Cyber threats are now heavily automated.
This universal truth rests at the heart of most cyber attacks that rock businesses globally.
If organisations try to defend themselves against these attacks “manually” the fight becomes human versus machine - and the odds are resolutely stacked against the former.
To successfully protect against automated attacks, it’s essential to pitch one machine against another by ensuring that automation is enshrined at the heart of your cybersecurity strategy.
Holly Grace Williams, technical director at Manchester-based cybersecurity company Secarma explains: “Attack automation is one of the major issues we’re dealing with right now.
“The stereotype is that malicious software is spread mostly through email attachments, and it is, but it’s also spread through automation.
“The high-profile WannaCry and NotPetya attacks are two examples of major automated attacks.
“WannaCry, which impacted the NHS, infected hundreds of thousands of machines very quickly.
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“Software moves faster than humans, so if your response is manual you’re likely to be moving slower than the machines.”
The WannaCry ransomware attack, which took place in May 2017, was a worldwide cyberattack which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding Bitcoin ransom payments.
A month later, another attack named NotPetya hit and it’s widely believed this malware was clearly built on the lessons of WannaCry but was spread to victims through a hacked version of a major accounting program widely used in Ukraine.
Williams asserts speed is critical in incident response because the faster you respond the better chance you have of mitigating and resolving the issue before it spreads or further impacts your business.
She continues: “The faster you can resolve an attack the lower the cost to your business.
“If you’re locked out by ransomware you can calculate how much that’s going to cost your business each day.”
Williams maintains that it’s essential every business understands its IT systems, what data it holds, where its located and how it moves.
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“Companies do annual security testing, and that’s great - but attackers are moving a lot faster than that,” adds Williams.
“Things change many times in a year, so moving towards continuous testing is something we encourage.”
Williams is unequivocal when asked precisely what companies should be doing at this point in time to protect themselves.
“Companies need to ensure they have awareness of their assets.
“They should know what they own, where it is, and what data is being held there.
“This becomes more of a challenge the bigger the organisation gets, so it’s never too early to start mapping this out.
“Awareness in terms of the vulnerabilities you have in your systems is also key - you can’t reduce your exposure if you don’t understand the existing risks.
“Vulnerability management and penetration testing will help you get to grips with that.”
And an awareness of emerging themes in security can also help.
Williams concludes: “The new Cyber Resilience Centre launches in Manchester this November, which is a great resource for local organisations.
“The Cyber Resilience Centre is a joint venture between the Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Digital, backed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
“The centre will aim to publish independent information that companies can trust.
“Having a Cyber Resilience Centre in the area will bring a local focus to SMEs’ conversations around security.”
海角视频Fast CEO Lawrence Jones MBE on cybersecurity
The cybersecurity world is changing so quickly, the only way to stay on top of it is through greater collaboration. The theory that you only look after your own just doesn’t wash any more. We are all using similar systems and sharing networks, so it’s critical we work together to protect ourselves.
The increase in attacks that have real-world impact on ordinary people, like the WannaCry attack that impacted large parts of the NHS, is a huge wakeup call for everyone. We have to remain vigilant at all times to these threats.
With that in mind, it is a huge boost for organisations in our region to see the launch of Manchester’s Cyber Resilience Centre. The centre’s goal is to support the capability and development of the cyber sector in greater Manchester through information sharing and signposting to valuable resources. This can only be a positive development.
At 海角视频Fast we’ve invested heavily in our dedicated cyber-defence network to help our customers secure their data and avoid the potential disruption caused by cyber-attacks. Continuous investment in both technology and in education and knowledge around security are vital to stay one step ahead of the hackers.