In an increasingly interconnected world, ensuring the security of your IT systems and your organisation’s sensitive data is of paramount importance. But do you truly know which of your systems are discoverable on the internet? Does your cyber security team regularly check for any information about your IT infrastructure that might be exposed on the internet, or even on the dark web? In this blog post, we will take a look at various scanning tools that are available online, like shodan.io and Metasploit, and explain how tools like these can help you quickly identify vulnerabilities.

The Dangers of Vulnerabilities

If you’re looking to maintain a high level of security for your entire infrastructure, you don’t just need to install some firewalls and update your passwords. You need a comprehensive understanding of your cyber defences, including which systems are vulnerable to attack, and if there are any vulnerabilities. In many cases, companies are surprised to discover just how many of their systems are visible on the internet, and just how many people could access them. These vulnerabilities can be costly if a malicious actor manages to find a way into your network – a study by Juniper Research found that attacks on vulnerabilities in supply chain software could cost the global economy £54.06 billion by 2026.

Shodan.io

This is where tools like shodan.io come in – the website is a database of publicly available IP addresses, and it’s often referred to as the ‘search engine for hackers.’ The website allows users to search for servers and other networked devices, including routers and webcams, and even printers. Earlier this year, Check Point Research reported a rise in the number of cyber attacks on IoT devices, which are often the most vulnerable parts of a network – in the first two months of 2023, organisations were facing an average of almost 60 attacks each week. Shodan.io provides users with a platform to check if their unprotected or poorly-configured systems are vulnerable to external attacks. The service is a valuable tool for security professionals, researchers, and system administrators, and is helpful for identifying vulnerable or misconfigured devices that could be potential security risks.

Metasploit

Another powerful tool your security team should be considering is Metasploit, an open-source framework that’s the world’s most used penetration testing tool. In fact, it’s not just used by cyber security professionals – the FBI once used it to track down suspects. It’s used for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in computer systems and offers a standardised way of testing systems. This way, organisations can simulate attack scenarios and proactively uncover weaknesses before hackers can. By conducting regular assessments with Metasploit, you can gain valuable insights into any potential vulnerabilities, and take proactive measures to adjust your security measures accordingly.

Cyber Security Tips

It’s important to remember that tools like shodan.io and Metasploit aren’t just used by security professionals – they’re also the favourite tools of malicious actors, particularly on the dark web, where information on the most common vulnerabilities, and how to access systems with them, is regularly traded. Tools like Web Check, a free service from the National Cyber Security Centre, can help you to scan your network and identify any vulnerabilities that may be there. It looks for the most common weaknesses and tells you what you need to do to mitigate any risks.

Understanding cyber criminals – and how valuable your data is to them – is crucial when it comes to cyber security. The dark web harbours a multitude of illegal activities, and information about vulnerable systems can be traded there. By regularly scanning your IT systems, you can identify potential vulnerabilities before they are exploited by criminals. However, tools like Web Check won’t stop everything, and they shouldn’t replace you from carrying out vulnerability management or penetration testing.

Here at Infosec K2K, we offer vulnerability management services like penetration testing, to help you find any areas that a malicious actor could exploit. As penetration testing simulates real-world attacks, it uncovers weaknesses before they can be leveraged, strengthening your cyber defences and saving you time and money – according to Acronis, the average cost of a data breach is set to exceed $5 million (£3.9 million) this year. Our expert team will help you stay one step ahead of cyber criminals with regular internal and external scans to identify any issues and present you with a plan to mitigate any risks.

The security of your IT infrastructure is crucial if you want to protect your data while maintaining your business operations. By utilising online tools like shodan.io and Metasploit, you can find any vulnerabilities in your network and take steps to address them. Your security team should conduct regular assessments to ensure your network isn’t publicly accessible online, and to ensure critical updates and security patches are installed as soon as possible. After all, when it comes to the safekeeping of your critical data, prevention is better (and more cost-effective) than reaction.

Whatever solution you’re looking for, we can help. The experts at Infosec K2K can offer you specialist guidance, and help you find the product that’s the best fit for you.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.

In today’s digital landscape, cyber security is crucial to protect sensitive data, prevent financial losses, maintain your privacy, and safeguard yourself against cyber threats and attacks. The methods used by hackers and cyber criminals, however, are constantly evolving, and it can be hard keeping up with them. This is why businesses are increasingly turning to Security Operations Centres (SOCs) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, which, when used simultaneously, are a powerful way to detect cyber threats in real time, respond to attacks, and significantly enhance your cyber security posture.

