With cyber criminals constantly coming up with new ways to access our networks and steal our most sensitive data, we’re facing a growing number of cyber threats. Although technology has transformed the way in which we live and work over the past few years, it’s also exposed us to an increasing number of cyber threats. Cyber security is, unsurprisingly, of paramount concern for businesses both big and small. Strengthening your cyber defences and ensuring the safety of your digital assets is no longer just an option – it’s a necessity. This is why a regular cyber security health check is crucial, as it’s the first step in guaranteeing a secure business environment.

Why Cyber Security Health Checks Matter

A cyber security health check – also known as a cyber security assessment – is a comprehensive examination of your organisation’s digital security infrastructure. The primary goal of this health check is to identify any vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your network, applications, and systems that could be exploited by malicious actors. These assessments are not only vital for understanding and mitigating existing threats, but also for preventing potential breaches.

The primary reason for any business to conduct regular cyber security health checks is to mitigate risks. Cyber threats are constantly evolving – around 450,000 new varieties of malware are detected every day, and that’s just malware – and this means that new vulnerabilities emerge regularly. By conducting regular assessments, organisations can address these vulnerabilities proactively and reduce the risk of a successful cyber attack.

Many industries and regulatory bodies require organisations to maintain a certain level of cyber security. Failing to meet these requirements could result in fines as well as damage to a company’s reputation – affecting not just how their clients view them, but how willing these clients are to keep doing business with them. Regular assessments help ensure compliance with these regulations, and also help businesses to recover from the effects of an attack. By carrying out health checks, organisations can develop incident response plans. When it comes to cyber security, it’s easy for organisations to become complacent. Regular assessments serve as a reminder of the ever-present cyber threat landscape, and the importance of staying vigilant.

Infosec K2K’s Approach

When it comes to cyber security, not all health checks are created equal. It’s important to partner with a reputable cyber security consultancy with a proven track record, and Infosec K2K is one such company. We offer our customers a comprehensive approach to cyber security assessments that goes beyond merely identifying vulnerabilities, and we offer guidance to help businesses build robust security postures.

At Infosec K2K, we offer robust IAM health checks to assess the health and strength of your business’ IAM system. The first step in any health check is to define the scope of the assessment, which involves understanding the organisation’s infrastructure, assets, and potential threats. This is essential for tailoring the assessment to the specific needs of any business. We use advanced tools and techniques – developed by our partners like AT&T Cybersecurity and Qualys – to thoroughly check for vulnerabilities within an organisation’s digital ecosystem.

Once vulnerabilities are identified, we can assess their potential impact on the organisation. This risk assessment helps prioritise vulnerabilities and our expert team will give you actionable recommendations to enhance your security and efficiency. For organisations operating within regulated industries, compliance is crucial, and we’ll ensure your cyber defences align with any relevant regulations and standards with our audit and compliance services. At Infosec K2K, we also understand the importance of not only identifying vulnerabilities but also helping businesses prepare for the worst. We assist businesses in developing and fine-tuning incident response plans, which are critical for minimising the impact of a cyber attack or a data breach.

Uncovering Vulnerabilities

One of the key advantages of a cyber security health check is that it gives you a better chance of uncovering vulnerabilities before they can turn into threats. This proactive approach can save an organisation from the devastating consequences of a successful cyber attack. If vulnerabilities in your cyber defences are left unaddressed, they can become entry points for criminals. Infosec K2K’s assessments are designed to find these cracks and deal with them before attackers can exploit them.

Moreover, vulnerabilities are not always technical in nature. They can also arise from human error, poor security policies, or inadequate training. Cyber security health checks take all of these factors into account, and the team at Infosec K2K can provide actionable recommendations and guidance on how to address these vulnerabilities comprehensively. Our penetration testing and breach simulations also help prepare your employees for a potential attack and ensure they can stay one step ahead of cyber criminals.

The Importance of Cyber Security Health Checks

In today’s increasingly digital age, businesses can’t afford to be complacent about their cyber security. Regular cyber security health checks are the first step towards building a secure business environment. Not only do they help organisations mitigate risks and maintain compliance, but they help you to stay aware of the evolving threat landscape. When it comes to cyber security, prevention is always better than cure – by uncovering vulnerabilities before they become threats, you can take the first step towards a more cyber resilient business environment. With regular cyber security health checks and the right partner, you can protect your business from the ever-present dangers of 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.

