Continuous improvement of security environments as a remedy for the dynamic development of cyber threats

08.01.2025
Cybersecurity

With the growing popularity of modern technologies used in organizations, there is a need to expand and maintain a stable IT environment that, in addition to adequate performance and functionality, also ensures a sufficiently high level of cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is the ongoing process of developing IT environment security against various types of attacks, both in the physical and virtual domains.

The dynamic evolution of cyberthreats forces administrators to continually improve their protection systems and respond to new emerging threats. Creating a comprehensive cybersecurity system includes protection against known threats, but it's important to remember that new, undeveloped forms of attacks are constantly emerging that can impact the integrity of our resources. Consequently, it's important to recognize that no system will ever be 100% secure, but it's worth basing the development of a protection strategy on the threats we most frequently encounter in the digital world. What forms do they take, and how can we best protect against them?

1. Social engineering-based phishing.

The initial phase of almost every attack focuses on gaining access to critical information or a target resource. The methodology for obtaining the necessary data often relies on social engineering, a set of tactics designed to persuade the victim to voluntarily provide credentials, such as access to internal company systems. The most common form of social engineering attack is phishing, which in 2023 accounted for nearly 90% of successful attacks. Therefore, this form of attack should be considered one of the most significant cyberthreats, and the primary form of protection against it is building user awareness by developing their skills to detect and avoid threats.

2. Ransomware campaign.

In recent years, cyberthreats have evolved not only in the form of attacks but also in the motivation behind them. The standard goal remains financial gain, for example, through paying a ransom to decrypt data illegally obtained and encrypted as part of a ransomware campaign. As it turns out, many victims ultimately decide to pay the demanded amount because, compared to the potential cost of data leakage and loss of reputation, such action proves justified. Meanwhile, solutions exist that can detect these types of threats and prevent potential malware from infecting IT infrastructure.

3. Man-in-the-middle attacks.

Often, a breach of a given organization is just one stage of a larger offensive directed at a completely different, but related, entity. In such cases, reconnaissance and eavesdropping are conducted to clear communication, for example, through an effective Man-in-the-Middle attack. In such attacks, information exchanged between two points is sometimes modified in a way that is imperceptible to users but impacts the recipient's infrastructure. As a result, the attack victim is revealed as the source of the threat, which can significantly impact the functioning of the communication chain. Therefore, from an IT security perspective, it is crucial to educate users about the nature of the threat and how to proceed, such as limiting the use of external and unsecured wireless networks and broadly utilizing various traffic encryption methods.

4. Destructive DDoS attacks.

The unstable geopolitical situation significantly impacts the threat landscape. Military operations by countries engulfed in conflict are observed not only in the real world but also in cyberspace, directly impacting the popularity of destructive attacks. Another increasingly common threat trend is hacktivism, an activity that, in most cases, involves disabling the work of a given entity, thus promoting a higher social goal. Disrupting the operation of an environment or completely blocking it can be achieved through popular attacks such as DDoS. One relatively simple yet effective security method in this case is the creation of a comprehensive and well-developed Disaster Recovery Plan or the use of specialized tools focused on countering this form of threat.

5. Zero-day attacks based on vulnerabilities.

When analyzing cybercriminals' motives, we should not underestimate the so-called script kiddies who generate large numbers of simple attacks, as well as cybercriminal hobbyists who, often driven by curiosity and a desire for development, resort to particularly dangerous zero-day attacks based on vulnerabilities that have not yet been patched by the manufacturers of a given infrastructure solution. This category of cybercriminals poses a particular threat to smaller, local organizations, as in their case, the choice of attack vector is somewhat more random and generally results from the attacker's personal preferences.

Summary

Awareness of various attack techniques and targets helps build a comprehensive IT security system, while verifying threats and evolving risks in the digital world is the responsibility of every organization striving to maintain high-quality security. A secure IT infrastructure is one that minimizes the threats faced by its users, so it's important to ensure that the security system protects against as many known threats as possible.


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