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Five Strategies to Protect Against Ransomware and Other Cyberattacks

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As organizations continue to adapt to remote or hybrid work models, it has never been more vital to have a robust cybersecurity program to better protect against ransomware attacks and other cyberattacks against company systems and personnel. Ransomware attacks have proven a particular risk in recent years, with attacks like the Colonial Pipeline and myriad attacks on health care organizations demonstrating the serious impact of cyberattacks beyond financial risks, affecting everyday life and business operations.

Ransomware and other cyberattacks are always evolving. Attackers are constantly finding new ways to infiltrate environments while trying to stay undetected. Cyberattacks can target many different points in an organization’s ecosystem, including firewall configuration, patch management, network segmentation and defensive technology. The following five strategies can help companies mitigate cyberrisk and respond to threats quickly and efficiently:

1. Strengthen Asset Inventory
You cannot protect what you do not know exists or cannot see. Having an efficient asset management program can significantly increase visibility and rapidly provide detailed information about systems in the event of a cyberattack. Organizations should document system or device types, operating systems and software used. To be more granular and aggressive, consider documenting what ports and service systems use for business functions and use that as a baseline for future firewall rules and network exceptions.

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Having a strong program is key for every organization, but is even more important in remote work environments.

2. Conduct Security Awareness Training
A comprehensive and effective security awareness program for employees benefits the organization at large. An efficient security awareness program extends visibility and cyber threat detection beyond defensive technologies applied in the environment by empowering people to be a critical line of defense. A robust security awareness training program allows employees to assist with the detection of network anomalies, suspicious emails and other potential threats.

3. Assess Antivirus and Endpoint Detection and Response Programs
Traditionally, antivirus programs have helped detect malicious activity. However, the problem with the traditional antivirus approach in modern day cybersecurity is that attackers regularly update their code to obfuscate and bypass signature-based antivirus products. By employing an endpoint detection and response (EDR) product, organizations create an efficient response to detecting malicious programs and activities based on network anomalies rather than signatures alone. If purchasing and implementing an EDR solution is not viable, consider additional layers of defense around the antivirus software. Ultimately, the goal is to increase visibility and the ability to alert upon suspicious activity.

4. Monitor and Detect New Processes
In addition to having inventory on assets, an organization should document legitimate system processes and software. Upon gaining access to an environment, ransomware downloads and executes its installer to infect the victim. Ensuring visibility into your environment can help IT and information security teams to detect programs or processes with behaviors that deviate from the norm. In turn, this allows operations and incident response teams to respond quickly in the event of those anomalies.
One example is Microsoft Windows’ AppLocker, which generates messages and alerts about anomalies such as when an attacker attempts to install an executable outside of the known baselined created. By creating baseline rules, AppLocker will create an 8003 warning message that can be collected and parsed using a security incident and event management (SIEM) product or log aggregator and monitored by the IT or information security team.

5. Network Anomaly Detection
Ransomware moves laterally across the network while infecting systems. This can be done quickly while raising flags or network anomalies such as authenticating to several systems within minutes. It is uncommon for systems or domain administrators to connect to multiple systems rapidly and on a large scale on internal networks. To differentiate between legitimate and potentially malicious activity, network administrators must first document legitimate network connections and known behaviors. This supports anomaly detection by establishing outbound and inbound connectivity from the organization’s servers.

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Once the legitimate network connection is documented and a baseline is created, you can leverage defensive technologies and monitoring programs to alert when deviations occur. Then, create alerts in firewalls and SIEM solutions to quickly detect and respond to network anomalies.

As cybercriminals become more advanced, cybersecurity programs must also evolve to identify and prevent malicious behavior. By implementing the best practices and strategies mentioned above, organizations can dramatically reduce their exposure to ransomware and other cyberattacks.

Body Scanners Installed in L.A., Tested in Other Locations

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Security scanners that screen passengers entering stations and terminals are being tested around the country and have been installed in subway stations in Los Angeles. The Associated Press reported that the machines scan for both metallic and non-metallic objects. They can detect suspicious items from a distance of 30 feet and are capable of scanning more than 2,000 passengers per hour. About 150,000 passengers ride on the Metro’s Red Line daily and the subway system counted more than 112 million rides last year, the AP said.

The New York Times reported that the federal government has been studying the technology for 15 years. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) partnered with the Los Angeles transit agency on the project, helping the agency test and vet security technologies. The devices purchased are made by the company Thruvision and can be placed at locations throughout the transit system, officials said.

