AI the Future of Cyber Security

AI tools can sift through enormous amounts of data to look for patterns and learn about user behavior. This allows for the early detection of hackers before they cause harm.

Companies involved in cyber security are investing money into these technologies to fend off attacks and are starting to reap the rewards. AI-based technologies' capabilities are growing exponentially, enabling businesses to identify more sophisticated cyber threats before they materialize; more companies will likely start using AI tools as their usability increases.

As a result, more complex attacks will be recognized, making AI a crucial tool in the fight against cybercrime.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming more and more popular among businesses as

Artificial intelligence (AI) functions like a computer program focused on gaining success. Machine learning (ML), on the other hand, is a self-learning tool that evolves as it gains experience. Combining the two can guarantee accuracy and success in the cybersecurity industry.

Traditional Cyber Security

The fundamental problem with traditional cyber security measures is that it cannot keep up with the scale of the threat today. Conventional methods to collect and analyze information lead to an overload of data. It is labor-intensive and, therefore, prone to manual errors. Since they need more visibility into the network, it is also challenging to prepare against a potential threat.

AI in Cyber Security

In comparison, artificial intelligence in cyber security has a higher success in detecting possible threats and defending against them.

1. Network Threat Identification

This is the most basic use case for AI in cyber security today. More than 70% of businesses today are dependent on AI-enabled network security platforms. Furthermore, as enterprises share sensitive data over networks, AI-enabled systems are better equipped to protect the data transmitted or stored.

2. AI Email Monitoring

AI is used today to monitor incoming and outgoing emails to safeguard against cyber threats like phishing. The most probable risks are reported to the security personnel, and appropriate action can be taken. This becomes very important in the finance sector. Here, anomaly detection is used to identify phishing attacks and misdirected emails, prevent data breaches and identify other cyber security threats.

3. AI Endpoint Protection

Traditional anti-virus software can scan files for known viruses. The software cannot safeguard your data without security updates on new viruses. On the other hand, software that uses AI can detect a threat owing to anomaly detection or unusual behavior. Therefore it is better equipped to predict, detect and prevent a cybersecurity threat.

4. AI-based User Behaviour Modeling

In some cyber security attacks, the login id of a person can be manipulated by a complete takeover, without the person's knowledge. The only way to identify and stop this is by identifying a change in the behavior pattern of their activity. With AI technology solutions, such changes can be easily detected and security can then be alerted to investigate the matter further.

Conclusion

Cyber security systems with AI can anticipate a threat and deploy necessary action to prevent an attack. As a result, more and more corporations today are making special allowances in their budgets for upgrading to AI-enabled cyber security systems. As long as companies continue to feed accurate data, the system will swiftly detect any deviation from the baseline.

Cyber Insurance Ransomware

Cybersecurity is more important now than ever, and with more and more businesses around the world being affected by cyberattacks, having adequate cyber insurance has become essential.

Due diligence is a crucial part of getting the right cyber insurance policy. Companies should evaluate their potential risks and vulnerabilities in order to determine if they need a robust policy or if a cheaper, lower-coverage policy can suffice. Knowing what type of policy they need can help them save money while increasing assurance that they are properly covered if an attack occurs.

Companies need to understand that getting the right cyber insurance policy comes at a cost, as premiums tend to increase significantly when coverage increases. However, with proper due diligence, companies can make sure that their policies meet their needs without paying too much for unnecessary coverage.

Cybersecurity companies are recognizing “cyber extortion coverage” or “ransomware cyber insurance” as a critical element in protecting against the increasing ransomware threats and cyber attacks. This type of insurance protects organizations from losses due to such malicious activities, such as data breaches, ransomware threats, and other forms of cyber attacks.

By providing this type of coverage, cybersecurity companies can give their clients greater security and peace of mind. This coverage helps ensure that they won't be responsible financially for payments associated with an attack that results in the loss or theft of sensitive data. It also provides protection against any reputational losses that may arise after such an attack has taken place.

Ransomware & cyber extortion cyber insurance

Ransomware cyber insurance, also known as cyber extortion coverage, can protect organizations and their customers from the financial losses associated with a malicious attack. Cyber security companies offer this coverage under their cyber liability policies, typically included with a sublimit to help cover medical expenses related to those affected by the attack. Such policies allow companies to respond quickly and effectively to a ransomware attack, limiting the downtime and damage caused. By providing this protection, cyber security companies can ensure that businesses have a back-up option in case of malicious attacks or other unforeseen disasters.

What is Cyber Insurance?