The way we work has undergone a huge transformation, with remote working becoming the new normal across the globe. While the shift toward remote work has brought about a range of opportunities – such as more flexibility and a broader talent pool – it’s also presented a range of cyber security concerns. It’s paramount that any organisation secures their remote work environments, and enjoy the benefits of remote working without having to worry about data breaches.

Remote Working – The New Normal

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote working practices, pushing businesses to adapt quickly and change the way their employees work. Over the past five years, the amount of people working remotely has increased by 44%. While it offers businesses and employees more flexibility, it also poses significant cyber security challenges. One of the biggest concerns is the expanded attack surface that this can create for cyber criminals.

With employees now working and collaborating from various devices and even continents, the potential entry points for cyber attacks increase dramatically. Inadequate security measures on personal devices, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, and the potential for data breaches through remote connections can all expose organisations to greater risks. As a result, secure remote working is vital to cyber security. Companies must stay vigilant in their efforts to protect themselves against evolving threats and ensure the safety of their data, their users, and their customers.

Creating Secure Remote Work Environments

Secure remote work environments are crucial to safeguarding your digital assets and ensuring smooth operations, and there are a number of best practices that companies should follow. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a fundamental component of remote work security. By adding an extra layer of protection that requires users to verify their identity through a password or one-time code, you can ensure only authorised users can access your network. Effective access control is essential for limiting user privileges and ensuring that users can only access the resources necessary for their roles. With Infosec K2K’s IAM solutions, you can define, enforce, and manage these access policies with ease.

Regular software updates and patch management are also key to reducing the number of vulnerabilities in your remote work environments, as outdated software is a common entry point for cyber attacks. Maintaining a strict policy for software updates and patch management is essential to keep vulnerabilities at bay. At Infosec K2K, we can assist you in ensuring your systems are up to date and secure with our range of assessments. Not only can we identify and mitigate any vulnerabilities in your network, but we can provide you with actionable recommendations. Another critical component of cyber security is user education – after all, around 88% of data breaches are caused by human error. By providing your employees – both remote and office-based – with regular training, you can teach them how to identify phishing attempts and use strong passwords, and keep your data safe.

The Role of IAM Solutions

Identity and access management (IAM) solutions play a pivotal role in maintaining secure remote work environments. Here at Infosec K2K, we offer a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to help businesses adapt to remote working and secure user access across their entire network. IAM solutions help organisations manage the complete lifecycle of user identities. This includes provisioning, deprovisioning, and maintaining user profiles, helping you reduce the risk of unauthorised access and streamline your business’ operations.

IAM solutions allow you to define and enforce access policies based on roles, responsibilities, and other factors such as location. This ensures that only authorised users can access specific resources and applications. IAM solutions also offer robust auditing capabilities, allowing you to monitor user activities, track changes, and generate compliance reports. This is essential for any business looking to maintain their cyber security and adhere to regulatory requirements such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). Our solutions streamline identity management processes, minimising unauthorised access and establishing secure access for all of your remote workers.

The Benefits of IAM Solutions

Choosing Infosec K2K’s IAM solutions for your remote work security needs offers a multitude of benefits. Our solutions provide enhanced security through robust measures like MFA and access control, safeguarding your organisation from unauthorised access and security breaches. They also simplify the management of your network, making it easier to handle user identities, access policies, and compliance requirements, and freeing up your IT team to focus on other, more critical tasks. IAM solutions can also ensure regulatory compliance, helping organisations meet legal requirements and protect sensitive information, all while accommodating the needs of your remote workforce.

With more and more businesses adopting remote working, it’s become vital for organisations to secure their network, and our IAM solutions offer a comprehensive framework to secure your remote work environments. By implementing robust IAM practices, you can ensure only the right individuals have the right level of access to your network. Don’t let the remote era compromise your organisation’s security – secure your future with Infosec K2K.

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.

Cloud-based infrastructure offers numerous benefits such as scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency, and many businesses have chosen to migrate their operations to the cloud in recent years. However, despite these advantages, the cloud presents a new set of challenges when it comes to cyber security. Keep reading as we explore the obstacles organisations face when securing cloud-based infrastructure, and learn about the latest trends and developments in cyber security.

