Proactive security: What is it and why use it to prevent and detect threats and cyberattacks?

Proactive security involves a combination of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect organizations from attacks or unauthorized access before they occur.

What is proactive security?

Proactive security is an approach to cybersecurity that focuses on preventing cyber threats before they occur rather than simply reacting to them once they have occurred.
This approach involves identifying and remediating security vulnerabilities and anticipating future threats to prevent potential security breaches.
Proactive safety is based on the premise that prevention is better than repair. Rather than waiting for a security incident to occur and then taking steps to minimize or repair the damage, organizations with a proactive approach to cybersecurity seek to prevent these incidents by identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities before cybercriminals can exploit them.
A key component of proactive cybersecurity is regularly assessing information systems and networks to identify vulnerabilities. This may involve conducting penetration tests, in which security experts attempt to breach the organization's systems to uncover weaknesses before attackers do.
Another proactive strategy is the continuous monitoring of the attack surface external to the organization – the internet, dark web, deep web, social media, and other sources – to detect leaked information, open breaches, exposed system vulnerabilities, and suspicious activity. This involves the use of continuously functioning automated cyber intelligence tools for real-time threat detection.
Security training is also an important aspect of proactive cybersecurity. By educating employees on security best practices and keeping them informed about the latest threats and attack tactics, organizations can reduce the risk of security breaches occurring due to human error or a lack of security knowledge.
By taking a proactive approach to security, organizations empower themselves to prevent threats before they occur, minimizing the risk of cyberattacks and protecting their valuable information assets.

Why use a proactive approach to security?

Today, cybersecurity is a critical concern for all organizations. However, many companies still take a reactive approach, responding to threats as they occur, and organizations need to adopt a proactive attitude to security due to the advantages it brings:

1. Attack prevention. Proactive security focuses on preventing attacks before they happen. This is achieved by identifying and remediating vulnerabilities and anticipating future threats. By doing so, organizations avoid the costly downtime and data loss associated with consummate cyberattacks.
2. Cost savings. Although implementing proactive security measures may require an upfront investment, the cost of these measures is often much lower than the cost of responding to a cyberattack and its aftermath. In addition, successful cyberattacks can lead to regulatory fines and litigation, which cause financial damage.
3. Reputation protection. A cyberattack can significantly damage an organization's reputation. Your customers and business partners will lose trust in a company that can't protect their data. By taking a proactive approach, organizations demonstrate their commitment to data security, thereby enhancing their reputation.
4. Compliance. Most countries have strict rules and regulations around data security. By taking a proactive approach, organizations can ensure they comply with these standards, thus avoiding fines and penalties, while facilitating partnerships and internationalization.
5. Guarantee of business continuity. Organizations can avoid system downtime and keep their operations running smoothly by identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
6. Competitive advantage. Organizations that demonstrate a solid commitment to cybersecurity have a competitive advantage in an increasingly digitized market. Customers and business partners often prefer to do business with companies that take data security seriously.

Proactive Security Best Practices for Detecting Cyberattacks

A proactive security attitude involves deploying a series of best practices in the organization's cybersecurity strategy.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

It provides continuous visibility into network endpoints and enables rapid responses to cyber threats. EDR collects and analyzes endpoint data to detect, investigate, and prevent threats.
This proactive solution enables organizations to identify abnormal behavior, perform forensic analysis, and mitigate risks before they become security incidents, thereby improving their overall security posture.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

It focuses on identifying, monitoring, and protecting data in use, in motion, and at rest. DLP uses security policies to classify and protect sensitive and critical information, preventing users from sending, storing, or using sensitive data inappropriately.
By detecting potential data breaches before they occur, DLP helps organizations prevent the exposure of valuable information, comply with regulations, and protect their reputation.

Vulnerability Detection

Monitoring the external attack surface and locating exposed vulnerabilities is an effective proactive cybersecurity practice. It consists of identifying, classifying, and prioritizing vulnerabilities in the corporate system that are accessible to the public.
This practice allows organizations to detect potential cyberattack entry points, providing a clear view of potential threats. By locating and remediating these vulnerabilities, organizations strengthen their cybersecurity strategy, prevent intrusions, and minimize the impact of any attacks. This practice is essential for effective cybersecurity management.

