Technology

How Important is a Cybersecurity Policy: Here Is What Experts Say

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2021

The majority of small and midsize companies underestimate the importance of a well-designed cybersecurity policy. The failure to draft and adopt the policy is often a result of limited resources, a lack of awareness, or procrastination by the leadership.

Cybersecurity is undoubtedly a major issue affecting businesses of all sizes. It impacts C-level executives and information technology departments alike. More importantly, cybersecurity issues should concern the entire organization, given the rise in breaches globally.

A well-designed policy takes a holistic view of preventive measures. It encompasses password policies, access restrictions, and robust data encryption. A McAfee data exfiltration report revealed that up to 43 percent of data loss incidents are due to insiders’ negligence. Cybersecurity policies can mitigate risks posed by insider negligence through awareness training and other measures.

IT experts recently shared their opinions on this critical matter. Here are their views.

Table of Contents

What Is a Cybersecurity Policy?
Why Is a Cybersecurity Policy Important?
What Should Be Included in the Cybersecurity Policy?
Do You Have a Template For a Cybersecurity Policy?

What Is a Cybersecurity Policy?

This type of policy enables organizations to outline a wide selection of data protection controls. They help determine the handling of various data categories. A company can also use the policy to establish a working group responsible for reviewing any shortcomings.

According to Nick Allo of Semtech IT Solutions, a cybersecurity policy defines wide-ranging guidelines and protocols regulating data protection measures. These protocols and guidelines cover security measures, training guidelines, remote work protocols, and confidential data access or use policies.

For Don Baham of Kraft Technology Group, information security policies play a critical administrative control role in cybersecurity matters. He pointed out that the policies act as a baseline for enhancing data protection capability for enterprises. The policies make it easier to implement both technical and functional controls, which bolster organization-wide adherence.

Failing to implement these policies compromises the leadership’s ability to adopt effective cybersecurity strategies. Cybersecurity policies enable the management to use the IT budget more effectively and assign critical security responsibilities.

Why Is a Cybersecurity Policy Important?

Ross Siroti of Rekall Technologies said that a cybersecurity policy plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability. In addition, he highlighted the importance of training users to avoid disastrous security events. To Siroti, training complements the purpose of the policy. Every employee needs awareness training and must receive a cybersecurity handbook.

When it comes to an example of how the policies benefits organizations, Siroti mentioned the use of mobile device monitoring services. Rekall Technologies offers specialized tools to wipe, lock, and unlock devices remotely. Its clients can take advantage of the service to monitor and control employees’ devices.

One of Rekall’s clients once declined an offer to use the mobile device monitoring service. Ironically, the client faced a tricky situation involving a lost device a few weeks later. The device lacked password enforcement and, as a result, sensitive company data leaked. As expected, the client subsequently decided to purchase mobile device monitoring services. This example highlights the need to adopt a proactive approach to IT security as guided by cybersecurity policies.

As an experienced information technology expert at Rekall, Ross emphasized the need to encrypt all devices that store sensitive data. The combination of device encryption and a lock policy is vital to maximizing data protection.

On the other hand, the Kraft Technology Group uses well-designed information security policies to gain a competitive edge in the managed IT space. Don Baham said his firm meets the requirements of the annual third-party audits it undertakes voluntarily. In turn, the IT firm showcases the audit results to new and existing clients to demonstrate its operational security capability. It is no surprise that the firm’s revenue has increased in recent years.

Nick Allo of Semtech IT Solutions said the policy is vital because it enables organizations to hold negligent employees to account for their actions. Without the policy, it can be difficult to hold employees liable due to the lack of clearly defined cybersecurity rules.

What Should Be Included in the Cybersecurity Policy?

The development of the policies requires a multi-layered approach. As such, companies need to pay close attention to policies included in the document.

Here are some items that experts recommend integrating into the cybersecurity policy document.

Password policy
Guest access restrictions
Mobile device management that prohibits access to company data using personal devices
Email policy that includes encryption
Physical security measures
Acceptable use policy
Network security guidelines
Incident response protocols
Restrictions on the use of social media

The guidelines and protocols mentioned above represent the fundamental policies needed to bolster cybersecurity for small and midsize businesses.

According to Don Baham, one of the key aspects of information security policies is data location. He urges organizations to include guidelines for data location. In doing so, it becomes easier to comply with specific regulations or client requirements. Some clients may be sensitive to the location of service providers’ data centers. Information security policies compel organizations to maintain storage in specified locations at all times.

Do You Have a Template For a Cybersecurity Policy?

Nick Allo stated that Semtech IT Solutions does not have a cybersecurity policy template. He attributed this approach to customization requirements for individual clients and their risk tolerance. Small and midsize businesses have varying information security needs and risk tolerance.

Some organizations have to consider several regulatory requirements when drafting cybersecurity policies. Types of data handled by a company, industry, and location typically determine whether compliance is a major factor to consider during this process.

A company handling customers’ sensitive information must implement robust security measures to prevent breaches. Social security numbers and credit card details are high-value targets for cybercriminals.

IT experts recommend assessing current cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities before selecting an information security policy stance and template. The assessment makes it easier to address specific issues facing the company. Some small and midsize businesses grapple with confidential information leakage and inappropriate resource usage by employees.

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Technology

Hacking – A Fullstop On E-system

Published

2 years ago

November 13, 2021

Lucas Luke

Hacking – A Fullstop On E-system

Passion or Madness: Now days, it has become a passion to learn how to hack. Some of us do it for the sheer challenge, some for the sheer love for learning and new technologies. Regardless of what the reason is, with every hack someone is trying to improve the technology we rely on.

There are many hacking related skills one can learn, depending on the person and the type of hacking they want to do. As there are many opportunities and facets to the hacking world, it makes it complex to learn all things related to it.

