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New Microsoft Exchange Exploit Found in the Wild

Microsoft Exchange

New year, new exploit.

This time, it’s another exploit for Microsoft Exchange Server, and it’s out in the wild being actively used to gain control of unsuspecting organisations’ email servers.

Microsoft Exchange 2013, 2016 and 2019 has an RCE vulnerability (CVE-2022-41082) that allows threat actors to open an elevated remote PowerShell service, and from there, they effectively have the keys to the kingdom. A Ransomware group known as Play has developed an exploit chain that bypasses mitigations that Microsoft had provided for the exploit chain, meaning organisations that have only implemented those but have not yet applied the patch for it needs to do so immediately.

This vulnerability is one of 2 “ProxyNotShell” flaws in Microsoft Exchange Server; the other tracked as CVE-2022-41040, is a server-side request forgery (SSRF) bug that gives attackers a way to elevate privileges on a compromised system.

Microsoft has previously recommended that organisations apply a blocking rule to prevent attackers from accessing the PowerShell remote service through the Autodiscover endpoint on affected systems. They claim the blocking rule will help prevent known exploit patterns against the “ProxyNotShell” vulnerabilities.

email security

New Exploit Chain Found

The big problem with the above is that an attack method is being observed in the wild that uses a 3rd little-known SSRF bug in Exchange server tracked as CVE-2022-41080 to access the PowerShell remote service via the Outlook Web Access (OWA) front end instead of the Autodiscover endpoint. Microsoft has assigned the bug the same severity rating (8.8) as the SSRF bug in the original “ProxyNotShell” exploit chain. This vulnerability allows attackers to access the PowerShell remote service and use it to exploit CVE-2022-41082 in the same way they could when using CVE-2022-41040. This is a previously undocumented way to reach the PowerShell remoting service through the OWA frontend endpoint instead of leveraging the Autodiscover endpoint. This new exploit chain involving CVE-2022-41080 and CVE-2022-41082 is known as “OWASSRF”.

The new exploit chain was discovered when investigating several recent Play ransomware intrusions where the initial access vector was via a Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerability. The researchers quickly found that Play ransomware attackers had exploited the “ProxyNotShell” RCE vulnerability CVE-2022-41082 to drop legitimate payloads for maintaining access and performing anti-forensics techniques on compromised Microsoft Exchange Servers.

Patch Now or Disable OWA

So what can you do to mitigate this attack risk? Microsoft themselves advise that “organisations should apply the Nov. 8, 2022 patches for Exchange to prevent exploitation since the URL rewrite mitigations for “ProxyNotShell” are not effective against this exploit method; if you cannot apply the KB5019758 patch immediately, you should disable OWA until the patch can be applied.”

microsoft exchange

What Else Can You Do?

If you still have on-premises / hosted Microsoft Exchange Servers in production, migration to Microsoft 365 should be considered for the longer term. Other practices that can be implemented now to help protect yourself:

  • Disable remote PowerShell for non-administrative users where possible
  • As previously mentioned, apply the KB5019758 patch immediately
  • If, for whatever reason, the patch cannot be installed, disable OWA
  • Implement an EDR tool to help detect web services spawning PowerShell processed; Planet IT recommends the Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR product if you have an in-house SOC team to manage it
  • If you don’t have an in-house SOC team, a managed SOC should be seriously considered; Planet IT highly recommends the Sophos MDR service
  • CrowdStrike has released a PowerShell script to help detect signs of exploitation and use it at your own risk.

Reach Out!

If you want to discuss anything within this article or need some advice on what to do next, please reach out via DM on LinkedIn, or email me directly.

Also check our our CyberSecurity page on our website

The 7 Steps Of A Cyber Attack Chain

cyber attack chain

If you have been following our Planet IT webinar series this year (if not, why not? Catch-up HERE), we have been talking through the various critical aspects of protecting a business in 2022 from the modern cyber threats.

In doing so we have referenced the 7 steps of the attack chain. This conceptual idea breaks down the activity of an adversary attacker into 7 clear steps, allowing us to directly reference the techniques, tools and approach used at each stage.