Disaster Recovery Plan

It prepares an organization to respond to a cyberattack. It includes procedures for detecting, evaluating, and recovering from security incidents.
This plan helps minimize damage, accelerate recovery, and protect data integrity. It is essential to maintain business continuity, protect the company's reputation, and ensure customer trust. The goal is to restore normal operations as quickly as possible after a cyberattack.

Benefits of Proactive Security

Staying one step ahead of cybercriminals makes it possible to neutralize attacks before they are executed or minimize their consequences if they cannot be avoided.
A proactive attitude to security provides the organization with the following advantages:

Threat Anticipation

By anticipating threats, organizations can take preventative measures to protect their systems and data, reducing the risk of security breaches and minimizing the impact of any attacks.

Strengthening the relationship with the customer

Proactive cybersecurity strengthens the customer relationship by building trust and security. Customers value their privacy and the protection of their data.
By implementing proactive measures, organizations demonstrate their commitment to customer data security. This increases customer satisfaction, improves retention, and attracts new customers. In addition, in the event of a cyberattack, a quick and effective response can minimize the impact on customers, maintaining their trust in the organization.

Reducing business risk

Proactive cybersecurity reduces business risk by preventing cyberattacks. By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities, exposure to threats is minimized, protecting the integrity of data and systems.
This avoids costly outages and information loss, maintaining customer trust while complying with privacy and data protection regulations. Proactive cybersecurity protects the company's value and reputation.
To stay up-to-date in this sector, we encourage you to access our content→ The 5 cybersecurity trends you need to know.

Discover the Kartos by Enthec CTEM platform

Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots, the Continuous Threat Exposure Management platform for companies developed by Enthec, provides organizations with the most evolved Cyber Surveillance capabilities on the market to respond to attacks' evolutions and trends.
Using Artificial Intelligence internally developed and working automatedly and continuously, Kartos by Enthec obtains and delivers data on companies' open and exposed vulnerabilities, providing real-time alarms and issuing reports on their cybersecurity status and that of their value chain.
In this way, Kartos allows organizations to implement a proactive approach in their cybersecurity strategy and ensure the detection and nullification of open breaches and exposed vulnerabilities before they are used to execute a cyberattack.
If you would like to learn more about how Kartos can help you implement a proactive approach in your cybersecurity strategy, don´t hesitate to contact us.

by Enthec

What is a CVE?

CVE, Common Vulnerabilities, and Exposures is a list of standardized names and codes for naming information security vulnerabilities and exposures to make them publicly known.
Each vulnerability has a unique identification number, which provides a way to publicly share data and information about them.
Thus, a CVE is a standard identifier for information security vulnerabilities. In addition to the unique number, a CVE assigns a brief description to each known vulnerability to facilitate its search, analysis, and management.
CVEs aim to provide a common, unified reference for vulnerabilities so that they can be easily shared and compared across different sources of information, tools, and services. CVEs also help to improve awareness and transparency about threats to information security and foster cooperation and coordination between the different actors involved in their prevention, detection, and response.
Before delving into how the CVE system works, it is worth clarifying what a vulnerability and an exposure are.

Differences between a vulnerability and an exposure

As indicated by INCIBE, a vulnerability is a technical flaw or deficiency in a program that can allow a non-legitimate user to access information or carry out unauthorized operations remotely.
An exposure is an error that allows access or unwanted people to a system or network. Exposures can lead to data breaches, data leaks, and the sale of personally identifiable information (PII) on the dark web.
An example of a data exposure could be accidentally publishing code to a GitHub repository.

How does the CVE system work?

CVE is a security project born in 1999 focused on publicly released software, funded by the US Division of Homeland Security. The CVE Program is managed by the Software Engineering Institute of the MITRE Corporation, a non-profit organization which works in collaboration with the United States government and other partners.
CVEs are issued by the CVE Program, an international initiative that coordinates and maintains a free, public database of vulnerabilities reported by researchers, organizations and companies around the world.
CVEs can be viewed on the official CVE Program website, where you can search by number, keyword, product, supplier, or date. They can also be consulted in other secondary sources that collect and analyze CVEs, such as the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) in the United States, which provides additional information on the impact, severity and the solutions for each vulnerability.

