Threat or Opportunity? Big Data and Cyber Security

The age of big data and cyber security is here. And that means both opportunity and risk for most businesses. If you are in the cyber security field you are likely very familiar with big data, which is the term used to describe a very large data set that is mined and analyzed to find patterns and behavioral trends. It is generally defined as being dense in variety, velocity and volume. From a cyber security standpoint big data has ushered in new possibilities in terms of analytics and security solutions to protect data and prevent future cyber attacks. But just as big data has opened up new possibilities for cyber security teams, it has also given cyber criminals the opportunity to access mass quantities of sensitive and personal information through the use of advanced technologies.

Threats and Opportunities

There are three main challenges that businesses are running into with big data:

• Protecting sensitive and personal information
• Data rights and ownership
• Not having the talent (i.e. data scientists) to analyze the data

While meeting the main challenge of safeguarding information may sound simple enough, when you look at the scale of data that needs to be processed and analyzed in order to prevent cyber attacks, the challenge becomes a little more daunting. For example, “to give you an idea of how much data needs to be processed, a medium–size network with 20,000 devices (laptops, smartphones and servers) will transmit more than 50 TB of data in a 24–hour period. That means that over 5 Gbits must be analyzed every second to detect cyber attacks, potential threats and malware attributed to malicious hackers,” according to Computer World.

Traditionally, the technologies and security tools that have been used to mine data and prevent cyber-attacks have been more reactive than proactive and have also created a large number of false positives, creating inefficiencies and distracting from actual threats. What’s more these traditional tools do not have the bandwidth required to deal with the large volumes of information.

In comparison, big data analytics give cyber security professionals the ability to analyze data from many different sources and data types and then respond in real time. Big data analytics is not only able to gather information from a vast universe but it is also able to connect the dots between data, making correlations and connections that may have otherwise been missed. This increases efficiencies for cyber crime professionals and casts a wider more reliable net when it comes to thwarting cyber-attacks.

If businesses can figure out how to use modern technologies to safeguard personal and sensitive data, then the opportunities that big data present are great. The two biggest benefits big data offers companies today are:

• Business intelligence through access to vast data/customer analytics that can be used to enhance and optimize sales and marketing strategies
• Fraud detection and a SIEM systems replacement

Increasing Big Data Security

When cyber criminals target big data sets, the reward is often well worth the effort needed to penetrate security layers, which is why big data presents such a great opportunity not only for businesses but for cyber criminals. They have a lot more to gain when they go after such a large data set. Consequently, companies have a lot more to lose should they face a cyber attack without the proper security measures in place.

In order to increase the security around big data, your business may consider:

Overall, big data presents enormous opportunities for businesses that go beyond just enhanced business intelligence. Big data offers the ability to increase cyber security itself. Yet, in order to benefit from the many opportunities big data presents, companies must shoulder the responsibility and risk of protecting that data.

Overall, big data presents enormous opportunities for businesses that go beyond just enhanced business intelligence. Big data offers the ability to increase cyber security itself. Yet, in order to benefit from the many opportunities big data presents, companies must shoulder the responsibility and risk of protecting that data.

Best Regards ,

Web Admin

LATVIK SECURE

LATVIK TECHNOLOGIES ™

www.latvikhost.com | https://latviksecure.blogspot.com

5 Enterprise Cybersecurity Threats and How to Minimize Them

The top companies of generations ago didn’t have to worry about cyber-security because the internet didn’t exist yet. Because it’s so prevalent in our society now, criminals turn to the online realm to wage war against victims — and often target entire organizations in the process. It’s essential for business leaders to be aware of potential cyber-security threats to enterprises and know how to reduce them.It’s essential for business leaders to be aware of potential cyber-security threats to enterprises and know how to reduce them.

1   1.  Disgruntled Former Employees

Individuals who become upset after terminations, being laid off or getting denied an opportunity for promotion are all people who could use their insider knowledge to put a company’s data at risk after they leave the organization.

Factors that motivate malicious insiders include greed, thrill-seeking and the desire to get revenge after a perceived wrongful action.

Companies can reduce the malicious insider risk by immediately deactivating credentials after people leave the company and carefully monitoring any sensitive material, including encouraging people not to print out or take home confidential documents.

2.   Attacks From International Hackers

It’s crucial for companies not to have a solely domestic mindset when thinking about cyber-security. Whereas government agencies usually have the resources to deal with cyber-criminals from other countries and prevent their attacks, the same is not often true for entities at the enterprise level, making potential attacks particularly costly.

A 2014 attack at Sony that was reportedly launched by state-sponsored hackers from North Korea and resulted in the loss of substantial amounts of data — plus over 47,000 social security numbers — swiped from computers.

The cyber-security team at a business must realize the organization is not out of reach of international attackers. They should keep that in mind when securing their networks and monitoring for threats. It’s also necessary to immediately begin communicating with law enforcement officials after a suspected attack to tap into their resources.

3. Staff Mistakes

Untrained and careless staff members also cause a significant percentage of cyber-security incidents. Data collected in 2016 found that 57 percent of security issues in the government sector happened due to human error, producing 14 percent of the system downtime in those situations.

