Author: yottasafe@admin

DDoS Attacks: A complete guide on understanding and protecting your enterprise

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In July 2021, Link11, a security provider from Europe released a report that pointed out a 33% increase in DDoS attacks in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2020. This year, there have been prominent DDoS attacks. From government websites to educational institutions to telecom service providers, DDoS attacks have been used to target almost every vulnerable company.  In this pandemic, cybercriminals have been smart to target institutions that were in high demand, such as e-learning platforms, vaccination websites or IT infrastructure service providers.

What is a DDoS attack?

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a website or a server by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic coming in from different sources. As the host website or server gets overwhelmed handling the large volume of requests, the server crashes or is forced to go offline.

Types of DDoS attacks

Broadly, DDoS attacks can be classified into the following three categories:

Application Layer Attacks: One of the most popular types of DDoS attacks, application-layer attacks are used to overwhelm or exhaust the host’s resources to prevent it from honoring a legitimate request. Attacks are typically aimed at the layer where web pages are generated in response to HTTP requests. If the number of HTTP requests escalates to a point where it is difficult for the server to respond, it can lead to a crash. Unfortunately, this attack is difficult to respond and defend against, as it is challenging to identify and differentiate between legitimate and malicious traffic.

Protocol Attacks: Protocol attacks can cause a denial of service by sending a connection request repeatedly to the host server. An SYN flood attack is an example of a protocol attack, where the hacker exploits the TCP/IP handshake process by repeatedly sending SYN packages. Hackers have been known to bring down firewalls by sending a huge number of SYN packets and stop them from accepting new connections.

Volumetric Attacks: In this type of attack, the hacker attempts to create huge congestion by sending a high volume of traffic or request packets from multiple sources. The objective is to overwhelm bandwidth capabilities so that the server or host slows down or stops its services.

DDoS Botnets
Botnets are a hijacked group of Internet-connected devices, which have been injected by malware to allow hackers to control them from a remote location. It is relatively easier for hackers to use IoT devices in a connected world and use them for hosting attacks against hosts. Using botnets, some of the most significant DDoS attacks have been recorded in history. For example, in 2016, a massive DDOS attack was directed at Dyn, a major DNS provider, which created disruption for many major sites like Netflix, PayPal, Airbnb, Amazon, Visa, The New York Times, and GitHub among others. Hackers used a malware, called Mirai, to create a botnet out of the compromised IoT devices like cameras, smart TVs, radios, printers, etc.

Difference between a DoS and a DDoS attack

A DoS attack is a Denial-of-Service attack, where the hacker sends in a massive amount of requests or traffic to a website or a server and shuts it down. In a DoS attack, the attacks can be easily stopped, as the source of the attack is from a single location and can be blocked. Compared to this, a DDoS attack is a Distributed Denial of Service attack. The host is overwhelmed with requests coming in from multiple locations. This is much difficult to stop than a DoS attack, as multiple devices are sending packets of data from different locations.

DDoS for hire

While DDoS attacks have traditionally been associated with hacker groups, there has been an emergence of DDoS for hire services in recent times. Also called DDoSers or booters, these services are available on the darknet for any enterprise that wants to rent a botnet. Some even offer a botnet toolkit that gives the owner the rights to a botnet payload and the command-and-control files to distribute malware. In addition, some DDoS for hire creators try to assume a legitimate cover by offering their services as ‘stressers’, which implies that they want to stress test the resilience of a server.

Motivation behind DDoS attacks

A host of factors can inspire DDoS attacks, and the reasons vary. Most DDoS attacks are caused for financial gain. In some cases, it is a revenge attack for a specific stand taken by a company for any cause, which the hackers are opposed to. There are also examples of many individual hacktivists who launch DDoS attacks against government authorities. It is also common for hackers to launch DDoS attacks as proof of their technological capabilities. Nations and states have also been known to launch DDoS attacks against government sites of countries, to inflict economic or physiological damage.

What can make a website vulnerable to DDoS attacks?

