Digital Warfare: Are you winning?

Just as in traditional wars, where clashes range from minor disagreements, skirmishes to a full blown battle, in the digital world too, the scale of cyber war can vary depending on the target and severity. In real life battle scenarios, the military safeguards its country’s borders, sea routes, air force bases, and citizens. Similarly in the digital world, you need an Ally in Digital Warfare to protect your digital assets and digital boundaries, as your computer systems are the gateway or entry points to data that is sensitive, private, and confidential.

Computer systems have become an integral part of our daily lives ranging from large sectors of telecommunications, power grids, railways, airports to catering to our daily banking and shopping needs. etc. Furthermore, due to advances in technology and globalization of economics and eCommerce, hackers seek to engage with you in digital wars to gain maximum information and use it to their advantage resulting in catastrophic damages.

Impact of digital war on various industries:

An attack on the aviation’s communication system can throw the air traffic control out of gear leaving airplanes hovering in the sky helpless for lack of guidance. This could lead to cataclysmic consequences. In the banking sector too we have heard of millions of dollars of money being siphoned off within minutes. A minor disruption in the signalling system of traffic lights either on the road or the railways can have disastrous consequences.

Even the common man is not spared. The hacker can hack into personal email ids, steal credit card information or personal data and use it for online frauds or transactions. Identity theft is one of the biggest threats today.

Cyber wars big or small have an irreversible impact on businesses and industry and can even pull down governments if crucial military information is leaked to a hostile country.

How to prepare for and win the digital war?

Even as the military readies itself with the latest in arms and ammunition and strategies put in place in the eventuality of a war; it is similarly vital for corporates and businesses to be prepared for a cyber attack. The hackers equip themselves with the latest attacks in the form of ransomware, phishing attacks, malware or simple virus attacks. Thus, it becomes imperative that we are able to keep pace with the latest developments in the field of hacking and be prepared before, during and after an assault.

Let’s first understand the volatility and degree of attack and the impact which results in losses in the form of vital data loss, encryption of important files, folders etc. Then we measure the scale and severity of attack.It is also important to be able to think like a hacker in order to understand their method of attack, the tools used to bombard the system, what they do, and how they crack the system code.

Design a Digital Defense Matrix to Win the Digital War:

Identify Core essential Vulnerable Systems.

Strapping Of Quality IT Infrastructure.

1. Government MIS Systems, Central control systems of Defense, Communication, Railways. Nuclear Plants

2. Automation Systems- Manufacturing plants, Chemical Plants, Automobile Plants.

3.Business Systems- Pharma, Health Care , Banking and Insurance sectors.

4. Infrastructure Systems- Power grid, Aviation, Stock Exchanges, Water supplies.

1. Rugged Quality Hardware.

2. Data Storage Systems.

3. Superior quality of Networking gears or devices.

4. Static and run-time compiler systems.

5. Present day and trusted licensed Software Development “Tools” like – Linx, Atom, Cloud 9, GitHub, NetBeans, Bootstrap,Bitbucket,Nod.JS.

6.Licensed Software Applications- Microsoft Office Applications, Internet browsers like Explorer, Chrome and Firefox, Autocad, MySql,Oracle, Real Player, Media Player, Apple Numbers.

Deployment of Cyber Security Tools

Embedded Cyber Security Solutions.

1. Firewalls.

2. Antivirus Software, Endpoint security software.

3. PKI Services.

4. Managed Detection and Response Service (MDRS)

5. Penetration Testing.

6. Continuous imparting of knowledge and training to the staff

1. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Solution

2. Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) Solution.

3. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solution

4. Deception as a Solution.

5. Moving Target Defense (MTD) Technique.

Unlike in a real war where capabilities such as physical and mental strength play a major role in combating the enemy; in digital war it is mental acumen, thinking on the feet, up-to-date knowledge of the various hacks, use of modern day technologies such as deception technology, moving target defense strategies that help tilt the scales in our favour.

Infopercept has been at the forefront as far as developing defense strategies and technologies are concerned. To secure, optimize and strengthen the cyber security network of organizations is the core model on which we function. Prediction and prevention are two vital components to stay a step ahead of the adversaries at all times. Infopercept’s experienced cyber security experts do a complete risk analysis, find the vulnerabilities in the network, use the latest technology, and provide tailor-made solutions to secure your network so that you and your team have a hassle-free work environment and win this constant cyber security war.