cybersecurity

INDEX

• U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• TYPICAL CUSTOMERS OF THE U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE BENEFITS

• ACTIVITIES/TASKS OF THE U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• NETWORK SECURITY SERVICE

• NETWORK SECURITY

• SCOPE OF NETWORK SECURITY

• NETWORK SECURITY OBJECTIVES

• CYBER THREATS (THREATS) AND VULNERABILITIES

• PHASES OF NETWORK SECURITY

• ACCESS CONTROL. TYPE OF SECURITY CONTROL.

• NETWORK SEGMENTATION

• PERIMETER SECURITY

• ENCRYPTION

• HASH

• NETWORK SECURITY MEASURES

• FIREWALL (FW)

• INTRUSION DETECTION/PREVENTION SYSTEM (IDPS)

• VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK - VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)

• DATA LEAK PREVENTION (DLP)

• DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (DRM)

• LOGS, MONITORING AND SIEM

• VULNERABLE AREAS OF NETWORK SECURITY

• APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• APPLICATION SECURITY

• THREATS. CYBER THREATS

• RECOMMENDED PRACTICES IN APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)?

• IMPORTANCE OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• CHALLENGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• STAGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC). PHASES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• BENEFITS OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC). ADVANTAGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• TYPES OF APPLICATION SECURITY TOOLS (APPSEC). SECURITY TESTING TOOLS. SECURITY SHIELD TOOLS

• SECURITY TESTING TOOLS

• SECURITY SHIELD TOOLS

• INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• BUSINESS CHALLENGES. BUSINESS CHALLENGES REGARDING INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• TYPES OF DATA SECURITY

• DATA SECURITY TOOLS

• DATA SECURITY STRATEGIES

• DATA SECURITY MEASURES

• DATA SECURITY TRENDS

• IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• COMPONENTS OF IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• IDENTITY MANAGEMENT

• ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING

• IMPORTANCE OF IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• USER AUTHENTICATION TYPES

• ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• ADVANTAGES OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT. BENEFITS OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT.

• IMPLEMENTATION OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• OPERATIONAL SECURITY (OPSEC)

• OPERATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY (OPSEC)

• COMPONENTS OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• IMPORTANCE OF OPERATIONAL SECURITY (OPSEC)

• PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• BEST OPERATIONAL SECURITY PRACTICES (OPSEC)

• MOBILE SECURITY

• IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE SECURITY

• MOBILE SECURITY THREATS. MOBILE SECURITY CHALLENGES

• PHYSICAL THREATS

• THREATS TO APPLICATIONS

• NETWORK THREATS

• WEB-BASED THREATS AND ENDPOINTS

• OUTDATED OPERATING SYSTEMS

• EXCESSIVE APP PERMISSIONS

• PHISHING

• MALWARE. RANSOMWARE

• BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD)

• SECURITY MEASURES ON MOBILE DEVICES

• CLOUD SECURITY

• CLOUD SECURITY CATEGORIES

• SCOPE OF CLOUD SECURITY. SCOPE OF CLOUD SECURITY

• TYPES OF CLOUD SERVICES.

• CORE

• SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SAAS) CLOUD SERVICES

• PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS) CLOUD SERVICES

• INFRASTRUCTURE CLOUD SERVICES AS A SERVICE (IAAS)

• TYPES OF CLOUD SECURITY ENVIRONMENTS

• CLOUD SECURITY RISKS

• CLOUD SECURITY CHALLENGES

• IMPORTANCE OF CLOUD SECURITY

• DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

• DISASTER RECOVERY

• BUSINESS CONTINUITY

• DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY OBJECTIVES

• DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

What is the U2 lab™ 'Cybersecurity' service?

U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• U2 lab™'s 'Cybersecurity' service is intended for those clients who are in one of the following situations:

• The client is a brand-new SME (small and medium-sized enterprise), etc., in need of implementing cybersecurity meassures to protect itself, from scratch;

• The client is an established SME (small and medium-sized enterprise), etc., in need of updating, and/or expanding its cybersecurity pre-existing protection;

• The client is a tech company immersed in a cybersecurity project intended for a third party (tech company's client) and needs additional manpower (U2 lab™ may be contracted to work on an 'stand-alone' basis or as part of a cybersecurity team within the tech company);

Who are the typical clients of the U2 lab™ 'Cybersecurity' service?

TYPICAL CUSTOMERS OF THE U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• Typical clients of U2 lab™'s 'Cybersecurity' service are:

• SME (small and medium-sized enterprises);

• Freelancers (self-employed persons);

• Teaching Centres;

• Associations;

• Private Clients;

• Public Administration;

• Tech Companies;

• Etc.;

What benefits does the U2 lab™ 'Cybersecurity' service offer?

U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE BENEFITS

• U2 lab™'s 'Cybersecurity' service include:

• Analysis: study of the project (type, magnitude, parties involved, objectives, measures to implement, deadlines, etc.);

• Meeting/s: face-to-face and/or virtual, with the client, in order to assess project matters;

• Guidance & assistance: permanent communication and information-sharing with the client, keeping the client informed at all times on the project status, relevant dates, etc.;

• Cybersecurity Report: elaboration of 'U2 lab™'s Cybersecurity Report' including detailed information on the project (analysis of the client's situation, implementation of cybersecurity measures, testing, delivery, use, maintenance and support);

• Delivery: of the cybersecurity measures and the 'U2 lab™'s Cybersecurity Report' to the client;

• Training: cybersecurity training (face-to-face and/or online) to the client (e.g. company's staff, etc.);

• Support: technical and non-technical;

What types of activities/tasks does the U2 lab™ 'Cybersecurity' service include?