Criteria followed by CVEs

The CVE Glossary uses the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) to collect information about security vulnerabilities and exposures, catalog them according to various identifiers, and provide them with unique identifiers.
The program is a community-based cooperative project that helps discover new vulnerabilities. These are discovered, assigned and published on the lists so that they are public knowledge. It does not include technical data or information on risks, impacts and remediation.
In this way, the CVE consists of a brief description of the error and the version or component that is affected. It also tells where to find out how to fix the vulnerability or exposure.
CVEs are released once the bug has been fixed. This, by pure logic, is done to avoid exposing affected users to a risk without being able to solve it. In fact, this is one of the criteria that CVEs follow: the vulnerability can be fixed independently of other bugs or vulnerabilities.
Recognition by the software or hardware vendor is also important. Or, the whistleblower must have shared a vulnerability report that demonstrates the negative impact of the bug and that it violates the security policy of the affected system.

CVE identification

As mentioned above, the identification of CVEs is unique. This nomenclature consists of an ID and a date indicating when it was created by MITRE, followed by an individual description field and a reference field. If the vulnerability was not reported directly by MITRE, but was first mapped by an advisory group or bug tracking advisory group, the reference field will include URL links to the advisory group or bug tracker that first reported the vulnerability. Other links that may appear in this field are to product pages affected by CVE.

Kartos by Enthec helps you locate the CVEs of your organization

Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots is the Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) platform developed by Enthec for the protection of organizations. Working in an automated, continuous and real-time manner, Kartos alerts your organization of any corporate vulnerabilities and exposures so that they can be nullified before any attack is executed through them. Simply enter the company's domain into the platform, and the Kartos bots will begin crawling the three layers of the web in search of your organization's CVEs. If you want to learn more about how Kartos can help you locate and override your organization's CVEs, do not hesitate to contact us.

by Enthec

The 5 Cybersecurity Trends You Need to Know

Businesses should invest in staying up-to-date with the latest cybersecurity trends to protect against threats, maintain customer trust, comply with regulations, and protect their reputation.

Importance of cybersecurity today

In today's economic and technological environment, cybersecurity has become a top priority for companies, institutions, and states.

With the digitalization of business processes and the increasing dependence on technology, ensuring information security has become essential to ensuring organizations' long-term sustainability.
Cybersecurity involves protecting a company's systems and networks against external attacks and ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data.
This is especially relevant in a business environment, where the loss or theft of information can have severe financial and reputational consequences.
Staying on top of cybersecurity trends is a must, as cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. Cybercriminals exploit security vulnerabilities using various tactics, from phishing to ransomware.
Businesses need to be prepared to deal with these threats and have incident response plans.
In addition, cybersecurity is critical to complying with data protection regulations. Businesses are required by law to protect the personal information of their customers and employees. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in significant fines and damage the company's reputation.
In addition, cybersecurity is also crucial to maintaining customer trust. If customers don't trust that their data is secure, they may choose not to do business with a company. As such, cybersecurity is essential for customer retention and acquisition.

Discover the 5 cybersecurity trends

The development of technology brings with it new forms of cyberattacks and new ways to protect against them. Staying on top of each other's trends is the foundation of any effective cybersecurity strategy.

1. Increased focus on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of cybersecurity, emerging as an essential tool for protecting computer systems against cyber threats. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, Artificial Intelligence offers new ways to strengthen security and prevent attacks.
Although it also represents new challenges when used to execute attacks, Artificial Intelligence's ability to analyze large amounts of data and learn from past attacks makes it a powerful tool in the fight against cybercrime.
Artificial Intelligence analyzes large amounts of data at a speed that surpasses that of humans. This allows cybersecurity tools to collect data and convert it into valuable information to identify patterns and detect gaps that may involve an attack. In addition, Artificial Intelligence learns from past attacks to prevent future threats.

Main areas of action of Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity

One area where Artificial Intelligence is proving its effectiveness is phishing detection. AI algorithms can scan emails, the Internet, the deep web, the dark web, and social media for signs and actions of phishing.
In addition, thanks to artificial intelligence's learning and analysis capacity, the most advanced cybersecurity tools on the market can eliminate false positives in search results. Thus, the use of Artificial Intelligence guarantees the accuracy of automated tools and avoids the need for human review of the results.
However, despite these advances in protection, Artificial Intelligence also presents new security challenges. Cybercriminals are exploiting it to carry out more sophisticated and hard-to-detect attacks.
Therefore, cybersecurity professionals and solutions must stay up-to-date with advancements and trends in Artificial Intelligence.
As Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, its role in cybersecurity will become increasingly relevant.

