MERIT

As fall approaches, so will a fresh onslaught of new cyber attacks aimed at taking down your organization and crippling your ability to provide service.  However, you can be an InfoSec Rockstar, defending your systems with style. Here are five quick wins you can implement to ensure that your computers, users, and data stay secure:

 

(1) Require VPN with Two-Factor (2FA) for *all* non-public external access.

Our internal computer systems are becoming increasingly connected, with almost everything requiring connectivity to the outside world.  Unfortunately, attackers know this is the case, so vulnerable services such as Remote Desktop (RDP), Secure Shell (SSH), and private web pages are ripe for exploitation.  These services are normally meant to never be exposed to the internet, so make sure to give them a boost and add an extra layer of defense! Require two-factor authentication via a VPN before such services can be used; this way they cannot be anonymously attacked without your knowledge.

(2) Take away administrator rights. 

Sorry, we are in the year 2019 and the need for the vast majority of employees to have dangerous administrator rights is long gone.  Users with these rights can cause severe and irreparable damage to your computer systems, so limit them down to just special accounts used by IT support staff to troubleshoot and install software for the rest of your organization.

(3) Have non-connected backups.

Ransomware attackers are smart, and know that you likely will not pay any ransom if you can simply restore your computer systems from a backup.  Because of this, they will search your network for any connected backup files and destroy them before they start holding you hostage. To combat this, ensure that a weekly backup is kept in a location not accessible through your network – either via a tape drive, a disconnected external hard drive, or a cloud file vaulting service which ensures data cannot be deleted.

(4) Keep that Windows Firewall enabled.

I know it can be tempting to just “turn off the firewall” in Windows to make sure that your applications and services are working, but this is extremely dangerous and leaves all other portions of your server exposed.  There are several powerful (and dangerous!) features of Windows that you would never want anybody else on your network to take advantage of, so don’t let them! Windows maintains several “profiles” for you, and you can easily select which profile applies within your network settings.

(5) Use Application Whitelisting.

Want to know the ultimate secret behind stopping malware and ransomware from crippling your organization?  Those bad pieces of software can’t hurt you if your computers literally cannot run them! Whitelisting is a free feature within Windows, and you can configure Group Policy (GPO) to only permit the running of approved software, including all software signed by manufacturers you approve of.  It is super flexible, simple to configure, and has personally saved me before during a malware outbreak.