In this article I am going to take a deeper dive into these 7 steps and add some additional information that we don’t always have time to share on our webinars.

 

STEP 1 – Reconnaissance

During this first phase of an attack, our threat actor is looking for a virtual open door, a window left ajar or a poorly trained security guard. In technical terms this looks like a port scan, DNS look up, physical walk around your building. The threat actor is looking for a way in. In most cases they will find this looking for open ports on your wireless network that can be used to access an exposed system which they can use later in the attack chain. However, in this phase it may be as simple as finding on your DNS that you don’t have SPF, DKIM or DMARC configured and that our only email protection is provided by Microsoft or Google as part of your email hosting.

In a physical sense, if the attacker is looking for a way in, they could be outside your office building, completing a wireless scan looking for a network which uses a pre shared key or is open to the public which could easily be leveraged.

Once this stage is complete the threat actor has what they need to begin their attack and move onto the next stage.

 

STEP 2 – Delivery

With the information gained during step 1, the adversary now has all the information to hand to begin their attack. For an email-based attack which will leverage poor inbound security, they may simply deliver an email with a hidden attachment, a special font or a tracker which will give them all the additional information about your system including your endpoint protection, operating system and patch level.

For an attack coming in via an open port, this is when they will use tools to gain access at either code level or even remote desktop level to a system. Looking to gain clear access to a system with admin rights, the delivery step will often include the use of passwords ascertained from the dark web or from shares of other threat actors who have completed steps 1 and 2 before selling the information for gain.

For a wireless, attack a similar approach is taken to the open port however for this the attacker will have to come and either sit near your site in a range of your WiFi or place a device near your building that they can access remotely. The aim for this step for the attacker will be to gain access to the network and find a system which they can then deliver software onto in step 3.

This phase finishes where access to a system has been gained by any method and is ready to deploy their tooling or attack to a device.

 

STEP 3 – Installation

As all three steps begin to merge, the next action for the attacker is to get either the tools they are going to use to take control of the system in steps 4-7 or to have their ransomware, virus or associated malware delivered onto the target system or systems if they intend to have to spread to across the network automatically.

The key to remember is in step 3, no action to trigger an attack has taken place. This is the phase very much like the move before checkmate, the attacker is moving their pieces into place surrounding you ready to press forward.

This step is the last chance to intervene before serious damage is caused by that loss of business, reputation, or finical impacts.

Cybersecurity health check

STEP 4 – Actions On Objectives

This phase is where the attacker gets what they want, however, the end goal for different threat actors will be different. For most, it is to gain Intellectual property which can be used to blackmail a business into paying for its “safe” return. Others will exploit business customer data for sale on the dark web. This may include anything from usernames and passwords to bank details and national insurance numbers. The other side to any attack could be they simply want to hurt the business causing it to fail by removing IT as a function from the business.

During Step 4, this is exactly what a threat actor is doing, getting what they need, taking control and preparing to move into step 5.

 

STEP 5 – Weaponisation

Once we hit step 5, you have lost control of your system. The attacker is in control and they have leveraged their attack to gain whatever their goal was in step 4.

Now they are going to disrupt your business and drop the nasty surprises they have on you.

This is the phase that most unprotected or unskilled business notice an attack, after the adversary has already completed all of the actions and has begun to either encrypt systems, delete system data, delete backups, access or simply corrupt the system to make it unusable.

For most business, this is when a cyber response kicks into full swing with IT professionals scabbling to understand what has happened, where it has come from and how to stop it. If you find yourself in this position, I have some clear advice for you;

  • Disconnect all internet connections to all systems
  • Call your cyber insurance provider before you try to resolve the issue. They will have an approach they want you to follow and not doing so could leave you open to liability.
  • Take a breath. This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint and you need to make level-headed decisions. If you need it, call in external help; even if it’s just to provide a calming voice to those meetings where you will be making critical choices. An external party who are not invested in your business or employed directly by you will aid this process.

