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The Age of Hyperconnectivity: How to Protect IT Assets and Avoid Cyberattacks
Imagine a modern home equipped with a variety of smart devices and systems, including lights, thermostats, cameras, locks, refrigerators, and more. All of these devices and systems are integrated with each other through a central control system, such as a smart hub or smartphone. This allows you to manage all of your gadgets in one place and automate processes. The benefits are many, especially if you have a large number of such homes.
Now imagine that this house is an organization, and all the smart devices and systems are various IT assets (servers, applications, databases, and most importantly, many devices connected to the Internet and exchanging data - this is the Internet of Things, IoT). Hyper-connectivity of IT assets means that all these systems and devices are interconnected, ensuring the efficient functioning of the entire system and improving the quality of customer service.
In smart homes and businesses, where a vulnerability in a single device can become an entry point for an attack to come from within and affect the entire system, high levels of interconnectivity can blur the boundaries between internal and external networks, eliminating traditional security boundaries. Hyperconnectivity increases the potential attack surface across the entire organization and requires comprehensive security measures. This means complex management and careful monitoring, and is not easy to implement.
Mature companies that are early adopters of advanced technologies and whose IT infrastructure is a complex network of interconnected elements have proven to be attractive targets for cybercriminals. Attacks target data and critical assets, and if data is leaked or destroyed, the consequences can be catastrophic: from financial losses and reputational damage to legal and regulatory implications.
The growing complexity of infrastructure and services requires new security strategies that take into account both cyber threats and physical risks. For example, attacks on IoT devices or physical infrastructure components (server rooms, sensors, industrial systems) can have catastrophic consequences.
Traditional cybersecurity methods, including antivirus, firewalls, passive monitoring, and traditional network segmentation, are no longer adequate to protect assets in hyperconnected environments. Hackers are becoming more resourceful and their attacks are becoming more sophisticated. Even highly developed IT systems can be vulnerable to sophisticated attacks that exploit cross-connections between different systems and vulnerabilities that were previously considered trivial.
To protect their assets, enterprises must move to a more comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. All aspects of the threat must be considered, from cyberattacks to risks to physical infrastructure assets and personnel. In a hyperconnected environment, enterprises must focus on the following key elements of protection: • Unable to detect and respond to threats in real time. Automating the process of detecting, analyzing, and mitigating threats is critical. Technologies such as extended detection and response (XDR) combine and correlate data from multiple security sources to improve threat detection and response, providing a more complete picture of the security of the entire organization. SOAR (security orchestration, automation, and response): This technology automates and orchestrates cybersecurity processes, including data collection, incident analysis, and threat response, enabling security teams to effectively manage and respond to incidents. These methods significantly speed up the incident response process and reduce the likelihood of damage, even though setting up and managing all of these tools requires expert assistance and human intervention. • Lack of cloud infrastructure protection. As cloud platforms become more popular, their security has become an important aspect. Enterprises must implement continuous monitoring and protection of data in the cloud, including data encryption, the use of multi-factor authentication and access segmentation. Infrastructure providers take responsibility for security at a certain level of abstraction, undergo various audits and receive compliance certificates. But building comprehensive security requires control over this area, regardless of the promises and guarantees of third parties. • Lack of endpoint protection - both virtual and physical endpoints. Ensuring the security of all devices connected to your network, including computers, mobile devices and IoT sensors, requires the use of advanced antivirus software, intrusion prevention systems and access control technologies. Special attention should be paid to physical access to the IT infrastructure, including access control to buildings, video surveillance systems, preventing unauthorized access to servers and other equipment. Previously, when installing and configuring these solutions, you only considered the threats posed by individual elements of the system. Now you need to consider the whole picture, taking into account all the integrations. Just because a particular virus can’t infect a client mobile application doesn’t mean it can’t penetrate deeper through server-to-server connections and infect significant parts of the infrastructure. • No backup and recovery of valuable assets. You should conduct a global inventory of sensitive data,and implement regular backup procedures and test recovery processes to minimize the impact of attacks like ransomware. It’s important to remember that