2. Zero Trust Security

Zero-trust security is an emerging cybersecurity trend. Its basic quality is its robust and proactive approach. This approach is based on the principle of "never trust, always verify," which means that no entity, internal or external, is considered trustworthy by default.
This trend focuses on protecting the organization's resources regardless of location. This is especially significant today when employees can work from anywhere, and data is often hosted in the cloud.
In a Zero-Trust model, each access request is authenticated, authorized, and encrypted before being granted. This applies even if the request comes from within the organization's network. In this way, Zero-Trust Security helps prevent insider threats, which are ineffectively addressed in many organizations.
In addition, Zero Trust security uses micro-segmentation to divide the network into smaller zones. This limits attackers' lateral movement within the network, making it easier to contain potential security threats.
However, implementing a Zero-Trust model can be challenging for an organization. It requires a change in mindset as it goes against the traditional approach of trusting yet verifying. In addition, it may involve a complete overhaul of the existing security infrastructure.

3. Rise in phishing attacks

Phishing is one of the most prevalent threats in the digital environment. Despite advances in cybersecurity, there has been a steady upward trend in phishing attacks in recent years, leading organizations to need more effective ways to protect themselves.
Phishing involves using social engineering tactics to trick users into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, financial data, or downloads of infected files.
Cybercriminals carry out these attacks using various methods, including spoofed emails, fraudulent websites, text messages, or social media campaigns.
You may be interested in our post→ Common types of cyberattacks.
Several factors account for the continuing trend of phishing in cybersecurity and the continuous increase in phishing attacks.
First, phishing is relatively easy to perform and can be highly effective. Second, with the rise of remote work and the use of personal devices, cybercriminals have more opportunities to launch successful phishing attacks.
Organizations use various cybersecurity measures and solutions, some of which are highly advanced, to combat phishing. These include training employees to recognize and avoid phishing attacks, using email filters to block phishing emails, and implementing two-factor authentication to protect user accounts.
The most advanced cybersecurity solutions use automation, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning to detect and prevent phishing attacks. These tools can analyze emails, websites, social media, and the internet for signs of phishing, helping to protect users and organizations from these attacks.

4. Evolution of Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is a novel cybersecurity trend that promises to revolutionize how organizations protect systems and data.
This technology takes advantage of the properties of quantum mechanics to perform calculations at a speed and scale that are beyond the reach of traditional computers.
This computing has the potential to solve complex cybersecurity problems more efficiently. For example, it can improve cryptography, making our systems more secure.
Quantum algorithms, such as Shor's algorithm, can factor large prime numbers much faster than any classical supercomputer.
However, this same power also presents challenges. If cybercriminals gain access to quantum computers, they could use them to break the cryptography that protects our data. This has led researchers to develop post-quantum cryptography to resist attacks from quantum computers.
In addition, quantum computing can enormously improve threat detection and cybersecurity incident response. Quantum systems can analyze vast amounts of security data at a speed hitherto unattainable, identifying threats and responding to them faster and more effectively.
Although still in the early stages of development and evolution, it is indisputable that quantum computing has the potential to transform cybersecurity. On the one hand, it offers new ways to protect our systems and data, but on the other, it presents new cybersecurity challenges.

5. Security in IoT devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the way we interact with the digital world. However, this massive interconnectedness has also opened new doors for cybersecurity threats.
IoT devices, which span fields from home appliances to smart industrial machinery, generate a large amount of sensitive data.
When this information is exposed, it can be used for the planning and execution of a cyberattack.
As a result, the security of IoT devices has become a critical trend in the field of cybersecurity. Enterprises are investing in robust security solutions to protect IoT devices and the data they generate.
And this is a trend in cybersecurity that will continue to evolve as IoT adoption expands. It is therefore imperative that businesses and users take proactive steps to protect their devices and data in this increasingly connected environment.
An effective IoT security strategy involves several layers of protection:

• Physical security: protection of physical devices, which should not be easily accessible for unauthorized tampering.
• Network security: Implementing firewalls and other network security measures to protect IoT devices from external attacks.
• Data Security: Protecting the data generated and transmitted through IoT devices.
• Regular updates: Keeping devices up-to-date with the latest firmware and software versions to protect against known cybersecurity system vulnerabilities.
• Security by design: IoT device manufacturers incorporate security measures from the product design phase.
• User education: Users should be aware of the operation and scope of IoT devices and the risks they have, as well as informed about security best practices, such as changing default passwords and disabling non-essential features.

