Telehealth has skyrocketed over the past few years. As COVID-19 made physically visiting a doctor’s office more complex, digital solutions let patients connect with healthcare professionals virtually. Now it’s clear these systems are here to stay, but they also bring some new concerns.

More than half of all healthcare visits happened virtually in mid-2020. While that number has since dropped, more than a third of patients still use telehealth. That’s good news for healthcare accessibility, but it raises questions about telehealth fraud.

What Is Telehealth Fraud?

Telehealth fraud occurs when people take advantage of these digital solutions to make money. Considering how healthcare spending reached $4.1 trillion in 2020, telehealth systems are a tempting target for fraud.

Sometimes, that fraud looks like providers billing patients for services they didn’t receive or misrepresenting what a virtual visit entailed. Alternatively, cybercriminals could pose as legitimate telehealth providers to trick patients into paying them. In other scenarios, cybercriminals could commit identity theft to claim telehealth services fraudulently.

While telehealth’s popularity is relatively new, fraud cases have already emerged. The most significant healthcare fraud enforcement action in history happened in 2020 when the Department of Justice accused 86 defendants of fraudulent telemedicine claims. The losses from these fraud cases added up to $4.5 billion.

How to Fight Telehealth Fraud

Telehealth has many advantages, but providers, users, and software vendors must address the fraud problem so it can reach its full potential. Here are five ways to reduce telehealth fraud risks.

Educate UsersOne of the most important measures is educating people on telehealth’s risks. Phishing already accounts for 45% of cybersecurity incidents in healthcare — online care’s growing popularity could lead more people to fall for these scams. Education is the solution.

Telehealth providers should inform their customers about scams they may see and how to recognize them. Their processes and communication should follow strict standards to make it easier to tell legitimate messages from scams. Frequent reminders to keep detailed records of services to prevent provider fraud are also helpful.

Providers should also train their staff to spot and avoid phishing attempts. Doing so can help stop cybercriminals from gaining access to internal records that could help them commit fraud.

1. Improve Verification Methods

Telehealth platforms also need to be able to verify users’ identities. One of the reasons telehealth fraud is snowballing is because it’s relatively easy to impersonate patients in many cases.

Verification on these services must go beyond a simple username and password. Multi-factor authentication should be enabled by default and come up anytime people schedule a meeting or make a transaction. This step may make the telehealth process less streamlined, but it’s crucial for security.

Biometric security for account creation is also essential. When patients set up an account, they should scan their driver’s license, then verify it with a live video selfie. These steps help prevent identity thieves from creating telehealth accounts.

1. Employ Data Visualization

Some less technical steps can help, too. If providers can visualize their records better, it’ll be easier to spot any unusual activity or incorrect billing. This visualization can help highlight potential fraud cases, addressing them before the criminal can cause too much damage.

Many programs can automatically compile healthcare data into easy-to-read charts and graphs. Telehealth companies can review these visualizations to better understand billing, services provided, and patient usage statistics. Anything that doesn’t add up will stick out in this comprehensive view, making it harder to commit fraud and get away with it.

1. Implement AI

Telehealth companies can also go further by using artificial intelligence (AI). Visualizing data can help recognize fraud patterns, but it isn’t always fast enough to catch fraud early and still has room for human error. AI can analyze the same data faster and more accurately detect potential fraud.

Many companies already use AI to detect theft patterns and stop fraud in the financial industry — the medical sector could do the same. These algorithms can catch the early warning signs of fraud before humans recognize them, stopping criminals sooner. Other AI tools could monitor networks for suspicious activity to prevent hackers from accessing patients’ personal information.

1. Secure Patient Data

Telehealth providers should ensure they keep patient data private and secure. These apps store a lot of sensitive information, and if any gets out, criminals could use it to commit identity fraud. Limiting access to this data helps prevent this and keeps companies compliant with data privacy laws.

Encrypting data both at rest and in transit is the first step. Next, companies should keep access privileges to an absolute minimum. Any user, device, or app should only be able to access the data they need to work correctly.

While some states require providers to keep medical records for years, telehealth platforms should consider minimizing how long they hold onto sensitive documents. Businesses should review local laws, then delete data as soon as they no longer need it under the law to minimize the chances of a breach.

Telehealth Must Become More Secure

When telehealth is private and secure, it can make healthcare more accessible and convenient. Users, providers, and software developers should keep the related risks and these mitigation steps in mind to help enable this. Telehealth’s potential is vast — but only if it doesn’t become a hotbed for fraud.