Securing your cloud-based infrastructure can be a complex and evolving task for any business. Unlike traditional on-premises environments, cloud environments are dynamic and distributed, making them more susceptible to security threats. In a recent survey by Google, around 31% of global enterprise cloud decision makers said cyber security was their top investment priority – more than data analytics, AI, and infrastructure modernisation.

When it comes to the cloud, there are many threats businesses face. For example, cloud service providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer their customers a shared responsibility model. While these can ensure the security of the cloud infrastructure, the responsibility for securing data and applications within the cloud falls on the customer. This shared responsibility can, at times, be complex to understand, and organisations must clearly understand their role in securing their cloud assets.

The cloud’s ability to scale resources up or down on-demand, meanwhile, is a significant advantage. However, this feature can also be exploited by attackers to launch large-scale attacks. Managing the security of dynamically changing resources is a challenge. Effective Identity and Access Management (IAM) is also crucial in the cloud. Misconfigured access controls can result in data breaches or unauthorised access to sensitive information. Managing identities, permissions, and access across multiple cloud services can be a daunting task.

One of the biggest advantages of cloud environments is that they can be used to store vast amounts of data – according to research by Nasunu, there is currently around one exabyte of data stored in the cloud (or 67 million iPhones’ worth of data). Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all this data is paramount, and data encryption, access controls, and backup strategies are all essential components of cloud security. Different industries and regions have specific compliance requirements that must be met when storing or processing data in the cloud, and maintaining compliance can be challenging for any firm.

To effectively address the challenges of cloud security, organisations must stay up-to-date with the latest trends shaping cloud security. One is zero trust, a security model that assumes no trust within or outside the network. This requires strict identity verification and least-privilege access policies, and implementing zero trust in the cloud can help organisations to mitigate the risks associated with unauthorised access.

As organisations embrace cloud-native architectures and technologies like containers and serverless computing, new cyber security solutions are also evolving to protect these new paradigms. Cloud-native security tools have been designed specifically to secure applications and data in cloud environments. Machine learning and artificial intelligence are rapidly evolving at the moment. They’re being used to transform almost every industry, and cyber security is no different. These technologies are being employed to detect and respond to security threats in real-time, enabling the automation of threat detection and helping organisations stay ahead of cyber criminals.

Here at Infosec K2K, we specialise in one of the most fundamental aspects of cloud security, which is IAM solutions. The solutions we offer to our customers are all designed to address the unique challenges of cloud security. Our IAM solutions are tailored to cloud environments, and provide our customers with centralised control over identities, permissions, and access. This way, they can ensure that only authorised users can access the cloud resources they need, securing your cyber defences and preventing data breaches. We incorporate zero trust principles into our IAM solutions, enforcing strict identity verification and least-privilege access policies. With zero trust principles we can ensure trust is never assumed – even within the cloud environment.

Additionally, we provide robust auditing and compliance capabilities. With our Security Assurance Services, we can assess your network and cloud environment, alerting you to any vulnerabilities and providing actionable recommendations. We can even test your defences through penetration testing and simulated attacks. We also help our clients navigate the complex landscape of compliance requirements, and demonstrate compliance with industry and regulatory standards, wherever they are in the world

Although securing cloud-based infrastructure is a complex undertaking, it’s critical in today’s digital landscape. Firms must be aware of the unique challenges posed by the cloud, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in cloud security. Along with our partners, we offer cutting-edge IAM solutions that address the specific security needs of the cloud. Our expertise in cloud security allows organisations to embrace the benefits of the cloud while safeguarding their data and operations from cyber threats. With Infosec K2K’s swift and reliable cloud security solutions, you can confidently navigate the cloud 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.

When it comes to cyber security, many businesses focus on defending their networks from external cyber threats. However, it’s essential they’re also vigilant against insider threats – these can be just as, if not more, destructive. In this blog, we’ll delve into the most common insider threats businesses face, explore the risks they pose, and demonstrate how Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions can help safeguard your business.

