Relevance of Perimeter Cybersecurity for your company

The concept of organizations’ cybersecurity perimeter is bound to expand to adapt to the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and encompass the external surface of cyberattacks.  

What is perimeter security in cybersecurity?

In cybersecurity, perimeter security refers to the measures and technologies implemented to protect the boundaries of an organization’s internal network. Its primary purpose is to prevent unauthorized access and external threats, ensuring that only legitimate users and devices can access the network.
Perimeter security is crucial because it acts as a barrier, the first line of defense against cyberattacks. By securing network entry and exit points, you reduce the risk of external threats compromising data integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
Key components of perimeter security in cybersecurity include:

• Firewalls: act as a barrier between the internal and external network, filtering traffic based on predefined rules.
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS): Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and take action to block attacks if necessary.
• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): Enable secure, encrypted connections between remote users and the internal network. With the implementation of remote work, the use of VPNs in the company has become widespread.
• Web Security Gateways: Filter web traffic to block malicious content and unauthorized sites.
• Authentication and access control systems: verify the identity of users and control which resources can access.

Perimeter security has evolved with the rise of remote work, the sophistication of attacks, and the adoption of cloud technologies. Networks no longer have clearly defined boundaries, which has led to the development of approaches such as Zero Trust, where it is assumed that no entity, internal or external, is trusted by default, or concepts such as extended perimeter cybersecurity, which extends surveillance to an organization’s external perimeter.
If you want to stay up to date→ 5 cybersecurity trends you need to know.  

Network Perimeter Security Guidelines

Adequate network perimeter security requires your organization to follow at least the following guidelines:

Authentication

Authentication ensures that only authorized users and devices can access network resources. It involves verifying users’ identities before allowing access, which helps prevent unauthorized access and potential threats.
Among the different authentication methods, we find:

1. Passwords. The most common method can be vulnerable if solid and unique passwords are not used or stored securely.
2. Two-factor authentication (2FA). It adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second factor, such as a code sent to the user’s mobile phone.
3. Biometric authentication. It uses unique physical features like fingerprints or facial recognition to verify the user’s identity.
4. Digital certificates. Used primarily in enterprise environments, these certificates provide a secure and official way to authenticate devices and users.

It is imperative that the organization implements strong password policies, enforces them to be complex and changed regularly, and is responsible for ensuring that these policies are known and followed. In addition, access attempts must be monitored to detect and respond to suspected or failed ones.  

Integrated Security Solutions

Integrated security solutions are essential in network perimeter security. They combine multiple technologies and tools on a single platform to deliver more comprehensive and efficient protection. They allow organizations to manage and coordinate various security measures from a single point, making detecting and responding to threats easier.
Integrated solutions are recommended because they improve the organization’s operational efficiency. Centralizing security management reduces complexity.
They also offer a unified view of network security, making identifying and responding to threats easier. In addition, they stand out for their scalability, allowing organizations to adapt to new threats and security requirements without the need to implement multiple independent solutions.
Integrated security solutions include:

1. Next-generation firewalls (NGFWs): Offer advanced traffic filtering, deep packet inspection, and intrusion prevention capabilities.
2. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS): Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity and block attacks in real-time.
3. Web and email security gateways: They protect against web—and email-based threats, such as malware and phishing.
4. Security information and event management (SIEM) systems: These systems collect and analyze security data from multiple sources to identify patterns and alert users of potential incidents.
5. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs): Provide secure, encrypted connections for remote users.

It is advisable to implement the solutions gradually to ensure correct integration, which minimizes interruptions. The responsible personnel should be continuously trained in the tools, and the solutions should be updated and monitored.

Shared security

Shared security is a collaborative approach to network perimeter security that has gained traction since the expansion of cloud services. It involves cooperation between entities, such as service providers, customers, and partners, to protect network infrastructure. This model recognizes that security is a joint responsibility and that each party has a crucial role in protecting data and resources.
The main features of shared security are:

• Mutual accountability: Both service providers and customers have specific responsibilities for network security. For example, vendors may be responsible for physical and infrastructure security, while customers must manage their applications and data security.
• Transparency and communication: To effectively identify and mitigate potential threats, it is essential to maintain open and transparent communication between all parties involved.
• Common policies and procedures: Establishing security policies and procedures that are consistent and understood by all parties helps ensure a coordinated response to security incidents.

For shared security to be truly effective, the responsibilities of each party involved need to be clearly defined and delineated. In addition, communication channels must be established that allow the agile and continuous exchange of information on threats and best practices.
Regular audits periodically evaluate the effectiveness of security measures and can make the necessary adjustments.