You might’ve heard this before—cybercriminals are evolving and becoming advanced. Cyberattacks and threats against businesses, large or small, are increasing daily. For this reason, your organization must have a compelling cybersecurity plan to identify and prevent attacks.

One of the most vital components of an effective cybersecurity plan is implementing strong endpoint security across all your devices. This can be done with a portal that enables you to manage and update your endpoints wherever you are, whenever necessary.

More so, it’s significant to understand what endpoint security is and why it’s vital to any organization. This comprehensive guide will help you discover everything you need to know, from top to bottom. Continue reading below to learn more. 

What Is Endpoint Security?

Endpoint security is the method of securing all devices your business uses in its day-to-day operations, such as laptops, desktops, and tablets. Its primary purpose is to protect your organization from all cybersecurity threats by detecting, analyzing, and blocking them.

Here are some of the most common forms of cyberattacks endpoint security can prevent: 

• Watering holes
• Email phishing
• Drive-by downloads
• Ransomware
• Malware
• Vulnerability exploitations

Why Is Endpoint Security Important?

Endpoint security is crucial to all businesses because endpoints are the most common passageway for hackers to access the corporate network. Once they enter the system, they’ll be able to access all your company’s data, such as file servers, databases, and applications.

Furthermore, endpoints are often the primary targets of cybercriminals because they’re managed by end-users, who are humans capable of committing errors concerning their IT security practices. Such errors may include:

• Falling victim to social engineering attacks, such as phishing, baiting, quid pro quo, tailgating, and baiting
• Installing malicious applications, files, and browser plugins
• Visiting malicious platforms that take advantage of network system vulnerabilities

In addition, endpoints are susceptible to system vulnerabilities—both application and operation—that may affect endpoint risk postures. It means endpoints provide a large, open, and defenseless surface for cybercriminals to target and attack. So, it’s crucial to protect these endpoints to block attackers and prevent them from reaching and entering your system.

How Does Endpoint Security Work?

Depending on your organization’s preference, endpoint security protection can be employed through the cloud or on-premise. These platforms are called endpoint protection platforms (EPP). Their function is to analyze every file that enters the system and compare them with malware information for identification purposes.

EPPs often use in-depth and real-time machine learning to ensure your organization’s safety from various threats and attacks. This allows endpoint security protections to detect and identify more advanced and complex cybersecurity threats than before, such as:

• Fileless Malware: This is a complex form of malware that uses reliable and trusted applications to infect a device or a system. Since it’s fileless, unlike the usual malware, it’s usually left undetected by most traditional antivirus applications.
• Zero-Day Attacks: When app developers create new software, a vulnerability might be included in the package. Zero-day attacks happen when attackers find this vulnerability and exploit it before creators fix the issue. These attacks were almost impossible to detect and identify back in the day.
• Polymorphic Malware: As the name implies, polymorphic malware can constantly alter its features, such as encryption keys and file names, to prevent being detected and identified by most antivirus applications.
• Juice Jacking: This threat reconfigures USB ports to infect multiple devices with malicious software. It’s commonly found in public places, often disguised as charging stations. This poses a risk for end-users traveling to different places for work.

What Are The Components Of Endpoint Security?

When comparing different endpoint solutions, it’s essential to look closely at the services you will receive to make the right decision. Some vendors would claim that they offer a complete solution. But in reality, their suite lacks some components that other vendors provide.

Here are key elements of an endpoint solution you might want to consider looking for:

• Network Controls: This component functions similarly to a comprehensive firewall program, filtering every incoming traffic and detecting possible risks.
• Browser Protection: Look for endpoint security solutions that can provide a web filtering option. This allows you to choose websites your users may access while connected to the corporate network.
• Application Controls: This component includes integration with different server applications to limit the endpoint access your users have and monitor their activities.
• Device Protection: An effective endpoint security solution includes malware and antivirus protection to keep your computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices secured and protected from ransomware and malware attacks.
• Data Controls: This component includes tools that may help you improve data security and prevent data leakages through sensitive information encryption.

What Are The Types Of Endpoint Security?

When choosing an endpoint security solution, one of the most important decisions you have to make is whether to invest in a cloud-based or an on-premise solution. Cloud-based solutions offer flexibility and are easy to integrate with your current architecture. However, some laws and regulations may force you to always invest in an on-premise solution.

