INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
How security solutions are utilised
for the protection of online data
WORDS: ANTHONY CHADD, SENIOR DIRECTOR, EMEA, NEUSTAR
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and in the case of ISPs, depend on the user
having a single Internet provider.
On-demand cloud
This is a robust and economical solution and
works by redirecting traffic to a mitigation
cloud. However, it heavily relies on a speedy
failover to the cloud in order to escape any
downtime. To counter this, the process can be
automated by combining the client’s router
and the mitigation partner. A successful
service will deliver integrated protection and
monitor network and application layer (ISO
layers 3, 4 and 7) attacks.
A
cross both public and private
sectors, nobody is immune to
cybercrime. A main area of concern
is the proliferation of DDoS attacks which,
in a recent report by Accenture, were
highlighted as responsible for a large
proportion of the costliest and most
damaging cyberattacks on businesses in
the UK alone. It is therefore worth looking
at just how much is at stake when it comes
to DDoS attacks and the importance of
deploying robust solutions to protect
against them. In Neustar’s recent Global
DDoS Attack and Cyber Security Report,
it was discovered that more than four in
five organisations had been hit by a DDoS
attack in the last eight months. Worryingly,
36% of these organisations admitted to
having no knowledge of the attacks, only
finding out from their customers.
Year-on-year, cybercriminals are increasingly
becoming more cunning and creative
in their approach. Whereas in the past,
attackers would launch a large-scale DDoS
attack, completely bringing down a website.
Multivector attacks are now the chosen
weapon. In other words, hackers will now
launch more targeted repetitive hits at a
frequent pace. In a recent survey by the
www.intelligentcio.com
Neustar International Security Council
(NISC), 73% of IT security respondents
acknowledged that recent cyberattacks have
changed the way they approach protecting
their organisation.
The consequences for DDoS attacks
can be devastating for a brand, both in
terms of cost and customer reputation.
The Neustar report also found that
92% of organisations experiencing
multivector attacks also reported theft of
intellectual property, customer data and
financial assets and resources. As a result,
companies are spending more on DDoS
protection than ever before. The question
becomes then: how can these solutions
be utilised to ensure the most effective
defence against hackers? The following
steps should be taken to ensure the most
robust of defences:
Clean bandwidth/pipe solutions
Clean bandwidth or pipe solutions have
been used by companies looking to reduce
spending. They are delivered by Internet
service providers (ISPs) and content delivery
network (CDN) services. While inexpensive,
these are limited to smaller scale attacks
Always-on cloud-based protection
This method constantly redirects web
traffic, which may cause issues with network
latency, even during non-attack conditions.
Extra solutions are necessary to conquer
application layer attacks like combining
with a CDN and adding a cloud-based Web
Application Firewall.
Hybrid mitigation plan
A hybrid mitigation plan is the recommended
choice and comprises of a mitigation
appliance and cloud protection. This plan
will halt any form of DDoS attack and
automatically activate cloud mitigation if
the circuit is threatened. Finally, it is crucial
to have a unified (Layers 3–7) 24/7 Security
Operation Centre including a user interface
with real-time monitoring and reporting.
With this, an organisation is more likely to
be victorious over an intelligent hacker. By
following these steps, IT security teams will
significantly reduce the risk of being hit by
a business-disabling DDoS attack. More
broadly, as cyberattacks grow in scale and
intensity, applying the correct, well-researched
and most effective solutions is an essential
starting point to fighting against them. n
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