Insider threats originate from within an organisation, making them particularly insidious. In recent years, both the number of insider cyber attacks and the costs they incur has risen dramatically. DTEX Systems’ recent report, 2023 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report, revealed the number of insider attacks in 2023 was 7,343, a step up from 6,803 last year – while the typical annual cost of these threats has reached $16.2 million (£13.2 million) per attack. These threats can be intentional or unintentional, and the most common are:

• Negligent Employees: Often, employees compromise security through careless actions like clicking on phishing emails or reusing passwords. While they may not have been intending to cause your business any harm, the consequences can be severe. In fact, research by Kaspersky showed businesses are just as concerned about employee negligence as they are about data breaches.

• Malicious Insiders: Some individuals within an organisation will intentionally seek to harm the company. This can be due to personal grievances or even coercion by external parties. If these insiders can access sensitive information, they could inflict significant damage, which is why it’s vital to maintain strict access controls across your network.

• Third-Party Contractors: External entities working closely with your organisation, like consultants, partners, suppliers, can pose a threat. If they have access to your systems or data, a breach on their end could compromise your security.

• Former Employees: Employees who have left the company but can still access your systems and data can be a significant risk to your business. If their departure wasn’t amicable, they might misuse their access to harm the organisation – and even if their departure was amicable, this could offer hackers another way into your network.

• Accidental Data Exposure: Sometimes, employees inadvertently share sensitive information without realising it. This could occur through misconfigured permissions, email mishaps, or other innocent mistakes. Earlier this year, a Microsoft employee accidentally leaked 30TB of data after using a misconfigured SAS token.

Insider threats can have severe consequences for all businesses. These threats include data breaches, where insiders with access to sensitive data can steal or leak it online. Not only do these result in financial losses for the business involved, but they’d also cause damage to their reputation, and have legal repercussions. Malicious insiders can cause financial losses to a business by manipulating financial systems or engaging in fraudulent activities. Disgruntled ex-employees could exacerbate the situation by sabotaging systems, leading to operational disruption, downtime, and business process disruptions – research by Unit 42 last year showed these kinds of employees were responsible for 75% of insider cyber attacks. These cyber security incidents can erode customer trust, making it harder for businesses to attract clients, and can also result in hefty fines and legal actions. Despite these dangers, however, many businesses aren’t taking insider threats seriously. Although the costs of insider risks are higher than ever before, 88% of organisations have said they’re spending less than 10% of their security budgets on the issue – the rest of their budgets are going towards external threats.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions offer a range of benefits to businesses, and help them mitigate insider threats effectively. With IAM, you can ensure only authorised individuals have access to your most sensitive data and systems. At Infosec K2K, we offer IAM assessments and services to help reduce the risk of insider threats and data breaches.

Our IAM solutions give you granular control over who has access to what across your organisation. By enforcing the principle of least privilege, we ensure employees only have access to the resources necessary for their roles, significantly reducing your attack surface. With IAM, you can also implement robust user authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and biometrics, to ensure only authorised personnel can access critical systems and data.

At Infosec K2K, we can continuously monitor user activities. With our AT&T-powered managed security operations centre (SOC), we can detect suspicious behaviour, such as unauthorised access or data exfiltration, and intervene quickly. When employees leave your organisation, or simply change roles, our access control solutions can streamline your access controls and ensure former employees no longer have access to critical systems or data. We can also help you maintain compliance with data protection regulations, minimising the risk of penalties related to insider-related data breaches.

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.

With connectivity and digital operations the norm in today’s business rapidly-evolving business landscape, the potential for crises is higher than ever. From cyber attacks to data breaches, organisations must be prepared to handle these unexpected challenges. Today’s businesses need to be poised to respond to cyber incidents, recover quickly, and mitigate potential harm. This is where an effective crisis management strategy is so important – we’ll walk you through the crucial steps to creating a comprehensive strategy, and showcase how Infosec K2K’s solutions can help you to bolster your crisis readiness.

Put simply, crisis management refers to the structured approach an organisation needs to take in order to navigate any unforeseen event that could cause significant harm to its operations, stakeholders, or its reputation. It involves coordinating actions and decisions that aim to minimise the damage and restore normalcy as soon as possible. These unforeseen events could be anything from a pandemic or a natural disaster to a hack or a DDoS attack. In the event of a crisis, the absence of a well-thought-out crisis management strategy can leave businesses vulnerable to negative consequences like financial losses or reputational damage. While the best way to navigate a crisis is to be prepared, many CEOs aren’t – according to The Conference Board’s C-Suite Outlook 2023, only 41% of CEOs surveyed said they were prepared for a major cyber security crisis. Having a robust strategy in place isn’t just prudent, but essential for safeguarding your organisation’s resilience.