Sometimes, training itself isn’t adequate, especially if employees don’t realize their roles in keeping an enterprise safe from threats. All-encompassing training that evolves as new threats arrive is instrumental in minimizing risks due to staff mistakes. It’s also useful to consider having cyber-security experts speak to your teams to help solidify learned concepts and give staff members the opportunity to ask questions.

4.   Unsecured Devices Brought From Home

BYOD workplaces that involve employees bringing gadgets like laptops and tablets from home into the enterprise environment can save companies money and allow people to work on devices that they know well and feel comfortable using. However, these devices are also vulnerable to hackers, especially if not properly secured.One way to cut down on the risk to an enterprise is to write and uphold a BYOD policy that spells out how employees should handle their devices, whether or not they’re at work.

For example, keeping all software up-to-date, avoiding connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and locking down computer interfaces with passwords can all cut down on security risks on portable devices, regardless of where people are when using them.The IT team at an organization should also adopt a practice of periodically checking BYOD devices to ensure they comply with the policy.

5.   Outdated or Nonexistent Cybersecurity Practices

Statistics indicate there are 59 records lost every second. Whether due to insufficient internal practices alone or successful hacking attempts from cyber criminals that target organizations, that number suggests companies are not doing enough to lock down their data.

A survey of over 4,000 organizations found that seven out of 10 were not prepared for cyber attacks. In some cases, that might mean the enterprise has not updated its security strategies for several years. However, perhaps they have never formally incorporated cybersecurity efforts into business operations.

Carrying out a security audit is an excellent activity that allows business leaders to see where their companies stand and pinpoint the most glaring shortcomings. The insights gleaned enable enterprises to get a strong start when addressing cyber security from the ground up or to edit current practices so that they more adequately meet emerging needs.

Stay Vigilant to Avoid Catastrophes

This list details some of the most substantial threats to modern enterprises.

Fortunately, it also addresses how to make those risks less prominent. Business executives cannot afford to assume hackers won’t target them.They must be aware of the daunting possibilities and rely on skilled cybersecurity experts — and the workplace at large — to keep costly and stressful threats minimized.

Best Regards ,

Web Admin

LATVIK SECURE

LATVIK TECHNOLOGIES ™

www.latvikhost.com | https://latviksecure.blogspot.com

What’s Your Patient or visitors Really Doing with that Smartphone in Your Medical Office?

Do visitors or employees in your hospital or clinic use smartphones?

Even though you’ve posted ‘Please turn off your phone’ signs nearly everywhere? You’re not alone. Most health care organizations find themselves competing with technology for peoples’ attention.

Of course, patients aren’t the only ones clicking, searching, scanning and snapping in medical settings. Nurses, doctors, assistants, vendors – nearly every human in the joint has a device. As a result, more connected devices are in use within health care provider settings, wirelessly sending and receiving data day and night.

What’s more, medical devices used to diagnose and treat patients are often doing the same – sending and receiving data through what can be incredibly vulnerable networks and systems.

While visiting my own doctor recently, I decided to search for such devices using a free Wi-Fi access finder app I have downloaded on my smartphone. I was not surprised to find more than a dozen wireless medical devices and associated controlling systems in my immediate area. I was troubled, however, to find not one was using encryption, nor did any of them require the use of passwords. I could also see network names and data being sent within the facility’s wireless network – all through these dozen or so devices and systems.

When my doctors came into the room, I asked if the facility had good security on its devices and networks. Here again, the answer did not surprise me:

“We have a great information security department, so I’m sure we do.”

I showed them what I’d found and explained that if I had been a hacker, I could have accessed all the data on those devices and sent it to some unknown and far-away cloud server. They were scared to learn anyone within range could, at that very moment, be getting away with that very malicious act completely undetected.

“We’ll discuss this with our data security officer.”

And that’s a great first step. But, as we all know, staying on top of the risks, threats, patches, upgrades, and innovations that keep an organization cyber safe is a daunting task. Quite frankly, it’s too much for a single data security officer. That is why we developed LATVIK SECURE – to simplify risk management and compliance, ultimately making cyber security risks and related threats much easier to mitigate.

Best Regards ,

Web Admin

LATVIK SECURE

LATVIK TECHNOLOGIES ™

www.latvikhost.com | https://latviksecure.blogspot.com

LATVIK SECURE BLOG LAUNCH

Hello! We’re excited for our debut blog! 
Let’s give you a quick round of introduction.

Welcome aboard LATVIK SECURE , a new beginning into Privacy and security Management. We simplify businesses so that you can concentrate on running it rather than worrying about protecting it.

How our software helps businesses:

Who is this blog for?

1. Top decision makers: CEO's, Vice Presidents, Directors, etc.

2. Management positions: Business heads, Managers, IT Purchase       officers, etc. 

3. Students who want to know more about IT and security in general.

Even if you’re not any of the above mentioned, it’s still a good read for you.

What should you expect?

Concise insights on business to help you make informed decisions.Being strong believers of quality we’ll dish out the most helpful and fun to read blogs. So stay tuned, for a variety of detailed information on business, IT security & compliance in specific. Don’t be a stranger, this could be a start of a great relation and journey . 

Best Regards ,

VIKRAM SHARMA

Web Admin

LATVIK TECHNOLOGIES ™

www.latvikhost.com | https://latvikcrm.blogspot.com