We must collectively realize that no one is immune to cyber criminals. The threat of cyber-attacks is very real, it never abates, even worse, it is steadily increasing in ingenuity and complexity.
You’ll be affected, sooner or later, whatever the size of your organization, whatever your sector of activity. You are a target. The risks associated with cyber attacks are serious, ranging from financial losses and reputational damages to data theft and potential legal consequences.
In this article, co-written with Aucae, our expert partner in cybersecurity training and preparation, we take a look at the current state of cyber-malware, and offer practical, immediately actionable answers to help you protect yourself and react in case of an attack.
The cyber attacks threat today
Cyber-attacks are an omnipresent and protean threat: they are constantly evolving, changing and becoming more complex, so much so that it’s impossible to know exactly what the one that will affect you (or has already affected you but hasn’t yet been discovered) will look like. Will it be a president scam, a hitman scam, a fake email urging one of your colleagues to update a password or an e-mail?
Here’s a classic example that strikes a lot in the professional world:
This email is spam! It impersonates the Linkedin network to make you think that your account is threatened by a change of email address that is not of your making. Worried, you’ll want to act quickly to protect your account by clicking on the link… Except that the link written in the message and the actual link you’ll be redirected to when you click on it are actually different. You’ll be taken to a page that mimics the LinkedIn interface and asks you to enter your password. You’ll voluntarily enter your login details thinking you’re doing something to secure your account… but in reality, you will be giving your login details to hackers!
To understand the seriousness of the situation, we only need to look at the following statistics and figures:
- Phishing: phishing attacks – using fraudulent e-mails or messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, as in the case above – remain a widespread threat. In 2020 alone, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) counted 1.4 million phishing sites worldwide.
- Ransomware: they ingeniously invite you to click on a malicious link or, via phishing, have been able to retrieve your credentials to secretly install a program on your information system. Cyber attackers can now remotely block your IS and demand a ransom to free it. The consequences can quickly become catastrophic (24 hours of blocking for the city of Sartrouville already amounts to €200,000 in damage, and no one is spared, from hospitals to SMEs, from major groups to cities of all sizes). The increase in ransomware attacks is alarming, with the number of incidents rising exponentially. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, ransomware is believed to have caused $20 billion worth of damage by 2020.
These examples only scratch the surface of the diverse and sophisticated cyber threats facing organizations today.
Preparing for cyber attacks: AUCAE’s training and preparation solution
- Training
As the frequency and complexity of cyberattacks increase, it has become essential for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity awareness and training, as well as being prepared to organize themselves in the event of an attack, in order to effectively mitigate risk and damage. AUCAE, a renowned cybersecurity training solution, offers a comprehensive approach to training and strengthening an organization’s cyber defense capabilities.
To understand the urgency and effectiveness of these training solutions, let’s look at a real-life cyber attack scenario. Let’s imagine that an unsuspecting employee receives a carefully crafted phishing e-mail that appears to come from a trusted source. Unaware of the potential danger, he unknowingly clicks on a malicious link, giving the attackers access to the company’s internal network.
AUCAE’s training modules enable employees to recognize and respond effectively to these threats. By simulating realistic cyber-attack scenarios, they equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to identify and report suspicious activity. Through training, employees learn how to spot phishing attempts, avoid downloading malicious attachments and follow best practices for maintaining a secure digital environment.
- Preparation
In addition to training people, it is also essential to be organized so as to have the necessary tools and procedures in place in the event of a cyber crisis. It’s not when the house is on fire that you wonder where the fire extinguisher is! Aucae helps you to accelerate awareness at all internal levels, and to draw up and organize the necessary tools and procedures in response to a cyber crisis, all made available through the AUCAE Digital Crisis management tool.
Aucae can also help you meet your cyber-insurance obligations, a key issue today.
Responding to an attack: AUCAE and BlueMind Digital Crisis
Despite the best training and defense mechanisms, the reality is that cyber attacks can still penetrate even the most fortified systems! With around 20% of attacks succeeding, organizations need to be ready to respond effectively in the event of an incident.
AUCAE Digital Crisis: crisis management organization
Aucae’s Digital Crisis Response is a SaaS-based tool that enables you to get involved, take responsibility and react effectively: action and reaction in the same solution. It’s a bimodal solution – training mode and real-life situation – that increases your ability to react in the event of a cyber-attack.
BlueMind Digital Crisis: preserve your communication skills
BlueMind Digital Crisis offers an intuitive, sovereign email solution in the event of a cyberattack. Ready-to-use and available at any time, it is kept separate from your IT systems and maintained independently to prevent all contagion risks.
It enables you to communicate, coordinate and share information for the duration of the crisis.
BlueMind Digital Crisis highlights, in 6 key points
- Essential communications tools needed in a crisis: email, calendar, videoconferencing, mobile devices,
- A simple, intuitive, user-friendly solution,
- Can be enabled and controlled by functional areas without delay,
- Separate from your IT systems, no risk of contagion,
- Secure: SecNumCloud hosting, keeping you out of the Cloud Act’s reach,
- Sovereign: a made-in-Europe solution, hosted in France, developed in complete transparency.
BlueMind Digital Crisis interfaces with AUCAE’s crisis management solution to provide a comprehensive crisis management and communication solution.
Digital Crisis helps organizations contain and neutralize threats, mitigate potential damage and ensure a rapid return to normal.
Whether conducting forensic investigations following an attack, recovering compromised data or implementing enhanced security measures, the BlueMind Digital Crisis – AUCAE joint solution offers a holistic approach to managing cyber attacks, ensuring business continuity and protecting valuable assets.
Conclusion
In today’s cyber threat landscape, organizations need to remain vigilant and proactive in their efforts to defend against attacks. Together, AUCAE and BlueMind offer a powerful combination of training, preparedness and incident response, ensuring a secure, sovereign digital environment for businesses in the face of evolving cyber threats. Through this partnership, organizations can improve their cybersecurity posture and protect their assets, data and reputation.