Proactive planning, and anticipating a crisis, is paramount. It can be difficult to deal with a cyber attack – 41% of cyber security professionals say that cyber security operations are more difficult than they were just two years ago – but by being prepared, you can ​​manage crises more efficiently. A well-prepared organisation needs to be adaptable and resilient in the face of unforeseen challenges. By considering all the different cyber threats your business could possibly face, you’ll ensure that you are better prepared, and won’t be surprised. Businesses should provide training and build a crisis management team, so that you and your colleagues are aware of what they need to do in the event of a cyber incident. Assembling a cross-functional role is pivotal. People’s roles and responsibilities should all be clearly defined and outlined in your strategy, and collaboration should be encouraged.

Effective communication is at the core of crisis management. Businesses should establish internal protocols so that accurate information is disseminated swiftly to employees, while external communications also need to be implemented to inform customers, stakeholders, the media, and the general public. Finally, businesses should conduct a thorough risk assessment. This can identify potential vulnerabilities and prioritise preparedness efforts. At Infosec K2K, our Security Assurance Services can help you to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals – with our vulnerability management services, we can identify weaknesses in your cyber defences and suggest ways to mitigate them. By identifying potential crises in this way, you can assess their impact and have a better estimation of the consequences.

When you set out to craft an effective crisis management plan, you should begin by setting out clear objectives and priorities. Prioritising your most critical functions and resources to ensure they aren’t affected by the cyber security incident is crucial. Additionally, developing different response protocols for the various crisis scenarios – tailoring your responses is key in mitigating any. negative consequences. Plan for every eventuality, outlining immediate actions, short-term strategies, and long-term recovery plans to provide a clear roadmap for each stage of the crisis.

Businesses should also take the time to consider budgeting in their crisis management plans. Adequate resources – both human and financial – should be allocated to your crisis management efforts to ensure the business can effectively execute its strategy. Finally, in order to test and refine the plan, regular simulations and drills are essential to validate the crisis management plan’s effectiveness. Identifying any vulnerabilities, and refining the plan based on feedback and lessons learned, is an ongoing process, and Infosec K2K is here to help. With our IAM Audit & Compliance Services, we’ll assess your practices and policies, and at the same time, we can test your cyber defences with penetration tests and comprehensive breach simulations

When communicating with shareholders, customers, and the media, it’s important to be both transparent and honest. Open communication about the cyber incident and its effects, however severe they may be, can help to build trust and credibility, mitigating reputational damage in the long run. It’s crucial that you take the time to craft clear and concise messages, conveying relevant information while expressing empathy and understanding. By proactively addressing public concerns and dispelling misinformation, you can maintain control of the narrative, and prevent panic. Leveraging digital platforms and social media can help businesses in the aftermath of a cyber incident – these can be direct avenues to easily reach customers, helping businesses communicate and engage with them in real time.

At Infosec K2K, we understand that a well-crafted crisis management strategy is your organisation’s shield against the uncertainties of today’s business landscape. By diligently preparing, building a capable team, communicating effectively, and continuously refining your plan, you can weather crises and emerge stronger than before. It’s important to remember, however, that crisis management is an ongoing process that demands vigilance and adaptation. Embrace the journey toward crisis readiness and explore Infosec K2K’s solutions to fortify your organisation’s security and resilience.

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.

It’s become increasingly evident over the past few months that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more popular. It has the potential to revolutionise industries, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency – and the cyber security sector is no exception. As organisations begin to adopt more AI-driven solutions, they’ll also encounter new challenges and obstacles when it comes to securing their networks, data, and digital assets. At Infosec K2K, we understand the importance of Identity and Access Management (IAM), and see it as a crucial tool for mitigating cyber security risks and maintaining cyber defences.

With its ability to process vast amounts of data and automate repetitive tasks, AI has already brought unprecedented advancements to various aspects of business operations. From predictive analytics to helping businesses save time, AI-driven technologies can enhance productivity and provide valuable insights. However, as AI becomes more integrated with various services, software, and applications, it can introduce new cyber security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

Cyber criminals can exploit AI systems for malicious purposes, including evading traditional security measures. The rapid growth of AI-powered attacks, such as AI-generated phishing emails and deep fake impersonations, is a clear testament to the dangers of AI. Earlier this year, the Canadian cyber security official Sami Khoury disclosed that malicious actors have turned to AI for hacking and misinformation campaigns, and even using it to create new harmful software.