Unpatched websites or websites that have not updated their plugins regularly are the ones that are most prone to DDoS attacks. Most hosting providers cannot protect against DDoS attacks, as they do not invest in software that can prevent such attacks. If your website is hosted on one server without any disaster recovery protection, it is highly vulnerable to a DDoS attack

How to protect your site from DDoS attacks?

To mitigate risks and protect their sites from DDoS attacks, enterprises can ensure that their servers are spread over multiple data centers in different regions so that even if one server is hit in one region, then a load balancing system can be used to distribute traffic to another server. Servers must also be protected ideally by firewalls that can protect against DDoS attacks.

Enterprises can also decide to partner with a managed security services provider who can offer DDoS mitigation services. Managed security service providers also have the latest automated tools and skilled personnel to monitor traffic and mitigate attacks continuously. With the scale and volume of DDoS attacks expected to go up exponentially, it makes immense sense for enterprises to take DDoS threats seriously before impacting the business.

Why Privileged Access Management (PAM) Tops the Priority List in Cybersecurity

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In the realm of cybersecurity, enterprises face numerous threats and challenges that can compromise sensitive data, systems, and networks. Among these challenges, the management of privileged access stands out as a critical priority. Privileged Access Management (PAM) plays a vital role in securing the most powerful accounts within an enterprise. This article explores the reasons why PAM tops the priority list in cybersecurity. We will delve into the risks associated with unmanaged privileged access, the impact of privileged account compromise, and how PAM solutions address these challenges.

Expanding Threat Landscape: The threat landscape has evolved significantly, with cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated and frequent. Threat actors specifically target privileged accounts due to their extensive access and control over critical systems. Unmanaged privileged access can result in dire consequences, such as data breaches, unauthorised system modifications, and even full-scale network compromise.

Privileged Access Management is paramount in addressing these challenges. It provides a comprehensive framework for managing, controlling, and monitoring privileged accounts, mitigating the risks associated with their misuse, and bolstering an enterprise’s overall security posture.

Mitigating Risks of Unmanaged Privileged Access

Unmanaged privileged access poses significant risks to enterprises. Here are some key reasons why PAM, a type of cybersecurity solution, is crucial to mitigating these risks:

  • Insider Threats: Privileged accounts in the wrong hands can lead to malicious actions from insiders. PAM systems minimise the possibility of internal misuse by ensuring that only approved users have access to privileged accounts and that their activities are continuously monitored.
  • External Cyberattacks: To obtain unauthorized access, cybercriminals intentionally target privileged accounts. Strong authentication procedures, comprehensive access controls, and the monitoring of privileged sessions enforced by PAM solutions make it far more difficult for attackers to penetrate these crucial accounts.
  • Credential Theft: Compromised credentials are often used to gain unauthorised access and facilitate lateral movement within an enterprise’s network. PAM solutions mitigate this risk by implementing measures such as password rotation, just-in-time access, and session isolation, reducing the chances of successful credential theft and lateral movement.
  • Compliance and Audit: PAM solutions help enterprises meet various compliance regulations and audit requirements by providing comprehensive audit trails, session recordings, and access controls, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Benefits Of Implementing PAM Solutions

Implementing PAM solutions offers several benefits that contribute to enhanced cybersecurity:

  • Least Privilege Principle: PAM solutions enforce the principle of least privilege by granting IT administrators and other privileged users only the necessary access privileges required to perform their tasks. This reduces the attack surface and minimises the potential impact of a compromised account.
  • Centralised Access Control: PAM solutions provide a centralised platform for managing privileged accounts, streamlining access provisioning, deprovisioning, and overall user lifecycle management. This simplifies administrative tasks, reduces operational overhead, and enhances visibility into privileged access.
  • Session Monitoring: PAM solutions offer real-time session monitoring and recording capabilities, enabling enterprises to track and audit privileged activities. This provides valuable insights into administrator actions, aids in incident investigation, and supports forensic analysis in the event of a security breach.
  • Password Management: PAM solutions incorporate password vaults and automated password rotation, ensuring that privileged account credentials are strong, frequently updated, and not shared among users. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access due to weak or compromised passwords.