Cyber insurance offers an additional layer of security for businesses against the ever-growing risk of a ransomware attack. Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to critical data on your computer system until a ransom is paid. By purchasing cyber insurance, companies can minimize the financial impact if they are hit by such an attack, as the policy reimburses victims for any losses incurred as a result of the incident. Cyber insurance also offers security consulting services such as malware removal and web application testing that can help reduce the risk of being targeted in the first place. Companies looking to protect themselves from ransomware should consider investing in cyber insurance to ensure their critical systems are protected against these kinds of threats.

Cyber Insurance& ransomware Protections

Cyber insurance is increasingly becoming an integral part of a company's cybersecurity policy in the face of fast-growing cybercrime threats like ransomware. Ransomware attacks can cause significant financial loss and affect companies' operations in many ways. Cyber insurance acts as a safeguard against such malicious programs and financially mitigates any losses related to the attack and helps companies get back on track without too much disruption. Companies must ensure that they have cyber insurance policies in place to protect themselves from ransomware attacks which have the potential to wreak havoc on any system.

Cyber insurance provides protection against ransomware. Cyber insurance works by providing coverage for financial losses and other damages caused by a hacker, malware or ransomware attack. Cyber insurance policies often cover losses related to data privacy and security, reputation damage, business interruption, and legal expenses. This type of coverage is increasingly becoming more critical as companies are increasingly exposed to cyber-attacks like ransomware. Ransomware is malicious software that locks down computers and networks, preventing users from accessing their own data until a certain amount of money is paid in return for the unlock code. With cyber insurance in place, organizations can ensure that their operations are protected from the financial costs associated with these malicious attacks.

Cyber insurance protects you by transferring loss

Cyber criminals are on the rise, and companies need to do whatever they can to combat attacks from ransomware, malware and phishing attempts. Cyber security companies offer organizations a comprehensive solution for cyber extortion coverage that helps protect against costly losses associated with successful infiltrations. Cyber extortion coverage can be included within a cyber liability policy as a sublimit or it can be secured separately, depending on your company’s risk exposure profile. With this coverage in place, businesses can rest assured that their cyber risk is adequately covered and their reputation is protected.

Cyber insurance Due diligence to ensure adequate protection

With the increasing threat of cyber fraud, companies must perform some due diligence to ensure they have adequate protection. Cyber insurance policies protect businesses from any financial losses caused by cyber-attacks. However, without proper due diligence, companies may end up paying higher premiums or getting policies that do not cover all aspects of the risk.

Therefore, to reduce costs and get the right coverage, companies need to perform thorough research and find insurance providers who offer reasonable terms and conditions with their cyber insurance policies. Companies must also consider factors like premiums, deductibles, limits, and exclusions before purchasing a policy.

By doing so they will be able to get the most suitable coverage for their business at an affordable price.

Cyber insurance due diligence is a key process for any business when evaluating the cost and level of protection offered by their cyber insurance policy. As cyber risks continue to evolve, companies must always be aware of the increasing cost and premiums associated with their current policy and evaluate whether it is enough to keep up with the latest malicious threats.

In order to ensure the most effective protection, companies should conduct due diligence on their cyber insurance policies. This not only involves understanding how claims will be handled in different scenarios, but also considering the cost of increased coverage and extra premium costs that might be necessary. By understanding their risk profile and protecting themselves adequately, businesses can ensure they are equipped if they are ever faced with a malicious attack.

Cyber insurance premiums will continue to increase

Cyber attacks are rising yearly, with more businesses falling victim to cyber- Attacks resulting in security breaches and financial losses. As a result, more companies are now investing in cyber insurance policies to protect their data and minimize damages. However, this increased demand of cyber insurance policies has led to an increase in policy premiums, making it costlier for businesses to obtain the coverage they need. In this article, we will discuss why cyber insurance premiums continue to rise and suggest potential solutions for companies looking for coverage.

Cyber insurance must be included in your risk management strategy

Cyber insurance has become an essential part of any business's risk management strategy. As cyber-attacks become more frequent and destructive, enterprises are turning to cyber insurance providers to protect themselves from costly damages. But as the amount of claims for cyber-attacks increases, so does the increase in premium costs to cover those losses. This article will explore the reasons why we can expect to see a continuous increase in cyber insurance premiums over time.

Cyber insurance policies are becoming increasingly popular as more and more companies are seeing the benefit of having a policy in place to protect their business from cyber-attacks. As more companies realize the impact of cyber security breaches, the demand for cyber insurance is likely to increase, driving up premiums.