ACTIVITIES/TASKS OF THE U2 LAB™ ‘CYBERSECURITY’ SERVICE

• At U2 lab™, we offer our clients an extensive array of 'cybersecurity' activities/tasks so as to cover most common clients' needs, including:

• Network Security: implementing the hardware and software necessary to secure a computer network from unauthorized access, intruders, attacks, disruption, and/or misuse, helping the  client to protect its assets against external/internal threats;

• Application Security: protecting the software and devices against threats. It applies to the entire software development process (analysis, design, implementation, testing, etc.) before a program or device is actually deployed;

• Information/Data Security: implementing a strong data storage mechanism to ensure the integrity and privacy of data, both in storage and in transit;

• Identity Management: determining the level of access that each individual has within the client's organization;

• Operational Security: processing and making decisions on handling and securing data assets;

• Mobile Security: securing the organizational and personal data stored on mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other similar devices against various malicious threats (e.g. unauthorized access, device loss/theft, malware, etc.);

• Cloud Security: protecting the information stored in the digital environment or cloud architectures for the client's organization. It uses various cloud service providers such as Google, AWS, Azure, etc., in order to ensure security against multiple threats;

• Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Planning: monitoring, alerting, and planning how an organization responds upon the loss of operations or data and resuming the lost operations after any disaster happens to the same operating capacity as before the event;

• Training: training the clients' personnel (e.g. company's staff, etc.) in cybersecurity and how to better protect their organization against cybercrime attacks;

• U2 lab™ is willing to expand its 'cybersecurity' services portfolio to better suit our clients' specific needs if so required. 

What does the Network Security service include?

NETWORK SECURITY SERVICE

• Network Security

• Implement the hardware and software necessary to protect a computer network from unauthorized access, intruders, attacks, interruptions and/or misuse.

• Helps the client to protect their assets against external/internal threats.

What is network security? What is network security?

NETWORK SECURITY

• Network Security

• Any activity, process, technology or policy that seeks to protect the digital resources of an individual or organization from failures and attacks on its Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA).

• Any activity designed to protect the access, use and integrity of the corporate network and data.

• Hardware and software solutions, as well as processes or rules and configurations related to network usage, accessibility and general protection against cyber threats.

• It is aimed at various cyber threats.

• Prevents cyber threats from accessing and/or spreading through the network.

What is the scope of network security?

SCOPE OF NETWORK SECURITY

• Scope of Network Security

• Security of the digital perimeter of an organization.

• Security within the "walls" of a "fortress."

• Within the "walls" we find the IT (Information Technology) infrastructure of a company, that is, the software, hardware, data storage and network components of each of the users and devices.

What are the objectives of network security?

NETWORK SECURITY OBJECTIVES

• Network Security Objectives

• Prevent malicious attacks from gaining access to internal networks of computers or other devices.

• Protect the data, systems and devices where they are stored.

• Ensure that the information that enters and leaves the devices is kept only between them and their recipients, remaining confidential and away from third parties.

What are cyber threats? What are vulnerabilities?

CYBER THREATS (THREATS) AND VULNERABILITIES

• Cyber ​​threats (threats) and Vulnerabilities

• Possible violations that affect the confidentiality, availability or integrity of resources.

• They may include disclosure of sensitive data, alteration of data, or even denial of access to a service.

• Threat agent: person or a group of people who intends to cause damage using existing vulnerabilities.

• Threat vector: path that an attack follows.

• Vulnerabilities: weakness or bug that threat actors can use to violate security policies.

What are the phases of network security? What phases does network security consist of?

PHASES OF NETWORK SECURITY

• Network Security Phases

• Phase 1. Prevention

• Define what needs to be protected.

• Determine organizational responsibilities.

• Establish implementation procedures.

• Detail the execution.

• Create a security awareness program to train all employees.

• Establish access controls to manage how employees use and access the organization's resources.

• Phase 2. Detection

• Use features that monitor and log system activity.

• In the event of a potential breach or malicious activity, detection systems should notify the responsible party or person.

• The detection process is only effective when followed by a timely planned response.

• Phase 3. Response

• Well-planned correction to an incident.

• Stoppage of the attack in progress.

• Updating a system with the latest patch.

• Changing a firewall configuration.

What is access control? What is access control? What are the types of security controls? What are the security control phases? What is IAAR? What is Identification, Authentication, Authorization and Accountability?

ACCESS CONTROL. TYPE OF SECURITY CONTROL.

• Access Control

• Type of security control.

• Phases: Identification, Authentication, Authorization and Accountability (IAAA).

• Phase 1. Identification: confirmation of the user's identity through a unique identifier such as a "user id", a "user name" or an "account number".

• Phase 2. Authentication: verification of credentials that the user "knows" (e.g. username and password), "has" (e.g. ID card), and/or "is" (e.g. biometrics).

• Phase 3. Authorization: granting access permission.

• Phase-4. Accountability: Tracking user activity to hold those who have access accountable for their actions in a system.

What is network segmentation? What is network segmentation?

NETWORK SEGMENTATION

• Network Segmentation

• It consists of dividing a network into smaller logical parts so that controls can be added between them.

