26 June 2024

The Importance of Domain Intelligence

Staying ahead of potential threats is one of the most important parts of cyber security, helping organisations to ensure they’re always one step ahead of malicious actors and their latest tools. However, it’s important that businesses aren’t just reacting to threats – today’s businesses require proactive strategies that rely on comprehensive intelligence. One crucial aspect of cyber security is domain intelligence. This is a cornerstone in protecting business from evolving threats, and Infosec K2K, along with our partner DomainTools, play a pivotal role in fortifying cyber defences.

Understanding Domain Intelligence

Domain intelligence is a pivotal part of modern cyber security strategies, although not the most well-known. Put simply, it involves the collection, analysis, and application of data related to domain names – and their underlying infrastructure. This comprehensive approach includes gathering domain ownership details, such as who registered a domain, their contact information, and any relevant historical records. It also involves examining Domain Name System (DNS) data to uncover potential infrastructure vulnerabilities and studying the historical context of a domain’s activities and changes, as this can signal malicious intent. Identifying all of the IP addresses associated with a domain is crucial in order to map out potential attack vectors.

This extensive information is invaluable for cyber security professionals, as it allows them to understand the broader context of online threats. By turning to domain intelligence, they can identify malicious domains, preemptively block any potential threats, and enhance the overall cyber strategy of their organisation. This proactive approach not only helps to thwart immediate threats, but also strengthens an organisation’s defences against future attacks. These days, with cyber threats on the rise, domain intelligence is an important critical tool for businesses looking to protect their digital assets and maintain robust cyber defences.

Real-World Applications

As you might expect, domain intelligence is important for all kinds of industries, offering businesses critical protection. Cyber criminals are increasingly looking to steal customer data. Recent research by IBM showed that 32% of cyber incidents resulted in data theft – followed by that data being leaked. This is where domain intelligence comes in.

For instance, financial institutions can prevent phishing attacks by identifying and blocking fraudulent domains that are attempting to mimic legitimate banking websites. Healthcare providers are able to protect patient data by monitoring and threats targeting healthcare-specific domains and infrastructure. Retailers, meanwhile, can protect e-commerce platforms from domain-based attacks looking to compromise customer information and transactional data.

By incorporating domain intelligence into their cyber security frameworks, businesses can reduce the risk of financial losses, preserve their reputations, and maintain the trust of their customers at the same time. With the help of domain intelligence tools, organisations can proactively tackle potential threats before they become threats, and build up their defences against cyber criminals and their evolving tactics.

The Role of DomainTools

When it comes to domain intelligence, our cyber partner DomainTools stands out as an industry leader. Founded in 2001, DomainTools specialises in aggregating and analysing domain-related data. They offer our clients a comprehensive suite of tools and services, which have been designed to empower cyber security teams worldwide.

DomainTools provides intelligence on 97% of the internet. This helps security professionals to detect and respond to threats effectively, by offering domain risk assessments. These provide risk scores based on factors such as age, history, and associated IPs, and can be used to gauge potential threat levels. Additionally, it offers Whois lookup for accessing extensive domain registration details, helping to identify domain owners and their contact information. The platform also includes IP geolocation, which maps IP addresses to physical locations, allowing for the detection of any suspicious or unauthorised activities, and helping to track down cyber criminals.

How Domain Intelligence Enhances Cyber Security

Here at Infosec K2K, we have partnered with DomainTools to deliver enhanced domain intelligence services to our clients. By integrating DomainTools’ capabilities into their own cyber security solutions, we help our customers by offering them advanced threat detection. Using DomainTools’ extensive database and analytical tools, we can detect and assess any potential threats posed by suspicious domains and IP addresses. What’s more, DomainTools conducts thorough investigations into domain ownership and historical activities to uncover patterns that can indicate malicious intent, enhancing their investigative capabilities.

Infosec K2K’s commitment to cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships ensures that our clients receive the highest standard of protection possible when it comes to cyber threats. By harnessing the power of DomainTools’ domain intelligence, we help businesses block malicious domains and IP addresses before they can cause any harm, and by doing so we reduce cyber security risks. This allows organisations to strengthen their cyber defences and protect their digital assets – and those of their own customers – from ever-evolving online threats.