Learn about our cybersecurity solution for companies

Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots, our Cyber Surveillance platform for enterprises developed by Enthec, provides organizations with the most evolved Cyber Surveillance capabilities on the market to respond to the evolution and trends of attacks.
Using self-developed Artificial Intelligence, issue reports on the cybersecurity status of organizations and their value chains in an automated and continuous way.
An Artificial Intelligence so evolved that it allows Kartos to be the only Cyber Surveillance platform for companies capable of putting an end to false positives in search results, thus guaranteeing the degree of effectiveness of protection.
Contact us if you need more information on how Kartos can protect your business.

by amorena

What is hashing: How it works and uses it in cybersecurity

Hashing is a crucial process in information security that transforms any data into a unique and fixed value, facilitating its rapid recovery and guaranteeing its integrity.

What is hashing?

Hashing is a data processing algorithm that transforms a string of text or data set into a single, fixed numerical representation. This process is done by a hash function, which generates a unique value for each distinct input, called a hash.
Hashing is commonly used in programming to store and retrieve data efficiently.
The hashing process works as follows:

1. Entrance. A text string or dataset is provided as input.
2. Hash function.

   The input is passed through a hash function, which uses a mathematical algorithm to transform the input into a unique numerical representation.

3. Hash. The result is the hash, a single, fixed numerical representation of the original input.

If the hash function is good, the same input message will always produce the same output number and a small change in the message will drastically change the output number.
However, it's important to note that the features aren't perfect. There is a chance that two different messages produce the same hash, which is known as a hash collision. Despite this, good hashing functions are designed to minimize the likelihood of collisions.

Using Hash Values

Now that we know what a hash is, it's relevant to find out that hash values are instrumental in a variety of applications, including:

• Data storage and retrieval: The hashing algorithm efficiently retrieves data. In a database, hashing is used to index and retrieve data quickly. When storing data in a hash table, the hash function directly calculates the location of the data in the table.
• Data authentication: These values are commonly used to authenticate data, as generating a hash that matches the original one is very complex. In addition, any slight modification to the data creates a new hash.
• Data encryption: Hashing is used to encrypt data securely. By storing data in encrypted mode, hashing protects its integrity and confidentiality. This function associated with cryptography has made hashing a fundamental element of blockchain technology.
• Duplicate detection: Hash values can also detect duplicate data. Two datasets will likely be identical if they have the same hash value.

Characteristics of how hashing works

The fundamental characteristics of how hashing works are:

Illegibility

The hash output data, the hashes, are not readable or recognizable. The goal is to make the results difficult to decode or understand, providing greater security in applications such as cryptography and data authentication.

Continuity

A hashing algorithm can maintain a connection or relationship between the input data and the generated results. This means that the results are consistent and consistent over time, which is especially important for applications that require data integrity and security.

Speed

Speed is an essential feature of hashing. Hashing functions are designed to be extremely fast and efficient. In general, the speed of hashing depends on the algorithm's complexity and the hardware capacity used.

Determinism

This hashing feature refers to an algorithm's ability to produce results that are always the same for a specific input.
It implies that the hashing result is predictable and not influenced by external factors. Given an input, the algorithm will always produce the same hash, and therefore, if two people have the same data and use the same hash function, they will get the same hash.

Securities Collision Safety

It refers to the ability of a hashing algorithm to minimize the likelihood of collisions between different inputs.

Theoretically, a perfect hashing algorithm would produce unique values for each entry. However, in practice, collisions can occur due to the limited number of possible hash values, where different inputs produce the same hash value.
A good hashing algorithm will distribute inputs evenly across the hash space, reducing the likelihood of collisions and improving safety.

Use cases of hashing in cybersecurity

Here are some prominent use cases for hashing in cybersecurity:

File integrity verification

In cryptography, hash values are used to verify the integrity of data. By calculating the hash value of the data before and after transmission, it is possible to check whether the data has been altered during transmission.

Digital signatures

In digital signatures, the message's hash value is used as input for the signing algorithm. This allows you to verify the sender's authenticity and the message's integrity.

