As the threat of an impending Russian invasion continues to spread, news networks and social media have featured clips showing their armed forces training for war. However it’s not just in military preparedness where they excel-the country also possesses some very talented hackers who would be preparing new waves cyber-attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure such as energy or finance sectors among others.
Following prior CISA cautions about the threats presented by Russian cyber-attacks for US critical infrastructure, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently issued a warning about the potential of Russian cyberattacks spilling over onto US networks. In the event of sanctions and market disruptions, the European Central Bank (ECB) has warned European financial institutions of the potential of retaliatory Russian cyber-attacks.
According to Michael Daniel, who served as a cybersecurity adviser to President Barack Obama and is now the president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, such attacks are impossible to forecast with precision. Businesses and other organizations have already received advice from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on how to avoid digital intrusions and respond if their defenses are breached. Individual Americans, on the other hand, are receiving little official instruction on what they can or should do to prepare.
Given the increased potential of cyberattacks causing harm to Ukraine and its allies, it is prudent for “all organizations — regardless of size — to adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and securing their most vital assets” and business operations, according to CISA.
What can you do to prepare for potential cyberattacks?
The action items listed below are highly recommended for all businesses. Even if there isn’t a geopolitical conflict, these procedures should be followed because threats to organizational cybersecurity existed before the recent Ukraine-Russian hostilities and will continue to exist afterward.
1. Ensure that your external internet and cloud asset and application deployments are secure and resilient.
2. Ensure that you always have insight into processes and network activities across all important business functions.
3. To respond swiftly and efficiently to all cyber invasions, a well-tested incident response methodology is in place.
If you need assistance with any of the above action items, or if you have any concerns about the security of your IT infrastructure, call us at 855-448-2178 for a free consultation, and we may also be able to provide you with a FREE Network Security Analysis.
