Cyber Security

Employees Are the First Line of Defense

Published

1 month ago

February 7, 2025

Sharef Hlal, the Regional lead of TI, DRP, ASM – META at Group-IB says, that amid the geopolitical tensions in the region, cyber threats cast a shadow over the digital landscape, posing a serious risk on critical national infrastructure

Can you provide an overview of the current cybersecurity landscape for critical infrastructure in the MEA region?
The cybersecurity landscape for critical infrastructure in the MEA region is rapidly evolving due to increasing digital transformation among businesses and processes. Many governmental entities now offer online services marking a significant milestone in the region’s digitalization efforts. However, this progress also significantly expands the attack surface for the critical national infrastructure. Amid the geopolitical tensions in the region, cyber threats cast a shadow over the digital landscape, posing a serious risk to critical national infrastructure.

How important is employee training and awareness in preventing cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure?
Employees are the first line of defense and cybersecurity training is critical to protect critical infrastructure. Even if an organization has the strongest technologies to protect its infrastructure, a single click on a suspicious link by an employee could potentially result in data leaks or ransomware attacks, which will negatively impact business continuity and reputation. This is especially true if we are talking about organizations that are managing national critical infrastructure. In most cases, threat actors use social engineering tactics to lure employees to click on a phishing link or download a malicious attachment.

The victim’s action in this case then becomes the “entry point” for the threat actors to access the infrastructure, steal the data, damage it, or ask for a ransom. That’s why organizations must invest in training their employees, enhancing awareness about cyber threats, and providing courses on how to avoid them.

What role does proactive threat intelligence play in securing critical infrastructure systems?
I always compare cybersecurity to protecting a home security system – to protect your house from being burgled, you must know who might target you—the potential thieves who target homes like yours—and how they gain access to your home. Once you understand their tactics, you can implement measures to neutralize the risks. The same concept applies to businesses—in an ever-evolving digital landscape, threat intelligence provides the necessary information for security teams to build effective defence strategies and procedures. When it comes to national critical infrastructure, it is crucial to understand every detail about threat actors, monitor their communications on the dark web, and stay updated on the latest tactics they use to target different sectors.

Are there any technologies being deployed to safeguard critical infrastructure in the region?
In the MEA region, various cybersecurity technologies have been deployed to protect critical infrastructure. AI, machine learning and zero-trust architecture are playing a critical role to safeguard and strengthen policies against cyber-attacks. Organizations in the region are increasingly integrating AI-driven security frameworks to enhance their cyber defence. However, we’ve seen the rise of deepfake fraud using tools such as AI-driven image and video generators, virtual camera applications, and facial-swapping technologies to bypass KYC (Know Your Customer) protocols, putting those organizations at risk of diverse cyber-attacks. To avoid those challenges, organizations must continuously adopt the latest generations of cybersecurity technologies that integrate AI and machine learning to stay ahead of evolving threats and ensure robust protection.

What role do MEA governments play in regulating and enforcing cybersecurity standards for critical infrastructure?
Governments play a crucial role in shaping a country’s cybersecurity strategy. In several countries in the MEA region, significant progress has been made in developing cybersecurity frameworks to protect national infrastructure and businesses. There are several strong examples of how governments actively contribute to enhancing cybersecurity procedures and practices. This includes implementing specific regulations, running awareness campaigns, and providing training for cybersecurity professionals.

For example, Saudi Arabia’s National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) enforces cybersecurity compliance for both public and private entities, ensuring that organizations follow strict security guidelines. Also, initiatives like Dubai’s Cyber Security Strategy encourage businesses to align with government frameworks, promoting a unified defence against cyber threats. Building a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce is a key factor in successfully implementing an effective national strategy. Many governments in the region have launched initiatives to enhance the qualifications of cybersecurity specialists, including offering scholarships for master’s and PhD programs in cybersecurity.