One of the most effective ways of monitoring your network for possible threats is by using a SOC. In fact, 40% of IT professionals classed their SOC as very important to their organisation’s overall cyber security strategy. In a previous blog, we outlined the biggest benefits of investing in a SOC for your business. In simple terms, SOCs are responsible for monitoring and analysing security events, detecting and responding to cyber threats, conducting incident investigations, implementing security measures, performing vulnerability assessments, managing security incidents, and ensuring the overall security of an organisation’s systems – and its data. Within SOCs, SOC analysts play a crucial role. Their knowledge of the latest attack techniques and tools, as well as potential vulnerabilities, help them detect threats that automated systems may miss. They use this knowledge to make informed decisions and neutralise threats before they can cause damage, making them essential in any organisation’s cyber defence strategy.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are one of the most powerful tools when it comes to cyber security, helping organisations to aggregate and analyse security event data. More and more organisations are using SIEMs – according to the 2022 SIEM Report from Cybersecurity Insiders, 90% of those surveyed said they either used SIEM or were planning to. They provide a centralised platform, collecting logs from various sources including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and servers, giving security professionals comprehensive visibility. The core capabilities of SIEMs include log management, event correlation, and real-time monitoring, giving security teams the ability to identify patterns, detect anomalies, and respond swiftly to potential threats. These systems enhance threat detection by correlating events across different sources and generating actionable alerts. They also aid in incident response, providing contextual information and facilitating forensic investigations. SIEMs can help organisations manage compliance, and aid in regulatory adherence. Some of the most popular SIEM solutions on the market today include Splunk, AT&T Cybersecurity, and Elastic SIEM.

Using SOCs and SIEMs together is pivotal for any organisation looking for a robust cyber security system. SIEMs can act as a centralised data source for SOCs, giving SOC analysts all the logs and event data they’d need for threat detection and incident response. SOCs, meanwhile, can leverage the technical capabilities of SIEMs to help them tackle cyber threats, using analytics and real-time monitoring. SOC analysts can use SIEM tools to hunt for potential threats, investigate incidents, and respond quickly and efficiently. Integrating SIEM data with SOC workflows helps streamline your business, giving you the ability to improve your threat visibility, detect incidents far more quickly, and enhance your cyber security framework.

Despite the benefits of using both SOCs and SIEM technologies, there can be challenges – the biggest of which are allocating resources and training staff. Only the largest organisations, for example, are able to afford fully-staffed SOC and a robust SIEM. While many organisations would have a SIEM in place before setting up a SOC, the SOC analysts may have difficulty keeping up with the number of cyber threat alerts generated by the SIEM – and some may even be false alerts. On the other hand, SIEM solutions may miss some threats. While they can automatically detect attacks, these abilities are based on rules and existing patterns, so they could fail to detect new threats or ones that don’t match the predefined rules.

SOC analysts might also have difficulty managing the number of alerts generated by the SIEM. Some may be false alerts, making it even more difficult for the SOC team to respond to cyber security incidents effectively. In Sumo Logic’s 2020 State of SecOps and Automation Report, they reported 56% of large companies received more than 1,000 security alerts each day, with 93% of them unable to address every alert. The best way for organisations to overcome these challenges is by aligning processes and establishing clear communication channels, as well as regularly evaluating their SOC-SIEM integration to optimise its benefits.

Costs shouldn’t stand in the way of organisations making use of SOCs and SIEMs, too, as businesses like ourselves at Infosec K2K offer Managed SOC services. By outsourcing your SOC needs, you can be sure of 24/7 protection – our team of experts based in the UK and India can monitor your network and respond to any threats around the clock, with our Fully Managed SOC. With our Hybrid or Co-Managed SOC services, on the other hand, we can work closely with your existing IT team and infrastructure to offer 24/7 support. Whatever your needs are, we can find the right SOC for you – and if the above solutions don’t meet your needs, we’ll work with you to create a Customised SOC to suit your budget and business. We also provide services powered by our cyber security partners, such as AT&T Cybersecurity. Their SIEM solution, USM Anywhere, centralises the monitoring of networks and devices whether they’re in the cloud, on premises, or in remote locations. USM Anywhere automatically collects data and analyses your network, with automated threat detection powered by AT&T Alien Labs. This gives businesses new security capabilities, and is more cost-effective than other solutions, with comprehensive features including user activity monitoring, vulnerability scanning, and log storage.

Integrating SOCs and SIEMs is vital for businesses who are looking to safeguard their cyber security. While both are valuable tools, they have drawbacks, but these can be prevented if they’re both used together. By adopting a more integrated approach, organisations can effectively detect and respond to evolving cyber threats.

