10 Critical Insights for the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape

Dive into the current cybersecurity threat landscape, shedding light on the various attack vectors that organisations need to be aware of. Looking at trends in attacks, we look at the rise of supply chain attacks, which exploit vulnerabilities within third-party services or products to infiltrate larger organisations. These attacks are becoming more sophisticated, as attackers target the interconnectedness of modern businesses that rely heavily on vendors and partners.  

We discuss how traditional perimeter-based security, which was once the cornerstone of cybersecurity, is becoming outdated. With cloud services and the widespread adoption of remote work, organisations no longer have a clearly defined perimeter. 

Instead, attacks can come from any direction, inside or outside the network. This shifting threat landscape has prompted organisations to rethink their security strategies, moving from a defensive posture centred on external protection to a more holistic, integrated approach that includes securing internal networks and systems.  

Fileless cyber-attacks differ from traditional malware-based threats in that they don't rely on malicious files being written to a system's disk, making them much harder to detect with conventional security tools. Instead, attackers exploit trusted enterprise tools like PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to execute their attacks directly in memory, leaving no trace behind. These stealthy methods, including the use of malicious PDFs and backdoor trojans, allow attackers to bypass traditional detection systems and maintain a low profile within the network. 

In this video, we'll dive into the concept of hands-on-keyboard (HOK) attacks, where cybercriminals manually interact with systems to gain access and escalate privileges using legitimate tools. By hijacking trusted software, attackers can infiltrate systems and move through the network undetected, mimicking normal user behaviour. Learn how these sophisticated attacks work and discover the vulnerabilities they exploit, as well as strategies for safeguarding your organisation against them. 

Explore the challenge of defending large enterprises against a diverse range of cyberattacks, focusing on the complexity of managing multiple security technologies. Many organisations rely on between 60 to 80 point solutions in their security ecosystem, but these tools often work in isolation, creating gaps in coverage and leaving systems vulnerable. 

The discussion emphasises the importance of integrating these solutions into a cohesive defence strategy. By consolidating data from all devices and ensuring complete visibility across the network, organisations can create a unified security posture that better protects against evolving threats and reduces the risk of blind spots in their security infrastructure. 

Leveraging threat intelligence can significantly strengthen your organisation’s cyber defences, by tapping into the collaborative efforts of leading security vendors like FortiGuard Labs, Cisco Talos, and NTX Threat Exchange. Businesses can gain access to a wealth of data that enhances their ability to detect and respond to emerging threats. 

The discussion covers key strategies for implementing this intelligence, including contextual enrichment, network segmentation, and preventing lateral movement across networks. These tactics help organisations not only better understand the threats they face but also take proactive measures to protect their networks and limit the spread of attacks. 

Do we need humans, or can technology do our security for us? 

While advanced technologies like EDR, SIEM, and AI can provide valuable insights into anomalous behaviours, there's still a critical need for human intervention to assess and act on these findings.  

Organisations must optimise their security efforts by ensuring that highly skilled professionals focus on refining tools, responding to sophisticated threats, and handling tasks that require nuanced decision-making, rather than getting bogged down in repetitive tasks that can be automated. This approach ensures both efficiency and effectiveness in tackling cybersecurity challenges. 

AI and automation are transforming the way organisations respond to cyberattacks. Using AI to analyse vast amounts of data to identify potential threats faster than human teams ever could. AI's machine learning capabilities allow it to detect patterns and anomalies within data, providing security experts with actionable insights that streamline the response process. 

However, do not underestimate the importance of human intervention when it comes to reviewing flagged events and dealing with complex threats that require nuanced understanding.  

We also discuss the role of automation in mitigating known threats. For example, if an attack has occurred before and a playbook for remediation exists, automation can take over and apply the appropriate fix without requiring human involvement. This frees up security professionals to focus on more novel or sophisticated threats that don't have predefined solutions. While automation and AI significantly improve the speed and accuracy of threat detection and response, human judgement remains irreplaceable when faced with the unexpected. 

The breakout time (how quickly cybercriminals can infiltrate and extract data from compromised networks) has drastically reduced, with some attacks completing the process in as little as three minutes. In this video we discuss the need for faster defensive responses, emphasising the role of visibility, sensors, and AI in detecting and isolating threats.  

There is an alarming decrease in breakout time, meaning the speed at which cybercriminals can infiltrate and extract data from compromised networks is much faster. With some attacks now being completed in as little as three minutes, organisations face increasing pressure to respond quickly and effectively. 

This means an ever-greater need for faster defensive responses and visibility, sensors. Learn how AI plays a key role in detecting and isolating threats in real-time. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can improve their ability to defend against rapid attacks and minimise the damage caused by cybercriminals. 

Explore how Infrastructure as Code (IaC) can revolutionise security appliance management by streamlining deployments, reducing errors, and ensuring consistency across devices. We discuss the common issues of misconfiguration due to human error, and the critical need for regularly reviewing and updating security policies to maintain robust defences. 

We also delve into the growing role of AI and Machine Learning in automating security processes, particularly in firewall management. How AI is can assist in automating tasks like rule creation and troubleshooting, enhancing both the efficiency of security teams and the overall security posture of the organisation. By leveraging these technologies, organisations can minimise the risk of misconfigurations while maintaining agile and effective security measures. 

Delve into the concept of Zero Trust and its impact on traditional cybersecurity models. Understand the contrast between Zero Trust and traditional VPN approach, where once authenticated, users are granted broad access to internal systems. Zero Trust, operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” meaning users are granted access only to specific resources they need, with continuous re-authentication as part of the ongoing security process.  

The application of Zero Trust reduces the risk of lateral movement within the network, a common vulnerability in traditional networking models. 

Zero Trust can also be applied to applications, not just network access, ensuring that access is granted only at the application level and not the entire network, an approach is critical for securing sensitive data, especially in industries that deal with personally identifiable information (PII) or confidential business information.  

Fostering a culture of security is just as important as implementing the right technologies. We explore how creating awareness across all levels of an organisation, from leadership buy-in to staff awareness and ownership, is key to embedding security into the very fabric of the company. 

Learn the importance of communication, education, and continuous reinforcement in building a resilient organisation that is prepared to tackle cyber threats. By prioritising security training and ensuring ongoing dialogue about potential risks, organisations can strengthen their defences and create a proactive security culture that empowers everyone to take responsibility for cyber resilience.