cyber security solutions - An Overview
It has never been more important..
Cybersecurity is a vital aspect of any enterprise's operations and strategy. To protect their data, assets and reputation from cyber threats, enterprises need to employ various technologies and specific tools that can help them prevent, detect, and respond to attacks. As technology evolves to leverage automation and AI capabilities, emergent solutions and platforms are consolidating functional scopes and supporting API integration to drive accuracy of detection, speed to remediate/mitigate and to collaborate and communicate faster.
Some of the common concepts, technologies and tools on which advanced solutions are built include:
- Firewalls: These are devices or software that monitor and filter the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined rules. They can help block unauthorised access or malicious traffic from reaching the enterprise's network or systems.
- Antivirus and anti-malware software: These are programs that scan and remove viruses, malware, ransomware, spyware, and other malicious software from the enterprise's devices or systems. They can help prevent infection or damage caused by these threats.
- Encryption: This is a process of transforming data into an unreadable form using a secret key. It can help protect the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data in transit or at rest from unauthorised access or modification.
- Authentication and authorisation: These are methods of verifying the identity and permissions of users or devices accessing the enterprise's network or systems. They can help prevent unauthorized access or misuse of data or resources.
- Backup and recovery: These are processes of creating copies of data or systems and restoring them in case of loss, corruption, or damage. They can help ensure business continuity and minimise downtime in the event of a cyberattack.
Solutions should be deployed outside in, highest risk first
Cyber security solutions are tools and services that help protect systems, networks, and data from cyber threats. They are designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data and systems from malicious attacks. There are different types of advanced cyber security solutions depending on the scope, function and level of protection they offer:
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): A solution that monitors and analyses the activities and behaviours of endpoints (such as laptops, mobile devices, servers) and responds to potential threats in real time.
- Extended Detection and Response (XDR): A solution that integrates data and capabilities from multiple security domains (such as EDR, IDS/IPS, cloud security, email security) to provide a holistic view and response to threats across the entire environment.
- Managed Detection and Response (MDR): A service that provides outsourced threat detection and response capabilities by leveraging advanced tools, techniques and expertise.
- Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): Solutions that detect and prevent unauthorised access or attacks on a network or system by analysing network traffic or host activities.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): A solution that protects web applications from common attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, denial-of-service by filtering and blocking malicious requests.
- Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP): A solution that secures cloud-native applications throughout their lifecycle by integrating security into the development, deployment and runtime stages.
- Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM): A solution that monitors and manages the security posture of cloud resources by identifying and remediating risks such as misconfigurations, excessive permissions or non-compliance with policies or standards.
- Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM): A solution that manages the access rights and privileges of users and entities across cloud services by enforcing the principle of least privilege and detecting anomalous or malicious activities.
- Infrastructure as Code Scanning (IAC Scanning): A solution that scans the code used to define and provision cloud infrastructure for potential misconfigurations, vulnerabilities or compliance issues.
- Vulnerability Management: A solution that identifies, prioritizes and mitigates vulnerabilities in systems or applications by scanning them for known weaknesses or flaws.
- Software Supply Chain Security: A solution that ensures the integrity and security of software components throughout their development, delivery and consumption stages by preventing or detecting tampering, compromise or malicious code injection.
- Strategic Intelligence Platform: A solution that provides actionable insights into the cyber threat landscape by collecting, analysing and correlating data from various sources such as open source intelligence (OSINT), dark web intelligence, threat intelligence feeds etc.
- Attack Surface Management: A solution that maps out and monitors the external exposure of an organisations digital assets such as domains, IP addresses, web applications, cloud services etc. and identifies potential attack vectors, vulnerabilities or exposures.
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): A solution that collects, normalises and analyses security-related data from various sources such as logs, events, alerts etc. and provides a centralised view and management of security incidents and events.
- Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR): A solution that automates and streamlines the workflows and processes involved in responding to security incidents or threats by integrating with various tools, systems or services.
Social engineering, penetration testing & outsourcing
Cyber security is not only about installing antivirus software and firewalls. It also involves educating end users on how to avoid falling victim to social engineering attacks, such as phishing emails, fake websites and phone calls. Some of the available cyber security solutions for end user training and social engineering prevention are:
- Online courses & quizzes that teach users how to spot & report suspicious messages & links
- Simulated attacks that test users' awareness and response to realistic scenarios
- Gamified learning platforms that reward users for completing challenges and improving their skills
- Feedback and reports that show users their progress and areas for improvement
Social engineering involves manipulating people into revealing sensitive information or performing malicious actions. To prevent social engineering attacks, end users need to be trained on how to recognise and avoid common phishing, vishing, and baiting techniques.
Popular solutions for cyber end user training are KnowBe4, Proofpoint Security Awareness Training and Wombat Security Education Platform. These solutions provide interactive and engaging courses, simulations, and assessments to help users develop cyber security skills and awareness.
Penetration Testing is another key method and strategy to enhance cyber security which involves simulating real-world attacks on a system or network to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. Penetration testing can help organisations assess their security posture, find and fix weaknesses, and to comply with regulations and standards.
Some of the available cyber security solutions for penetration testing are Metasploit Pro, Cobalt.io, and Core Impact. These solutions offer automated and manual tools, reports, and recommendations to help organizations perform comprehensive and effective penetration tests. This service can also be outsourced to white hat organisations and involves simulating real-world attacks on networks, systems, applications, or physical facilities to identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
A note on Outsourced cyber security solutions: These are services provided by third-party experts to help organisations protect themselves against various cyber threats. Outsourcing these services can have several benefits, such as saving costs, accessing specialised skills and tools, complying with regulations and standards, and reducing risks . However, outsourcing also has some drawbacks, such as losing control over sensitive data, facing legal and contractual issues, and relying on the quality and availability of the service providers . Therefore, organisations should carefully evaluate their needs and expectations before deciding to outsource their cyber security solutions.
Tools & Tech