Secure password storage

The hashing algorithm authenticates a user's identity and securely stores passwords. When registering for an app, the user provides a password stored as a hash.
The application checks the provided password against the stored hash when the user logs in. Because the password is stored as a hash, it is very difficult for someone other than the user who generated it to decrypt it and use it.

Prevention of replay, brute force, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting attacks

Prevention of replay, brute force, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting attacks
Hashing helps prevent these types of attacks, as it is difficult for an attacker to reproduce a hash that has already been verified or generate a hash that matches the original hash. This makes it difficult to access data without being authorized.
You may be interested in our publication→ 5 cybersecurity trends you should know.

Advantages of hashing that you should know

Hashing offers several advantages over other methods of encryption and data storage:

1. Speed. It is swift and efficient, based on simple mathematical operations and does not require complex search algorithms.
2. Scalability. It is scalable, as it does not depend on the content's complexity, making it suitable for large amounts of data.
3. Irreversibility. The hash is irreversible, which means that you cannot recover the original data from it. This provides an extra layer of security to protect sensitive data.
4. Data integrity. The hashing algorithm ensures that data is not modified or altered during transmission or storage.
5. Authentication. The hash of the original data can be verified by comparing it with the hash of the received data, which shows that the data has not been modified during the transmission process.
6. Efficiency. Modern hashing algorithms are fast and efficient, responding to applications that require high processing speed.
7. It requires no keys, secure communication, or encryption services. By its very function, hashing does not require keys, secure communication, or encryption services to protect data, so its implementation is straightforward. At the same time, it is ideal for applications that require high security.
8. No dependence. Hashing does not depend on complexity, structure, language, frequency, or data categorization, which may condition its application.

If you want to improve the security of your information, find out how Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots can help your organization. Learn about our solutions; it's time to prevent and locate any vulnerabilities!

by amorena

Top cybersecurity tools to use in your business

Implementing cybersecurity tools appropriate to corporate needs within organizations' cybersecurity strategies is essential to ensuring protection against threats and cyberattacks.

Why is it essential for companies to implement cybersecurity tools?

Cybersecurity tools offer robust protection against various threats, enable early detection of risks and attacks, and enable proactive response to security incidents.

Threats and cyberattacks

Cybersecurity has become a top priority for businesses of all sizes. Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, posing a significant threat to corporate data's integrity, availability, and confidentiality.
Common threats include malware, ransomware, phishing, and denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The success of each of these attacks comes with severe consequences, such as the loss of critical data, disruptions to business operations, and damage to corporate reputation.
Malware, including viruses, worms, and Trojans, infiltrates company systems, corrupting files and stealing sensitive information. Ransomware is particularly dangerous because it encrypts company data and demands a ransom to release it.
Phishing attacks, conversely, use deceptive emails to obtain login credentials and other sensitive information from employees.
Finally, DDoS attacks can overwhelm company servers with malicious traffic, causing service disruptions and negatively impacting productivity.

Security risks in unprotected companies

Companies that do not implement adequate cybersecurity tools expose themselves to significant risks. One of the most apparent risks is data loss. In today's environment, data is one of a company's most valuable assets, and its loss can seriously impact operations and the ability to make informed decisions. In addition, the stolen data can be used to carry out fraud, identity theft, and other criminal acts.
Another significant risk is disruption to operations. Cyberattacks can disrupt systems, impacting productivity and, correspondingly, corporate finances. For example, a ransomware attack can paralyze operations until the ransom is paid or the effects of the attack are reversed. In contrast, a DDoS attack can render the company's websites and online services inoperable.
Another critical risk is the loss of trust and reputation. Security breaches often damage a company's reputation and cause customers, partners, and other stakeholders to lose confidence in its ability to protect their data. This perception implies the loss of some business and long-term damage to the brand.
Finally, unprotected companies risk incurring legal and regulatory penalties. Data protection laws and regulations, such as the GDPR in Europe, require companies to implement adequate security measures to protect personal data. Failure to comply with these laws carries significant penalties and legal action.

Cybersecurity tools to protect your business

Among the variety of cybersecurity support tools that an organization can implement to protect its systems, one group stands out for its effectiveness and efficiency:

Antivirus

Antivirus software is one of the most relevant and widely used cybersecurity tools. Its primary function is detecting, blocking, and removing malware before it can cause harm. Modern antivirus uses advanced techniques such as signature-based detection, heuristics, and artificial intelligence to identify and neutralize a wide range of threats, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, and ransomware.