 

STEP 6 – Exploitation

At this point the attacker has gained what they wanted from you and may be in control of your IP, your data, or your finances. At this step the exploitation can take many forms and it could be;

  • A ransom note demanding payment for the release of your system or return of your data
  • A threat to release the information to the public showing your breach
  • Sharing this information on the dark web and allowing other threat actors to gain your business data
  • Selling your customer data on the dark web
  • Selling your IP to a rival or leaking it for free online

Only the attacker will know why they completed the previous steps but at this point, they will show their hands if they want either financial gain or if they want to damage your business or reputation. Once we have reached this stage you should be working with your Cyber insurance provider to take the necessary steps.

In most cases paying a ransom won’t get you your data, systems or Intellectual Property back, however some insurance providers will take the risk on the payment.

backup as a service

STEP 7 – Command and Control

If the attacker is not finished with you then step 7 is where they can leverage your network, its devices and its users and systems from their own means.

Think of a Zombie army once you are infected you join the army and become part of the problem. Many attack chains will see your IT systems leveraged to accelerate the attackers next targets and allow them to spread to other systems. During WannaCry, this was one of the main issues. Interconnected systems where getting the Ransomware passed onto them after another. Linked or associated business fell victim and this is why the NHS was affected so badly by the WannaCry outbreak.

 

I hope that the above information helps you understand how the attack chain takes place and the number of steps involved by the attacker when gaining access. If you are reading this and thinking, “how do I protect against each step of the attack?”, then you are in the right terms and you will stand a better chance of protecting your systems.

If you want to talk to one of our experts about how we can help you to avoid being the next victim then please call 01235 433900 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to me directly you can reach out to me via DM or at [email protected].

 

Corridor Digital, A Story of skirting over cyber security

CorridorDigital security hack

First of all I want to start by saying I love to watch CorridorCrew by the team over at Corridor Digital on YouTube. I appreciate the skill they have in their respective fields and the work they put into high quality content, I was therefore extremely interested when they uploaded this video (Channel was TERMINATED, we got Hacked (Not Clickbait)). As someone who lives in the Cyber Security space I wanted to know more, however this video only highlighted one thing to me the lack of emphasis in their video on the real issue, their own lack of cyber security.

To summarise the video the Corridor Crew’s YouTube account was compromised and a 3rd party took over their Near 6 Million subscriber page and removed all the videos on the page, replacing the name and starting a live stream of a Crypto mining scam. In the video it is highlighted that a member of the team had full admin rights to the business’s Google account , now to be clear in the video they are vague and say that this persons phone of MFA has also been compromised, but they never expand on this. Following another admin being able to force change passwords and kick all live sessions out and with some support from Google the team manage to restore access and return to function, using their other social media outlets to let fans and followers know what is happening.

Corridor Crew security

 

What did they do wrong?

To me this video highlights a critical issue with business today which is the mentality of it what happen to us and when it does many business chalk it off to a one off event. As a specialist in the field, my concern would not only be what else does access to this account give them, but what other tools or techniques could they have put in place for a second or 3rd wave attack. While taking over a YouTubeChannel for a Crypto scam is far from they most serious of crimes.

A serious though needs to be put to what other data could they have taken or used from this account, could they have got into the business own site and in turn the customer data on it including credit card details. The list goes on but this event cannot be brushed away as well we are back online, the severity of the business failing to take cyber security seriously has to be looked at, they however are not alone.

I am not calling out Corridor Digital for any reason other than they posted this onto YouTube and highlighted the event and therefore are asking for commentary. I do feel it reflects heavily on the general approach to cyber security in business and therefore I yet again employer you to look at your business practices, look at the tools and protections you have in place and ask yourself “Is this enough” .

What tools should they have used?

If you haven’t already secure every online account you have with two factor authentication, and make sure than the second stage authentication is not a text message to your phone or an email back to your main account, you should be using tools with time sensitive codes, physical tokens or bio metrics. This is they minimum protection you should have, it therefore goes without saying that you should always have a secure pin on mobile phones and tablets and that they should also use biometrics for security where possible, companies like Apple and Google spend millions on technology to protect data so leverage them.

What can you do to avoid it happening to you?

In closing I ask you to review your cyber security now! Before it is too late.

If you want to talk to one of our experts about how we can help you can avoid being the next victim then please call 01235 433900 or you can email [email protected] or if you would like to speak to me directly you can reach out to me via DM or at [email protected].