According to the Times:

Officials in Los Angeles said that riders need not worry that their morning commute would turn into the sort of security nightmare often found at airports or even sporting events. The portable screening devices, which will be deployed later this year, will “quickly and unobtrusively” screen riders without revealing their anatomy and without forcing them to line up or stop walking, they said.

“We’re looking specifically for weapons that have the ability to cause a mass casualty event,” Alex Wiggins, the chief security and law enforcement officer for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said Tuesday. “We’re looking for explosive vests, we’re looking for assault rifles. We’re not necessarily looking for smaller weapons that don’t have the ability to inflict mass casualties.”

On Aug. 14 the scanners were tested in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, where in December a man set off a crude pipe bomb in an underground subway passageway, injuring himself. It is estimated that the Port Authority serves about 8,000 buses and 225,000 commuters daily.

As the Risk Management Monitor reported, the TSA also tested body scanners in New York’s Penn Station in Manhattan in February and has conducted tests at Union Station in Washington, D.C., and at a New Jersey Transit station during Super Bowl XLVIII, the AP said.

Are You Prepared for GDPR?

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If your work involves personal data, you probably already know the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enforcement date is May 25.

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While penalties for noncompliance can be stiff, the sky may not be falling just yet.

GDPR focuses on personal data originating from the EU, which reaches well beyond the EU’s borders into organizations around the world that collect, process, use and store that data. As a regulation focused on data protection and privacy, GDPR’s impact may extend far outside the EU. For example, there are signs that Latin American countries may be considering a regulation that mirrors GDPR. With the recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data privacy fallout, several pieces of privacy-related legislation in the U.S. are currently being considered by federal lawmakers.

Privacy is a risk-based problem. Organizations should assess which risks exist and determine their risk tolerance. With data privacy, these risks are typically financial (such as fines and lawsuits) and reputation (bad press and negative perceptions).

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GDPR also introduces a newer risk into the risk landscape – one related to activist groups potentially using GDPR as a springboard to flood a target organization with data subject requests.

Why GDPR matters and to whom it applies
GDPR applies to personal data originating from the EU. GDPR gives individuals (aka “data subjects”) control and ownership over their personal data. This includes personally identifiable information (PII), IP addresses, biometric data, social identity, along with health, economic, cultural and genetic data. There are two reasons this has gotten so much attention:

  • The GDPR represents the EU’s most sweeping changes to privacy regulations in decades. It requires organizations to be transparent about which data is collected and how it will be used. All data collected must have a purpose and be kept accurate and up to date. Individuals (aka data subjects) now have the power to access their data, fix errors, restrict usage, move data and demand that their data be deleted.
  • The penalties for noncompliance are unprecedented. The law sets out penalties of up to four percent of global revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater. It is not clear at this point how and when these fines will be applied or if they are even enforceable outside the EU. However, the significant size of the potential fines and potential risk of noncompliance captured the attention of organizations around the world.

Large data-driven organizations have been working toward GDPR compliance since the regulation was passed in 2016. A significant number of organizations may not be ready, however. In fact, a flash poll conducted by Baker Tilly during a recent GDPR webinar revealed that 90% of attendees do not have the necessary controls in place to be GDPR-compliant.

What to do today
Preparing for GDPR compliance is a matter of preparing for privacy in general. Whoever you are and wherever you are in the world, consider these steps in your compliance journey:

  1. Identify potential data and systems affected by GDPR: Put a process in place to understand what data you collect and why. Know where it is coming from and where it is stored. You will want to know where you have “data pools” with GDPR relevance and you’ll want to know the scope. Is it one record or one million? Where are the gaps in compliance?
  2. Understand existing data privacy controls: Review your existing data protection controls and assess GDPR compliance. Do you have written security protocols in place? What is your risk exposure? Depending on the type of organization you represent, you may actually be closer to compliance than you think. For example, organizations compliant with NIST, ISO, HIPAA, PCI DSS, Privacy Shield or other frameworks, may be well on the way to GDPR compliance.
  3. Lead from the top and educate: The news cycle is now dominated by the questionable use of personal information and it appears the shift to a data subject-centered environment may very well be here to stay. This issue goes beyond risk management and IT. Marketing, legal, government affairs, HR and communications are just a few of the functional areas touched by privacy issues. They all need to be as committed to data protection as the chief privacy officer.
  4. Be clear about how you will deal with data-subject requests: Once you have a clear picture of the data you possess, it is essential to design, implement and document your processes to correct, transfer and delete that data if required or being able to provide a valid, legal reason for retaining the data.
  5. Determine whether you need a data privacy officer: The GDPR requires that a data privacy officer (DPO) be appointed in most situations. Proactive organizations should consider the organization’s position and strategy. Is privacy an essential piece of the business model (as it is for a bank) or the brand (as it is for Apple)?
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    The answer may well influence whether or not you define a new area of leadership and accountability.

