Recommendation: Employ threat modeling techniques to find and evaluate infrastructure risks. Prioritize security efforts based on high-impact areas and scenarios.

In addition, collaborate with cross-functional teams (ex. IT and legal) in order to ensure that all points of concern are addressed in a holistic and comprehensive way.

4. Establish network security policies. The right network security policies can substantially enhance an organization’s cyber security posture.

Recommendation: Create policies that address specific risks associated with your organization’s assets – ex. servers, endpoints and IoT devices.

In addition, ensure that network security policies remain in compliance with relevant cyber security guidelines. Conduct periodic policy reviews to ensure alignment with the latest frameworks, standards and regulations.

5. Adopt a robust authentication and authorization framework. Advanced identity authentication mechanisms render it more difficult for hackers to gain unauthorized access to resources. In this day in age, advanced auth is a no-brainer.

Recommendation: Re-enforce your enterprise security with multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access controls and zero trust.

6. Perform regular network audits. Network audits can reveal misconfigurations, compliance gaps and general vulnerabilities. They provide a snapshot of the network’s security posture, helping organizations sidestep major potential pain points.

Recommendation: Create a recurring audit schedule (quarterly or annually) for assessing network components. In your assessment process, leverage automated tools. After audit completion, document your findings, plan remediations, and track progress.

7. Focus on firewalls. Your organization’s firewalls need to deliver.

Recommendation: Redesign existing gateways. Opt for high-performing firewalls that provide AI-powered threat prevention. Ensure that your organization can block both known and unknown threats.

8. Adopt a centralized network management solution. Centralized network management allows for extensive visibility into a wide range of threats across your ecosystem.

Whether you’re in the cloud, the data center or both, centralized management also allows for comprehensive threat detection and simplified compliance.

Recommendation: In essence, centralized network management provides superior protection (as compared to a trove of point solutions) and ensures a stronger security posture. Find a reputable vendor and apply a centralized network management solution.

9. Ensure the resilience of network security. CISOs and cyber security leaders need to design networks with redundancies and failover mechanisms – at all levels.

On product release day, when your organization suddenly sees website traffic spike by 880%, your network needs to be available. When APT 29 attempts to strike, your network should also be available.

Recommendation: Define your network requirements, design the necessary systems, and ensure availability in 99.9% of instances.

It should also be assumed that breaches will occur – update your IR plans so that they prioritize reducing impact and expediting recovery times.

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