How can companies ensure business continuity while recovering from a cyber-attack on their critical systems?
To ensure continuity while recovering from cyber-attacks, companies should adopt a structured approach that includes immediate response, recovery, and long-term resilience. Speed is of the essence, organizations must act swiftly when faced with a cybersecurity incident, by isolating affected systems, implementing incident response protocols and securing data backups to recover much more quickly from an incident without significantly impacting business continuity. Companies also need to adopt a proactive approach by ensuring continuous threat intelligence surveillance and staying up-to-date on the latest cyber-fraud trends and cybersecurity regulations.

Cyber Security

Positive Technologies Discovery Leads D-Link to Recommend Router Replacements

Published

15 hours ago

March 19, 2025

Priyan Sampath

Vladimir Razov, an expert from the PT SWARM team, has discovered a vulnerability in several models of D-Link routers. According to Mordor Intelligence, D-Link is one of the top three Wi-Fi router manufacturers in the world. The vendor has been notified of the threat in line with the responsible disclosure policy and recommends that users switch to more recent devices.

The vulnerability, which is registered as BDU:2024-06211 with a CVSS 3.0 score of 8.4, affects the following D-Link models: DIR-878, DIR-882, DIR-2640-US, DIR-1960-US, DIR-2660-US, DIR-3040-US, DIR-3060-US, DIR-867-US, DIR-882-US, DIR-882/RE, DIR-882-CA, and DIR-882-US/RE. At the time of the research, vulnerable routers could be discovered using search engines in the United States, Canada, Sweden, China, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

According to the manufacturer, these models are no longer supported. D-Link recommends retiring the outdated devices and replacing them with supported devices that receive firmware updates. “If this vulnerability is successfully exploited, a malicious user authorized in the router’s web interface can compromise the entire device and gain access to all traffic passing through it,” says Vladimir Razov, Web Application Security Analyst at PT SWARM, the offensive security department at Positive Technologies.

As a temporary measure to mitigate the threat, Vladimir Razov recommends using OpenWrt (an open-source embedded operating system based on the Linux kernel and designed specifically for routers) or changing the login credentials for accessing the router’s web interface. Previously, Positive Technologies helped address vulnerabilities in Zyxel routers and other Zyxel devices. Positive Technologies also enhanced its PT Industrial Security Incident Manager (PT ISIM) with an additional expertise pack, enabling cybersecurity teams to detect attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in MikroTik routers and Cisco switches.

Cyber Security

Sophos Study: MDR Users Claim 97.5% Less in Cyber Insurance

Published

2 days ago

March 18, 2025

Chris Fernando

Leading cybersecurity provider Sophos has released findings from a new study quantifying the financial impact of various cybersecurity controls on cyber insurance claims. The research compares the effect of endpoint solutions, EDR/XDR technologies, and MDR services on claim amounts, offering valuable insights for both insurers and organizations.

Sally Adam, Senior Director, Solution Marketing at Sophos, said, “Every year, organisations spend huge amounts of money on their cybersecurity. By quantifying the impact of controls on the outcome of cyberattacks, this study enables them to focus their investments on the most cost-effective options. At the same time, insurers have a major influence on cybersecurity spending through the controls they require of organisations wishing to be covered and the discounts they offer when a given scheme is in place. This study enables them to encourage investments that can make a real difference to incident outcomes and the resulting claim amounts.”

The Sophos study reveals a dramatic difference in cyber insurance claims: organizations using MDR services claim a median compensation of just $75,000, a staggering 97.5% less than the $3 million median claimed by organizations relying solely on endpoint solutions. This means that endpoint-only users typically claim 40 times more in the event of an attack. The study attributes this significant reduction to the rapid threat detection and blocking capabilities of MDR services, which can effectively prevent extensive damage.

The study also highlights a clear benefit to combining EDR or XDR with endpoint solutions, as the average insurance claim for users of these tools is just $500,000, which is one-sixth of the $3 million average claim for those using only endpoint solutions.

