In March, the Justice Department announced the indictments of seven hackers with ties to the Chinese government on charges that included conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. Those intrusions happened on the networks of private citizens as well as those of various federal agencies.
The announcement serves as a stark reminder that cyberattacks are ever on the rise, and every organization should take steps to not only isolate threats but also recover from any damage they cause. Such incident response plans can help organizations bounce back quickly and return to business as normal after a breach occurs.
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1. Containment Is the Top Priority During an Active Breach
When teams detect a breach, the first and most important thing they must do is isolate the affected systems, taking them offline so they don’t perpetuate the attack. Disable all affected accounts and shut down services running code that could be compromised. Bring affected systems back online only after restoring them, along with any accounts and services, to their preattack states.
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2. Assess Successful Data Breaches Quickly
Forensic analysis is crucial to minimizing the risk of such breaches happening again. Try to determine where the breach started and what methods were used to gain access to the network. Use cloud-based BIOS verification services to compare the BIOS of a user’s device with an off-host version to see whether the device has been compromised.
3. Check Everywhere for Vulnerabilities and Fix Them
A somewhat obvious way to address the vulnerabilities in an organization’s infrastructure is to ensure that all devices are patched with the latest software and firmware updates. IT teams should also address points of entry that might be overlooked, such as printers and other passive devices, not only when trying to prevent an attack but also in response to an attack. Deploy monitoring programs that can identify out-of-the-ordinary behaviors on devices and services to head off attacks before they can penetrate too far into networks.
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4. Notify Relevant Parties of Unusual Cyber Activity
Notifying the broader IT organization quickly about unusual activity is also crucial. Set up automated alerts to warn when unusual activity is detected to help speed response times, and pair those systems with a well-rehearsed plan that lists step-by-step actions to take, systems to check, devices to take offline, and processes and priorities for restoring affected systems. Investigate all known entry points.
5. Update Security Protocols for the Future
Have teams delayed deploying security patches because they must first test applications against the updates? Do users need to be updated on what to look out for in an environment where phishing has become more sophisticated and more difficult to detect? A thorough audit of your security protocols can identify where improvement is needed to prevent future attacks. It’s worth engaging external cybersecurity experts to identify any vulnerabilities an internal audit may miss.
UP NEXT: Why is breach response as important as prevention?