Email Security Gateway – What is it and why should you have one in place?

I recently wrote a blog post about how to spot a phishing attack (read it here), and also incorporated some of the content in a webinar we did with Precursor Security which showed how easy it is to was to compromise a Microsoft 365 account (watch it here). In both I mentioned that if you had a sufficient Email Security Gateway in place then it should help to catch and block phishing attempts. Here I will go into more detail about what an Email Security Gateway is, and what it can do for you.

What is it?

An Email Security Gateway is effectively a security barrier between your email solution and the outside world. It has visibility of all emails sent / received and interrogates them looking for malicious content.

How does it work?

When an Email Security Gateway is put in place, the MX records for your email domain are changed to the servers of your chosen provider. This then points all email traffic to your chosen solution which will then forward the email traffic to your email servers after interrogating them. Connectors are also configured within your email solution to allow mailflow to and from the Email Security Gateway.

How does it protect you?

Traditionally, an Email Security Gateway would be hosted on-premises scan an email’s attachments for viruses and that would be that. These days an Email Security Gateway is based in the cloud and will protect you against much more. Here are just a few of the attack types that a competent solution will prevent:

  • Denial of Service (relevant to on-premises email servers)
  • Impersonation emails
  • Malicious links in emails
  • Zero-day threats
  • Email account takeover
  • Low reputation senders

Some numbers for you…

  • 91% of cyberattacks start with an email
  • 85% of organisations were hit by a phishing attack in 2020
  • 1 in 7 organisations experienced an account takeover in 2020
  • $200,000 is the average ransom fee paid in 2020

“But I am using Microsoft 365 which has built in protection”

While technically this is true, the Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product requires a license uplift to get only some of the comparable features that a dedicated Email Security Gateway would provide. Being a dedicated solution, a 3rd party product would sanitise email traffic before it even hits Microsoft 365 and provides protection against more threats than Microsoft. Additionally, in independent tests Microsoft 365 ATP tends to perform poorly against the competition (full test here):

 

Email lSecurity Gateway Microsoft

 

An Email Security Gateway would also provide an Email Continuity solution should the Microsoft 365 email servers ever go down (which they have done in the past). See a brief diagram from Barracuda on how this would work:

Email servers working

 email servers working

 

Email Servers NOT working – Barracuda’s Email Continuity service takes over

email servers not working

 

 

What do we recommend?

Planet IT recommends a capable 3rd party Email Security Gateway like Barracuda or Mimecast to protect your business against email threats, as both solutions provide all the tools and protection you need to keep your organisation safe.

If you would like to discuss further how Planet IT can help you secure your email environment and protect your users from scams like the above email, please get in touch via DM or email [email protected].

 

My name is Adam, and I am a security-focused Technical Architect. My job is to provide expert advice on security solutions and assist our customers with protecting their environment from viruses, ransomware, and other nasty attack vectors! My background is in Security as a Service, Infrastructure and Helpdesk Support; I keep myself up to date with the latest threats and security products, so you don’t have to! Want to hear more of my thoughts on Cybersecurity and other technology news? Connect with me on LinkedIn

 

Cyber Essentials, What’s new 2022?

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is an effective, government-backed and industry-supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats.

Cyber-attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. Cyber Essentials looks to guide you to better understand these threats and help to keep that metaphorical front door firmly shut.

What are the differences between different Cyber Essentials Accreditations?

There are two levels of Certification: Cyber Essentials Basic and Cyber Essentials Plus, which I have expanded on in some more detail below to help you decide what’s right for you and your business.

Fundamentally the Cyber Essentials framework was designed to provide a security baseline for every business in every industry against the following 5 key areas:

  • Access control
  • Firewalls and routers
  • Malware protection
  • Secure configurations
  • Software updates

What’s new to Cyber Essentials for 2022?

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, businesses operational models have drastically changed and adapted over a relatively short amount of time.

To continue operating, most businesses were forced to adopt a fully digital model and allow remote or hybrid working. This transformation and rapid adoption of cloud services that has prompted these changes to the existing Cyber Essentials scheme to ensure organisations uphold the basic level of cyber resilience which reflect the current working environments and cyber security risks.