• This improves performance and safety.

• Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) are a common method of network segmentation that is carried out locally or using cloud infrastructure.

• When used for the cloud, they are called "Virtual Private Cloud" (VPC).

What is perimeter security? What is perimeter security?

PERIMETER SECURITY

• Perimeter Security

• Define a perimeter.

• Determine what type of traffic should flow: data, voice, video, etc.

• Configure the appropriate control mechanisms: Firewalls, IDS, IPS, VPN, etc.

What is encryption? What is encryption?

ENCRYPTION

• Encryption

• Ensures the confidentiality and integrity of data in transit or at rest by converting it into encryption using a key.

• Types:

• Symmetric encryption: consists of a single key that is shared between the sender and the receiver.

• Asymmetric encryption: uses two keys, one public and one private, to encrypt/decrypt information, making it less vulnerable.

What is hashing? What is hash?

HASH

• Hash

• It uses an algorithm that generates a fixed-length string of random characters by converting the original data or message into a short value.

• This works as a key to guarantee the integrity of that message or that data.

• Hash algorithms are a way to verify the integrity of communication.

• Typical uses of hashing: storing passwords, monitoring files, ensuring communication integrity securely, etc.

What are the security measures on the network? What security measures are there on the network?

NETWORK SECURITY MEASURES

• Network Security Measures

• Firewall (FW).

• Intrusion Detection System (IDS).

• Intrusion Prevention System (IPS).

• Virtual Private Network (VPN).

• Data Leak Prevention (DLP).

• Digital Rights Management (DRM).

• Logs, Monitoring and SIEM.

What is a firewall?

FIREWALL (FW)

• Firewall (FW)

• Analyze and classify traffic automatically.

• Blocks or allows the passage of traffic.

• For a firewall, traffic is divided into two categories: "desired" traffic to pass and "undesirable" traffic to block.

• A firewall is configured with a list of rules ("policies").

• The traffic that is allowed to pass through a firewall is specified in its configuration, based on the type of traffic a business has and needs.

• The firewall uses this list of rules to determine what to do with the traffic once it receives it.

• The best and most important security practice with a firewall is that it should block all traffic by default.

• It must be configured to allow only specific traffic to pass to known services.

• Firewall configuration is critical.

• It operates at different layers within the "International Standards Organization" "Open System Interconnect" (ISO OSI) model.

• OSI layers 2-5: the usual.

• OSI layer 7: "proxy", "gateway", "Web Application Firewall" (WAF).

What is an IDPS? What is an IDS? What is an IPS? What is an Intrusion Detection/Prevention System?

INTRUSION DETECTION/PREVENTION SYSTEM (IDPS)

• Intrusion Detection/Prevention System (IDPS)

• IDPS = IDS + IPS.

• IDS:

• Passive device.

• Monitors the network for malicious activity.

• It focuses on finding traffic that shouldn't be there (coming from a hacker, etc.).

• Log suspicious traffic.

• Make reports.

• Types: Network-Based IDS (NIDS) or Host-Based IDS (HIDS).

• IPS:

• Active device.

• The IPS must know what is and is not “good” traffic.

• This can be done with signature files or it can learn.

• When it realizes that the traffic it is flowing is coming from a hacker, it destroys that traffic.

• In practice it is very difficult to correctly adjust this type of systems.

• Types: Network-Based IPS (NIPS) or Host-Based IPS (HIPS).

• Most companies opt for an IDS, which they complement with registries, a SIEM, as well as prepared response plans and teams.

What is a VPN? What is a virtual private network?

VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK - VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)

• Virtual Private Network (VPN)

• One of the most common security measures in companies.

• It connects to a secure server before connecting directly to the internet.

• Hides the user's IP address and location.

• Protects the confidentiality of data as it passes through the network.

• The core of a VPN is encryption, although it also uses authentication.

• Encryption options:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS).

• Secure Shell (SSH).

• Internet Protocol Security (IPsec).

What is Data Leak Prevention (DLP)?

DATA LEAK PREVENTION (DLP)

• Data Leak Prevention (DLP)

• Protection of intellectual property (IP).

• IP includes: manuals, processes, design documents, research and development data, etc.

• Objective: keep confidential information contained.

• DLP looks for sensitive information in data streams such as emails or file transfers.

• If the DLP software sees sensitive information such as a credit card number, it blocks or stops transmission (or may encrypt the information, if that becomes a more appropriate option).

What is Digital Rights Management (DRM)?

DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT (DRM)

• Digital Rights Management (DRM)

• Protection of intellectual property (IP).

• IP includes: manuals, processes, design documents, research and development data, etc.

• Objective: ensure that information can only be seen by those who should see it.

• DRM allows the company to share digital content (books, manuals, etc.) with its clients in a controlled way.

• DRM software controls access to intellectual property.

• DRM technology uses access control that determines how long someone can use the content, whether it can be printed, whether it can be shared, etc.

• The parameters are based on the wishes of the intellectual property owner.

• Some examples of platforms that use DRM are: Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, Spotify, iTunes, Kindle, etc.

What are Logs, Monitoring and SIEM? What is Security Information Event Manager (SIEM)?

LOGS, MONITORING AND SIEM

• Logs, Monitoring and SIEM

• Logs:

• Virtually all systems within or connected to a network must generate logs.

• This allows you to know what has happened and what is happening on the network.