Implementing a comprehensive IAM strategy is essential to safeguard your organisation. By conducting a thorough inventory of the services you use, mapping our access points, and defining user roles, you can establish stringent authentication mechanisms. Access permissions should be regularly reviewed and updated, and adapted to changing business needs or changes in your workforce. AI-powered analytics can help to monitor access patterns, and our managed IAM services can offer you 24/7 protection from cyber threats.

IAM plays a pivotal role in maintaining network security in the AI era. It ensures that your organisation’s most sensitive data and resources are accessed only by authorised individuals, thus reducing the attack surface for potential breaches. IAM systems – such as those developed by our cyber security partner, CyberArk – enforce strict authentication and authorisation protocols, safeguarding your network from unauthorised access.

By integrating AI-driven authentication methods, such as behavioural biometrics and anomaly detection, IAM solutions can enhance your defences without compromising user experience. With the help of generative AI tools, IAM solutions could be made stronger with voice and speech recognition, or even facial recognition. AI-powered tools can continuously analyse user behaviour patterns and monitor your network, promptly identifying you of any deviations that may indicate a breach.

A study by Forrester Research revealed that 83% of organisations don’t yet have a mature approach to IAM, resulting in twice as many breaches. Not using IAM to control who can access your services and data could expose your organisation to a multitude of security risks. Without proper identity controls, external threat actors could exploit weak entry points. It’s not just external threats you need to be worried about, too – IAM solutions can prevent employees from gaining access to sensitive data. A recent survey by Bridewell revealed a surge in insider threats – 77% of critical national infrastructure (CNI) organisations in the US have seen a surge in insider-driven cyber threats.

The absence of IAM could lead to data breaches, compromised intellectual property, and regulatory non-compliance – at Infosec K2K, however, we can help to implement an IAM solution in your network, while our IAM assessments ensure you meet regulations and industry best practices.

Both AI and IAM are becoming increasingly interconnected in the realm of cyber security. AI technologies can enhance IAM systems by enabling adaptive access controls, which can adjust user privileges based on real-time analytics and risk assessments. With AI-driven anomaly detection, you can identify suspicious activities and trigger immediate responses, ranging from blocking a user’s access to notifying security teams.

On the other hand, IAM can ensure your AI systems and services are only accessible to authorised users. This prevents any unauthorised personnel or hackers from tampering with your AI algorithms and models. The reciprocal relationship between these two technologies enhances your organisation’s overall security posture while ensuring you can reap the benefits of AI.

Implementing a comprehensive IAM strategy is essential to safeguard your organisation. By conducting a thorough inventory of the services you use, mapping our access points, and defining user roles, you can establish stringent authentication mechanisms. Access permissions should be regularly reviewed and updated, and adapted to changing business needs or changes in your workforce. AI-powered analytics can help to monitor access patterns, and our managed IAM services can offer you 24/7 protection from cyber threats.

Our IAM assessments give you and your business a comprehensive analysis of your identity security posture, across all services and networks. By assessing any vulnerabilities, our team of experts will offer tailored recommendations to improve your current strategy and effectively protect your digital assets. Our IAM implementation and support services, meanwhile, can bridge any gaps in your strategy, by integrating cutting-edge IAM solutions tailored to your organisation’s needs. We’ll guide you through the entire process, from design to implementation, and with our ongoing support, we’ll ensure your IAM solutions are robust and adaptable in the face of evolving threats.

In the current era of evolving AI technologies, maintaining network security demands a proactive approach. AI-driven technologies offer immense potential, but also introduce new security challenges, and IAM serves as a critical defence mechanism. By implementing IAM, organisations can navigate the complexities of the AI landscape while safeguarding their digital assets.

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.

Security breaches, data leaks, and cyber attacks are a constant concern for a business of any size in today’s digital landscape, which is why implementing robust identity authentication measures is crucial. They can help protect sensitive information and keep it out of the reach of cyber criminals, but managing multiple authentication methods can be complex and time-consuming. By simplifying authentication methods, firms can make their cyber defences more efficient and more secure.