Some of the key updates to Cyber Essentials will specifically cover changes to cloud services and web applications, bring your own device (BYOD), and security updates including password management and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Other changes include, but are not limited to the below:

  • Some questions have been expanded upon with more details needed in your answer.
  • Cloud services are now in scope of your basic and Plus assessments.
  • The Cyber Essentials Plus test will include local admin rights checks and a MFA test for each workstation tested.

 

The Two Levels Certification

Cyber Essentials

 

Cyber Essentials Basic is obtained by completing and independently verified Self-Assessment. This option gives you protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber-attacks. This is important because vulnerability to basic attacks can mark you out as target for more in-depth unwanted attention from cyber criminals.

Certification gives you peace of mind that your defences will protect against most common cyber-attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place

 

Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials Plus is a little more involved and to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus, a business must also first complete the online Cyber Essentials assessment as part of the Cyber Essentials Plus certification or have received the basic Cyber Essentials certification a maximum of 90 days prior to applying for the Cyber Essentials Plus

Unlike the Self-Assessment method for the basic certification, a hands-on technical verification is required to be carried out. Similarly, however, a qualified assessor examines the same five controls, testing that they work through a technical audit.

Another benefit of a Cyber Essentials plus certification includes automatic cyber liability insurance for any UK organisation who certifies their whole organisation and have less than £20m annual turnover.

 

So, is it Essential?

The threat landscape to businesses is changing rapidly, with modern working practices always evolving. More and more businesses and IT professionals placing a higher level of emphasis on the security strategy, and this is where the new changes to Cyber Essentials, will help to strengthen businesses overall cyber security stance.

Not only is Cyber Essentials cost-effective and easy to implement but it will ensure businesses deter hackers from targeting their infrastructure once the necessary Cyber Essentials technical controls are in place.

You will also give your customers and partners the reassurance that you are working to secure your IT against cyber-attacks. In an ever-competitive landscape these certifications will also display the emphasis your business is placing on security and may even help attract new business with the knowledge of these cyber security measures in place.

If you would like to discuss with myself or any of the Technical Architecture team at Planet IT about how you can get ready for a Cyber Essentials certification you can reach us using the contact details below.

Contact me at –
LinkedIn Message: Thomas Packer

Call 01235 433900 or Email: [email protected]

What is Phishing?

What is Phishing?

A phishing attack is sending emails that appear to be from trusted sources to gain personal information, deliver malicious payloads, or compromise account credentials. Phishing attacks are usually transmitted to many email addresses. The contents are not specific to the receiving user and are generally along the lines of “Your Netflix account has been locked, CLICK HERE to unlock” or similar.

What is spear-phishing?

Spear Phishing is a method of cyber-attack that tries to convince users to provide access or information by pretending to be someone important who is in some way relatable to the targeted user. CEOs are a common vector of attack, as is a potentially lucrative new client. These attempts influence the recipient to do something such as transfer money or buy Amazon / Google Play vouchers.

Example

I received this email on my account not too long ago and thought I would use it as an excellent example of a phishing attempt. At first glance, you can see why people would think it is genuine:

Phishing Attack 1

 

But let’s look a little closer. Notice the sender email is using the @msn.com domain, suggesting that this is a free Microsoft email account that has been set up for this purpose:

Phishing attack 2

 

If we hover over the Confirm Your Email Address link, you will see it wants to take you somewhere that is NOT Microsoft:

Phishing attack 3

 

If we click the link, we can see that the site we are forwarded to does not look professional at all:

Phishing attack 4

As expected, a login box to steal your credentials:

Phishing attack 5

 

Also, note that the tone of the email is assertive and trying to portray urgency. Even though it is the first you have heard of it, according to the email, you absolutely MUST click the link within 48 hours to make sure you keep your account. Many people don’t even log into their emails every 48 hours, so this is a ridiculous request.

Finally, the grammar is not good and certainly not what you would expect from an official email from Microsoft. Spelling and Grammar errors are good indicators of a malicious email. Sometimes they are even included on purpose as the assumption is if you miss them, then you will miss other signs and therefore be more gullible to fraud!