• This results in a large number of logged events.

• What is recorded is determined by the company itself.

• This could include login attempts, traffic flows, packets, actions taken, or even every keystroke a user makes.

• The decision about what to record should be based on business risk analysis, asset sensitivity, and system vulnerabilities.

• Supervision:

• To make sense of all this data, it is necessary to send the logs, which are also audit trails, to a central location such as a syslog server for analysis.

• Security Information Event Manager (SIEM):

• Analysis tool.

• Once the logs are on the syslog server, they are analyzed by a SIEM.

• Analyze the logs of all systems and correlate events.

• Look for "indicators of compromise" (IoC).

• If there is an IoC, someone should review that event and determine if action is necessary to stop an attack or to repair and restore systems after an attack.

• An IoC does not always represent evidence of a malicious event, so it must be analyzed by people.

• This is where a SOC ("Security Operation Center") and an incident response team ("IRT") must determine what the next steps are.

What are the vulnerable areas of network security?

VULNERABLE AREAS OF NETWORK SECURITY

• Vulnerable Areas of Network Security

• File exchanges.

• Email.

• Outdated programming languages, operating systems and programs.

• Hidden file extensions.

• Instant messaging (IM) platforms: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc.

• Chatbots.

• Wireless networks/connections: WiFi, NFC, etc.

What is Application Security (AppSec)? What is Application Security (AppSec)?

APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• Application Security (AppSec)

• Protect software and devices from threats.

• It applies to the entire software development process (analysis, design, implementation, testing, etc.) before a program or device is implemented.

What is application security?

APPLICATION SECURITY

• Application Security

• Security measures, security programs, and security controls designed to protect applications against attacks by cybercriminals seeking unauthorized access to an organization's IT ecosystem.

• Set of best practices, functions and/or features added to a company's software.

• Objective: Prevent and resolve cybercriminal threats, data breaches and other dangers.

What are threats? What are cyber threats?

THREATS. CYBER THREATS

• Threats

• Most application threats are designed to exploit software weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

• These application vulnerabilities can allow attackers to access databases, corrupt information, exfiltrate sensitive data, download malware, or make applications unavailable via a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

What are application security (AppSec) best practices?

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES IN APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)?

• Recommended Practices

• Web application firewalls: can be used to inspect and filter malicious traffic.

• Bot management solutions: allow organizations to grant access to good bots while stopping malicious bots.

• DDoS mitigation technology: prevents/mitigates “DDoS” attacks, which can slow performance or even take machines and applications offline.

• API security solutions: protect against attacks specifically designed to exploit weaknesses in APIs ("application programming interface").

What is the importance of application security (AppSec)? Why is application security (AppSec) important?

IMPORTANCE OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• Importance

• Modern web applications and APIs are business-critical technologies that enable virtually all online interactions.

• Known web vulnerabilities continue to pose risks.

• As applications and APIs become more complex, they create new vulnerabilities and potential endpoints for hackers.

• The more an organization depends on these IT assets, the more important it is to protect them from a wide range of threats.

What are the challenges of application security (AppSec)?

CHALLENGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• Challenges

• Traditional solutions deploy web application firewalls designed to mitigate many types of threats.

• These solutions require cybersecurity teams to continually analyze and adjust rules as threats evolve and applications and APIs are updated.

• This is a time-consuming and difficult manual process.

• Security permissions become obsolete quickly.

• You cannot adjust authentication and validation rules effectively.

• This could lead to a "relaxation" of security measures.

What are the stages of application security (AppSec)? What stages does application security (AppSec) consist of? What are the phases of application security (AppSec)? What phases does application security (AppSec) consist of? 

STAGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC). PHASES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• Stages

• During development: establishing best practices is most often done in the application development phases.

• Post-development: companies can also take advantage of different post-development tools and services (some enforce code changes, others monitor code for threats, while others establish data encryption).

What are the benefits of application security (AppSec)?

BENEFITS OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC). ADVANTAGES OF APPLICATION SECURITY (APPSEC)

• Benefits

• Reduces risk from both internal and third-party sources.

• Maintains the security of customer data.

• Increases customer confidence.

• Protects sensitive data from leaks.

• Protects the brand image.

• Improves confidence of crucial investors and lenders.

What types of application security (AppSec) tools are there? What are security testing tools? What are security shielding tools?

TYPES OF APPLICATION SECURITY TOOLS (APPSEC). SECURITY TESTING TOOLS. SECURITY SHIELD TOOLS

• Types of Tools

• Security testing tools: established market that intends to analyze the security status of applications.

• Security shielding tools: protect and harden applications to make it much more difficult to breach.

What are security testing tools?

SECURITY TESTING TOOLS

• Security Testing Tools

• Static application security testing: monitors specific points of code during the application development process.

• Dynamic application security testing: detects security gaps in running code.

• Mobile application security testing: detects gaps in mobile environments.

What are security shielding tools?

SECURITY SHIELD TOOLS

• Security Shielding Tools

• Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP): combines testing and protection strategies; these tools monitor application behavior in both desktop and mobile environments.

• Code/application obfuscation and encryption/anti-tamper software: prevent cybercriminals from hacking into an application's code.

• Threat detection tools: they are responsible for analyzing the environment in which applications run; can assess the state of that environment, detect potential threats, and can even check whether a mobile device has been compromised due to the device's unique "fingerprints."

What is information and data security? What does information and data security consist of?

INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• Information and Data Security

• Implementation of a robust data storage mechanism to ensure data integrity and privacy, both in storage and in transit.

What is information and data security? What does information and data security consist of?

INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• Information and Data Security

• The practice of protecting digital information against unauthorized access, corruption, or theft throughout its life cycle.

• It covers all aspects of information security, from the physical security of hardware and storage devices to administrative and access controls, as well as the logical security of software applications.

• It also includes the organization's policies and procedures.

What is the importance of information and data security? Why is information and data security important?

IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• Importance

• When implemented correctly, strong data security strategies will protect an organization's information assets against cybercriminal activities, but also against insider threats and human error, which remain a leading cause of data breaches.

• Data security involves the use of tools and technologies that offer improvements to the organization in terms of visibility of where critical data is located and how it is used.

• Ideally, these tools should be able to apply protections such as encryption, data masking, and redaction of sensitive files, as well as automate reporting to streamline audits and meet regulatory requirements.

What are the business challenges? What are the business challenges regarding information and data security?

BUSINESS CHALLENGES. BUSINESS CHALLENGES REGARDING INFORMATION AND DATA SECURITY

• Business Challenges

• Digital transformation is profoundly altering all aspects related to the operation of companies and the competition between them.

• The volume of data that companies create, manipulate and store is growing and this generates a greater need for data governance.

• Computing environments are more complex than before (cloud, IoT, smartphones, tablets, etc.).

• This complexity creates an expanded "attack surface" that is more difficult to monitor and protect.

• The importance of data privacy is increasing: "General Data Protection Regulation" (GDPR).

• The business value of data has never been higher.

• The loss of trade secrets or intellectual property can affect future innovations and profitability.

What types of information and data security are there? What types of information and data security exist? What are the types of information and data security?

TYPES OF DATA SECURITY

• Types of Data Security

• Encryption: using an algorithm that transforms plain text characters into unreadable format, encryption keys scramble the data so that only authorized users can read it.

• Data erasure: more secure than standard data wipe; uses software to overwrite data on any storage device; verifies that the data cannot be recovered.

• Data masking: allows teams to develop applications or train people using real data; masks "personally identifiable information" (PII) when necessary so that development can occur in compliant environments.

• Data resilience: determined by how well an organization withstands or recovers from any type of failure, whether it is a hardware issue, a power outage, or another event that may impact data availability; the speed of recovery is essential to minimize the impact.

What are the information and data security tools? What information and data security tools are there?

DATA SECURITY TOOLS

• Data Security Tools

• Data detection and classification: automate the process of identifying sensitive information, as well as evaluating and correcting vulnerabilities.

• Monitor data and file activities: analyze data usage patterns, allowing security teams to see who is accessing data, detect anomalies, and identify risks.

• Risk analysis and vulnerability assessment: facilitate the process of detecting and mitigating vulnerabilities, such as outdated software, incorrect configurations or weak passwords, and identify data sources with a higher risk of exposure.

• Automated compliance reporting: can provide a centralized repository for tracking enterprise-wide compliance audits.

What is a data security strategy? What does a data security strategy consist of?

DATA SECURITY STRATEGIES

• Data Security Strategies

• It incorporates people, processes and technologies.

• Establish appropriate controls and policies.

• Implement a correct set of tools.

• Prioritize information security in all areas of the company.

What are the information and data security measures? What information and data security measures are there?

DATA SECURITY MEASURES

• Data Security Measures

• Physical security of servers and user devices: it must ensure that facilities are protected from intruders and have appropriate fire suppression measures and climate controls.

• Access management and controls: "least privilege" principle; grant access to databases, networks, and administrative accounts to as few people as possible, and only to those who truly need it to do their jobs.

• Security and application patching: all software programs should be updated to the latest version as soon as possible once patches or new versions become available.

• Backups: maintain usable, thoroughly checked backups of all critical data.

• Employee training: good security practices, secure passwords, social engineering, etc.

• Security monitoring and controls of networks and endpoints: tools and platforms for management, detection and response to threats in local environments and cloud platform.

What are the trends in information and data security?

DATA SECURITY TRENDS

• Data Security Trends

• Artificial intelligence (AI): amplifies the capability of a data security system; can process large amounts of data; allows you to make decisions quickly.

• Multicloud security: requires more complex solutions; protection, not only for data, but for applications and business processes running in public and private clouds.

• Quantum computing: encryption algorithms will become much more multifaceted, complex and secure.

• BYOD ("Bring Your Own Device"): asking employees who use them to install security software to access corporate networks; improves centralized control and visibility of data access and movement; strong passwords; multi-factor authentication; periodic software update; device backups; data encryption.

What is IAM? What is IAM? What is Identity and Access Management (IAM)?

IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Determine the level of access each individual has within the client organization.

What is IAM? What is IAM? What is Identity and Access Management (IAM)?

IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Security discipline that makes it possible for the right entities (people or things) to use the right resources (applications or data) when they need them, without interference, using the devices they want to use.

• It is made up of the systems and processes that allow IT administrators to assign a unique digital identity to each entity, authenticate them when they log in, authorize them to access specific resources, and monitor and manage those identities throughout their lifecycle.

• IAM is no longer just for employees.

• Organizations must be able to provide secure access to contractors and business partners, remote and mobile users, and customers.

• With digital transformation, identities are also assigned to devices, robots, and pieces of Internet of Things (IoT) code, such as APIs or microservices.

