A recent announcement by US, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand authorities has shed light on the potential cyber threats facing critical infrastructure providers like communications networks. The guidance issued by these authorities outlines a series of detailed steps aimed at strengthening visibility and hardening assets to protect against malicious attacks like the one carried out by the Salt Typhoon group.
According to expert Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security, the idea of malicious actors collecting vast amounts of information, particularly call content, is a very real possibility. “I think we can overweight that towards call content. They’re going to get the audio of CEOs, et cetera,” Chertoff commented.
The guidance document provides best practices for organizations to follow in order to enhance visibility, harden their assets, and protect their infrastructure. One key recommendation is proactive monitoring, which involves early detection through robust visibility and anomaly tracking. This approach can help organizations identify potential threats before they escalate into major security breaches.
Additionally, the guidance emphasizes the importance of defense-in-depth, which involves adding layers of protection through measures such as encryption, segmentation, and secure device configurations. By implementing multiple layers of security, organizations can create a more resilient defense against cyber attacks.
Furthermore, the document highlights the need for enhanced protection focus, which includes practices like regular patching, turning off unnecessary services, and securing protocol usage. These measures can help prevent vulnerabilities that can be exploited by threat actors seeking to infiltrate critical infrastructure systems.
Collaboration is also encouraged in the guidance, with a focus on fostering partnerships between organizations and manufacturers to create a more secure infrastructure. By working together, stakeholders can share information, best practices, and resources to collectively strengthen the security posture of critical infrastructure providers.
Overall, the guidance serves as a comprehensive roadmap for organizations to follow in order to protect themselves from cyber threats like the Salt Typhoon group. By implementing the recommended steps, critical infrastructure providers can enhance their defenses, reduce their risk exposure, and safeguard their operations against malicious actors seeking to disrupt or compromise their systems.