Network Security Threats and How to Protect Yourself (27th September 2022)

Ref# T2022_19 | Date: Sep 27th 2022

What are network security threats 

Cybersecurity today matters so much because of everyone”s dependence on technology from collaboration, communication and collecting data to e-commerce and entertainment. Every organization that needs to deliver services to their customers and employees must protect their IT “network” – all the apps and connected devices from laptops and desktops to servers and smartphones. While traditionally, these would all live on one “corporate network,” – networks today are often just made up of the devices themselves, and how they”re connected: across the internet, sometimes via VPNs, to the homes and cafes people work from, to the cloud and data centers where services live.  

Attackers use automated tools to identify and exploit vulnerabilities and access unsecured systems, networks or data, however big or small your organization is. Finding and exploiting vulnerabilities with automated tools is simple: the attacks listed above are cheap, easy to perform and often indiscriminate, so every organization is at risk. All it takes is one vulnerability for an attacker to access your network. 

Mitigation 

The following details various network threats and how your organization can protect itself against them. 

  • Misconfiguration 
    Misconfiguration errors occur when configuring a system or application so that it”s less secure. This can happen when you change a setting without fully understanding the consequences, or when an incorrect value is entered. Either can create a serious vulnerability; for example, a misconfigured firewall can allow unauthorized access to an internal network, or a wrongly configured web server could leak sensitive information. 
    The initial step you need to take is to learn the features of your system, and to understand each key part of its behavior. To achieve this, you must have a real-time and accurate map of your whole infrastructure. This demonstrates communication and flows over your data centers environment both on-premises or in a hybrid cloud.  When you understand your systems, you can mitigate risks resulting from security misconfiguration by keeping the most essential infrastructure locked. Permit only some authorized users to access the ecosystem.  

  • Outdated software 
    Software and app developers constantly release updates with patches to cover vulnerabilities that have been discovered in their code. Applying patches to fix these vulnerabilities across an organization”s entire network of devices can be time-consuming and complex to implement but it is essential. If you don”t update your software, firmware and operating systems to the latest versions as they”re released, you”re leaving your network exposed.  
    From anti-virus software to computer operating systems, ensure your software is updated. When a new version of software is released, the version usually includes fixes for security vulnerabilities manual software updates can be time-consuming. Use automatic software updates for as many programs as possible. Also, a vulnerability scanner will give you a real-time inventory of all the software which needs updating, as well as detect misconfigurations that reduce your security, so you can stay as secure as possible.  

  • Application bugs 
    A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in an application or system that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result. Bugs exist in every piece of code for all sorts of reasons, from improper testing or messy code to a lack of communication or inadequate specifications documents. Not all bugs are cyber security issues or vulnerable to exploitation where an attacker can use the fault to access the network and run code remotely. However, some bugs like SQL injection can be very serious and allow the attackers to compromise your site or steal data. However, even when all these things are done, mistakes can still happen, which is why it”s still ranked as the #1 threat in the OWASP Top Ten Web Application Security Risks.  
    Fortunately, many types of injection vulnerabilities (and other application-level security bugs) can be detected with an authenticated web vulnerability scanner, and penetration testing for more sensitive applications. 

  • Attack surface management 
    When companies try to document their systems, they often rely on manually updating a simple spreadsheet but between configuration changes, new technologies, and shadow IT, they rarely know exactly what assets they own or where but discovering, tracking, and protecting all these assets is a critical component of strong security for every business. 
    A vulnerability scanner is a dynamic, automated tool that can keep track of what”s exposed to the internet and restrict anything that doesn”t need to be there like that old Windows 2003 box everyone”s forgotten about or a web server that a developer spun up for a quick test before leaving the business. It can also keep a constant watch over your cloud accounts and automatically add any new external IP addresses or hostnames as targets. It can help with “asset discovery” when companies need help finding their IP addresses and domains that they don”t even know about. 

How can it help your organization 

Knowing where your vulnerabilities and weak points are is the first and most important step. If you spot your vulnerabilities early, you can address them before an attacker can exploit them. A vulnerability scanner is a cloud-based service that identifies security vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks and software. Vulnerability scanners provide a continuous service that searches for network threats and vulnerabilities – everything from weak passwords to configuration mistakes or unpatched software – so you can address them before attackers exploit them. 

The Guyana National CIRT recommends that users and administrators review this tip and apply it where necessary. 

PDF Download: Network Security Threats and How to Protect Yourself.pdf

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