The Russian attack on Ukraine has many business owners concerned, understandably, about a surge in Russian-backed cyber attacks. While this increased threat has thus far been isolated to Ukrainian government and critical infrastructure organizations, Digital Agent and the federal Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are recommending that employees and business leaders in the U.S. take proactive steps to shield themselves from cyber threats. We endorse the following CISA guidance as your best defense in these uncertain times.
U.S. businesses should take additional steps to secure their network from Russian-backed cyber attacks
- Reduce the likelihood of a damaging cyber intrusion by implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), updating all software to the latest versions, and other strategies for securing network devices and cloud access.
- Take steps to quickly detect a potential intrusion by monitoring network behavior, implementing anti-malware software, and analyzing traffic from Ukrainian organizations.
- Ensure that the organization is prepared to respond if an intrusion occurs by designating a crisis-response team, identifying means to provide full support in the event of a cybersecurity incident, and conducting tabletop exercises to ensure everyone in the organization understands their roles.
- Maximize the organization’s resilience to a destructive cyber incident by testing BCDR (Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery) procedures and testing any manual controls necessary in the event of an organization-wide network failure.
These guidelines are core aspects of any modern cybersecurity framework.
By mitigating their risk of an attack while simultaneously setting up backups and fail-safes, business owners can significantly reduce the likelihood of losing their company’s data, business productivity, and credibility in a cyberattack. Cybercriminals can be very clever, but they are generally more likely to attack a vulnerable company that has not properly implemented these controls, compared to a well-defended corporate network that would take considerable time and resources to hack.
Howard Hunter, CEO and Owner of Digital Agent, said, “We understand that these are frightening and uncertain times, but rest assured that Digital Agent is monitoring the situation in Ukraine closely. While foreign incentives to attack U.S.-based businesses may have shifted, hackers are using the same tools today as they were using yesterday. The most prudent step you can take as a business leader is to follow the guidance of cybersecurity industry experts and federal organizations like CISA by staying up-to-date on your company’s cybersecurity protocols and software.”
About Digital Agent
Since 1998, Digital Agent, LLC. has been an innovative and trusted provider of business IT, cybersecurity, phone, and internet services for companies across the country. For more information about Digital Agent, call 678-444-3007 or visit digitalagent.net. The central office is located at 2300 Windy Ridge Parkway SE, Atlanta, GA 30339.
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