But, it is never too late if you have the right information and the right techniques. In order to make sure that you have all the information you need, you can always study and learn hacking. The best part of it all is that, for all you know, you can be the next hacker that redefines the way we think about security.

Mentoring: There are many opportunities available for collaboration and snooping on hackers. If you have an interest in snooping on hackers or have the opportunity to learn from them, consider taking a class or participating in a workshops. You might be surprised how much knowledge they have about the technologies they use… and you can use what you’ve learned and put it to good use.

Sniffer: We have tools now that can let us track IP addresses. We can also tell how far away the IP address is from us, and we can sniff for firewalls, viruses, and other threats. We can also reveal a lot of other information about the person/company that we are dealing with.

Cache: We refer to the temporary files that store all the information that has been fetched over the net. Actually, the term ‘cache’ is a bit misleading. The information is not stored in order and there is no order to it. The information is usually stored in memory and while it is loading it is also stored in a temporary location so that it is not immediately discarded. The temporary location is emptied when the request for the information is finished and then the information is discarded.

Many hacking tools use a variety of modes of communication Protocols (Speakers, Morse code, Direct Sensing, etc.)

Protocols

•http which is a general term used for HTTP/ActiveX and often used by many InternetBrowsers, presents significant security risks. It is a specification supported by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and is responsible for the functioning of the World Wide Web. The primary concern of the IETF is the transfer of files and processes over the Internet.

The subsequent technologies, which are often but not always classified, follow between HTTP and TCP/IP and SPI.

Internet Protocol (IP)

•IP over SSL

• Internet Protocol (IP) is a set of protocols that offers Internet users the ability to communicate online using the TCP network. The IP protocol applies resource sharing and addressing methods among the computers on a network and is responsible for the flow of information exchanged during online transactions. Online users consists of computers that have been granted access by an Internet service provider (ISP).

Online Systems Management (OSMP)

•http://security.symantec.com/sscv6chery/hosts.htm

•http://www.cert.org/vul_notes/VN219|

o Virus Bulletin No. 9110 provides updates on viruses that are specific to the Microsoft IIS 5.0 Extended Validation SSL Certificate. This Microsoft SSL certificate enables you to secure private data that pass through, including documents, e-mail messages, and on to databases, which store user credentials and other private information. This certificate also enables your site to display a secured page now and later, when your users click a protected link.

The CSR data must be verified and properly transformed in the digital object before it can be authenticated and then encrypted. Therefore, to access the signed certificate, the user must have the Bit-Authentication turned on for the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Online Explorer (E), which comes with the SSL functionality.

Effects of Certificate Fraud

A fraudulent Certificate could cause several problems for the user. The certificate could be fraudulent in the sense that the name of the sender or any essential part of the signature block is misrepresented or false. Physical inspection of the AIA may also be performed by an authorized third party, such as an auditor, in order to confirm the fact that the web site is legitimate. If SSL authentication is possible and has been enabled on the site, the browser will display a padlock and indicate that an SSL certificate is secured.

Reasons to Prevent Certificate Fraud

The instances of certificate fraud may be reduced if users and businesses implement evolving strategies and are informed about how the security process & monitoring mechanisms work.

Technology

How To Avoid Spyware Before It’s Too Late!

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2021

Dave Daniel

How To Avoid Spyware Before It’s Too Late!

Unfortunately, most people don’t pay much attention to the threat posed by spyware until their level of infection has become acute and their private information has been compromised. The final result is that they become subject to an identity theft attempt. New methods of attack are being developed all the time and you need to get up to speed on the subject and stay informed of changes as they occur in order to know how to protect yourself.

First of all, if you are a careless surfer you are living dangerously and eventually you will get nailed. The smart thing is to set your computer environment up with a secure defensive perimeter and to prevent unauthorized access to your computer and check out any personal information that you have stored on your hard disk. If you surf the web, open attachments or use peer to peer applications then you risk being victimized.

The statistics are staggering and reveal just some of the tremendous amount of personal information that is present across the internet. According to requirements imposed by the federal government, we can all be traced back to our IP address. With that information in the wrong hands, a lot of people have a lot of problems.

The only solution is to minimize your risk of exposure. This requires you to be careful about the type of information that you divulge while online. Don’t assume that you can just offload your personal information to sites that are willing to accept financial information. Sites that are willing to acquire your information will have an address that you can contact them to confirm their legitimacy.

Other risk factors include file sharing programs, so you should download and install programs like the well-known P2P file sharing programs like BeXTRA or CoolWebSearch that help you keep your computer free from harmful viruses, hackers and worms. Surfing anonymously will also help keep your privacy since no one will be able to trace you and your actions.

Why should you risk it?

Secure surfing is one of the best ways to protect your identity and personal information. It’s not hard to understand why most people begin to take a liking to the idea and begin to make regular trips to the local library to surf the internet and download files. The truth is that they should avoid these activities because it is possible that they are the victims of online thieves.

The trailblazing technology of today has helped to make the whole process much safer and understanding students to use the internet and avoid harmful viruses. However, these efforts have not been able to totally rid the internet of its infamous reputation as a source of crimes and victim of fraud. Users that have criminal intent will never be able to track you using your IP address because mobile malware and other malicious programs will also be unable to track you.

Using this technology will also help you to stay protected since you will be able to encrypt your data which will render it totally unrecoverable once it is deleted from your computer. There are numerous applications available when it comes to protecting yourself from cyber crimes; one of which that is available is the IP hiding software. This software enables you to surf the web undetected through the IP address of origin. After the IP address is hidden, the site you visit will pretend to be from the computer you are using.

This is because the site is actually acting as a proxy server; one that originates from the computer you are using. If you are currently using a site that you are not sure of, then visit a local library or search online for a few reviews about the product.