• Hybrid multi-cloud IT environments and "Software as a Service" (SaaS) solutions further complicate the IAM landscape.

What are the components of Identity and Access Management (IAM)? What components is Identity and Access Management (IAM) made up of? What does Identity and Access Management (IAM) consist of?

COMPONENTS OF IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• Components

• Identity management: authentication; process that verifies that a user (or entity) is who they say they are; username and password; "Multi-Factor Authentication" (MFA).

• Access management: authorization; process of checking what specific applications, files, and data a user can access; works by establishing rules called "access control policies"; always takes place after authentication.

• Management and monitoring: continuous administration, monitoring and analysis of IAM processes, systems and activities to ensure regulatory compliance, security and operational effectiveness.

What is identity management?

IDENTITY MANAGEMENT

• Identity Management

• Authenticators: verify digital identity using a number of methods, such as hardware tokens, digital certificates, device scanning, and one-time passwords.

• Mobile authentication: embed a digital identity on a mobile device to create an intelligent credential that provides access to critical applications.

• ID verification: onboard users in seconds using biometric authentication, which compares portrait photos with government-issued ID documents.

• Adaptive authentication: leverages real-time contextual analysis to grant users access or challenge them with additional risk-based authentication messages of increasing difficulty.

What is access management?

ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• Access Management

• Single Sign On (SSO): streamlines the login process; allows users to use a single set of credentials for all the applications they need.

• Passwordless login: eliminate the risk of credential theft with highly secure passwordless login.

• VPN authentication: provides users with quick access to key applications and protects against credential theft with an encrypted VPN.

• Credential issuance: allows users to request mobile smart credentials that grant near-instant access to websites, VPNs, apps, and other essential services.

What is management and monitoring?

MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING

• Management and Monitoring

• Fraud detection: defend customer data and brand reputation by automatically mitigating payment fraud.

• Password reset: reduce costs and support tickets with a self-service option for users who have forgotten their passwords.

• Secure device provisioning: automate the device issuance and return process for new, existing, and outgoing employees.

What is the importance of Identity and Access Management (IAM)? Why is Identity and Access Management (IAM) important? 

IMPORTANCE OF IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

• Importance

• It helps protect against compromised user credentials and easy-to-crack passwords, which are common network entry points for criminal hackers who want to plant ransomware or steal data.

• When operated correctly, IAM helps ensure business productivity and seamless functioning of digital systems.

• Employees can work seamlessly, no matter where they are.

• Centralized management ensures that employees only access the specific resources they need for their jobs.

• Opening systems to customers, contractors and suppliers can increase efficiency and reduce costs.

What are the types of user authentication? What types of user authentication are there?

USER AUTHENTICATION TYPES

• User Authentication Types

• Username and password: the IAM system checks a database to make sure they match what is registered.

• Single Sign-On (SSO): increases productivity and reduces friction for users.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): adds another layer of protection; requires users to present two or more identification credentials in addition to a username; access to applications.

• Risk-based authentication (adaptive): prompts the user for MFA only when it detects the presence of a higher risk.

What is access management? What is access management?

ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• Access Management

• Privileged Access Management (PAM): privileged access is reserved for administrators; isolates these accounts and monitor activity to prevent credential theft or misuse of privileges.

• Role-Based Access Management (RBAC): administrators can control access based on job requirements or job level; can specify whether a user class can view, create, or modify files.

What are the advantages of access management? What are the benefits of access management?

ADVANTAGES OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT. BENEFITS OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT.

• Advantages

• Compliance: IAM systems allow you to enforce formal access policies and demonstrate your compliance with an audit trail of user activity.

• Productivity: IAM tools allow you to grant secure access to multiple resources without requiring multiple logins.

• Data protection: IAM tools help security teams detect ongoing incidents and investigate potential risks, allowing them to eradicate threats quickly and confidently.

• IT automation: IAM automates key tasks such as password resets and log analysis; this saves time and effort.

What does the implementation of access management consist of?

IMPLEMENTATION OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT

• Implementation

• 1. Evaluate the computing landscape.

• 2. Check compliance requirements.

• 3. Decide on an implementation model.

• 4. Take a gradual approach.

• 5. Control and adapt.

What is Operational Security (OpSec)?

OPERATIONAL SECURITY (OPSEC)

• Operational Security (OpSec)

• Processing and decision-making regarding data handling and security.

What is Operational Security (OpSec)?

OPERATIONAL SECURITY (OPSEC)

• Operational Security

• It is both a process and a security strategy.

• Identifies seemingly innocuous actions that could inadvertently reveal sensitive or critical data to a cybercriminal.

• Prevent confidential information from getting into the wrong hands.

What is the Operational Security (OpSec) strategy? What does the Operational Security (OpSec) strategy consist of?

OPERATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY (OPSEC)

• Strategy

• View the company's operations and systems from the perspective of a potential attacker.

• Uncovering issues that may have been overlooked could be crucial to implementing the proper countermeasures that will keep your most sensitive data safe.

• Discover possible threats and vulnerabilities in organizations' processes, the way they operate, and the software and hardware their employees use.

• Includes analytical activities and processes.

What are the components of Operational Security (OpSec)? What components does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of?

COMPONENTS OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Components

• Risk management.

• Behavior monitoring.

• Monitoring social networks.

• Best security practices.