What advice can we give?

If in doubt, don’t click! Hover over links in emails if you are not sure they are from a trusted source. A phishing email may claim to be from a legitimate company. When you click on the link, it may look like the actual website, but double check by hovering over the link and checking the URL.

Never give out personal information online – as a rule, you should never share personal or financially sensitive information over the internet. If you are paying for an item or service, check that the website is secure and the address starts with “HTTPS”.

If the email contains spelling mistakes or has grammatical errors – this could indicate that it is a scam email; people write many phishing emails outside of the UK, so the standard of English is usually not good.

If the email asks you to do something urgent – claiming that your account will be closed unless you submit your details instils a sense of panic, double-check that it is from a natural source.

An unusual attachment – if you receive an unexpected email from a company that contains an attachment, it could include a malicious virus – don’t open it! These generally come in Word / PDF documents claiming to be an invoice or remittance advice but can be anything.

  

In Conclusion

Phishing attacks are one of the most common types of cyber-attacks today. It is so important to keep alert and question any suspicious-looking email that you receive. There are several 3rd party solutions that can help you mitigate this risk:

  • Email Security Gateway – this sits between your email provider and the outside world, filtering spam, phishing, fraud attempts and other malicious email categories.
  • Training & Testing – there are several trusted vendors that provide end-user training on how to spot a phishing email, as well as running test campaigns to keep everyone on their toes!
  • Multi-Factor Authentication – the main aim of a phishing email is to forward you to a fake website and have you enter your credentials, so they are stolen and the account used for malicious activity. If you have MFA enabled on your email accounts (Office 365, for example), even if a user falls for a phishing email and enters their credentials, they cannot be used without the MFA code from a separate device.

 

If you would like to discuss further how Planet IT can help you secure your email environment and protect your users from scams like the above email, please get in touch via DM or email [email protected].

My name is Adam, and I am a security-focused Technical Architect. My job is to provide expert advice on security solutions and assist our customers with protecting their environment from viruses, ransomware, and other nasty attack vectors! My background is in Security as a Service, Infrastructure and Helpdesk Support; I keep myself up to date with the latest threats and security products, so you don’t have to! Want to hear more of my thoughts on Cybersecurity and other technology news? Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-e-harrison/

 

Log4J Zero-Day Flaw – Are you are risk? And How Do you Protect Yourself?

Log4J cyber security

The Log4j vulnerability is effecting everything from development tools and games like Minecraft to cloud and security devices and even your car. Therefore the question is what do we look for?What is the latest information about keeping you and your business safe?

Firstly, what is Log4J?

Log4J is a flaw in a Java library.

For those reading this who are less technically included, Java is baked into many pre-made applications and used across a number of services. Therefore this vulnerability is prevalent across a number of attack vectors. Because of this it is currently the most talked about and high risk security vulnerability on the market at the moment with everyone scrabbling to patch out the risk.

The library is developed by the open-source Apache Software Foundation and is a key Java-logging framework. As detected in the vulnerability logged as CVE-2021-44228, a remote code execution flaw in Log4J, was already being exploited in the wild. Any system which has the same vulnerability is at serve risk. Warnings have been issued by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

 

What is at risk?

Basically any device which is exposed to the internet is at risk if it is running Apache Log4J versions 2.0 to 2.14.1. Now, the list of applications that have this would fill pages and pages – everything for Minecraft servers to Tesla’s car OS, with companies like Apple and Amazon also being pulled into the mix. Because of the way that Apache package software this vulnerability as per the NCSC notes, can also be found in anything running Apache Struts2, Solr, Druid, Flink, and Swift frameworks. With AWS having detected and working to patch the vulnerability currently, pushing mitigation protections via its CloudFront service.

Vendors with popular products known to be still vulnerable include Atlassian, Amazon, Microsoft Azure, Cisco, Commvault, ESRI, Exact, Fortinet, JetBrains, Nelson, Nutanix, OpenMRS, Oracle, Red Hat, Splunk, Soft, and VMware. And this list will continue to grow as product try to patch out the issue and make it known they have the vulnerability.