Whatever solution you’re looking for, we can help. The experts at Infosec K2K can offer you specialist guidance, and help you find the product that’s the best fit for you.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.

In the ever-changing world of cyber threats, Identity and Access Management (IAM) has become a vital concern for organisations. IAM plays a crucial role in securing networks and controlling user access, as cyber attackers often exploit compromised credentials. At Infosec K2K, we specialise in cyber security and IAM and recognise the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the field, particularly in enhancing IAM capabilities.

IAM is essential for cyber security as it ensures that only authorised individuals can access an organisation’s sensitive systems and data. By implementing IAM, organisations can enforce strong authentication mechanisms, manage user privileges, monitor activities for suspicious behaviour, and respond promptly to security incidents. IAM mitigates the risk of insider threats and unauthorised access.

But, there are still challenges when it comes to implementing IAM. Due to the need to integrate IAM with your organisation’s existing systems and legacy infrastructure, it can be complex. IAM solutions also need to be scalable – able to accommodate new systems and users. Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, and at Infosec K2K, our flexible pay-as-you-go model helps organisations accommodate the growing complexity of IAM without straining their resources, saving costs and expanding IAM capabilities as and when they’re needed.

AI algorithms, like the ones that power large language models like ChatGPT, can analyse vast amounts of user behaviour and data, and detect potential threats. This enables organisations to respond to unusual behaviour or suspicious login attempts. At the same time, hackers and cyber criminals are using AI technologies – they can train algorithms on the data that cyber security teams are on the lookout for, thus avoiding detection. Research and development in AI is important if IT teams want to stay ahead of their adversaries. IAM could be enhanced with AI, giving networks more protection. Alongside our partner, CyberArk, we offer complete and flexible IAM solutions. By using their identity management tools, organisations can better control who can access their network, monitor user behaviour, and deal with online threats.

Enhanced Authentication

AI helps organisations improve user verification, with more accurate and reliable methods based on unique characteristics, including biometric data such as fingerprints and voice patterns. AI-powered systems continuously learn and adapt, improving their accuracy over time and effectively thwarting spoofing attempts by cyber criminals.

Behavioural Analytics

By analysing users’ behaviour, AI algorithms assign risk scores to users, indicating the likelihood of their actions posing a threat. Using these, organisations can make more informed decisions. Users with low scores, for example, could be granted extensive access rights, while users with high scores may have their access restricted. Insider threats are one of the most significant security concerns for any organisation, as they involve individuals who already have access to sensitive data.

Streamlined User Provisioning

AI can automate user provisioning processes, reducing human error. CyberArk’s IAM tools allow organisations to manage users’ privileges from any location. Manual processes are prone to human error, but AI tools can streamline user provisioning. This reduces the administrative burden on IT teams and ensures access privileges align with users’ needs, mitigating the risks of privilege creep. Although, it’s not just hackers that organisations are worrying about – an IT worker in the UK was recently convicted of gaining unauthorised access to his company’s computer systems. He accessed private emails and blackmailed the company into paying him a ransom.

Ethical Considerations

Responsible use of AI and IAM requires addressing ethical considerations. Privacy is a major concern due to the collection and analysis of user data for authentication purposes. Organisations using AI and IAM must establish clear data privacy policies, inform users about data usage, and implement security measures to protect sensitive information. Bias is another important concern since AI systems and algorithms learn from historical data, and could perpetuate biases.

Robust Security Measures

Organisations should ensure security measures are in place to protect AI models. Cyber attacks can manipulate input data, reducing the effectiveness of AI-powered IAM systems, and compromising their security. Continuous monitoring of new cyber threats is important, as is updating AI models so they’re aware of new threats – vulnerabilities might be uncovered over time.

New advances and developments in AI are constantly being made, and emerging technologies like machine learning and deep learning could further enhance IAM. Machine learning algorithms can analyse huge amounts of data to detect potential threats, and are continuously learning. With IAM, these algorithms can trigger alerts and verify users’ identities. Deep learning, a more specialised subset of machine learning, can create complex neural networks that are capable of sophisticated analysis. These neural networks could be used for more advanced user authentication, such as facial recognition or biometrics.

In the fight against cyber crime, IAM has become increasingly important, addressing the need to manage users’ identities. By integrating AI into IAM solutions, organisations can enhance IAM’s capabilities and strengthen their authentication processes. IT professionals looking to reinforce their organisation’s cyber security posture should embrace IAM and AI simultaneously. At Infosec K2K, our team of cyber security specialists work with one of the leading IAM providers, CyberArk, to offer a range of comprehensive IAM solutions – which can be tailored to suit your needs. We understand the importance of monitoring users’ access rights and can offer you the tools you need to manage their access privileges with complete confidence.