When it comes to authentication, there are two schools of thought. Basic authentication is the most traditional method of ensuring identity authentication. It’s primarily used in HTTP-based communication, and for years it was the most common way of giving users access to files or applications. This can be done with usernames and passwords, but these kinds of authentication methods weren’t designed to support access to more modern solutions like cloud-based services.

This is where modern authentication methods come in – they take a much more layered approach to authentication. These require more information from the user before they’re granted access – more than a password, which could be stolen or guessed. They often require one-time passcodes, which grant users temporary access, or biometric data such as fingerprints, that are much more difficult to fake. Our cyber security partners at TrustBuilder offer a range of multi-factor authentication measures, making it easier to validate a user’s identity. They specialise in customer identity and access management (CIAM), helping clients to protect their customers’ data and ensuring a more seamless customer journey. With single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, and regulatory compliance, CIAM helps businesses to foster brand loyalty and trust. Modern authentication is an umbrella term for a multi-functional authentication method that’s far more secure, allowing administrators to tailor their requirements to their specific requirements.

Modern authentication methods are far more secure than legacy authentication methods, and require minimal time to set up and implement. As identity authentication management (IAM) specialists, we understand the importance of identity security – as well as setting up your identity security solutions, we can seamlessly integrate them with your existing solutions, and monitor your network around the clock.

Modern authentication gives you far more ways of securely validating users, rather than just relying on passwords. Requiring users to provide multiple pieces of evidence to verify their identity makes it harder for unauthorised individuals to gain access to your sensitive data. By consolidating and setting up various authentication methods in your network, you can reduce the complexity of your authentication. These methods ensure you’re offering an enhanced user experience. Passwords could be forgotten or lost, making the login experience frustrating. Modern authentication, however, streamlines the process by incorporating multiple authorisation methods. It also eliminates the need to remember complex passwords, making authorisation more user-friendly.

Another benefit is the ability to provide secure access across multiple devices and platforms. Modern authentication methods support a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables, allowing users to access their accounts from anywhere. Services such as those provided by our partner, Cyolo, allow users to connect securely to your network whether they’re on or off site. These can be integrated into various applications and online services, ensuring consistent security standards across different platforms. Cyolo’s cyber security solutions are used in every sector, especially operational technology (OT), which has been left increasingly vulnerable to evolving cyber threats – our recent blog covers some of the modern authentication methods used to secure OT networks.

The average employee in a modern workplace can switch between critical applications over 1,000 times a day. Modern authentication methods use established authorisation protocols, and we’ve rounded up some of the most commonly-used protocols below:

Oauth 2.0 is an industry-standard protocol for authorisation, allowing users to grant access to their resources on one website to another website without sharing their credentials. OAuth 2.0 enables the use of access tokens, reducing the risk of password theft and providing users with a more seamless experience. Our partners at CyberArk support OAuth 2.0 – their CyberArk Identity solution allows you to easily customise who can access your network.

The JSON Web Token (JWT) is one of the most commonly-used token formats, and uses OAuth. This access token is used for both authentication and authorisation. As it’s compact and self-contained, it requires less bandwidth and storage space, and can be used to make web and mobile applications much more efficient. JWTs support a wide variety of programming languages, making it easy to integrate them into different cyber security frameworks, and can securely transmit information between separate parties as a JSON object.

Like JWTs, OpenID Connect (OIDC) is built upon OAuth 2.0. OIDC provides a more standardised and secure approach to authentication and authorisation, enhancing security, user experience, and interoperability across different applications and platforms. It uses JWTS to ensure the confidentiality of identity data, preventing unauthorised access to user information. OIDC also supports Single Sign-On (SSO) scenarios – once a user has been authenticated, they can access multiple applications and services without having to re-enter their credentials. Not only does this improve user experience, but it reduces the chance of people reusing passwords.

Modern authentication methods such as OAuth 2.0, JWTs, and OIDC provide a range of benefits, simplifying user experience while keeping data secure. By turning to modern authentication methods, today’s business can strengthen their cyber defences and protect their data from unauthorised access. These methods make it more challenging for cyber criminals while also allowing authorised users to access their accounts from anywhere, at any time.