• Signature-based detection. This technique uses a database of known malware signatures to identify threats. When antivirus software scans a file, it compares its signature to those in the database, and if it finds a match, it blocks and removes the threat.
• Heuristic. Heuristic methods allow antivirus software to identify suspicious behavior and code patterns that could indicate the presence of new or unknown malware. This technique is essential for detecting zero-day threats, which do not yet have known signatures.
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Modern antivirus programs incorporate AI and machine learning technologies to improve real-time threat detection. These technologies can analyze large volumes of data and learn to identify malicious behavior patterns, even without a known signature.

Firewall

Firewalls are critical tools for cybersecurity. They act as a barrier between the company's internal network and external networks, such as the Internet. Their primary function is to control and filter incoming and outgoing network traffic, allowing only authorized connections and blocking unauthorized access.

• Hardware and software firewalls Firewalls can be deployed as dedicated hardware appliances or software on servers and computers. Hardware firewalls are ideal for protecting the entire enterprise network, while software firewalls offer additional protection on individual devices.
• Packet Filters Firewalls inspect every data packet entering or leaving the network, comparing it to predefined rules. If a packet complies with the rules, access is allowed. Otherwise, it is blocked.
• Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW). NGFWs combine traditional firewall capabilities with advanced features such as deep packet inspection (DPI), intrusion prevention (IPS), and application-based threat protection.

Intrusion detection systems

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are essential tools for monitoring and protecting corporate networks against malicious activity. These systems analyze network traffic for behavior patterns indicating an attempted intrusion or attack in progress.

• IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems). IDSs monitor network traffic in real-time and generate alerts when they detect suspicious activity. They can be passive, simply alerting security administrators, or active, automatically responding to threats.
• IPS (Intrusion Prevention Systems). IPS detects intrusions and takes steps to prevent them, such as blocking malicious traffic or applying additional firewall rules. IPS often integrates with other security systems to provide in-depth defense.
• Signature and behavior analysis.
  IDS and IPS use signature analysis techniques to identify known threats and behavioral analysis to detect anomalous activity that could indicate new or unknown attacks.

Automated Cybersecurity Monitoring Tools

Automated monitoring is crucial to maintaining the security of corporate infrastructures. These tools allow businesses to continuously monitor their systems and networks for unusual or malicious activity and respond quickly to security incidents.

Security Information and Event Management Systems (SIEM)

SIEM solutions collect and analyze event data and logs from multiple sources on the enterprise network. They use advanced algorithms to detect suspicious behavior patterns and generate real-time alerts.

Incident Response and Analysis Tools

These tools allow security teams to quickly analyze security incidents and take the necessary steps to mitigate them. This can include identifying the incident's root cause, containing the threat, and recovering the affected system.

Cloud monitoring

Automated monitoring tools for cloud environments are essential with the increased use of cloud services. These tools monitor cloud activity, detect threats, and ensure compliance with company security policies.

Tools for Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

To effectively protect their systems, organizations can't just manage the security of their internal infrastructure. Controlling exposed vulnerabilities available to anyone allows you to detect open gaps and implement a proactive security strategy in the organization.
Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) solutions monitor the different layers of the web to locate those publicly exposed vulnerabilities, such as leaked data or credentials, and detect the open breaches that caused them.
The most evolved CTEM tools, such as Kartos Corporate Threat Wathbots, use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to analyze and clean their data and provide highly accurate information about imminent threats.

Identity and access management tools

Identity and access management (IAM) is a crucial component of enterprise cybersecurity. IAM tools ensure that only authorized users can access critical business resources and data and maintain strict controls over who can do what within the system.

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide more than one form of verification before accessing systems. This can include a combination of passwords, verification codes sent to mobile devices, fingerprints, or other forms of biometric authentication.
• Privileged access management (PAM). PAM tools allow companies to control and monitor access management to privileged accounts, which have elevated permissions within the system. This includes implementing role-based access policies and logging all privileged account activities.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) Solutions. SSO allows users to access multiple applications and systems with a single login credential. This simplifies password management, improves the user experience, and provides centralized security controls.