What is the importance of Operational Security (OpSec)? Why is Operational Security (OpSec) important? 

IMPORTANCE OF OPERATIONAL SECURITY (OPSEC)

• Importance

• Encourages organizations to closely evaluate the security risks they face.

• It helps detect potential vulnerabilities that a typical data security approach cannot.

• It allows IT and security teams to fine-tune their technical and non-technical processes.

• Reduces cyber risk.

• Helps in protecting against malware-based attacks.

• Helps prevent inadvertent or unintentional exposure of sensitive or classified data.

• It allows organizations to prevent details of their activities, capabilities and future intentions from becoming public.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phases

• Phase 1. Identify sensitive data.

• Phase 2. Identify possible threats.

• Phase 3. Analyze security vulnerabilities and threats.

• Phase-4. Assess threat level and vulnerability risk.

• Phase-5. Design a plan to mitigate threats.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phase 1. Identify Sensitive Data

• Understand what types of data organizations manage and what sensitive data is stored in their systems.

• Identify information such as customer details, credit card details, employee details, financial statements, intellectual property and product research.

• It is vital that organizations focus their resources on protecting this critical data.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phase 2. Identify Possible Threats

• Determine potential threats to sensitive/confidential information.

• External threats:

• Third parties who may want to steal the data.

• Competitors who could gain an advantage by stealing information.

• Internal threats:

• Malicious insiders, such as disgruntled workers or negligent employees.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phase 3. Analyze Security Vulnerabilities and Threats

• Analyze possible vulnerabilities in security defenses.

• These could provide an opportunity for threats to materialize.

• Evaluate processes and technological solutions that protect data.

• Identify gaps or weaknesses that potential attackers could exploit.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phase-4. Assess Threat Level and Vulnerability Risk

• Each identified vulnerability must have a threat level assigned.

• Vulnerabilities must be classified based on several factors:

• Probability that attackers will attack them.

• Level of damage caused if exploded.

• Amount of time and work required to mitigate and repair damage.

• The more damage that can be inflicted and the greater the likelihood of an attack occurring, the more resources and priority organizations should give to mitigating a given risk.

What are the phases of Operational Security (OpSec)? What phases does Operational Security (OpSec) consist of? 

PHASES OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY (OPSEC)

• Phase-5. Design a Plan to Mitigate Threats

• The information obtained from the previous phases provides organizations with everything they need to design a plan to mitigate the identified threats.

• Implement countermeasures to eliminate threats and mitigate cyber risks:

• Hardware upgrade.

• Creation of policies around the protection of sensitive data.

• Training employees on security best practices and corporate data policies.

• OpSec Process Plan Requirements:

• Simple to understand.

• Simple to implement and follow.

• Updated, as the security threat landscape evolves.

What are the best Operational Security (OpSec) practices?

BEST OPERATIONAL SECURITY PRACTICES (OPSEC)

• Best practices

• Change management processes: implement specific change management processes that employees can follow in the event that changes are made to the network; these changes must be controlled and recorded so that organizations can adequately audit and monitor the modifications made.

• Restrictions on device access: restrict access to corporate networks only to devices that absolutely require it; network device authentication should be used as a general rule when it comes to information access and exchange.

• Least privilege access: employees should be given the minimum level of access to data, networks, and resources they need to perform their jobs successfully; this ensures that any program, process or user only has the minimum privilege necessary to perform its function; this is crucial for organizations to ensure higher levels of security, prevent insider threats, minimize attack surface, limit malware risk, and improve their audit and compliance readiness.

• Double control: network administrators should not be in charge of security; the teams or people responsible for maintaining corporate networks must be independent from those who establish security policies.

• Automation: humans are often the weakest link in an organization's security processes; human error can lead to errors, data inadvertently ending up in the wrong hands, important details being overlooked or forgotten, and critical processes being skipped.

• Disaster plan: plan for disasters; institute a robust incident response plan; even the most robust OpSec security must be supported by plans that identify potential risks and outline how the organization will respond to cyberattacks and mitigate potential damage.

What is mobile security?

MOBILE SECURITY

• Mobile Security

• Protect business and personal data stored on mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and other similar devices against various malicious threats (e.g. unauthorized access, loss/theft of devices, malware, etc.).

What is mobile security?

MOBILE SECURITY

• Mobile Security

• Strategies, infrastructure and software used to protect any mobile device that travels with users, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

• Its goal is to minimize the risk of asset or data loss through the use of mobile devices and communication hardware.

• Includes data protection on the local device, on endpoints connected to the device, and on network equipment.

What is the importance of Mobile Security? Why is Mobile Security important? 

IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE SECURITY

• Importance

• The future of computers and communication lies in mobile devices, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones.

• Organizations and users have preferred to buy and use them over desktop computers.

• Their small size, great processing capacity, operating systems, and numerous applications make them ideal for use from anywhere with an internet connection.

• Mobile devices have become more affordable and portable.

• The wireless internet access characteristic of mobile devices makes them more vulnerable to attacks and data breaches.

• Mobile authentication and authorization makes the process more convenient, but increases risk by removing the limitations of a secure enterprise perimeter.

• The new features increase the number of endpoints that need protection against cybersecurity threats.

• Mobile devices offer a much larger attack surface than desktop computers, making them a more serious threat to corporate security.

• Corporations face much higher costs when creating computer security strategies on mobile devices.

What are mobile security threats? What are the mobile security challenges?

