IT Infrastructure Strategies That Protect Against Evolving Cyberthreats
Table of Contents
Cybercriminals cost businesses a significant amount of money annually through cybercrime. A study by Ciscofound that 54% of organizations had suffered a recent cybersecurity incident, with over half reporting that the incident had cost more than $300,000. At the individual business level, cyberattacks often cause massive disruptions, making business operations impossible until the incident is rectified. No business wants to close its doors, even for a short while.
Organizations must fortify their IT infrastructure to deal with cyber threats that are constantly evolving. In a world where AI has become weaponized, companies must know what they are fighting and be prepared.
What is IT Infrastructure Security?
A company's IT infrastructure encompasses all of its technologies and the output from those technologies, such as documents, files, and other data and information. There is also a strong argument that your IT infrastructure extends to include the people who interact with it, including customers, employees, contractors, and suppliers. As such, an IT infrastructure can be thought of as a complex system of interconnected computers, software, devices, and services. The protection of an IT infrastructure must include measures that secure both digital and physical assets, intellectual property, company secrets, and sensitive data.
Components of an IT Infrastructure
The components of an IT infrastructure include the following:
- Data centers
- Hardware
- Enterprise Apps
- Data management and storage
- Cloud environments
- Legacy systems
- Humans who interact with the IT infrastructure
The protection of that IT infrastructure will change over time as the threats to the company's assets evolve.
The IT Infrastructure Threat Landscape
The threat landscape encompasses all possible attack types targeting the components of an IT infrastructure. These are varied and can change depending on the type of organization. For example, some sectors, like healthcare, may be more susceptible to ransomware, whereas a utilities company may find that its critical infrastructure is targeted by DDoS attacks. Regardless of the sector an organization operates in, certain core security areas are at high risk. Threats that target IT infrastructure often begin with unauthorized access gained through phishing employees or supply chain members. Another method of stealing login credentials is through the use of malware known as an infostealer. Research from Check Point found that 90% of breached companies had corporate credentials leaked in an infostealer log before the breach. The stolen credentials were used to breach corporate networks and carry out follow-on attacks, like ransomware.
More direct attacks happen, too. Cloud infrastructure is typically an integral part of an organization's IT infrastructure. Thales found that 54% of organizations had experienced a direct attack on cloud resources, compromising their infrastructure.
Hardware attacks must not be left out of the equation. Hardware vulnerabilities can also compromise IT infrastructure. Connected devices provide attackers with a means of gaining access to the broader network. Furthermore, lost and stolen devices impact IT infrastructure security, which can lead to data breaches and stolen credentials.
The Layers of IT Infrastructure Security
Breaking an IT infrastructure up into its parts helps in the development of a robust and appropriate security strategy. IT infrastructure security can be broken down into four layers that inform the type of security needed for a comprehensive approach:
Physical Security
Securing physical assets, from data centers to mobile phones, requires a swath of protective measures. Two critical aspects of physical asset security are access control across the broader building areas and computing resources. This may include biometrics, security cameras, and locks. Environmental security of physical resources is also vital to protect against natural disasters and other environmental impacts.
Network Security
Network segmentation is a fundamental aspect of a zero-trust security approach. This ensures that network areas are isolated from each other to prevent incidents from spreading. Other network security measures include disabling static and unused ports, firewalls, and Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) prevention measures such as VPNs or encrypting network traffic.
Software, Apps, and Cloud Storage
Access controls and least privilege access management are critical aspects of apps and cloud storage. Encryption of data transfer using TLS (Transport Layer Security) is another vital measure to prevent MitM attacks. Session management best practices, like optimized token use, also help to prevent data breaches. Patching security vulnerabilities is essential to preventing the exploitation of flaws that lead to ransomware and other cyberattacks.
Humans and Interfaces
Human operators, like employees, are also part of the expanded IT infrastructure. The interfaces that they interact with can open security holes. Employees should be trained to recognize risky security behavior and to identify insecure practices, including poor email and password hygiene.
IT Infrastructure Security Best Practices
The IT infrastructure covers a large area and has many moving parts. Therefore, no one-stop fix will ensure security. A layered approach that covers the entire IT infrastructure has become an accepted best practice. The types of measures that fit under this umbrella of best practices to secure an IT infrastructure include the following:
Zero-Trust Security Model
Zero-trust security is a proven method for developing comprehensive security coverage. Zero trust uses the principle of protecting users, devices, and digital resources, rather than focusing on the network perimeter. Every time a resource is used, it should be verified. The methods used within a zero-trust model include identity management principles such as least privilege and robust access control management. Privileged access management (PAM) tools provide the rules of engagement whenever any entity attempts to access a resource. Other mechanisms, like Just-in-Time (JiT), privilege control how long an entity is allowed to access a resource. Zero trust should be viewed as a security model to build upon, adding specific protection measures as required.