As prices increase, so too does the importance of having a comprehensive cyber insurance policy that covers all the possible loopholes that can occur during an attack. With this in mind, businesses are wise to explore their options when selecting their providers and to ensure they get the best coverage available for their needs. By exploring these options and understanding what is covered under different policies, firms can make an informed decision about which provider offers them the most protection at a competitive premium cost.

Enterprise Risk Management vs. Traditional RM

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) introduces effective risk management (RM) by attacking the issues differently to assess and remediate risks that affect the business. It takes a more robust approach than traditional Risk Management.

Traditional Risk: Business unit leaders, directors, and managers were responsible and accountable for risks in their respective departments. An example is the CFO, or Comptroller is responsible for risks relating to business cash flow and finance. This approach is very siloed.  Having some type of Risk management is better than not having it, but this approach does have its shortcomings:

• Unidentified risks that don’t fit nicely within a silo. Risks can be anywhere, and sometimes they do not necessarily align with the organizational chart resulting in unidentified risks.

•  Some risks may span multiple business units. If one leader identifies the risk the business may not understand its true impact and likelihood if it spans multiple departments.  An example of this would be a privacy law that affects Spain for example. If the compliance officer ranks this as very low risk because there is no business/consumers or data from Spain residents. However, down the hall in another c-suite office, there are ongoing talks about a possible partnership with a platform in that same country.

•  Silo risk owners may address a risk in their domain but not understand that the mitigations of their risk can affect another department.  A classic example is an IT change that mitigates some technical risks but impacts usability for other departments. This leads to frustration, confusion and ‘shadow IT’

•  Traditional risk typically focused on internal risks. ERM focuses on external factors as well

  Holistic Top-Down Enterprise Risk Management

Enterprise Risk Management attempts to fill these gaps by incorporating a holistic, all-hands-on-deck approach to risk management. EMR is a top-down approach that starts from a strategic approach that trickles down to the operational level (Beasley, 2016).

 ERM begins with an understanding of what the organization is trying to achieve short and long term. Identifying all assets (people, technology, data, solutions, networks) ranking those assets, identifying risks and then ultimately remediation and monitoring. It is key to understand that top management and key staff are involved in this process, not just a department leader.  

 Identify all risks. Whereas with traditional risk management, risks that fall out of a department can be missed, EMR focuses on strategy, compliance, operations, and tactics to attempt to address all risks (internal and external).  

The output of EMR should be a risk register that clearly identifies the enterprise's top risks that identify:

• Risk identification number

• Owner, responsible, and accountable parties

• Risk description

• Risk Remediation

• Risk milestones

• Key Risk Indicators

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EMR takes a more holistic approach to risk management and incorporates all levels of the business (strategy, tactical, operational). EMR focuses on internal and external risks. EMR is a cycle and not a project; the focus is always on understanding the business's top threats, their remediations if they are being implemented, and how effective those mitigations are.  This approach is the next step in the evolutionary process of risk management and provides one of the most impactful and thorough methods for risk management.

Written by:

Carlos Neto 1/9/2023

References:

Beasley , M. (2016). What is enterprise risk management? - North Carolina State University. NC State . Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://erm.ncsu.edu/az/erm/i/chan/library/What_is_Enterprise_Risk_Management.pdf

Known Cyber Espionage Group and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

The primary purpose of cyber espionage groups and advanced persistent threats (APTs) is to gather sensitive information covertly from target organizations or individuals. This information can include a wide range of data, such as intellectual property, trade secrets, military plans, political intelligence, and more.

APTs are called "advanced" because they use advanced tactics and techniques to infiltrate and compromise target systems. They are called "persistent" because they often maintain a long-term presence on a target's systems to continue gathering information.

Cyber espionage groups and APTs are often sponsored by governments or other organizations, and they may target a wide range of sectors, including government, military, finance, and more. The information they gather can be used for various purposes, including military advantage, economic gain, and political leverage.

Here are a few things you will need to know to understand this blog:

• Compromise: When a system or network is compromised, an unauthorized party has gained access to it. This could be due to a security vulnerability or a successful cyber attack.

• Cyber espionage: Cyber espionage refers to the practice of collecting sensitive information covertly through the use of computer networks and the internet, often for military or political purposes.

• Exploit: An exploit is a vulnerability or weakness in a computer system, network, or application that can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access or perform other malicious actions.

• Ransomware: Ransomware is malware that encrypts a victim's files, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attacker.

• Breach: A breach is an incident in which a security system or protocol has been successfully attacked or bypassed.

