“Precaution is Better Than Cure”
In today's technological era, it is almost certain that an organization will face security incidents. Because most of the information is connected through the Internet, which has made data accessible at any place and any time. However, it has also raised security concerns as there might be loopholes at the endpoints that any hacker can use and gain unauthorized access to your systems.
With advancements in technology, malpractitioners have also upgraded themselves. They have adapted to the latest advancements making the threat landscape even bigger. Cybersecurity is an ongoing struggle to deal with changes from both sides of the equation.
Whether or not you realize it, your firewall is under constant attacks from automated programs that keep scanning for vulnerabilities. Some hackers are constantly trying to infiltrate your network firewall and install a Trojan rootkit. Your network firewall security constantly blocks traffic from unauthorized sources on the internet. Information about attacks and the packets blocked by your firewall is available in the firewall’s log files. But wait, what is a Firewall?
A firewall is a network security device or software that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. It has been the first line of defense for all genuine as well as malicious traffic for quite some time now. It is the responsibility of firewall software to make sure that no malicious software, code, or program can enter your system. It decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on the defined set of security rules.
You can inspect the logs and identify the attacks to learn about their origin. You can also determine if any attack was successful in gaining access to your network. The question is, how can one detect suspicious activities quickly and respond effectively to avoid potential damage.
There are various tools designed to identify and stop incoming threats in your network. Some of these tools are enhanced variants of other tools. Some tools are focused on specific types of behavior or malicious activity.
By utilizing these network security tools, companies have the power to identify and respond quickly. These tools work as an early warning sign that alerts the security operations center (SOC) about potential threats and executes an effective response.
Using a combination of these tools enhances security and helps SOC members detect unauthorized access attempts. It also helps in monitoring network traffic patterns, preventing data breaches, and analyzing log data for threat patterns. Now let's dive straight into the tools that are used for protecting your network.
IDS is known as the pioneer tool of all security systems. It plays a very significant role in the cybersecurity landscape. An IDS monitors vulnerabilities in the system and analyzes the activity on the network. It looks for indicators of threat. There are two main types of IDS Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) and Host Intrusion Detection System (HIDS). NIDS monitors the complete subnet at a network level, while HIDS protects an Individual host system.
While IDS plays an important role in detecting and notifying malicious activities, it does not possess the capability to prevent or mitigate threat actors. Its major role is to spread awareness and generate alerts about any unauthorized access. Then it is the responsibility of the SOC team to take appropriate actions.
IDS acts like a vigilant security camera for the protection of your house. It monitors all the areas of your house looking for unusual or suspicious activity.
IPS is an enhanced version of IDS. While sharing similarities with an IDS in terms of functionality and capabilities, IPS takes it one step ahead. It provides a method to not only detect but also take proactive measures such as blocking or isolating a host to prevent an attack. IPS serves as the first bridge crossing over from detection into response.
The value of IPS lies in being proactive to take action upon detection. Due to real-time, response-based action, the window of opportunity for threat activation is minimized or altogether resolved before it can cause any serious harm.
IPS is like installing a proactive security system with the ability to lock the doors, detect motion, and trigger sound-based alarms to scare the intruders. The goal of IPS is to lock down and prevent intruders from accessing your house.
Safeguarding data is the most important thing for organizations. Data is primarily a target of most attacks, be it bank details, sensitive data of employees, or corporate data. DLP is a specialist that focuses solely on securing data.
The objective of a DLP is to ensure that sensitive data retains its integrity and remains confidential throughout its lifecycle. Generally, DLP enforces data handling policies depending on how data is classified.
When an organization classifies data, policies governing its transmission, access, usage, and storage can be implemented. DLP tools provide the means to enforce these policies ensuring that data is handled based on predefined security guidelines.
As a secondary layer of defense, DLP can deploy algorithms and pattern-matching techniques that can automatically detect sensitive information like account numbers, SSN information, etc. When DLP is deployed, it enables organizations to establish a firm data protection framework and safeguard critical information.
You can imagine DLP as a secure safe where you can keep your valuable possessions. It is the responsibility of the safe to make sure these items are securely stored and protected from theft or accidental loss. Everything within the safe is stored and protected from theft or accidental loss. The safe can only be accessed by your family. Moreover, additional layers of security such as fingerprint, password, or voice recognition, etcetera are added.
All these steps make the safe accessible only to residents of the house. In the same way, DLP protects information and makes sure it does not get into the wrong hands.
The role of SIEM is to collect and analyze security event logs and data from non-integrated sources across the complete infrastructure. It works as a central hub that helps organizations detect, analyze, and respond to security threats before business can be harmed.
By combining these diverse log sets, SIEM provides a centralized view of the organizational logs. With a more centralized view comes more effective monitoring, correlation, and analysis of security incidents and events.
At the core level, SIEM detects potential incidents and events in real-time. Through continuous monitoring, SIEM uses correlation signatures, analytics, and threat intel to identify indicators of compromise.
As incidents are detected, SIEM tools alert the SOC team to take appropriate action. SIEM builds on the concepts of IDS and expands by combining far more log sources than solely host and network-based logs.
You can think of SIEM as a smart security application on your phone that is connected to other security equipment such as cameras, security systems, and safes. This helps in continuous monitoring of data coming from these security devices.
It provides you with real-time insights into the security of your home. Any unusual activity or motion would trigger alerts for you to take action.
One way to look for malicious activity is to look for out-of-the-ordinary activity. Through continuous analysis of network patterns unusual or abnormal activities, events, or trends that may indicate potential security threats can be determined.
As an evolution of traditional SIEM signature-based detection methods, NBAD proactively focuses on anomaly detection. This means it looks for deviations from an established baseline of normal user and network behavior, rather than for pre-defined signatures or patterns.
By using this approach, NBAD can identify emerging threats and zero-day attacks where dependence on traditional signature identifications does not work. The traditional means of detection by NBAD tools is leveraging machine learning-based algorithms, statistical analysis, and behavioral modeling built on baselines.
NBAD can be imagined as the most advanced security feature for your home. The cameras can detect whether the person approaching is familiar through facial recognition. A baseline for the general activities of residents is set. Any deviation from the pattern such as unlocking the door when no one is home or smart lights turning on and off at an unspecified time triggers a notification on your smartphone.
The tools we discussed in this blog have their own pros and cons. The efficiency of these tools is dependent on how well they are implemented. Ultimately, the most important thing required for successful implementation is that you should have the required expertise.
It is quite understandable that everybody does not have professional knowledge about cyber security. This is where Cyber Cops come in as your savior. We have trained experts who will help you set up security infrastructure for your organization.
We understand cyber security from the core and will create a tailored solution according to your business. All the network security tools will be configured to monitor and analyze loads of traffic in a multi-cloud environment so that potential malicious activities can be identified and prevented.
Cyber Cops will make sure that no potential threat slips in and disrupts your workflow. You will have continuous monitoring of the output of your network security tools, so that you can be alerted whenever an action is required.
Cyber Cops is a pioneer in the realm of cyber security. We have a long list of satisfied clients who have trusted us with their digital safety. We make sure that our client’s organizations are free from any sort of loopholes. We also make it our priority to inform our clients about any changes in the guidelines or norms of the government.
Cyber Cops is a one stop solution to all your cyber security needs. We make sure that you are always protected in the fast-moving digital space. We are profound and updated about any new threats that may arise in the future and do the same for our clients. As the name suggests, we are the cops of cyber world. We envision making cyber space safe for all.