Secure Your Network
The modern network is no longer a closed perimeter, so network security requires a more fluid approach. The zero-trust model specifies that a network should be segmented. That is, different parts of a network are isolated, and the traffic between them is stopped altogether or reduced. Network segmentation is achieved using various methods, including internal firewalls, Access Control Lists (ACLs), and Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) configurations. The zero-trust model and attention to access control are a vital baseline, but there are network-specific security best practices that should also be followed. These include network monitoring and behavioral analytics to identify unusual behavior, such as malicious data exfiltration.
Secure the Cloud
Cloud infrastructures can be a mix of public and private clouds. These require protection against malicious forces as well as accidental data exposure, such as from misuse of access privileges. Cloud security includes the use of web application firewalls (WAFs), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) prevention techniques, and ensuring that APIs are secure. Other measures include data encryption, email filtering tools, and the use of monitoring tools to identify unusual behavior and attempts to breach cloud security.
Endpoint Protection
Endpoints include mobile devices, laptops, IoT devices, printers, and any other peripheral computing resource. Endpoint protection includes Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to encrypt traffic between devices and the network, and Mobile Device Management (MDM), which is used to identify and secure mobile devices. Control measures include preventing the download of malicious apps, wiping the mobile device if it is stolen or lost, and ensuring the device is up to date with the latest patches.
Data Protection Strategies
Data exists across the broad area of an IT infrastructure. Many of the best practice security measures mentioned above help to protect data. However, baseline practices that must be used include
- Encryption of data at rest (storage),
- Enforcement of least privilege access so data is only available on a need-to-know basis (during transfer),
- Use of multi-factor authentication (MFA), and
- Application of data loss prevent tools (DLP) to prevent accidental and malicious exfiltration of data outside of the enterprise.
Manage and Patch Vulnerabilities
Timely and prompt patching of software and firmware vulnerabilities is an essential measure to prevent data and other security breaches. Keep a note of emerging vulnerabilities by using the CVE database.
Assess and Reassess Cyber Threats
Forewarned is forearmed. Utilize intelligence tools and information-gathering solutions, such as dark web monitoring from Sentinex, to identify potential targets of your organization or data leaks from your company. Additionally, utilize sites that offer security advisories, such as the CISA Security Advisory Database.
Plan Your Disaster Recovery
If the worst does happen and you are left dealing with a cyber incident, having a well-thought-out disaster recovery and business continuity plan will help mitigate the impact. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework CSF 2.0 offers guidance for dealing with a security incident that can be used to create a disaster recovery plan.
Don't Forget Human-Centric Security
Human operators, such as employees, may not typically be considered part of your IT infrastructure. However, the impact of employees and others on your IT assets can impact your infrastructure security. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate security measures that minimize human-centric risks. These measures include the use of security awareness training and phishing simulations for all staff, as well as cybersecurity training for administrators and other technical staff.
A business relies on its IT infrastructure to maintain smooth operations. If attackers impact any aspect of an organization's computing assets, the business can find itself in a disaster zone. By viewing an IT infrastructure as a system, with each component a vital layer in the overall structure, an organization can apply security measures that reduce the risk of each aspect of the system. These measures are part of a layered security approach that helps harden the overall infrastructure and keep a business safe from attackers, regardless of where they choose to target.
FAQs
What is an IT infrastructure, and why is it important to protect it?
An IT infrastructure comprises all of the computing assets of an organization. The IT infrastructure is a system of interconnected components, including devices, servers, computers, software, cloud services, and applications. All parts of the IT infrastructure can become targets for attacks. Even physical assets, such as data centers, can be compromised by inadequate physical security. Protecting the components of an IT infrastructure is crucial to maintaining an organization's resilience and preventing data breaches, ransomware, asset damage, and other cyberattacks.
Can AI help to protect an IT infrastructure?
AI is being increasingly used in various security solutions to help protect the different components of an IT infrastructure. For example, email filtering solutions utilize natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to identify emerging email-borne threats. Other security solutions that use AI to augment and enhance capabilities include unified security platforms like Check Point Software Technologies' Infinity Platform, which use AI-enabled real-time threat prevention along with collaborative intelligence across the cloud, networks, and endpoints.
Are there ways to detect threats to your company directly?
Cybercriminals use the dark web to buy and sell data, including login credentials, that they then use to target companies. Attackers also use the dark web to identify companies to target, discussing tactics and weak points in an organization's IT infrastructure. Dark web monitoring tools, such as Sentinex, are used to delve deep into the dark web and generate dark web intelligence, offering a company a glimpse into potential data breaches or likely targeting of their IT assets.