Looking ahead
There is a shift taking place. People used to accept (or not know) that their online data and personal information were being tracked and used by others. Many people seemed to think this was simply the price of being online. Now, people are questioning how their data is being used and governments are starting to listen. GDPR is the likely first step toward far more widespread change.

This is not about solving every single detail today. Most experts believe that a well-documented plan and clear effort to comply with the GDPR will make conversations with supervisory authorities significantly easier. Do the homework ahead of time, know your landscape, get your systems in place, be transparent and be ready to pivot when necessary. Do that, and you will be miles (or kilometers) ahead of everyone else next time a new law or regulation goes into effect.

Open Offices and Holidays: A Parade of Risks

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‘Tis the season for many businesses to stay open through the holidays and for some to take part in the tradition of partying or watching a parade warmly from behind office windows. That’s why businesses located near public events should inform employees of how their offices will be impacted during the holiday season.

Parades pose various operational risks to property owners and businesses, both inside and outside their buildings. On Nov. 23 alone, at least five large parades will inch their way through the streets of major cities like Chicago and Detroit. Macy’s anticipates 3.5 million spectators to pack New York City’s streets for its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. That means 2.5 miles of barriers and street closings in the “frozen zone” between 77th and 34th streets, and businesses in the country’s most congested city should prepare for some disruption.

Theresa Morzello, the managing director for asset services for CBRE in New York City, has advised many companies who stay open or host events coinciding with parades and holidays. She said the first steps in mitigating disruption involve communicating with the event organizers and disseminating that information to tenants.

“This way they’ll know, for example, if one of their building’s entrances will close because of a parade,” Morzello said. “We also make sure that employees and their guests know the protocol for providing documentation for entering and exiting. That is usually handled in advance and lists are provided to security. And there are protocols for what to do when someone doesn’t have it. These are all things we do on a daily basis, but amped up a few levels because of the holidays.”

Morzello also said that property managers often try to utilize vacant office space because there is less potential for damage or disruption there. Wherever the gathering takes place within CBRE’s properties, she advises tenants to consider the following:

Hire elevator operators to help keep guests on their assigned floors.

  • Obtain a temporary alcohol license, if necessary.
  • Confirm that outside caterers are insured.
  • Address if the windows are operable and ensure they are kept closed.

But parades and crowded events are not relegated to big cities, as many major retailers take part in the festivities. Acadia Realty Trust manages hundreds of retail and office properties in the U.S. and Kellie Shapiro, vice president of risk management said clearing a physical path is the first step to mitigate safety risks during a high-traffic season.

“We issue a moratorium on any work during the holiday season. We email tenants reminding them to get everything done before Thanksgiving,” she said. “From then until New Year’s is not the time to have scaffolding and things like that.” She added that capital improvements are suspended across most of Acadia’s portfolio to avoid interfering with tenants’ operations during their busiest season.

Businesses can easily lose track of who’s coming and going during the busy holiday season, Shapiro noted. Acadia’s focus is on knowing its vendors, and she reminds tenants to be diligent about vetting third-party contractors for the sake of safety and reputation.

“You can protect your company by being diligent about who you bring in to your site. You should know who your contractors are – you don’t want to let some criminal just walk right in because you handed over the keys to your building,” Shapiro said. “You would hope tenants, if they saw something suspicious, would pick up the phone. We’d all like to secure something 100% but you have to know your limitations.”

Public safety in the U.S. has been headline news, considering the recent high-profile violence involving weapons and automobiles in just the last two months in Las Vegas, California, Texas and Manhattan. In a recent interview with Risk Management Monitor, Rezwan Ali, risk solutions group head of security at Falck Global Assistance, discussed how businesses and employees should review their emergency plans during high-volume times. He maintained, however, that the odds of being impacted by a terror attack is very low.

“When participating in larger events, such as the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, people tend to focus only on the parade and their phones taking pictures and posting on social media,” said Ali. “However, it is important to stay alert and aware of one’s surroundings. Not just to be prepared for terror, but also to prevent being a victim of crime. It is recommended to download apps either provided by the authorities or by media outlets that generate alerts allowing you to get direct notifications should anything happen in your vicinity.”