• Phishing: Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves tricking people into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial information, by pretending to be a legitimate entity. This is often done through fake emails or websites.

Known Cyber Espionage Group and Advanced Persistent Threats

There are many known cyber espionage groups and advanced persistent threats (APTs) that have been identified by cybersecurity researchers. Some examples include:

• APT1 (also known as Comment Crew or Shanghai Group): A Chinese APT that has been active since 2004 and has been linked to several high-profile cyber espionage campaigns.

• APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear or Sofacy Group): A Russian APT that has been active since at least 2007 and has been linked to cyber espionage campaigns against governments, military organizations, and other high-value targets.

• APT29 (also known as Cozy Bear or The Dukes): Another Russian APT that has been active since at least 2008 and has been linked to cyber espionage campaigns against a wide range of targets, including government agencies, think tanks, and political organizations.

• APT3 (also known as Gothic Panda or UPS Team): A Chinese APT that has been active since at least 2010 and has been linked to cyber espionage campaigns against a wide range of targets, including governments, military organizations, and businesses.

• APT10 (also known as Stone Panda or MenuPass Group): A Chinese APT that has been active since at least 2010 and has been linked to cyber espionage campaigns against a wide range of targets, including governments, military organizations, and businesses.

Cyber Espionage Group and Advanced Persistent Threats Tools

Cyber espionage groups and advanced persistent threats (APTs) use various tools and techniques to infiltrate and compromise target systems. These can include:

Malware: APTs often use malware to infect and compromise target systems. This can include viruses, trojans, worms, ransomware, and other types of malicious software.

Spearphishing: APTs may use spearphishing attacks to trick target individuals into revealing sensitive information or installing malware. Spearphishing attacks are highly targeted and often involve using fake emails or websites that appear legitimate.

Vulnerabilities: APTs may exploit vulnerabilities in software or systems to gain access to a target's systems. This can include known vulnerabilities that have not been patched, as well as zero-day vulnerabilities (vulnerabilities that are unknown to the vendor and have not yet been patched).

Command and control servers: APTs may use command and control servers to remotely control the malware they have deployed on a target's systems and to exfiltrate stolen data.

Custom tools: APTs may use custom tools developed specifically for their operations. These tools may be designed to evade detection or to perform specific tasks, such as stealing specific types of data or taking control of systems.

How to Protect System Form Cyber Espionage Groups and Advanced Persistent Threats?

Here are a few steps that organizations and individuals can take to protect their systems from cyber espionage groups and advanced persistent threats (APTs):

• Keep software and systems up to date: Make sure to apply the latest security updates and patches for all software and systems. This can help to close known vulnerabilities that could be exploited by APTs.

• Use antivirus and firewall software: Install and regularly update antivirus and firewall software to help protect against malware and other threats.

• Use strong, unique passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and do not reuse passwords across different accounts.

• Enable two-factor authentication: Use two-factor authentication, which requires a second form of authentication in addition to a password, whenever possible. This can help to protect against attacks that rely on stolen passwords.

• Be cautious of emails and links: Be cautious of emails and links, particularly those that come from unknown sources. Do not click on links or download attachments from untrusted sources, as they may contain malware.

• Educate employees: Educate employees about the risks of cyber attacks and teach them how to recognize and avoid suspicious emails and other threats.

• Conduct regular security assessments: Conduct regular security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and to ensure that security measures are effective.

Are you worried about cyber espionage?

CyberSecOp managed services help organizations by providing the expertise and resources; we are a specialized cybersecurity provider for organizations that may not have the in-house expertise or resources to manage their cybersecurity effectively.

Some common types of managed services in the context of APTs and cyber espionage may include:

• Threat intelligence and monitoring: Offer real-time monitoring for APTs and other threats, as well as analysis of threat intelligence data.

• Vulnerability management: Offer services to help organizations identify and address vulnerabilities in their systems and applications.

• Security incident response: Offer support to organizations in responding to security incidents, including providing guidance on how to contain and mitigate the effects of an attack.

• Security testing and assessment: Providers may offer services to help organizations assess the effectiveness of their current security measures and identify areas for improvement.

CyberSecOp use MITRE ATT&CK to help organizations better understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by attackers and design more effective defenses against them. We also use it in relation to incident response, allowing organizations to quickly identify what stage of an attack they are dealing with and take appropriate action.

Using MITRE ATT&CK to provide services, it helps your clients improve their cybersecurity posture and defend against cyber attacks. This could involve providing guidance on how to implement controls to mitigate specific attack techniques, conducting assessments to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement, or providing incident response support.