The number of cyberattacks has been increasing at an unprecedented rate. I wish this statement—which we’ve been making for years now—was no longer true. But the sad and cold reality is that cyberattacks continue to hit businesses of all sizes. Recent headlines showing the entire city of Atlanta hit by ransomware underscores the heightened threat matrix our businesses are currently confronting.
This Q1 of 2018 has increased to previously unimaginable rates—by nearly 80% in some areas of healthcare this year.
Two reason for increased attacks?
Attacks are more far-reaching today than ever. One of the easiest means for hackers to penetrate networks now is increasing their reach. Their malware is able to spread further and faster than ever before. With networks remaining unpatched and users still susceptible to even common phishing attacks, it’s easier for hackers to expand their targets than morph their attack types.
While many attackers are merely increasing the volume of attacks in expectation of hitting off more victims (by the rule of numbers), some very crafty hackers are increasing their sophistication to outthink IT departments, simultaneously targeting multiple attack vectors.
Enhanced focus on innovation (along with increased speed and volume at which threats are being administered) has made for increasingly successful campaigns and attacks—especially to those organizations that remain completely unprepared.
How can you make sure your network is safe?
One of the ways security experts identify vulnerabilities within business networks is by using vulnerability scanners.
A vulnerability scanner is able to assess a variety of vulnerabilities across your network—including vulnerabilities in computers, network systems, operating system and software. They can also identify weaknesses related to vendors, system admin, and user-generated weaknesses.
Vendor-based issues: vendor issues ranges from software bugs, missing patches, vulnerable service, insecure configurations and web app vulnerabilities. The number of vendor-initiated vulnerabilities is unimaginable. Since most vendors are not security-focused, they don’t incorporate security in their products, leaving you less secure than you ever would have imagined!
System admin issues: most assessments we perform, we see admin access to people that shouldn’t have access or lack of password policies. There may be numerous places on your network where you’re giving access to sensitive information to people you never thought could have access to that information!
User-generated issues: users will often share credentials with peers, fail to run virus scanning software, land on malicious sites, or deliberately or unsuspectingly introduce backdoor vulnerabilities to your network. Have your users inadvertently installed malware on your network while downloading apps from untrustworthy websites?
Specifically, the benefits to network vulnerability scanning can really pinpoint serious threats on your network:
Detect and handle security problems—by scanning for the most updated database of known vulnerabilities, having your network scanned for threats is one of the easiest ways to identify your network vulnerabilities. Scanners can identify both internal and external-driven threats.
Detecting unauthorized devices—when a new device connects, the scanner should detect any potential threats. The network scanner should be able to identify any rogue machines, which may endanger your network security.
Identify and inventory all devices on your network—you likely don’t have a clue as to how many devices are connecting to your network at any given time. The problem with this—especially if you have sensitive data easily accessible on the network—is that you may have unknown risks in plain sight. Continual network scanning will allow you to manage and track your network.
Some Things To Consider With Network Scans
While network scanning can be very useful, if you aren’t experienced with network scanning or don’t have time to consistently run scans on your network, you may be hurting your security than helping it with network scans:
Network scans are simply snapshots in time—network scans are simply snapshots of your network security. If you don’t see vulnerabilities at one time when assessing the network, so threats that may be very real and present on your network may not always present themselves (and you may be clueless when an attack strikes).
Inexperienced scanners might have poor judgement—vulnerability scanners only report cut and dry information scanned on your network. They won’t be able to determine what your response should be to a result that comes up on a scan. Some scans may come up negative (or positive) and should be accompanied by additional tools. If you are simply relying on a tool to let you know the state of your network, you may be sorely misjudging your security.
The big problem here is if your network vulnerability scanner is completely underestimating your security risks, you may have unforeseen disasters in your future!
Scans in and of themselves can pose threats to your network—if you don’t know what you’re doing, a scan itself can pose risks to your IT systems. For instance, a scan may crash an already vulnerable server if all plugins are enabled.
Before initiating network scanning, make sure your IT team is carefully planning beforehand (if you need a hand at this, we are experts at understanding vulnerabilities in fragile networks and often help clients and IT directors, alike, figure out how to best assess their network’s vulnerability.
Network scanners may use a lot of network resources—during a network scan, resources on your network may be compromised to the point of jeopardizing network continuity. Administrators should note of any deterioration in the network prior to a scan to ensure complete continuity before, during and after a scan is complete.
Improper handling of scanning results—another huge problem businesses have faced with network scans if having scan information leak into the wrong hands. In some cases, attackers have obtained security vulnerability information directly from network scans and have easily exploited loopholes in business networks all because the folks running the scans did not understand how to properly run and secure a vulnerability scan. Ensure that the party involved in running your network vulnerability scans is trustworthy.
The bad guys are using network scans on your network this very minute!—one of the most obvious reasons you should consider getting a network vulnerability assessment is out of risk of hackers exposing your weak network.
Cyber criminals are actually scanning the internet looking for networks with vulnerabilities. They are using the very tools good guys use to ensure you have eliminated insecure pieces on your network to hack into, penetrate, steal and exploit your business data.
Are you sure your network is safe? Contact us TODAY for a free network security assessment!
