Keeping Business Safe: 6 Free/Paid Cyber Security Platforms to Consider in the Fight against COVID-19
An unexpected side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the recent spike in cyberattacks. Number of companies worldwide had to open network/ports to enable staff members to work from home, survival was key and it won over security, however organizations who were well prepared for sustainable operations coped well during this change and only handful of them may have downgrade themselves from sustainable operations to secure operations. Thus the business operations pendulum will be swinging from survival operations to secure operations to sustainable operations thus leaving a door ajar for perpetrators to attack & control the network, device and data.
In the last few weeks, we’ve seen a wave of phishing communication on the theme of COVID-19. Emails titled ‘COVID-19 Infected Our Staff,’ ‘Your Neighbors Tested Positive,’ etc., went rampant, tempting users to click on malicious content. In fact, as many as 80% of the cyber threat landscape in the last two months uses COVID-19 as leverage refer 1: https://securitybrief.eu/story/80-of-cyber-threat-landscape-uses-covid-19-as-leverage-report
And the move to WFH at scale has its own repercussions. Employees are using cloud-based tools more than ever before, which may not be equipped to handle these volumes. Recently Zoom made headlines for all the wrong reasons as multiple security loopholes appeared in its solution.
Zoom was hit by several lawsuits, and both Google as the US Senate has banned the use of zoom by employees refer 2: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8203523/U-S-Senate-tells-members-avoid-Zoom-data-security-concerns-FT.html.
Instances like these highlight critical gaps in business infrastructure as we transition to a remote working environment. Specifically, I would lay emphasis on three areas:
● Network security — Secure access to cloud applications, privacy through VPN, threat hunting, DDOS attacks, wireless environments, access control, etc.
● Endpoint security — Strengthening remote devices like desktops and smartphones, making personal devices as secure as authorized work stations
● Data in transit — Encrypting data in transit, such as inter-organization/intra-organization file sharing, compliant data hosting, end-to-end encryption, etc.
Your business must prioritize these three areas if it is to stay safe and resilient in the face of COVID-19. There is a dual risk — 1) malicious parties taking advantage of vulnerabilities that companies do not have the time to address right now, and 2) the risk of using once-optional remote communication tools on a daily basis, even to exchange confidential data.
To tackle this, I’d recommend the following platforms.
WatchGuard — A comprehensive network security platform
WatchGuard has solutions for wireless environments, password protection, software-defined networking, and off-network security.
If you don’t have internal capabilities to quickly deploy a COVID-19 cybersecurity framework, WatchGuard can help with its managed security services. Its multi-factor authentication works across your mobile and cloud ecosystem; the company is even offering limited-time free access to some of its features during COVID-19.
LastLine Defender — A network threat detection and response platform
LastLine uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze network data and detect any threat that crosses your network perimeter (or moves laterally within it). It supports both on-premise and cloud environments, perfect for companies that have partially transitioned to WFh in the last few weeks. LastLine’s USP is its ability to remove false positives, recognizing genuine threats from mere unexpected traffic behavior.
LastLine’s Analyst Product is available for free till June 30.
CrowdStrike — A cloud-native Endpoint security platform
CrowdStrike is a recognized leader in the cybersecurity world. Its proprietary AI technology generates a threat graph of your device ecosystem, with a single agent to prevent breaches. Its Falcon platform is available in a variety of modules, depending on your needs. For COVID-19, either Falcon Enterprise or Falcon Complete would prove useful, as both help to strengthen security at the endpoint.
Zscaler — A secure cloud application access platform
With so many of your employees working with cloud-based tools, you need secure, role-based access. Zscaler is a 360-degree security solution designed for a cloud-first environment, with secure web gateways, cloud application control, bandwidth control, remote browser isolation, and a host of other nifty features. Zscaler also has a solution for private access, allowing remote workers to operate in a private network environment to minimize security risk.
Zscaler has developed a business continuity program for companies looking to embrace WFH overnight, combining security with employee productivity.
Maytech — A solution for data-in-transit
Securing the data in transit is as important as protecting your data at rest. Maytech is a useful solution, addressing vulnerabilities around data acquisition, file sharing, data transfer, workflow management, and regional compliance rules. Maytech ensures that any data transfer to and from your organization is highly secure and in line with compliance mandates.
Dracoon — A platform for secure document management and collaboration
Dracoon is a document management platform with a difference. In addition to end-to-end encryption, and role-based authorization, you get unlimited storage, integration with existing systems, white-label branding, mobile editing, and even your own S3 bucket if necessary.
It streamlines file sharing (particularly useful if your employees regularly exchange large files, which is challenging in a remote working scenario), while ensuring compliant data ownership.
Dracoon is available for free for 10 users until September 30.
These six platforms can prove instrumental as organizations gear up to continue business productivity even as they protect employee health through social distancing.
But as the impact of COVID-19 stretches on, I believe that the key to success lies in continuing app development and strengthening digital infrastructure, at the very roots. This will propel business continuity and greater collaboration, even as the world comes to grips with — and eventually overcomes — the challenges of this global pandemic. Stay safe, everyone.
