Not only does F-Secure RADAR provide a means to detect vulnerabilities in network resources, IOT equipment, websites and anything that speaks Internet Protocol (IP) but it also provides easy-to-understand solution information for the detected vulnerabilities.
Threats can enter a network from any point – not only the servers or websites, and they can be external, internal or a combination of both. Their nature should be factored into the decision making when considering scanning priorities. External threats can exploit any vulnerability on a publicly accessible device or resource. This includes websites, terminal servers, cloud applications, VPNs, firewalls and anything that is discoverable on the ‘open’ internet.
Software Patching – Best Practices
Data breaches are still on the rise worldwide with no end in sight yet and ransomware attacks have doubled globally in the past year. Management at all organisations should take possible attacks on their infrastructure very seriously as old hardware, out-of-date software and oversights from IT teams allow hackers to exploit such vulnerabilities and only need to find a single point of entry into a network in order to wreak havoc. In most cases, missing security patches for known system vulnerabilities are what hackers seek out in order to gain access to networks.
Security patching can be unnerving to some individuals and the hundreds of patches released weekly only make the task more intimidating as the risk of potentially causing more harm than good to IT systems appears to be elevated. Unfortunately, though, in order to protect IT infrastructure and the organisation that relies on it, such patching is a necessity.
Why SSL encryption is necessary
As more reports surface about ransomware attacks and data breaches, it has become very important to put the necessary measures in place to protect users and their data. Part of this includes Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption which is used to establish a secure link between a web server and a browser so that all data passed between them remain private.
SSL is identified on websites by the HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) text at the beginning of the site’s web address – it’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a locked symbol. This indicates that the website is secure and the data traffic to and from the website is protected and it is also the user’s responsibility to check that websites have valid SSL certificates before providing personal information on them. SSL is also used to secure communications between secure devices carrying sensitive data within a corporate network, for example between a server and an endpoint.
Be sure to consider some of the cyber threats out there and consider these tips for protecting yourself and your devices. Until our next mailer, you can check out all the great resources we have available on our website.