Log4J java

What can I do right now?

Because there is currently no direct patch for this, the best option is possible is to Airgap any system that is using or known to have Apache components or frameworks as part of its services from the internet. If you can’t do this then get a Web Application Firewall in place in front of any public facing system as it is very likely that these players will be able to provide WAF rule sets quicker than Apache can get a new version of Log4j tested and out into the wild.

As soon as a patch is available, get your Apache systems patched and up to date and ensure that you check all of your systems, as many IT administration tools install parts of the Apache framework for running web front ends or even systems of management and control for your devices.

The best action you can take as an IT system owner is to review anything you have that is publicly facing or publicly accessible. You need to take action now as this attack does allow the system to have complete control taken over by the attacker and it is not yet known how other defence tools are responding to this infiltration as the Java libraries are normally a trusted location and as such can leave a business open to attack.

If you are concerned about the security of your business then I implore you to call Planet IT today. One of our security specialists will be able to join you on a call and discuss the mitigation actions you can take and advise you of the best way to ensure your business is protected.

If you would like to discuss with myself or any of the cyber security team at Planet IT about how you can better protect you business, should that be with new technology, strategies or even better back ups you can reach us using the contact details below;

Contact me at – LinkedIn Message James Dell or Email : [email protected]

Call 01235 433900 or Email : [email protected]

Top 5 Cybersecurity Trends So Far This Year

Cybersecurity trends 2021

We are all too aware that the cybersecurity landscape is changing and will continue to change as the technology we use every day continues to adapt, develop, and alter our daily lives.

Put very simply, this trend is clear when you compare your 2010 Honda Civic to the latest release from Tesla; technology is embedded into every corner of our lives and it now even governs your driver safety.

Because of this, the drive to protect business and individuals from threat actors has never been more important. With an ever-shifting set of cybersecurity goalposts becomes the need to understand, adapt and overcome whatever threats may come your way.

As such in this article I am going to take you through five trends we are seeing when looking a cybersecurity and the defence of your IT infrastructure.

1. The Expanding Cyber-Attack Surface

According to cybersecurity ventures, the world will store 200 zettabytes of data by 2025. This data is coming from thousands upon thousands of different sources and a considerable amount of the data is now being driven by IOT and smart technologies.

As I mentioned in my introduction, think of all the data that every Tesla on the road today is generating, the pure volume of telemetry data, decisions, battery health and all the other statistics these mobile computers are generating is staggering. Now think about your smart home, with fridges that can be remotely controlled, lighting, cooling, heating and even garage doors that can triggered from anywhere across the globe, then add into the mix home security systems link Ring Doorbell. All of this sits outside the realm of what for many would have previously considered data that needed to be secured. However, it is easy to see how data like the time you leave your house, the speed you drive and direction you travel, could be of value to a threat actor and even worse could be data they leverage against you.

This however is just to the point, the fact that as businesses are having to daily adjust the scope of what is and is not part of the business attack surface, this leaves the threat actors room to move and the gaps they need to turn your secure system into Swiss cheese.

5 years ago, CCTV may or may not have been the responsibility of the IT department. Today, with digital cloud driven solutions, this firmly sits within a business IT attack surface and is a clear technological risk.

IT Hardware and software

Similarly, take the smart card reader that opens your office doors and your car parking barrier. This is a business attack surface which in the traditional IT model we would have simply been able to ignore. This is no longer the case. It sits on the list which will continue to grow of new areas where CISO, cyber security experts and IT teams in general need to protect.

This trend will of course continue. As IT professionals we must adjust our

security posture and consider how this effects the technologies we use to protect our data and our systems.

There is by no means a golden bullet but there are key markers for success in this area.

 

2. Ransomware as a Cyber Weapon of Choice

Ransomware has been around for almost two decades and has grown in popularity because it can more easily bring financial rewards to hackers. It is estimated that there are now 124 separate families of ransomware and hackers have become very adept at hiding malicious code.