backups alone won’t be effective unless you isolate the copies they create and restrict access to them. The play is staged and rehearsed by a group of hackers so that no one outside can even guess that a tragedy is taking place. • No artificial intelligence or automation. In hyperconnected situations, AI helps when manually analyzing monitoring events from each device is impossible. It has long been proven to be effective in analyzing huge amounts of data and identifying anomalies. Systems built on neural network technology can automatically recognize suspicious activity and immediately respond to certain types of threats. Even when complex security threats arise that require the intervention of qualified experts, AI can take over some of the work and optimize the response process. • No quantum computing. Quantum computing is still in its early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we encrypt and protect data. In the future, quantum algorithms will be able to withstand even the strongest attacks, providing unprecedented levels of security. Now we have to work with these features in R&D. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive.Quantum computing is still in its early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we encrypt and protect data. In the future, quantum algorithms will be able to withstand even the strongest attacks, providing unprecedented levels of security. Now we have to work with these features in R&D. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive.Quantum computing is still in its early stages of development, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we encrypt and protect data. In the future, quantum algorithms will be able to withstand even the strongest attacks, providing unprecedented levels of security. Now we have to work with these features in R&D. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive, which corresponds to this specificity. Here we must also take into account the fact that at some point these technologies will become available not only to the defensive side, but also to the offensive.
Hyperconnectivity is a convenient and efficient new reality, and no one has to give up security. However, leaders must consider risk when making strategic decisions and view cybersecurity as an important aspect integrated into the company’s overall business strategy. It is valuable to be actively involved in the development and implementation of security measures and provide the necessary resources and support. Here are some key recommendations for senior managers:
Invest in security automation. Automation technologies significantly reduce the burden on information security teams and ensure rapid response to threats. By investing in these technologies, companies can avoid problems associated with human error and inefficiencies of traditional approaches. This will also help reduce the costs of hiring excessive specialized personnel in the future.
We are constantly updating and adjusting our technology environment. Your security strategy should be regularly reviewed and updated. This includes learning about and implementing new technologies, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, as well as adapting to new threats and vulnerabilities. In the rush to implement new technologies, we must not forget about security, such as MLSecOps and AISecOps.
Workforce training. Even the most powerful security system can be useless if a company’s employees are unaware of cyber threats. To minimize human factors, which statistically account for about 80% of cyber incidents within an organization, it is important for managers to conduct regular information security training for all employees, including themselves. Educating employees in the field of cyber hygiene helps to avoid such cases as installing malicious files on work PCs, leaving unlocked laptops unattended in coffee shops, or unauthorized access by clicking on links in received emails. Your company password is in there.
Security audits and testing. Companies should conduct regular audits of their security systems, including penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, as well as business products and services. This allows them to detect and fix weaknesses before attackers can exploit them.
Response plan. No matter the level of protection, intrusions by malicious actors are inevitable, so it is necessary to be prepared for information security incidents. In the event of a cyber-attack, develop an action plan to minimize damage and quickly restore the system to working order. Pre-implemented zero trust practices (an approach to cybersecurity that fundamentally assumes that no one can be trusted and that all access requests must be verified and approved) prevent the risk of unauthorized access to critical assets, even if an attacker penetrates the network.
Monitoring the information sector and darknet. Implementing and developing a threat analysis platform helps identify potential leaks of company data, accounts or other sensitive data that can be used in future attacks. This approach also helps to understand the current situation and understand the current tactics and plans of hacker groups.
It’s time to learn to look beyond the obvious stages of technological progress and into the broader byproducts of this process, including hyperconnectivity. These are the areas of IT and security that the major players in the cybercrime market will be targeting in the near future, so it’s important to not only be at the forefront, but also to strike first. You can control the entire stadium.
The editor's opinions may not coincide with the author's point of view.