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 rapidly evolving business landscape, more and more companies are turning to cloud providers to host their infrastructure, applications, and services. As organisations embrace the benefits of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Identity as a Service (IDaaS), and other similar cloud offerings, it’s become imperative to understand the intricacies of permissions within the cloud environment. Unlike traditional on-premise infrastructure, where companies have well-defined rules and granular control over privileges and permissions, managing your permissions in the cloud presents unique challenges. In order to ensure your cyber defences are as strong as possible, it’s important you effectively define and manage permissions across your cloud environment.

The cloud offers many advantages to businesses – not only is it more flexible and scalable, but it increases performance and helps them to reduce their IT costs at the same time. Despite these benefits, there are still some disadvantages to moving your company’s infrastructure and assets to the cloud. It can be complex managing permissions in a cloud environment – with the ability to rapidly provision resources, applications, databases, and a wide range of other cloud services, organisations often find themselves contending with intricate permission structures.

Users may find themselves having distinct roles, with access rights only to specific data and functions. In contrast to on-premises infrastructures, where companies can establish meticulous rules and policies for privileges and permissions within their network, it can be difficult to achieve that same level of control in the cloud – particularly when multiple cloud providers and services are involved. If companies want to ensure they’re minimising security risks and ensure compliance with the latest regulatory requirements, it’s crucial to have a clear and thorough overview of their permissions.

Failing to have visibility into permissions within your cloud environment can result in significant security risks. According to Gartner, 75% of security failures result from inadequate management of identities, access and privileges – that figure was just 50% in 2020. An organisation with unused or excessive permissions can pave the way for unauthorised users to gain access to sensitive data or critical systems, which can lead to data breaches. It’s essential that businesses identify and eliminate anyone with unnecessary permissions, and limit their access to the bare minimum. Automated tools and services play a vital role in maintaining a comprehensive overview, and helping businesses ensure only authorised users can access critical data. At Infosec K2K, we specialise in offering complete identity management solutions, and can work with you and your team to protect your data.

A recent report by our partners at CyberArk revealed that 58% of businesses had reported ex-employees saving confidential work documents before they left. Organisations should take care to remove access permissions of any employees leaving the business – cyber criminals (which can often include dissatisfied or disgruntled employees) will be counting on an authorised account slipping through the cracks. Just one over privileged or wrongly provisioned account is all it takes to create a vulnerability in your cyber defences.

One of the primary reasons why having a comprehensive overview of permissions is important is to maintain compliance with industry regulations and data privacy laws. Regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) often mandate strict control over data access and require organisations to demonstrate accountability for data protection. By having a comprehensive overview of permissions, companies can ensure compliance, and only grant access to the individuals with a legitimate need for the data.

Having a comprehensive overview of permissions also aids in troubleshooting and incident response. If and when an issue arises, being able to quickly identify the permissions assigned to relevant users and applications can help your cyber security teams to identify the problem, isolate it, and resolve it efficiently. By narrowing down the scope of investigation, businesses can save time and resources. Moreover, in the event of a security incident or data breach, having a clear understanding of permissions can help to determine the extent of the breach and any affected resources, as well as how to avoid the same kind of breach happening again.

For organisations looking to gain more control over permissions in their cloud environment, it’s important that they choose cloud providers offering robust permission management capabilities. These providers have features that allow fine-grained control over everything from access rights and user roles to permissions. One example is our partner, CyberArk. By using their Cloud Entitlements Manager, users can gain visibility across their whole cloud network from a centralised platform. Users are able to map permissions across their organisation’s cloud environment, identify unused permissions, minimise their attack surface and more – letting the right people in and keeping attackers out.

At Infosec K2K, our international team have years of experience and expertise in identity security, and understand that cyber security is an ever-evolving industry. If you’re looking to mitigate your cyber risk with identity security, we recommend conducting regular reviews of permissions. With Our identity access management (IAM) assessments, we can identify any gaps in your defences, ensure there are no users with excessive permissions, and remove them if necessary.

As businesses increasingly rely on cloud services, it’s crucial to prioritise the management of permissions. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of permissions and adopting effective management practices, businesses can mitigate security risks and safeguard their sensitive data and critical systems. Organisations should ensure they have as much control as possible over permissions and conduct regular reviews to eliminate unnecessary access rights – by prioritising permission management in the cloud, businesses of all sizes can ensure a secure and efficient cloud environment – protecting themselves and their customers.

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 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.