Aside from that, you also need to consider the types of endpoint security solutions available to you. These include:

• Quarantine Protection: This will help you establish a quarantine section for systems, applications, and databases that may carry potential risks. 
• Endpoint Encryption: This works similarly to a VPN or virtual private network. It encrypts every traffic that leaves your network, reducing data breaches and leaks.
• Email Gateways: Numerous cyberattacks start with email-based incidents, such as phishing scams. This is why adding email gateways is crucial. With this, you’ll be able to prevent suspicious and malicious emails from reaching your end-users.

Final Words

Endpoint security is protecting your devices from simple and advanced cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware and fileless malware. It’s a crucial component of an effective cybersecurity strategy as it protects endpoints, which are the most common targets of cybercriminals. With an endpoint security solution, you’ll be able to prevent attackers from targeting your endpoints and reaching your system.

Introduction

Unfortunately, we live in a world where it’s open season for businesses. Hackers, financially motivated or state-sponsored, have turned other people’s livelihood into an illegitimate source of revenue. For small to medium businesses (SMB) the threat posed reaches the level of an existential crisis. SMBs typically don’t have the budget to hire a full team of qualified and experienced cybersecurity professionals but the need for security is still there. One method smaller companies can shore up their defenses is by adopting cybersecurity standards.   

What are these standards?

Sadly, 60% of SMBs close their doors six months following a successful breach so defining cybersecurity standards is of vital importance for this article. Cybersecurity standards are set up by either legislation or a third party responsible for maintaining a standard or certification that sets forth easily adoptable techniques, controls, and processes that maintain a certain level of protection. 

Once a business can say they comply with a specific set of standards or certifications they display higher levels of credibility to stakeholders, insurance providers, potential clients, and potential partners in terms of its security posture. While meeting a standard does require a capital outlay and a reputable third party to complete a compliance assessment, it is far less expensive than developing an in-house security operations center from scratch.

Why are these standards important?

Defining what a standard typically begs the question as to why cybersecurity standards are important? The most obvious answer, and the one that generates the most value over time for the organization, is that they can drastically improve the security posture of an organization without the adoption of expensive newer technologies. Cybersecurity standards look to prevent attacks but attacks do happen, that is just our current reality. Standards and certifications require the organization to have incident response policies in place. This in itself is reassuring as those responsible for responding to an incident know what needs to be done.

We have already mentioned that successfully adopting and implementing standards can be beneficial to future relations with stakeholders, insurance providers, potential clients, and potential partners. However, another advantage of adopting standards is that they can quickly be leveraged into a cybersecurity strategy. This can allow the SMB to properly structure its approach to cybersecurity well into the future. The adoption of standards can help create a new security focussed culture where everyone receives a high level of education regarding current and future cyber threats.

Using a standard as the foundation of your cybersecurity strategy helps further develop an understanding of the business’s needs. This further allows for better spending when it comes down to selecting what solutions and technologies suit identified risks. Your finance department will certainly be in favor of such an approach. Further, such an approach sets up a future framework for security decisions down the road.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity standards are important as they provide a broad base of individuals and organizations the opportunity to drastically increase their security posture. The article has highlighted other benefits but the main reason to adopt a standard be it GDPR, HIPAA, ISO27000, or NIST to name a few is to help prevent attacks that have the ability to close businesses for good. A smart business leader will leverage a standard for the good of the business but the ultimate value is preventing attacks and responding appropriately if one happens.

If you’re new to PHP, you might be wondering why it is so secure. In this article, we’ll discuss SQL Injection, XSS, Active code, and Open_basedir. If you’re not sure how these vulnerabilities are exploited, check out these tips to keep your site secure. The next time you’re working on a PHP project, remember to implement the most secure security measures possible.

1. SQL Injection

One of the most critical aspects of securing your website against SQL injection is ensuring that all user input is validated. This includes using radio buttons and drop-down menus and proper error handling in your web server and code. An attacker can use the technical details of an error message to alter a query to suit their purposes. In addition, input filtering may prevent simple SQL injection attacks but will not solve the underlying vulnerability.

The way to prevent SQL Injection is to ensure that all errors are logged to an error log that is not accessible by the web server. For example, you can use PHP to log all errors in an error log, or use another file. In either case, you must be careful to ensure that the file is not accessible by the attacker. You can also run a test against your website to confirm that it is secure against this security flaw.

