Cyber Defense eMagazine July Edition for 2022

Access-as-a-service (aka initial access brokers)
a common way for criminals to gain access to an organization’s network is by relying on access-as-aservice
groups, aka initial access brokers (iab).
Ransomware operators depend on iabs to reduce the need for extended reconnaissance or the time to
find a method for entry. Initial access brokers provide ransomware attackers with an easy way into
corporate networks, paving the way for the actual damaging attacks. The access-as-a-service
marketplace is the source of the disconnect between an initial corporate breach and the subsequent
attacks that follow days or even months after. As a result, security professionals argue that criminals no
longer break into networks or systems; they instead simply log in.
Strengthen resilience against RaaS attacks
Organizations can take several steps to increasing their resilience against raas attacks, including:
• Deploy multi-factor authentication for all your applications and systems, for all your users
• Encrypt all your data-at-rest
• Keep all operating systems and software up to date.
• Secure and monitor rdps and make sure they are not exposed to the internet
• Implement a user training program and phishing exercises
• Require all accounts with password logins to have strong, unique passwords.
• Protect cloud storage by backing up to multiple locations.
• Segment networks
• Identify, detect, and investigate abnormal activity and potential traversal of the indicated
ransomware with a network-monitoring tool.
Secure identities are the foundation of a zero-trust policy
The boundaries of digital enterprises cannot be confined within four walls. Identity has emerged as the
frontier to defend and protect businesses against a multitude of threats, including ransomware gangs.
Identity is also one of the foundational pillars of zero trust architecture, with nist and the omb
memorandum highlighting the importance of securing digital identities to prevent data breaches and
ransomware attacks.
In this regard, two essential practices for establishing a zero trust policy include access control and
network micro-segmentation.
Access control is based on verifying and authorizing identities to access the right resources.
Authentication gives us information about who the identity is, while authorization grants access for the
Cyber Defense eMagazine – July 2022 Edition 89
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