Staying secure online is something everyone needs to pay attention to. The saying “you’re only as strong as your weakest link” is true when it comes to online security. An out of date browser or operating system, a compromised login or insecure connection can leave you vulnerable and everyone else around you!
Your business or organization’s online security depends a lot on putting preventative measures in place to mitigate or minimize risks and planning for the worst case scenario if you have a breach. This is of course easier said than done and you are probably wondering how to get started.
Below find a brief overview of some of the common methods utilized by attackers along with some suggestions on where you should start. At the bottom of the page you’ll find a link to a previous presentation as well as an Online Security Primer document on this topic with some key takeaways that you can start today on securing your online presence.
What are common methods utilized by attackers?
- Malware/Ransomware/Viruses
- Phishing/Social Engineering
- Compromised/Stolen Devices
- Compromised/Stolen Credentials
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
- SQL Injections
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Session Hijacking
- Man in the Middle Attack
Where to start? Assess, Prevent and Prepare!
- Assess: Know Thy Resources
- Inventory Internal and External Systems
- Who Has Access and When Was Access Updated
- Website Registrar, Hosting and Other Systems
- Contingency and Redundancy Plans
- Prevent: Update, Firewall and Scan
- Keep All Systems Up To Date
- This include Hosting Server Software and Website Software (NOT THE SAME!)
- Have Firewalls and Other Security (i.e. WAF)
- Virus and Malware Scan, Regularly!
- Keep All Systems Up To Date
- Prepare: Backup and Monitor
- Prepare Assuming You Will Be Breached
- Backup Off Site Regularly
- Continuous Monitoring
Get a high level, broad stroke view of some of the more common forms of attack in layman’s terms and what you and your business or organization can do to mitigate, or put yourself in the best position to recover from, a breach.
This 30 minute webinar is a great primer for any knowledge level and the PDF of the PowerPoint presentation gives some great takeaways to help assess, protect and prepare when it comes to online security.