1. XSS

PHP is secure against XSS attacks in two ways: by validating input data and escaping malicious URLs. PHP’s htmlentities function encodes HTML entities and is called by developers to escape user-supplied HTML input. It’s straightforward and highly efficient, so even beginners can use it to protect themselves against XSS. JavaScript, the language behind many modern web applications, uses the Document Object Model to create dynamic content. Dynamic content can be vulnerable to XSS attacks because malicious links and the code can be embedded in the HTML.

The most common threat vector for XSS attacks is the user-input interface. Organizations must educate users about the impact of XSS attacks and disclose any malicious characters in the user input. Developers can also protect themselves from XSS attacks by ensuring that user input is clean and uses secure transfer protocols like HTTPS or HTTP. They should set up filters that ensure numeric inputs are integers. Whitelisting is another suitable method of protecting applications from XSS attacks.

1. Open_basedir function

The open_basedir function in PHP is secure because it disallows PHP scripts to access files outside of their configured base directories. These restrictions are set to prevent remote attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities in the file system. PHP functions will check if an object is allowed to open a particular file before making the actual open call. If the object is, then it is likely to point to a prohibited file during the specified time period.

PHP’s symlink function uses a filename matching the open_basedir restriction. If the file name matches a file name in the open_basedir restriction, the PHP script will only be able to access it. This means that you can use symbolic links to work around this restriction. However, this can’t be used for directories outside the specified directory tree.

1. Active code

The PHP language has some security features built-in to protect the application from being hacked. PHP pages can include files in the document root that are commonly used for PHP calls. The libraries in these files can be attacked in several ways, such as by directly calling the program code contained in the library file. The attacker can then leverage this code to cause unwanted effects on the application. For this reason, it is vital to use only libraries with built-in security features.

The ZipArchive class in PHP has a number of security features. This class can be activated with the –with-zip flag. This allows the application to avoid exploits that can expose the ZIP archive’s contents. If it is not protected, it can be hacked by introducing heisenbugs. It is also essential to use secure encoding for JSON data. By using secure encoding, PHP applications are more secure.

1. eval()

PHP eval() is secure because it does not decode the user input. It may contain malformed code, which can result in remote code execution. To ensure your code is secure, it is vital to ensure that your script validates the user input. If it does not, you may be exposing your site to malicious attacks. To prevent such incidents, always review your source code to ensure that the eval() function is used only for legitimate purposes.

PHP eval() is a language construct that allows execution of arbitrary PHP code. The use of eval() is discouraged in most applications, and you should avoid it whenever possible. You should avoid passing user data into eval() without proper validation. To make your code secure, use call_user_func() instead. It allows you to capture the eval() output in a string and hide any fatal errors.

1. eval() hides an attacker’s tools

The use of eval() to generate code is a serious security issue as this function is hard to secure. Many programming languages are designed to make it easy for a human to write instructions, and as such, they are filled with quirks and special behaviors. JavaScript automatically adds a ‘;’ to some statements. In addition, eval() can be dangerous because it generates code from hostile data, such as the ‘;’ character from JavaScript.

PHP provides a wealth of options for encoding and encryption. PHP has advanced string obfuscation patterns and superglobals. It also allows users to include code via filters or streams. Many web applications are vulnerable to local file inclusions, which are very difficult to detect without the use of forensics. Using eval() properly can help protect your website from attacks, but it’s not recommended.

1. Cross-site scripting

One of the most common security attacks that web developers deal with is the threat of cross-site scripting, also known as XSS. This attack is possible due to incorrectly validating user data in a web form. The attacker can use this error to inject malicious code, which may then execute malicious action inside the user’s browser. PHP includes a number of security measures to protect against this attack, including using htmlspecialchars() and strip_tags().

XSS attacks are facilitated by web applications that do not sanitize input. XSS vulnerabilities can allow attackers to inject malicious JavaScript in a web page and hijack the user’s session or steal sensitive information. Depending on how the attacker is able to exploit the XSS vulnerability, they could perform any number of malicious actions, including uploading malware, phishing attacks, and orchestrating full-blown attacks.

To prevent XSS attacks, developers should adhere to consistent, secure coding practices. One such tool is the Veracode vulnerability decoder, which provides guidelines on how to prevent XSS-based attacks. Additionally, developers should ensure that any input is properly escaped. Proper input escape can prevent attackers from misusing the application. Cross-site scripting prevention should be part of your development and production processes to detect potential vulnerabilities and prevent attacks.

Bottom line: Security best practices

While security is important, it is not always obvious. In fact, the payoffs of good security are largely obscure. A security checklist is a useful tool to develop PHP applications that improve code security.