Domain intelligence plays a pivotal role in modern cyber strategies, offering businesses insights into domain infrastructures and potential threats. Alongside DomainTools, Infosec K2K protects organisations’ data proactively, and bolsters their defences. As cyber threats evolve, investing in domain intelligence is becoming increasingly important for businesses looking to thrive in the digital age.

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.

12 June 2024

How To Beat The Heat: Keeping Your Business Safe Over The Summer

Summer is a time for relaxing, going on holiday, and enjoying the warm weather. However, just because your employees might be heading to the beach or planning their weekend getaway, that doesn’t mean cyber criminals will be taking any time off. In fact, as temperatures rise, so too do cyber risks. At Infosec K2K, we understand the importance of maintaining robust cyber security practices all year round. To ensure you and your business stay secure, we’ve rounded up some summer cyber security advice. These can help your employees enjoy their time off without compromising your security.

The Summer Cyber Security Landscape

The number of cyber attacks often rises over the summer, as a combination of factors can leave organisations particularly vulnerable. In 2019, research by Beaming found that the number of cyber attacks faced by its customers had shot up by 243% over the summer. Many employees will take time off during these months, which means there are less people available to monitor for and respond to cyber threats.

What’s more, with people sharing their travel details on social media, cyber criminals may be able to gather valuable information that they can then use in social engineering attacks. Phishing emails can become more prevalent and more legitimate. While travelling, people are also more likely to use unsecured public WiFi networks, which criminals can exploit to spread malware or execute man-in-the-middle attacks. These factors can create a perfect storm for increased threats, requiring heightened awareness of summer cyber security threats.

Implementing Robust IAM Strategies

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is the cornerstone of any secure business environment. Since IAM ensures only authorised individuals can access your business’ critical systems and data, it reduces the risk of cyber attacks. For organisations of all sizes, implementing robust IAM strategies is essential when it comes to maintaining security. This is true all year round, but especially over the summer.

Adopting best practices such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), for example, can offer businesses protection. MFA requires users to verify their identity through multiple factors, such as a password, a smartphone, or a fingerprint. This adds extra layers of security that can stop cyber criminals – even if they have access to an employee’s password.

Maintaining up-to-date systems and software is another critical aspect of a strong IAM strategy. Criminals can exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software, making regular updates and patches essential. Also, implementing the principle of least privilege can prevent accidental or intentional data misuse. Regular reviews and adjustments of access controls, particularly if employees have changed roles or left the company, are crucial for maintaining security, and our IAM assessments can help you to keep on top of this.

The continuous monitoring of your network is also vital for detecting and responding to any suspicious activity swiftly. Automated tools can help with this, and ensure alerts are dealt with promptly. Finally, it’s important to remember that employees are your first line of defence against cyber threats. Regular training can educate them on the latest phishing scams to watch out for, as well as the importance of following security protocols. By fostering a culture of cyber awareness, every employee will feel responsible for the firm’s security.

Considerations for the Summer

This time of year can present a number of unique summer cyber security challenges, and additional measures may be necessary to protect your network. Planning for employee absences is important. Your IAM strategy should account for staff being on holiday, and ensure backup personnel are available for critical tasks. This way you can make sure access to essential systems isn’t compromised whenever key members of staff are on holiday.

Secure remote access is also crucial, as employees may need to work from different locations during the summer. With the help of our partners at CyberArk, we also offer Remote Privileged Access Management (RPAM) services to help staff access the resources they need. You can implement VPNs, and protect remote access with MFA. You should also ensure that any devices used for remote work comply with your security policies.

Having an emergency response plan is also essential for dealing with potential security breaches. This plan should outline the specific steps to take during an incident, as well as key contacts, and communication protocols. Ensure all employees are aware of the plan and their roles in the event of a cyber incident. Conduct regular drills to test both your IAM systems and your response plans. These can identify any weaknesses and prepare your team for a real cyber attack. With our penetration testing and our breach and attacking simulation modelling services, we can help to evaluate the effectiveness of your security. Use the summer as an opportunity to run these tests, especially as your workforce may be more dispersed.

As your employees head off to enjoy the summer, it’s important to remember cyber security’s a continuous effort. Cyber criminals don’t take vacations, and neither should your cyber defences. By implementing robust IAM strategies and following best practices, you can protect your business from increased cyber risks over the summer. At Infosec K2K, we’re dedicated to helping you maintain a secure business environment year-round. This way, you can ensure your operations continue smoothly, even when the sun is shining.

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.