Even though the war in Ukraine is thousands of miles and a continent away, there are some issues that could affect American businesses and American citizens.
Anne Neuberger, the White House Deputy National Security Adviser for cyber and emerging technology, has warned American businesses that Russia could launch cyberattacks against US companies as the war in Ukraine continues.
The Ukrainian Security Service, the embattled country’s cyber police, has already dismantled a pro-Russia phishing campaign which sends fraudulent emails to unsuspecting victims which tries to infect their computers with malware. The malware program would then search the victim’s computer for files and steal copies for unknown purposes.
Additionally, Russia has substantial offensive cyberwar capability which can threaten not only large companies with targeted attacks but also can threaten small businesses with bot-driven attacks. Attacks on businesses will include phishing attacks to get employees to inadvertently install ransomware, crypto-viruses or remote access which allows a hacker to control their computer from across the Internet.
A successful cyber-attack can result in the permanent destruction of important data or theft of sensitive data containing personal identifiable information.
A “citadel” defense, or layered protection, is recommended to safeguard your businesses against data loss, unpredictable downtime, and reputation damage. The security layers include:
- Use a quality, business-grade firewall
- Enable multifactor authentication for email, messaging, and cloud applications
- Block phishing schemes and email viruses by using an email security service
- Web gateway security (DNS protection)
- Automate data backup (local and off-site/cloud backup)
- Implement end-point detection and response (EDR) on each computer
- Keep your operating system and software current
- Install security patches as they become available
- Train employees on the current cybersecurity threats
(Special note to our AXICOM client-partners: Our AxiGuard security subscription service offers all these cyber-defense elements to protect your business from attacks.)