• The first step in improving security is to ensure data coming from outside sources is filtered and validated. You can do this with zend-inputfilter. Moreover, make sure that your application does not use sensitive data.

• Files in the document root can contain sensitive information. Avoid using PHP scripts that include files that aren’t properly parsed. These files are served as plain text to the end user. Therefore, attackers can exploit this and gain access to your application’s database credentials or application data. To protect yourself from this risk, keep included PHP files out of user-accessible directories. For additional security, use code signing, if possible.

• Keep your PHP code updated. This is one of the most important security practices for PHP code. Hackers live off attacking code, so it’s important to keep your PHP version updated. A security patch fixes a bug in the code. The latest vulnerabilities in PHP have been exploited by hackers, and you should make sure your code is protected against these exploits as much as possible. If you’re concerned about keeping your code updated, consider hiring a PHP development service such as WebCitz.

Resources links:

Ransomware is a cyberattack that takes control of your data and files until you pay the attacker to get them back. Ransomware can render businesses useless without access to their encrypted files and systems. 

There are myths about ransomware that are used as scare tactics to make businesses fall prey to attacks. These myths are dangerous and can cause extreme damage to the businesses that follow their lead. 

1. Rare Ransomware

Email attacks like phishing and vishing are commonly known cyberattack methods. Users could view them as the most dangerous or isolated known cyber threat to businesses. Phishing is not the most dangerous form of digital attack. Protecting your emails and security does not mean your business is unsusceptible to ransomware. 

Phishing tactics are small fish in a big pond. Password spraying is a technique used to gain credentials from users to mislead them into providing access. There are many other risks to digital encryption that should be considered in defense strategies. 

Businesses focusing on email scamming as the primary threat is a dangerous move. Theft of data and then threatening to make the data public is becoming more and more common. Ransomware is becoming less about the hackers getting into the system and more about what they choose to do next. 

2. Ransomware is Unpreventable

Although new ransomware is popping up often, there are ways to prevent it from happening to you and your business. Wannacry was the armageddon of the digital landscape impacting computers worldwide from hospitals to government agencies.

Culprits of Wannacry gained around $50,000 from this cyber attack through demands for ransom alone. Individuals and companies could have prevented Wannacry with good cyber hygiene. Use good judgment when scanning emails, backup your files, use licensed software and install updates on your operating systems. 

Tablets and smartphones for personal use are just as susceptible to cyberattacks as businesses. You must do everything you can to protect your files if you do not want them stolen.

Top Security Advice

There are IT security guidelines that you should follow to protect your stuff. Use a firewall on your digital devices. Whenever you download a new app or enter information into your device, you open a door that hackers can walk through. Use strong passwords and keep them updated. Use multifactor identification when you can.

Make sure you use anti-malware software and have an anti-virus installed. Back up your data and install updates on your software. Keep an eye on account users and third parties. These guidelines will help you keep your data secure, avoid phishing scams and prevent malware that could lead to ransomware. 

3. Macs are Unsusceptible 

Windows is the most common prey for ransomware. However, that does not mean that Macs are immune to ransomware. Mac users should still be prepared and watch out for cyber scams. There have been many programs identified that specifically target Mac operating systems. You are not safe from malware because you use a Mac instead of Windows. The attacks are increasing on Mac systems probably because they are more vulnerable since they think they are in the clear. Mac is not more secure than windows and should be just as concerned about potential attacks. 

4. Small Companies are Safe

Smaller businesses underestimate the risks of malware. It is a common misconception that companies are smaller in size and are not as prone to cyber-attacks. This is false because the threat to their data is just as immense as it is to a more significant business. 

Up to 86% of small to medium-sized businesses have reported being victims of ransomware each year since 2018. The reality is that smaller firms should feel more at risk since the damage from a minor attack could make such a significant impact. Since their data is not vast, an isolated attack could potentially lead to their demise. 

5. One Phase Attack

It is commonly believed that ransomware is an attack in a one-phase, one-day invasion. Ransomware attackers indulge in hostile takeovers, but they are more thorough. 

Aggressors look for vulnerable targets during a reconnaissance phase. Once identified, they employ a weaponization phase where they shape the direction of their attack like email scams. It could be months before the plan is executed to demand ransom. 

Hackers are also commonly perceived as sophisticated and strategic in their attacks. The fact is that ransomware is pretty random. While they work in phases, the episodes focus more on whoever falls prey to their scams, not individual perpetuated schemes to pinpoint specific individuals or organizations directly. If their scams fail on their target, they have many more targets lined up to take the bait. 