Limitations of Perimeter Cybersecurity

As technologies have evolved, the original and strict concept of perimeter security limited to the internal environment has presented some crucial limitations that affect its effectiveness in protecting organizations, such as:

Third-party risk

One of the biggest challenges to perimeter security is third-party risk. This risk arises when external organizations, such as suppliers, partners, or contractors, access a company’s internal network for operational reasons.
Third parties are a weak point in perimeter security, as they often have security standards and policies different from those of the parent organization, which can lead to vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals can use these third-party vulnerabilities as a gateway to access the internal network. For example, a vendor with compromised credentials can be used to launch an attack.
In addition, third-party management is complex and difficult to monitor. Organizations often have multiple vendors and partners, which increases the attack surface. The lack of visibility and control over these third parties’ real and updated cybersecurity status ultimately becomes an organization’s vulnerability.

Access our publication→ Third-Party Risk for Organizations.

Complexity of IT systems

Another major limitation of perimeter security is the complexity of IT systems. Modern IT systems comprise many interconnected components, such as servers, network devices, applications, and databases. This interconnection creates an extensive attack surface that is difficult to protect. One of the challenges of complexity is managing multiple technologies and platforms.
Each component may have its vulnerabilities and require different security measures. In addition, integrating legacy systems with new technologies can lead to incompatibilities and security gaps.
Complexity also hinders visibility and control. With so many varied components and connections, it is difficult to have a complete network view and detect suspicious activity.
A relevant aspect of this complexity is the management of patches and updates. Keeping all components up-to-date and protected against known vulnerabilities becomes an arduous task. The lack of updates leaves doors open for attackers.

Sophistication of cyberattacks

Attackers use increasingly advanced and complex techniques to evade traditional defenses and penetrate corporate networks.
One key factor is the attackers’ use of automated tools and artificial intelligence. These tools can scan networks for vulnerabilities, launch coordinated attacks, and adapt in real-time to deployed defenses. The proliferation of targeted attacks, known as zero-day attacks, exploits unknown vulnerabilities in software. These attacks are difficult to detect and mitigate, as no patches are available for exploited vulnerabilities.
In addition, attackers are employing more elaborate social engineering techniques to trick users into gaining access to sensitive information. In this sense, people are the weakest link in an organization’s cybersecurity chain. When an attacker manages to trick the user into providing their credentials, for example, no perimeter security system can prevent the intrusion.
Access our publication→ How to protect yourself amid a wave of cyberattacks on companies  

Perimeter shielding cost

The high cost of perimeter shielding is a significant limitation of its correct design. Implementing and maintaining perimeter security measures is extremely costly, especially for organizations with large and complex networks. These costs include procuring security hardware and software, hiring specialized staff, and conducting regular security audits and assessments.
One of the most relevant challenges is that threats constantly evolve, requiring continuous updates and improvements in perimeter defenses. This can result in a never-ending cycle of spending, as organizations must continuously invest in new technologies and solutions to keep up with the latest threats.
In addition, the cost of perimeter security is not limited to purchasing equipment and software. It also includes the time and resources required to manage and maintain these solutions. Staff training, security policy implementation, and incident response are all aspects that also contribute to the total cost.  

Extended cybersecurity as an improvement in Perimeter Cybersecurity

External perimeters of security in organizational cybersecurity, also known as extended perimeter security, is a strategy that goes beyond traditional defenses to protect digital assets in an increasingly interconnected environment. This strategy recognizes that threats can originate inside and outside the corporate network. It seeks to nullify or mitigate through proactive security risks before they are met with the corporate perimeter security barrier.
One of the main benefits of extended cybersecurity is the ability to monitor and protect external access points, such as VPN connections and mobile devices. This is especially important in a world where remote work and mobility are becoming more common.
Extended cybersecurity also includes protecting cloud services. With the increased use of cloud-based applications and services, ensuring that these environments are protected against unauthorized access and vulnerabilities is crucial. This can be achieved by implementing robust access controls, data encryption, and continuous cloud activity monitoring.
Among all the advantages of extended cybersecurity, the ability to detect ongoing threats on the organization’s external perimeter in an automated, continuous, and real-time way through Cyber Intelligence solutions stands out. Within these solutions, the most evolved also include third-party risk management.
Cyber intelligence solutions use advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to monitor the web, deep web, dark web, and social media for leaked corporate information, open breaches, and exposed vulnerabilities and analyze large volumes of data. This allows for a quick and effective response to security incidents, nullifying or minimizing the potential impact on the organization’s systems.  

Extend the corporate Perimeter Cybersecurity strategy with Kartos by Enthec

Kartos XTI Watchbots is the Cyber Intelligence platform developed by Enthec to extend the security perimeter controlled by organizations.
By simply entering the organization’s domain, Kartos provides real-time information on exposed vulnerabilities and open breaches in nine threat categories outside its IT perimeter.
In addition, Kartos by Enthec allows organizations to continuously and automatically control third-party risk, providing real-time data.
If you want to learn more about extended cybersecurity, download our whitepaper, Extended Cybersecurity: When Strategy Builds the Concept.
Contact us for more information on how Kartos can extend your organization’s perimeter security strategy.