Security threats are targeting organizations daily. According to the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2019, 61 per cent of organizations reported experiencing a cyber incident. While there are common security threats like phishing and malware that are targeting organizations, threats like weak passwords or exposed vulnerabilities will vary from organization to organization. In order to close these security gaps, organizations must gain visibility into the threats that target their business and implement the right security tools to protect their data.

Source: Hiscox

4 Ways to Discover Cyber Threats

1. Vulnerability assessment

A vulnerability assessment scans your organization’s IT infrastructure to identify known vulnerabilities like misconfigurations or missing patches. As there are new vulnerabilities being discovered daily, organizations should conduct a vulnerability scan on a quarterly basis. Vulnerabilities found are ranked in order of severity to help organizations prioritize what to patch first. Vulnerability scans should also be done whenever there are significant changes in the IT infrastructure, such as implementing new technology. This helps organizations verify that the changes they are implementing are not negatively affecting the security posture of their environment.

2. SIEM

A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system analyzes log data generated from devices across a network in real time to identify patterns of suspicious behaviour that are indicative of potential threats. It leverages machine intelligence via behavioural analytic capabilities and human intelligence through alert investigation by security experts. SIEM provides organizations with a holistic view of the security events within their infrastructure. SIEM uses correlation rules and use cases to determine threats. SIEM can also detect more sophisticated threats like malicious insiders.

3. Penetration Test

A penetration test is similar to a vulnerability test in that it checks for vulnerabilities. However, a penetration test goes more in depth because it attempts to actually exploit them by simulating attacks. Instead of just simply knowing about vulnerabilities, a penetration test shows how threat actors can launch successful attacks against your organization. Penetration tests are great for organizations who want to test their defence capabilities and have greater insight into their infrastructure. Due to the nature of a penetration test, these tests take longer and require more skilled resources.

4. Monitor Dark Web for User Credentials

User credentials in the wrong hands can have devastating consequences. Cybercriminals can sell your organization’s credentials to other threat actors on the dark web or use them to enter your network. Once they have access, they can use an employee’s account to spread malware to other employees or clients, gather intelligence for future attacks or escalate privileges to gain further access. Since organizations can have hundreds or thousands of users, it can be difficult to determine if user credentials have been compromised until it’s too late. By monitoring the dark web for stolen credentials, organizations will be able to take action against this threat before it escalates to a full-blown data breach.

Learn how Jolera can help your organization defend against the evolving threat landscape by contacting us today.