Myths Unveiled

Now that you know more about what is true and false regarding ransomware, you can be more prepared for potential threats and attacks. You are not safer because of your operating system, but you can be more protected with the correct information and precautions.

A cybersecurity framework is a set of norms, principles, and best practices for dealing with hazards in the digital environment. They usually pair security goals, such as preventing unauthorized system access, with controls, such as requiring a login and password. Companies that seek to comply with state, industry, and international cybersecurity standards are frequently required to use cybersecurity frameworks, or are, at the very least, highly urged to do so.

With the cybersecurity compliance frameworks that seem to be getting more complex every day, it might seem confusing to manage them all. But with a little guidance, your business’ cybersecurity compliance can go a long way.

This article is only a brief introduction to this subject. If you want a more comprehensive guide, you can visit: https://nordlayer.com/blog/cybersecurity-compliance-everything-you-need-to-know/

Frameworks vs. compliance: What’s the difference?

Meeting numerous procedures to secure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data is what cybersecurity compliance entails. Governing organizations generally create compliance responsibilities with related penalties if proof of compliance cannot be verified.

Frameworks, on the other hand, are a set of best practices that serve as the foundation for creating or improving information security operations. There are no formal consequences for failing to apply a framework, but there are several benefits to doing so. Frameworks help you keep track of your company’s cybersecurity environment.

Assessing which frameworks apply to your organization

While cybersecurity frameworks offer a set of best practices for establishing risk tolerance and implementing controls, selecting which one is right for your company may be challenging. Furthermore, many legislation refers to many standards or frameworks.

The ISO 27001, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework are among the most widely used cyber risk management frameworks today. But which ones you’d need to follow?

To develop a cyber risk management strategy, you must first understand the sorts of data your company gathers, where it is housed, and who has access to it. Organize an audit to identify assets by categories, such as software, applications, intellectual property, and stored data, such as employee and customer information, and to calculate the cost of recovering any lost or stolen assets. This step requires knowing your company assets well and being in close contact with your departments.

Mapping out a compliance strategy

Working across several compliance frameworks may be complicated and time-consuming. However, with planning and a strategy in place, many time and cost-saving methods may be used to make the compliance process as painless as possible.

• Coordinate staff and duties: As your IT compliance program grows, you’ll need to enlist the help of more employees. As the scope grows, keeping everyone on the same page and going in the same direction will become more challenging, therefore communication will be crucial.
• Identify locations where various frameworks overlap: Many security compliance frameworks contain standards that overlap. You can start with the all-encompassing NIST Cybersecurity Framework and fill in any gaps in your industry-specific laws to make the process easier. According to a recent poll, over 48% of respondents said they map their control systems to the NIST Cyber Security Framework standard.
• Give importance to audits: If you want to gain certification for a certain standard, you’ll need to hire a certified auditor and set up an audit plan. Certain auditing and certification processes are costly. However, they can also help you save money and time by securing your cybersecurity environment.

Managing multiple compliance frameworks – tips and tricks

Define your implementation objectives precisely

Getting certified compliant for a framework is frequently the easiest part. Following and maintaining the procedures and processes that have been established is more complicated. Consistent governance and review are required for this. It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to keep the certifications or compliance you earned if you don’t have the motivation to maintain the systems and procedures that support and uphold your implementation phase.

Focusing on the long-term aim of increasing your firm’s maturity and the resulting advantages helps your organization to realize far more benefits than those provided by a compliance certificate.

Talk about the change in daily terms

Employees will struggle to grasp and connect with legal documents that are full of complicated industry language and broad corporate objectives unless they work in the legal or compliance department. Documents must be simply understood by every member of your team, whether they work in IT or customer care, if you want to engage and inspire them to complete the duties assigned to them.

Keep a record of framework updates

Over time, frameworks and rules are modified. Depending on the complexity of your compliance environment, keeping up with changes across many frameworks and upgrading your compliance program is essential when it comes to being your company’s security.

Keep an eye on the outcome

It’s critical to evaluate the efficacy of your program once you’ve implemented the framework across your business. The framework’s efficacy should be measured against the project’s initial objectives as well as the particular control criteria established during the implementation phase.

To wrap things up

Overall, most people will agree that there is no such thing as an easy way out of cybersecurity, and realizing that you require repeatable security across many frameworks is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cybersecurity. Managing your company’s cybersecurity frameworks is a journey that never ends, with new threats emerging every day.

