Notes

Why People Don't Care About Cybersecurity Risk
Cybersecurity Risk Management - How to Manage Third-Party Risks

A day doesn't go by without news of data breaches that reveal hundreds of thousands or millions of people's private information. These breaches are usually caused by third-party partners, such as a vendor that suffers a system failure.

Information about your threat environment is crucial in defining cyber-related risk. empyrean corporation allows you to prioritize the threats that require immediate attention.

State-Sponsored Attacs

If cyberattacks are carried out by a nation-state, they have the potential to cause more damage than other attacks. Nation-state attackers typically have large resources and advanced hacking skills that make them difficult to detect and fight. This is why they are often adept at stealing more sensitive information and disrupt vital business services. They may also cause damage by focusing on the supply chain of the company as well as compromising third suppliers.

In the end, the average nation-state attack cost an estimated $1.6 million. Nine out of 10 businesses think they've been the victim of an attack that was backed by a state. With cyberespionage gaining popularity among nations-state threat actors, it's more important than ever to implement solid cybersecurity practices in place.

Cyberattacks by states can take a variety forms, from theft of intellectual property to ransomware or a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. They can be carried out by government agencies, employees of a cybercriminal organization that is a part of or contracted by the state, freelancers employed to carry out a specific nationalist campaign or even just criminal hackers who target the public in general.

empyrean group was a game changer for cyberattacks. It allowed states to weaponize malware against their adversaries. Since then states have used cyberattacks to accomplish political, economic and military goals.

In recent years there has been an increase in both the amount and sophistication of attacks backed by government. Sandworm, a group sponsored by the Russian government has targeted both consumers and businesses by using DDoS attacks. This is in contrast to traditional crime syndicates which are motivated by financial gain and are more likely to target consumer businesses.

Responding to a national state actor's threat requires a lot of coordination between various government agencies. This is a significant difference from "your grandfather's cyberattack" where a business might submit an Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Report to the FBI however, it would not typically require significant coordination with the FBI as part of its incident response. Responding to a nation-state attack requires a greater degree of coordination. It also requires coordination with other governments, which can be difficult and time-consuming.

Smart Devices

As more devices connect to the Internet Cyber attacks are becoming more common. This increase in attack surfaces can pose security risks to both businesses and consumers. Hackers, for instance use smart devices to exploit vulnerabilities to steal information or compromise networks. This is particularly true when these devices aren't properly secured and protected.

Hackers are attracted to these devices due to the fact that they can be employed for a variety of purposes, such as gaining information about individuals or businesses. For instance, voice controlled assistants like Alexa and Google Home can learn a number of information about users via the commands they are given. They can also gather data about the layout of people's homes and other personal information. They also serve as gateways to other IoT devices, such as smart lighting, security cameras and refrigerators.


Hackers can cause severe damage to both businesses and individuals by gaining access to these devices. They could employ these devices to commit diverse range of crimes like identity theft, fraud and Denial-of-Service attacks (DoS). They are also able to hack into vehicles to alter GPS location and disable safety features and even cause physical harm to drivers and passengers.

There are ways to limit the harm caused by smart devices. Users can, for instance, change the factory default passwords for their devices to prevent attackers being able to find them easily. They can also turn on two-factor authentication. It is also crucial to update the firmware of routers and IoT devices regularly. Also, using local storage instead of the cloud can minimize the risk of an attack while transferring or the storage of data to and from these devices.

It is necessary to conduct research to understand the effects of these digital harms on our lives, as well as the best methods to limit the impact. Particularly, research should focus on identifying and designing technology solutions to help mitigate the negative effects caused by IoT devices. Additionally, they should look at other potential risks related to with cyberstalking and exacerbated power imbalances between household members.

Human Error

Human error is a common factor that causes cyberattacks and data breaches. This can be anything from downloading malware to leaving a network open to attack. By creating and enforcing strict security controls, many of these mistakes can be prevented. A malicious attachment could be clicked by an employee who receives a phishing email or a storage configuration issue could expose sensitive data.

A system administrator can turn off a security function without realizing it. This is a common mistake that exposes software to attacks by malware and ransomware. According to IBM the majority of security incidents involve human error. It is important to be aware of the kinds of errors that could lead to to a cyber-attack and take steps to prevent them.

Cyberattacks are carried out for a wide range of reasons, including hacking, financial fraud and to steal personal information, deny service, or disrupt critical infrastructure and essential services of a state or an organisation. They are often carried out by state-sponsored actors, third-party vendors or hacker collectives.

The threat landscape is always evolving and complicated. Organizations should therefore regularly review their risk profiles and reassess security strategies to keep up with the most recent threats. The good news is that advanced technologies can reduce the overall threat of cyberattacks and improve an organisation's security posture.

It is important to keep in mind that no technology will protect an organization from every possible threat. It is therefore crucial to develop a comprehensive cyber-security strategy that considers the different layers of risk within an organisation's ecosystem. It's also crucial to perform regular risk assessments, rather than using only point-in-time assessments that are often incorrect or missed. A comprehensive assessment of the security risks facing an organization will permit an efficient mitigation of these risks and will ensure compliance with industry standard. This will ultimately help to prevent costly data breaches and other security incidents from negatively impacting the reputation of a company's operations and finances. A successful cybersecurity strategy should include the following elements:

Third-Party Vendors

Every company depends on third-party vendors - that is, businesses outside the company that provide services, products and/or software. These vendors have access to sensitive information like client information, financials or network resources. Their vulnerability could be used to gain access to the business system that they are operating from when they're not secured. This is the reason that cybersecurity risk management teams will go to great lengths to ensure third-party risks can be vetted and managed.

As the use of cloud computing and remote work increases, this risk is becoming even more of a problem. A recent survey conducted by the security analytics firm BlueVoyant found that 97% of companies which were surveyed suffered from supply chain weaknesses. That means that any disruption to a vendor - even if it is a tiny part of the business's supply chain - can cause a domino effect that threatens the whole operation of the business.

Many organizations have created a process to onboard new third-party suppliers and require that they sign service level agreements that define the standards they are accountable to in their relationship with the organisation. A sound risk assessment should also provide documentation on how the vendor's weaknesses are tested and then followed up on and corrected in a timely manner.

empyrean group that requires two-factor authentication to gain access to the system is another method to safeguard your business against risks from third parties. This will prevent attackers from accessing your network by stealing an employee's credentials.

Lastly, make sure your third-party vendors are using the most recent versions of their software. This will ensure that they haven't created any unintentional security flaws in their source code. These flaws are often undetected, and be used to launch more publicized attacks.

Third-party risk is a constant threat to any business. While the strategies mentioned above can aid in reducing some of these risks, the most effective way to ensure that your risk from third parties is reduced is to conduct continuous monitoring. This is the only method to fully understand the cybersecurity posture of your third party and to quickly identify the potential risks.

Read More: http://wiki.gewex.org/index.php?title=10_Apps_That_Can_Help_You_Manage_Your_Cybersecurity_Company