The Sophos study indicates that the predictability of cyber insurance claims varies significantly depending on the security controls in place. Claims from organizations utilizing MDR services show the highest predictability, suggesting consistent and reliable threat mitigation. This is likely due to the 24/7 expert monitoring, investigation, and response that allows for swift action against threats at any time. Conversely, claims from users of EDR/XDR tools are the least predictable, implying that their effectiveness in preventing major damage heavily depends on the user’s expertise and speed of response.

The Sophos study also reveals significant differences in recovery times from ransomware attacks. Endpoint solution users average a 40-day recovery, while EDR/XDR users take the longest at 55 days. In stark contrast, organizations using MDR services recover the fastest, with an average downtime of just three days. These findings underscore MDR’s effectiveness in minimizing the impact of cyberattacks and highlight the less predictable recovery experiences associated with EDR/XDR tools, whose success is dependent on user expertise.

Adam concludes, “The research confirms what many people instinctively know: the type of security solution used has a significant impact on cyber insurance claims. Cyberattacks are inevitable, but defences are not. These results are a useful tool for organisations wishing to optimise their cyber defence and their return on investment in cybersecurity. They will also be useful for insurers looking to reduce their exposure and offer suitable policies to their customers.”

Cyber Security

Fortinet Strengthens OT Security for Critical Infrastructure

Published

2 days ago

March 18, 2025

Chris Fernando

Fortinet has enhanced its OT Security Platform to better protect critical infrastructure from modern cyberthreats. The upgraded platform offers more than basic OT visibility with the new FortiGuard OT Security Service, expanded hardened solutions for network segmentation and 5G in demanding environments, and an improved OT SecOps portfolio for automated threat response and compliance management.

“Fortinet has been building an industry-leading OT Security Platform for 20-plus years and remains at the forefront of OT security innovation,” said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet. “As cyberthreats against critical infrastructure and across industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing continue to grow, Fortinet remains committed to delivering comprehensive security solutions tailored for operational technology environments. These latest enhancements give organizations the tools they need to improve their OT security posture and adhere to regulatory requirements—all managed through a single, unified platform.”

The latest Fortinet OT Security Platform enhances OT security with:

Advanced Threat Protection: New FortiGate Rugged NGFWs combined with the enhanced FortiGuard OT Security Service offer superior security enforcement, detecting threats using over 3,300 OT protocol rules, nearly 750 OT IPS rules, and 1,500 virtual patching rules. This protects against known exploited vulnerabilities and provides virtual patching for older OT systems. Secure remote access is also improved with updates to FortiSRA, including enhanced secrets and password management.
Secure Segmentation: The new FortiSwitch Rugged 108F and FortiSwitch Rugged 112F-POE industrial-grade switches enable precise security control at the port level, preventing unauthorized lateral movement within OT networks. Built on Fortinet’s unified FortiOS, these switches simplify network and security management.
Resilient Connectivity: Two new ruggedized 5G solutions are introduced: the IP67-rated FortiExtender Rugged 511G for secure, high-speed connectivity to remote OT sites, and the IP64-rated FortiExtender Vehicle 511G for fleet vehicles. Both feature embedded Wi-Fi 6 and new eSIM capabilities for easier carrier selection.
Enhanced OT SecOps: Fortinet’s AI-driven security operations capabilities are strengthened with updates to FortiAnalyzer 7.6 and FortiDeceptor 6.1, offering deeper threat insights and simplified compliance reporting for OT security teams. FortiNDR Cloud now includes OT protocol support for threat hunting, while FortiNDR (on-premises) adds features like a Purdue Model view and a device inventory covering OT and the Mitre ATT&CK ICS Matrix.

The Fortinet OT Security Platform delivers a unified view and comprehensive security tools to simplify the management of OT and remote site security. It empowers organizations to easily assess, secure, and report on risks, including meeting complex regulatory compliance. Fortinet uniquely offers seamless segmentation and a complete ruggedized portfolio of OT security solutions all managed by a single operating system, FortiOS. Its deep integration within the Fortinet Security Fabric makes it a leading platform in the industry, providing an effective, efficient, and holistic approach to OT security and compliance that surpasses standard offerings.