At a Glance
- Zirilio's Cyber Report: As cyber threats escalate, Zirilio emphasises ACSC's Essential Eight for robust digital defence during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023.
- Cisco Zero-Day Alert: Vulnerability in Cisco's IOS XE software exposes major telecoms, highlighting the urgent need for proactive cybersecurity measures.
- Strengthening Cyber Defences: Zirilio advises uniform mitigation maturity, regular cyber penetration testing, and proactive threat monitoring for optimal protection.
Facing the Cyber Crisis: Zirilio's Essential Strategies for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023
There is no question that modern everyday businesses must adapt to the digital space, therefore the dynamism of cyber threats demands a forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity.
The escalating cyber incidents, targeting everything from critical infrastructure to government-supported financial entities, underscore the rise of weaponized cyber espionage.
This October, as we commemorate the 20th Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we're reminded of the collective responsibility to fortify our digital domains.
Spotlight on the Cisco Vulnerability
The recent exposure of the Cisco zero-day vulnerability underscores the urgent need for heightened cyber vigilance. Such incidents thrust the essence of cybersecurity and its preventive measures into the spotlight for leaders, business stakeholders, and operators alike.
Merely three days post Cisco revealing a perilous zero-day flaw within its IOS XE software, the number of identified victims, including major telecommunication enterprises, has skyrocketed.
The vulnerability, termed CVE-2023-20198, allows external attackers to establish high-privilege accounts, subsequently commandeering victim systems. Only those who have activated the web UI feature via the ip http server or ip http secure-server commands are susceptible. Cisco's team discovered this while processing tech support requests, albeit after unidentified culprits exploited it to insert an implant granting them command execution authority.
Understanding the criticality of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Zirilio offers a spotlight on four pivotal best practices to bolster business cyber readiness.
Championing ACSC's Essential Eight
Zirilio accentuates the importance of the Essential Eight mitigation strategies from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). More than mere suggestions, these strategies offer a unified approach to robust threat counteraction. Their aim is to bolster an organisation's maturity uniformly across all dimensions before advancing further.
The Essential Eight encompasses:
- Application whitelisting
- Application patching
- Microsoft Office macro settings configuration
- User application fortification
- Administrative privileges limitation
- Operating system patching
- Multi-factor authentication
- Daily data backups
Prioritising Uniform Mitigation Maturity:
Zirilio encourages businesses to uniformly adopt all eight mitigation techniques. This all-encompassing method guarantees zero vulnerabilities go unnoticed. The goal is a balanced maturity level across the Essential Eight, paving the way for more intricate measures subsequently.
Demystifying Cyber Penetration Testing
For budding enterprises delving into cybersecurity, Zirilio provides essential insights:
- Start Small: Initiate with vulnerability evaluations to pinpoint potential pitfalls.
- Engage Experts: Contemplate collaborating with specialised third-party penetration testing services to mimic cyber invasions.
- Continuous Testing: The mutable nature of cyber terrains necessitates frequent evaluations.
- Feedback Integration: Utilise findings to refine and enhance cybersecurity approaches.
Advocating Proactivity
Often, the best shield is an adept strategy. By staying abreast of emerging threat intelligence and periodically gauging organisational vulnerabilities, you're positioning yourself a step ahead of cyber adversaries.
Zirilio remains steadfast in guiding enterprises to comprehend their cyber vulnerabilities. As cybersecurity aficionados, our paramount mission is fostering a future where all businesses are primed to tackle the ever-shifting cyber threat landscape. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, let's pledge to bolster our cyber defences, employ proven methodologies, and promise a fortified digital future.
About Zirilio
ZIRILIO is an end-to-end security solutions organisation. They provide the most sophisticated, personalised cyber security solutions in the market backed by world leading experts and Gartner technology vendors. They are known as some of the quickest responders in the industry.
