Remediation Planning against Cyber Attack

In this article we will see  cybersecurity remedies and why it is so important. Due to the increasing number of ransomware and other cyber threats on the Internet, cyber-healing methods have become important. 

Much of the effort in cybersecurity is focused on preventing data breaches and protecting your company’s digital assets. However, security measures can fail (or, in the worst-case scenario, not exist at all), and you may find yourself in the middle of a data breach. Dealing with data breaches is a critical element of cybersecurity, which we refer to as cyberattack remediation.

During the remediation phase, your organization aims to reduce or eliminate the consequences of a security breach. The remediation process varies depending on the problem and the company. To prevent the breach from spreading, some will adopt a strategy of “killing it until it stops,” shutting down, or destroying vulnerable systems.

This can be an appropriate response in a variety of situations. However, if you have a well-defined remediation process,

Why is cybersecurity remediation so important?

According to a 2019 study by Mimecast, two-thirds of security breaches take at least a month (or maybe more) to be noticed. If you cannot identify the security breach, sensitive and important information from your company may be available now. As a result, threat prevention should be an integral part of your cybersecurity strategy. Threat prevention allows you to identify security breaches as they occur using threat intelligence solutions. 

Planning for an Incident Response (IRP)

The first step in a successful treatment process is to have an IRP. This will help you find existing security holes before a breach, where attacks are most likely to come from, and what measures should be taken during a security incident.

In short, an IRP will set you up for infringement:

• Identifying current security flaws and making recommendations for how to address them
• Threats are being contained and eradicated, and actions are being taken to do so.
• Creating a recovery plan for the systems that have been impacted

However, remediation does not have to be restricted to an IRP. Some attacks will necessitate distinct responses.

Phishing Attacks

 Phishing is a type of cyber attack that involves tricking a target into downloading or clicking on a malicious file or link (essentially, causing the victim to take any action that favors the attacker). This is the basic principle of a phishing attack. On the other hand, the complexity and type of a phishing attack can vary.

You can anticipate encountering three different types of phishing attacks:

• Email Phishing: As the above statistical report shows, attackers prefer to spread malware through email, and one way to do this is through email phishing. Email phishing uses the medium of email to lure the victim; You might have found one. This method is used by attackers to trick users into revealing important information like login credentials. There is usually something that turns people off, and not all phishing emails are created equal.
• Smishing and Vishing: Similar to email phishing, attackers use SMS or voice calls to lure victims (VoIP or telephone). Victims may receive scam calls or messages alerting them to security problems and advising them to take immediate action. 
• Social engineering: Social engineering uses human weakness or psychology to gain access to the system, data, and personal information, etc. It is the art of manipulating people. It doesn’t involve the use of technical hacking techniques. Attackers use new social engineering practices because it is usually easier to exploit the victim’s natural inclination to trust.

Phishing Remediation

It’s usually better for your company to have a mechanism where employees can report suspected phishing attempts. With the right security awareness training, they will be better able to detect phishing attempts over time, reducing the risk of your company falling victim to such attacks.

However, more sophisticated attacks will sometimes go beyond the safety net, necessitating the use of remedial methods.An incident response strategy is essential in this situation. Methods to combat phishing attempts should be incorporated into this plan. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and treatment has to handle a variety of situations, which is why planning is so important.

You should include the following procedures (before and after the attack):

• Scanning for viruses and malware: If you’ve opened a phishing link or been the victim of an attack, the first thing you should do is scan your computer for viruses and malware. The attacker may have included malware in the email, and if the attack is successful, your machine may have been compromised. Some anti-virus software can detect the infection before it can harm the computer. However, more advanced attacks can be successful. In these situations, you should immediately check your system to avoid further damage.
• Phishing reporting systems for organizations: Make it possible for your employees to report phishing attempts they suspect. This can help avoid successful attacks while also allowing your employees to put their security awareness training into practice.
• Eradication and Containment: If viruses have been found, prevention and eradication should begin as soon as possible. For additional information, see the section on removing malware below.
• Automated Spam Elimination Software: There are several technical solutions you can use to help with treatment or perhaps to avoid attacks. Automatic Spam Elimination is one such technical application. Many businesses will provide email scanning systems that will thoroughly detect and remove spam and phishing emails; Nevertheless, they are not infallible. For the emails that do get through, extra caution is necessary.

Malware Attacks

The breadth and efficacy of malware attacks vary greatly. Malware is a term used to describe harmful software that is meant to enter information systems and go unnoticed.

There are some forms of malware:

• Spyware: Spyware is a type of malware that infects a user’s computer or network to collect information about data consumption. In other situations, the attacker can use it to steal personal information by hiding the information you entered into your computer (this type of malware is also called “keyloggers”). Attackers can also use malware to blackmail you by taking advantage of your browser history against you.
• Ransomware: It is a form of malware that is different from others. By preventing you from accessing your information system, this virus keeps it captive. Malware often locks the user out of the machine by encrypting all the files. And strong encryption is difficult to crack unless you have the private key, which attackers are willing to supply when the ransom is paid (hence the name, an example of one of the most infamous ransomware attacks, WannaCry below) see).
• Man-in-the-browser (MITB) attacks: MitB attacks involve attackers introducing malware into a computer so that it can install itself on the browser and collect data about your activity. Once the virus has obtained all the information it was programmed to capture, it passes it back to the attacker.

Malware Remediation

Removing the malware is a difficult path to navigate. Few businesses are challenged when it comes to malware cleanup because of the amount and complexity of malware.Malware protection, on the other hand, is the first step in malware cleanup. Cyber defenders are, thankfully, just as smart as cyber attackers. You can trust that whatever an attacker develops, a defender has created something to neutralize it, if not now, then soon.

Antivirus is a cybersecurity professional’s best friend as it is the first line of defense for any network or computer system. Anti-virus software is useful because it can fight a wide range of malware.

In most cases, attackers will have to go beyond anti-virus protection to create malware, assuming they can do so. Most malware will attack computers that do not have anti-virus software or that have improperly configured anti-virus software.

If the virus has managed to get past the security measures, you should start the cleaning process immediately.

• Virus Scanning: First and foremost, check for viruses on your computer or network; Most anti-virus software has this capability.
• Identify malware: The next step is to find out what type of malware you have. What type of malware is this, exactly? Is it used in any other computer system? Is it impacting your third-party network? (Questions like this are important for your post-IRP).
• Prevention: Once malware is detected, it must be contained. This includes preventing it from infecting other “neighboring” computers. Prevention may require shutting down some activities, slowing down production, but this is a necessary evil as additional infestations can further destroy your firm.
• Eradication: After the virus is controlled, you will want to remove it from all devices and networks. Keeping in mind that the affected system may need to be shut down permanently, you will need to discuss the appropriate course of action with your security team. It’s always a good idea to think about how these decisions will affect your business in the long run.
• Clean up: The last step is to clean the system (removing or reinstalling files) and run a final check to determine if there is any malicious left.