Kartos: Corporate Cyber-Surveillance Solution for Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots is a monitoring tool for Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) developed by Enthec to protect organizations.

Using its army of bots deployed across the Web, Dark Web, and Deep Web, Kartos scours forums and repositories to locate leaked information, exposed vulnerabilities, and open breaches of organizations.
Among its unique capabilities in the cybersecurity tools market, Kartos stands out for eliminating false positives in search results thanks to tag technology, which uses self-developed Artificial Intelligence.
In addition to protecting the organization, Kartos allows third parties to be controlled in real-time and continuously for the duration of the business relationship.
If you want to learn more about how Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots can help you protect your organization and control risks in your value chain, please do not hesitate to contact us.

by Enthec

System Vulnerabilities in Cybersecurity

System vulnerabilities in cybersecurity are being exploited with increasing sophistication and precision. The risk for institutions and companies, regardless of their size, is increasingly evident. In recent times, we have witnessed numerous attacks, including on important public institutions such as the SEPE in Spain or the Colonial Pipeline, the largest oil pipeline network in the US. In this scenario, it is essential for organizations to reduce the risk of suffering a cyber attack. To delve deeper into this, in this article we will talk about system vulnerabilities in cybersecurity.

What is a Cybersecurity Vulnerability?

A vulnerability is a weakness or flaw within an information system that poses a security risk. It could originate from a configuration error, design flaws, or procedural failure.
This security “hole” represents an entry point for cybercriminals who use these vulnerabilities to enter our system and compromise its availability, integrity, and confidentiality.
Therefore, it is vital to keep our systems safe, find these vulnerabilities as soon as possible, and fix them to avoid these risks.

Difference between vulnerability and threat in cybersecurity

As mentioned, vulnerabilities are flaws, “security holes” in our system. Threats are those actions carried out by cybercriminals who exploit these vulnerabilities.
Therefore, they are different things. The vulnerability is the security breach while the threat is the action that exploits the security breach.
Generally when vulnerabilities appear, there will always be someone who will try to exploit them.

What types of vulnerabilities can I have?

We will now discuss the types of vulnerabilities we can suffer from. However, it is worth remembering that some are more important than others. We will have to assess the importance of each vulnerability, as having an exposed database is not the same as having a leaked commercial PDF.
We will now comment on the types of vulnerability by establishing the following classification:

SQL injection vulnerabilities

These vulnerabilities occur when SQL code that was not part of the programmed code is inserted. This technique alters the operation of a database.
The attacker’s hostile data can trick the interpreter into executing unwanted commands or accessing data without authorization.

Authentication vulnerabilities

These are flaws related to input data validation that allow attackers to access our system.
Another critical point here is passwords. Using insecure passwords makes systems vulnerable, and if they are easily cracked, they can lead to incursions by unauthorized third parties.

Vulnerability exposed data

Many web applications and APIs do not adequately protect sensitive data, such as financial, health, and personal information. Attackers can steal or modify this weakly protected data to commit credit card fraud, identity theft, or other crimes.

Configuration vulnerabilities

These types of vulnerabilities are due to software or server misconfigurations. It can lead to system disablement or other more powerful attacks, such as a Dos attack.
Other types of configurations are related to security, such as open cloud storage and misconfigured HTTP headers.
All operating systems, frameworks, libraries, and applications must be securely configured and patched/updated promptly.

XSS (Cross Site Scripting) Vulnerabilities

This type of vulnerability is characterized by allowing scripts from languages such as VBScript or Javascript to be executed. XSS flaws occur when an application includes untrusted data on a page without proper validation or escaping.
Cybercriminals can hijack user sessions by executing these scripts. Phishing to steal passwords and data is an example of such an attack.

Component-related vulnerabilities

Components, such as libraries, frameworks, and other software modules, run with the same privileges as the application.
An attack could result in data loss or server access if any of these components are vulnerable.

Kartos locates your organization's exposed vulnerabilities

Kartos Corporate Threat Watchbots is the Continuous Threat Exposure Management platform developed by Enthec for the protection of organizations. Thanks to its technology designed to scan the three layers of the web in search of threats, Kartos locates open gaps and exposed vulnerabilities in your organization to prevent them from being used by cybercriminals to develop an attack. Contact us to learn more about how Kartos can help you neutralize exposed system vulnerabilities and avoid the threats they entail.

by Enthec