By Ajay Singh, Author of CyberStrong! A Primer on Cyber Risk Management for Business Managers

Being forewarned is being forearmed

The value of intelligence in military and police operations is considered highly since it provides advanced knowledge of strategies, tactics, approaches, and even weaknesses of threat actors. This is also true in cybersecurity, as prior knowledge of possible threats or dangers could enable organizations to better prepare their defenses and ward off cyber-attacks. Organizations can adopt an ‘active defense’ strategy by using threat intelligence as a part of their overall cybersecurity program that can help them to adopt a proactive stance and strengthen their security posture

The scope of threat intelligence gathering comprises analyzing information from within and outside the organization to identify potential weaknesses, combining it with information regarding existing and potential cyber threats from external sources, and using insights to boost defenses, thwart attacks and mitigate any kind of harm.

Sources of Threat Intelligence

There are various sources from which raw cyber intelligence can be collated before subjecting it to further analysis for converting into actionable intelligence. These sources include Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT), and Human Intelligence (HUMINT).

At an operational level, security analysts and teams can gather internal intelligence through the deployment of a Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) solution which enables collating of data from user, network, and traffic logs. Using this as well as information from past incidents or threats they can identify weaknesses and security gaps on an ongoing basis. External sources of intelligence include sources such as the FBI InfraGard portal, the Department of Homeland Security: Automated Indicator Sharing, VirusTotal, SANS Internet Storm Center, Google safe browsing, Spamhaus, and many more. All these sources regularly provide information about ongoing threats, vulnerabilities, and information about activities of cybercriminals and the overall current cyber threat landscape. In addition, there are sources such as MITRE ATT&CK, which is the world’s biggest knowledge repository of Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) adopted by hackers that could be the source of valuable threat intelligence inputs.

Operationalizing threat intelligence also entails the use of threat hunting which is a complex process that involves proactively and iteratively searching through networks to detect and isolate advanced threats that evade existing security solutions. This is distinct from traditional threat management, which uses firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), antivirus, and other such systems that involve an investigation of evidence-based data after there has been a warning of a potential threat. Threat hunting involves a security analyst, or a team of analysts scrutinizing and analyzing the information gathered to develop a hypothesis or insights based on their organization’s context and their own threat perceptions. Security analysts typically use manual or semi-automated systems in developing a hypothetic threat scenario to develop actionable intelligence related to potential risks. The analyst then investigates these potential risks, tracking dubious behavior in the network. Thus, hunting is an iterative process, meaning that it must be continuously carried out in a loop, beginning with a hypothesis. The intelligence development activity requires an understanding of Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) of adversaries, indicators of compromise that represent adversary actions that already happened, and indicators of concern that represent their findings from threat hunting or other intelligence gathering techniques. Security Analysts typically develop the following types of threat intelligence:

• Strategic Threat Intelligence is high-level intelligence regarding potential risks that can help business leaders take decisions related to long- and medium-term security issues.
• Tactical Threat Intelligence represents actionable intelligence that can help IT managers, security personnel, system administrators, and architects to undertake security-related actions such as patching vulnerable systems, limiting system access, bug fixing, etc.
• Operational Threat Intelligence comprises threat intelligence collected from sources like people, social media, security publications, communities, bulletin boards, chat rooms, and also from current world affairs and events that can serve as warnings of emerging attacks.
• Technical Threat Intelligence is related to information about an attacker’s resources that are used to perform the attack. This includes tools deployed, the malware used, command and control channels, etc.

The Threat Intelligence Cycle

A typical threat intelligence cycle involves the following five basic steps to understand a threat actor’s motives, targets, and attack behaviors.

• Setting the scope, objectives, team, and processes
• Identifying sources of intelligence data and setting up gathering mechanisms and tools
• Contextualizing, correlating, and analyzing data and events
• Producing actionable threat intelligence
• Dissemination and feedback

The Power of Cyber Threat Intelligence

Given the increasing frequency of cyber-attacks and their many undesirable consequences, organizations will be better off by powering their cybersecurity programs with threat intelligence that can be predictive and anticipatory rather than rely on security mechanisms that are rooted in the past. Organizations can set up their own intelligence teams or take the help of external professional threat intelligence companies to bolster their cybersecurity and derive the following other benefits:

• Adopt a dynamic and agile approach to cybersecurity as opposed to a static and reactive one
• Improve vulnerability management and reduce the attack surface
• Identify compromised users or systems before they are exploited
• Unearth hidden/unknown threats or attacks
• Thwart potential cyber-attacks that could lead to data breaches, financial losses, loss of reputation, regulatory fines, etc. through early intervention

To take their cybersecurity to the next level, organizations can move from a passive and reactive approach to one that harnesses the power of threat intelligence and enables them to continuously evaluate their own internal security controls and mechanisms and combine this with knowledge of adversary motivations, activities, and actions to keep them better prepared to face cyber threats and attacks. In the words of Sun Zu, the renowned Chinese general and military strategist who wrote in his book The Art of War that “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”  The power of cyber threat intelligence may just give you that extra edge needed to stay secure in an increasingly hostile cyber threat environment.

Nonprofit organizations work for the betterment of the world, but sometimes noble causes are targeted by people with malicious intentions. Strive to keep your organization safe by upping your cybersecurity measures. Your charity undoubtedly holds sensitive data you don’t want in the wrong hands. At the bare minimum, try using these strategies to keep that information safe from prying eyes.

1. Run a Scan

You need to know what issues you might encounter to best know how to defend your organization. Run a scan on all devices to see if there’s any malicious software. Knowing what you’re up against can help you deal with viruses before anything else. Standard antivirus software can typically run these scans and deal with any issues.

Even if you find something thanks to the scan, you don’t need to feel defeated. You now know where to start and where you’re lacking in defense. Tracing the issues’ origins will let you determine if more employee education is on the horizon or if you need heavier-duty antivirus software. These scans help you see how vulnerable you are so you can better protect your organization in the future.

2. Get the Right Software

Owning the right antivirus software can help you feel more at ease when dealing with potential gaps in your cybersecurity. You can avoid threats of malware that sneak into your computer. You can also encourage your volunteers to start using a virtual private network (VPN), which can safeguard their activity online.

VPNs create encrypted tunnels that can keep your data safe and away from the clutches of anyone who may be watching your network. It’s a must-have for teams, whether they work in-office or remotely. Bad people tend to target organizations that work for good, so you want to cover your tracks as best as possible to keep mischief-makers at bay.

Make sure you keep all your software up to date. This rule goes for your devices, too. Every update typically contains better security measures to keep your gadgets protected from the newest viruses or harmful material. Don’t snooze the notifications and take the updates when they’re available.

3. Educate Employees

One of the first things you need to do after knowing what threats you’re susceptible to is educate your team. Many volunteers for certain organizations are older and may not be aware of all the tricky online schemes out there. Teach them how to discern between a legitimate email and a phishing scam. Proper warnings mean less risk coming your organization’s way.

You can also protect your organization in other ways. Requiring routine password changes will ensure that none of your volunteers and team members use the same one for their personal accounts as they do for the organization. You can guide them to making strong passwords or just assign them one after using a generator.

4. Implement a Zero Trust Program

It’s challenging to see who has sensitive information and how careful they are with it. You might have an even harder time keeping track of it if your team members work from home. Make your information safer by implementing zero trust. Volunteers will have to notify that they’ve accessed something and what they’ve done. It might seem tedious to keep track of, but you will know precisely what everyone is doing and who last accessed something that could be compromised.

Nonprofit organizations are some of the most targeted victims of data breaches, so you must take care during every step of your daily process. Keep your team members’ accounts and your organization’s information safe by requiring multifactor authentication. People who enact this for their personal accounts are nearly 100% less likely to be hacked. Multifactor authentication means your team members will have to use more than just a password to log into their accounts — they might need to check their email or text messages for a code that allows them in.

5. Have a Backup Plan

Though you do everything you can to avoid it, your organization might become the victim of a data breach someday. You need to have a backup plan in case some information gets leaked. You should know who to call and how to address the issue with the public. Having a strategy in place can help you feel prepared in an emergency.

People often lose trust in brands and organizations that experience data breaches, as it means that their personal information was compromised. Come up with a solution if your nonprofit gets hacked and inform the public — it will damage your reputation far worse if you try to hide what’s happening from people.

Take Your Security Seriously

Cybersecurity isn’t a new topic, but you’d be surprised at how many people and organizations don’t take it seriously until something bad happens to them. Much of these issues can be chalked up to user behavior causing problems, but you still want to consider all forms of security that you can implement. Once you have all your team members on the same page about safety, you can start to implement solutions that can protect you for years to come.