Whatever solution you’re looking for, we can help. The experts at Infosec K2K can offer you specialist guidance, and help you find the product that’s the best fit for you.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.

In our increasingly interconnected world, operational technology (OT) plays a pivotal role in powering critical infrastructure systems – including energy, transportation, manufacturing and healthcare. OT refers to the hardware and software that monitors and manages this infrastructure, and its importance can’t be overstated. Emerging cyber threats have left OT networks vulnerable, where robust security measures are urgently needed. Remote access security is a crucial defence mechanism, empowering organisations to defend OT from malicious actors. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits and challenges of remote access security, and offer our insights.

Emerging cyber threats have left OT networks vulnerable, thanks to technologies like cloud computing and IoT. Historically, OT systems were isolated from external networks, creating an extra layer of security. The integration of new technologies, however, has created vulnerabilities and attracted cyber criminals. Cyber attacks on OT are on the rise – in 2021, 93% of OT organisations experienced at least one breach. On average, data breaches on critical infrastructure companies cost $1 million (​​£785,000) more than other companies – but the financial cost isn’t the only downside. Criminals could disrupt critical services, steal sensitive data, and even cause physical damage, highlighting the importance of protecting OT infrastructure.

Remote access allows users to securely connect to local networks from anywhere in the world. In the case of OT, it allows users to monitor and manage OT systems from external locations, which is both more efficient and allows for improved maintenance processes. However this connectivity also creates potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited – remote access security ensures that only authorised individuals can access critical OT systems. According to Cyolo, 72% of organisations said the top reason for securing remote access was to enable third-party access. By ensuring these people are authorised, organisations can reduce the number of entry points into their systems.

By implementing remote access security solutions, organisations can defend their OT systems with stronger authentication and encrypted connections. Remote access security provides users with a range of tools and features, including multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and advanced encryption protocols. These ensure users have real-time monitoring and logging abilities, to detect cyber threats more efficiently – and deal with them before they can become an issue.

More and more businesses are turning to remote access security solutions – 96% of business leaders have recognised the need to invest in OT cyber security. Before implementing measures like these, however, organisations should conduct a thorough risk assessment of their OT systems. This way, they can identify vulnerabilities, evaluate potential cyber threats, and determine their specific remote access security requirements. Selecting the appropriate solution is crucial to ensure compatibility with existing legacy systems – other factors to consider include scalability and ease of integration.

Organisations should follow cyber security best practices, like those outlined in the Fortinet 2023 State of OT and Cybersecurity Report, such as configuring firewalls, applying security patches promptly, and implementing secure encryption protocols. They should also establish clear remote access policies and protocols, covering everything from acceptable use and authentication requirements to incident response procedures. Employees should receive regular training on remote access security policies, so they understand the risks of a cyber attack as well as how to maintain a secure OT environment.

Implementing remote access security solutions in OT environments can present a number of challenges. When it comes to existing OT infrastructure, organisations should consider network segmentation and the compatibility of remote access security policies with existing control policies. It’s also vital that organisations with OT systems should prepare for the possibility of cyber attacks, developing incident response plans that outline users’ roles and responsibilities, and recovery procedures. Regular testing – and further refinement – of these plans is essential to ensure organisations can deal successfully with cyber threats.

At Infosec K2K, we offer robust remote access security solutions, and support organisations looking to protect their OT systems. We offer clients bespoke identity and access management (IAM) solutions, which can be tailored to each organisations’ specific needs, and ensure they have secure remote access to their OT systems as and when it’s needed. Our partners at Cyolo are a world-leading provider of remote access and identity-based security solutions, which can be easily integrated with existing OT infrastructure. With our help, we can ensure organisations have strong authentication mechanisms in place, reducing the risk of unauthorised access and preventing cyber attacks or breaches.

Defending OT from cyber threats is of paramount importance when it comes to safeguarding critical infrastructure systems, and remote access security can provide organisations with the tools they need to protect their OT systems and access them safely and securely. Organisations can significantly reduce the number of vulnerabilities in their OT infrastructure, and by investing in remote access security solutions, can ensure the uninterrupted operation of vital infrastructure.

Whatever solution you’re looking for, we can help. The experts at Infosec K2K can offer specialist guidance, and help you find the product that’s the best fit for you.

Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help you.