Is Misconfiguration Making Your Business Vulnerable?

Unknown threats

Reports of cybersecurity attacks on companies and government agencies are unfortunately too common these days. Millions of access credentials are breached and millions of dollars are lost to ransomware attack everyday. You may think you are protected, but even a single undetected misconfiguration could mean trouble and open to attack.

If you have been paying attention, you know that no one is immune from cyberattack, no matter how small or insignificant you think you are. If you are on the front foot you have implemented a multi layered approach to security, including

  • installing firewalls on the entry and exit points of your network
  • installing security software on all your endpoints (including mobile phones and tablets);
  • multifactor authentication on all accounts.
  • scanning all emails before they enter your network;
  • implemented DNS protection, to stop access to known bad websites;
  • implemented staff security training on topics such as password strength, social engineering and cyber hygiene;
  • updating software promptly;
  • upgrading end-of-life hardware and software.

The threat landscape is evolving rapidly, the number and types of of devices connected to a business network are increasing rapidly, more employees work on their own devices, and a greater number of people are working remotely. If your wireless is unsecured, you could end up with devices you don’t know at all connected to your network. But it is difficult to manually monitor every single configuration for security.

Popups and notifications appear on computers but users are unsure as to whether to say yes and do the update or if they do will it install malware or some other nasty? Most users then tend to ignore doing any updates at all. Out in cyberspace though, bad actors are actively seeking out unpatched vulnerabilities and misconfigured systems.

What You Can Do About It

Now you wouldn’t install a high security steel door at the front and rear of your office and then leave the side window open. would you? Of course not, an open window is something you can detect with the naked eye, but misconfigurations on your computer network are much more difficult to see. A vulnerability scan helps detect insecurities in your systems and software.

An automated scan proactively identifies any network, application and security vulnerabilities. This process aims to find any points of entry and also predicts the effectiveness of any countermeasures you may have in place.

The scan detects and classifies system weaknesses in your networks, communications equipment and computers. It then compares details about those vulnerabilities with a database of known exploits. This includes known flaws, coding bugs, packet construction anomalies, default configurations and much more.

A thorough managed service provider takes several scanning approaches. To scan your external exposure, they will look at all applications, ports, websites, services, networks, and systems facing the internet. An internal scan identifies system and application security holes that cybercriminals might exploit once they get in. Environmental scanning considers any IoT devices, websites, cloud-based services and mobile devices.

Securing your business assets is critical as you need to identify any system security vulnerabilities, and fix them, before the bad guys find them.

Partner with an MSP to review your security posture. We can scan your network for misconfigurations, malware, known exploits and open reports. We can then write a report that outlines any vulnerabilities and recommends what you can do about them. Contact us now if you are in Adelaide or South Australia.