Layering your company’s security: a beginner’s guide.

Someone in your company installed antivirus. You’re protected, right? You’re protected from one thing: known malware and viruses. What about all the others? Once upon a time, antivirus was the key piece of software that you had on your computer. Now it’s just one piece of software in the whole equation. In security, we always say, security is all about layers. Let’s talk about common attacks and defenses in cyber space.

Embarking on a journey through the digital skies of modern business security.

What does antivirus protect you against?

Known malware.

Antivirus effectively fends off known malicious software, or malware, like viruses, trojans, and ransomware. These harmful programs can encrypt your data, steal banking credentials, or give attackers control over your device. Antivirus only really protects against known malware.

The Hidden Dangers Antivirus Can't Catch.

Phishing and social engineering.

With just a phony login page and a convincing email, attackers can swindle your employees into revealing their login credentials. Or an attacker can impersonate one of your vendors and send a fraudulent invoice to your organization. Then the payment disappears, never to be seen again. These are increasingly common attack methods which requires very little technical skill.

Previously unknown malware, virus, and trojans.

Antivirus works by scanning something called a “file hash” (which is essentially a short set of cryptographically generated characters that uniquely represents a program or file) to check for known malware. If a malicious program has never been seen before by the antivirus, then the antivirus might miss the threat and let it slip through the computer’s defenses.

Automated credential stuffing.

Automated credential stuffing is where a malicious actor uses automated software to attempt to log into your account over and over until it succeeds. I’ve seen a threat actor try to leverage this attack thousands of times over the course of a week to try and log into a company’s email account.

Software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

Unpatched software and incorrect configurations can leave your devices wide open for exploitation. Not accepting software updates on your devices can lead to many more headaches than just a few moments of downtime.

Okay, so these are some of the things that leave you and your company exploitable. What are some layers of security that you can put in place to help catch these threats before they become an issue?

Turn on two-factor authentication.

Nearly every hack that I've had to clean up could have been prevented if two-factor authentication had been enabled. It’s usually a little checkbox inside a application’s admin console, and an email to communicate the change to your employees. Day to day, it’s a bit of extra time so that you can sleep easy at night and prevent a possible disaster that can leave business owners with PTSD, or worse, an expense so great from a compromise that you have to close shop. In fact, 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a cyberattack.

Antivirus with EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response).

EDR is the next generation of antivirus, which is a step up. EDR utilizes AI to detect new and unusual threats, which traditional antivirus would otherwise miss. It does this by using AI pattern recognition to detect threats that don’t have an already known “file hash”.

DNS filtering.

It's a little like having a bouncer for your internet traffic, keeping the bad guys out by restricting access to malicious websites. Be Co can help you deploy a DNS filter that also blocks advertisement traffic, making your computer usage a little more pleasant and focused away from distractions.

Patch managers, and manually applying patches to devices.

Simply clicking the update button on Firefox or Chrome makes your browser less vulnerable to cyberattacks. Do it as soon as you see an update! Update your Windows or macOS operating system as soon as a patch becomes available. Update your router. Your smart bulbs. Your TV. Just updating your devices goes a long way to helping you stay secure. Patch managers and automation can help you tackle lots of patches all at once.

Email filters.

This is a big one. You can stop a threat before it even has a chance to enter your company by filtering out spam and phishing emails. Microsoft and Google have built in ones, but they don’t always work as well as they should. That’s why 3rd party email filtering can be a more effective solution and help you mitigate social engineering and phishing attacks.

Key Takeaways.

• Traditional antivirus software is not enough to protect your business from all cyber threats.

• Phishing and social engineering, new malware, automated credential stuffing, and software vulnerabilities pose significant risks.

• Layering your company's security is essential. This includes measures like enabling two-factor authentication, upgrading to antivirus with EDR, DNS filtering, patch management, and implementing email filters.

• Regular updates of all software and devices significantly improve your security posture.

• Seeking professional guidance in managing these security layers can prevent costly cyberattacks and allow you to focus on your core business.

A lot to manage? Can we help you?

That’s a high-level overview of some of the threats and defensive remedies out there on the modern landscape. We understand it can be a little overwhelming at times, but don't wait until it's too late. Start strengthening your security layers today. If you want any help navigating these solutions, let us know! We’re more than happy to help. Schedule a free consultation with Be Co by clicking here.