The reason is that ransomware became a weapon of choice for hackers in the last 18 months was drive by the COVID-19 pandemic. This instantly altered a digital landscape that for many businesses had been slowly changing. In fact, most were stuck to the traditional walled garden of onsite infrastructure and controlled working environments. Now, with the transformation of so many companies and how we operate as a mostly digital, this creates more targets for extortion. According to a research, ransomware increased by 435% in 2020 as compared with 2019.

In 202, the estimated cost of ransomware was £14.5 billion – a rise from £8 billion in 2019 and £5 billion in 2018. That trend will continue to grow.

The likely impact for the near-term future is that there will be more ransomware attacks against institutions and corporations who are less cyber secure and cannot afford to have operations impeded. This includes health care, local governments, and educational institutions. For these sectors the need to adapt and overcome the finical challenges of protecting their businesses has never been more paramount.

 

3. Increase in adoption of cloud services

Cloud vulnerability continues to be one of the biggest cyber security industry trends. Again, the rapid and widespread adoption of remote working following the pandemic increased the necessity for cloud-based services and infrastructure drastically, with huge security implications for organisations. For many, these implications where not understood or ignored as the business threw themselves into a cloud strategy in sheer panic in 2020.

work from homeDon’t get me wrong, cloud services have become essential and offer a range of benefits – scalability, efficiency, and cost savings – but they are also a prime target for attackers.

Misconfigured cloud settings are a significant cause of data breaches and unauthorised access, insecure interfaces, and account hijacking. All of these are avoidable but for many businesses they simply don’t know the vulnerabilities are there. During our webinar series, I often talk about the shared responsibility model. It is key to keeping the door closed to attack but is greatly misunderstood or even ignored by a lot of businesses.

 

4. Social engineering attacks getting smarter

Social engineering attacks, like phishing, are by no means new threats but have become more troubling amid the widespread remote workforce of the last 18 months. Attackers target individuals connecting to their employer’s network from home because they make easier targets. The attack looks to exploit the weak link in most businesses’ security posture, the end user.

As well as traditional phishing attacks on employees, there has also been an uptick in whaling attacks targeting executive organisational leadership. This trend sees CEO, CFO and other business managers being impersonated to other employees or customers to gain financial details or gain credentials.

SMS phishing – sometimes known as ‘smishing’ – is also gaining prominence, thanks to the popularity of messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Slack, Skype, Signal, WeChat, and others. Attackers use these platforms to try to trick users into downloading malware onto their phones, which for many are now heavily linked to the corporate network be that via email or shared file access. For many businesses, MDM or MAM are technologies they still haven’t invested in.

Organisations are increasing their protection against phishing, but criminals are always looking for new ways to stay ahead. This includes sophisticated phishing kits which target victims differently depending on their location. To stay ahead of these trends, businesses need to ensure their staff understand and can act as the human firewall against these attacks – social engineering is not something that technology alone can protect your business from.

 

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5. The Future, Privacy-enhancing computation techniques.

To change pace slightly now and look less at the trends around attack vectors and how the threat actors are getting in and more around how the cyber security industry is helping us all fight back.

Privacy-enhancing computation (PEC) techniques are emerging that protect data while it’s being used — as opposed to while it’s at rest or in motion.

This marks a dramatic shift in the level of protection we can leverage onto data and how we can continue to work to lock out the threat actors from data at all stages of its life cycle. This technology will also enable secure data processing, sharing, cross-border transfers and analytics, even in untrusted environments.

This technology is rapidly transforming from academic research to real projects delivering real value, enabling new forms of computing, and sharing with reduced risk of data breaches.

I would expect to see these products in your security portfolio in the next 12 months.

 

With the landscape continuing to move beneath our feet daily, as IT professionals, we need to stay ahead of the trends and ensure that we are looking at what threats are just over the horizon.

No IT team can afford to rest on their laurels as the successes of yesterday will not protect you from the threats of tomorrow.

If any of this is of concern to you, whether you are an IT professional, a business leader or simply have cybersecurity fears, please reach out to me or one of my team and we will be more than happy to assess your situation. We are in this war together, and we can’t let the bad guys win!

email: [email protected]

call: 01235 433900

or connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delljames/

 

 

 

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