Privileged Access Management is undeniably a top priority in cybersecurity due to the critical role privileged accounts play in an enterprise’s infrastructure. By implementing PAM solutions, enterprises can effectively mitigate the risks associated with unmanaged privileged access. Yotta’s Privileged Access Management solution provides comprehensive security for attack surfaces across endpoints, applications, and servers. With quick deployment and setup available from Day 0, enterprises can swiftly implement the solution to enhance their cybersecurity posture. The PAM solution offers robust features such as credential management, session monitoring, and access control, enabling customers to meet regular audit and compliance requirements.

One notable advantage of Yotta’s Privileged Access Management solution is its regular upgrades, which allow enterprises to leverage the benefits of a strong PAM without the burden of manual upgrades. This ensures that the solution remains up to date with the latest security advancements.

Yotta’s PAM solution goes beyond securing access to servers, network devices, databases, and applications. It provides comprehensive monitoring and control capabilities, enabling enterprises to have a holistic view of privileged activities, detect anomalies, and promptly respond to potential security incidents.

PAM solutions provide robust access controls, session monitoring, and password management capabilities, thereby strengthening security, minimising insider threats, thwarting external attacks, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Prioritising PAM empowers enterprises to protect their critical data, systems, and networks, safeguarding their operations and maintaining trust in an increasingly complex digital landscape.


5 Reasons Why Businesses Need Privileged Access Management

Posted on by yottasafe@admin

Privileged access abuse is emerging as one of the most critical security challenges for enterprises, particularly amidst increased vulnerabilities in a distributed work environment. The bad actors of the cyber world are relentlessly looking to exploit identity and access-based vulnerabilities to infiltrate corporate networks. According to India’s nodal cybersecurity agency CERT-In, the country reported over 2 lakh cybersecurity incidents in the first two months of 2022, compared to over 14 lakh total cybersecurity related incidents last year.

Privileged Accounts: Advantages and Risks Galore

When it comes to manipulating IT systems with high business value, privileged users typically have the widest latitude of all. The most technically skilled users in an enterprise are often responsible for deploying and controlling functionalities on which the business depends. This includes anything from day-to-day operations to strategic capabilities that allow a business to maintain its competitive edge. They may also have considerable responsibilities such as ownership of business applications. There are risks to this power, though.

The complexity of IT infrastructure means that even minor changes can lead to unexpected consequences in terms of resource integrity, performance, or availability – even when handled by highly competent staff.

Malicious parties within the organisation and beyond can capitalise on administrative-level access to cause severe damage to the business. Given the increasing stealth and sophistication of modern attacks, it’s not uncommon for hackers to exploit such privileges unbeknownst to trustworthy and capable resources.

Privileged Access Management (PAM) is an aspect of cybersecurity that helps enterprises maintain complete control and visibility over their most critical assets. A robust PAM solution ensures that all user activities, including those of privileged users, are monitored and will be audited in case of a security breach.

Here’s how enterprises can assure themselves of a robust cybersecurity posture with a reliable PAM solution.

Effective access control

It’s easy to assume that privileged access users know what they are doing when accessing systems or that they will inherently do the right thing. However, that isn’t always the case. Monitoring and auditing access controls ensure that all users in the network adhere to the PAM policies established by the organisation. It involves understanding each account’s access, maintaining inventory of privileged accounts, and analysing and monitoring activities of each account

Preventing external and internal threats

External attackers targeting administrative privilege as a tactical objective present the most potent threat. But even highly skilled individuals can become insider threats. Considering the evolving cybersecurity landscape, organisations should deploy more granular control and visibility frameworks over administrative access, regardless of the nature of the systems and where they reside – on the cloud, third party or on-premise data centers.

Preventing external and internal threats

Privileged access management not only reduces the administrative burden on IT teams, but also mitigates potential risks via automation. An automated PAM solution manages passwords, access, and sessions for IT administrators. This includes session recording, implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA), automated rotation of passwords, and system audit to identify flaws and issues.

Compliance requirements

Auditability of access and authentication is a critical compliance requirement for many organisations. Privileged access activity monitoring is required in varying degrees under regulations such as HIPAA, SOX, PCI DSS, ICS CERT, GLBA, FISMA, and others. Moreover, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates the management of access to critical data, bringing all privileged access into its scope.