MOBILE SECURITY THREATS. MOBILE SECURITY CHALLENGES

• Mobile Security Threats

• Physical threats.

• Threats to applications.

• Network threats.

• Web-based threats and endpoints.

What are Physical Threats?

PHYSICAL THREATS

• Physical Threats

• Data loss.

• Data theft.

• Natural disasters.

• Lost data can be recovered.

• Data theft is very costly to organizations.

• Mobile devices have screen locking mechanisms to prevent data theft after a device is stolen.

• The technology must be robust enough to prevent an attacker from accessing the data.

• Limited number of attempts to enter a PIN before completely locking your device (stops PIN brute force attacks).

• For devices with sensitive data, you should use wiper apps that delete all data from the phone after a few attempts of entering an incorrect PIN on the home screen.

• Encrypted storage hard drives prevent attackers from exfiltrating data directly from the device by bypassing the PIN feature.

What are Application Threats?

THREATS TO APPLICATIONS

• Threats to Applications

• External applications introduce various security problems for mobile devices.

• Corporations should create mobile device security policies that help users understand the dangers of installing unapproved external applications.

• Users should not be able to "root" or create a "superuser" on their phones.

• External applications running on rooted devices can reveal data to a hacker.

• External applications may also contain malware programs and "keyloggers" (programs that record the keystrokes a user makes on their keyboard) in their source code.

• It is possible to install anti-malware programs, but devices that have been rooted leave even these applications susceptible to malware manipulation.

What are Network Threats?

NETWORK THREATS

• Network Threats

• Mobile work teams, and especially “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) types, can create a threat to the internal network.

• Malware can scan the network to open storage locations or vulnerable resources to insert malicious executables and exploit them.

• Administrators can force anyone with a BYOD to install anti-malware programs, but this does not guarantee that the software is up to date.

• Unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots without a virtual private network (VPN) make mobile devices more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

• If the corporation offers public Wi-Fi networks for customers and employees, this may also be a point of concern.

• When employees connect to public Wi-Fi networks and transfer their data to places where other users can read it, this leaves the network vulnerable to Man in the Middle (MitM) attacks and possible account takeover, if the attacker steals the credentials.

What are Web-Based and Endpoint Threats?

WEB-BASED THREATS AND ENDPOINTS

• Web-Based Threats and Endpoints

• Mobile applications connect to data and internal applications through “endpoints” or “contact endpoints.”

• These endpoints receive and process data, and then return a response to the mobile device.

• Endpoints add new threats to organizations.

• Endpoints used by the application must be properly encrypted with appropriate authentication controls to stop attackers.

• Improperly secured endpoints could be targets for a hacker willing to use them to compromise the application and steal data.

What are Outdated Operating Systems?

OUTDATED OPERATING SYSTEMS

• Outdated Operating Systems

• Older operating systems (OS) often contain vulnerabilities that have been exploited by cybercriminals.

• Devices with outdated operating systems remain vulnerable to attacks.

• Manufacturer updates often include critical security patches to address vulnerabilities that can be actively exploited.

What are Excessive Application Permissions?

EXCESSIVE APP PERMISSIONS

• Excessive Application Permissions

• Mobile apps have the power to compromise data privacy through excessive app permissions.

• App permissions determine an app's functionality and access to the user's device and its features, such as the microphone and camera.

• Some apps are more dangerous than others.

• Some may be compromised and sensitive data may be leaked through untrustworthy third parties.

What is Phishing?

PHISHING

• Phishing

• Phishing is the main threat to mobile security.

• It is a scam attempt to steal users' credentials or sensitive data, such as credit card numbers.

• Scammers send users emails or SMS messages designed to look like they come from a legitimate source, yet use fake hyperlinks.

What is Malware? What is Ransomware? 

MALWARE. RANSOMWARE

• Malware and Ransomware

• Malware: undetected software, such as a malicious application or spyware, created to damage, disrupt, or gain illegitimate access to a client, computer, server, or computer network.

• Ransomware: a form of malware that threatens to destroy or retain a victim's data or files unless a ransom is paid to decrypt the files and restore access.

What is BYOD? What is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)? 

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD)

• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

• Companies that adopt bring your own device (BYOD) policies also expose themselves to greater security risks.

• They grant access to corporate servers and sensitive databases to insecure devices, opening the door to attacks.

• Cybercriminals and fraudsters can exploit these vulnerabilities and cause harm to the user and the organization.

• They search for trade secrets, insider information, and unauthorized access to a secure network to find anything that could be profitable.

What are the security measures on mobile devices? What security measures are there on mobile devices? 

SECURITY MEASURES ON MOBILE DEVICES

• Security Measures on Mobile Devices

• Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM): a set of tools and technologies that maintain and manage the use of mobile and portable devices within an organization for routine business operations.

• Email security: protect data from email-based cyber threats (malware, identity theft, phishing); organizations should proactively monitor email traffic (antivirus, spam detection, image monitoring, and content monitoring).

• Endpoint protection: with technologies such as mobile, IoT and cloud, organizations connect new and different endpoints to their response environment; endpoint security includes antivirus protection, data loss prevention, endpoint encryption, and endpoint security management.

• Virtual Private Network (VPN): allows a company to securely extend its private intranet over the existing infrastructure of a public network, such as the internet; the company can monitor network traffic while providing essential security features such as authentication and data protection.

• Secure gateway: protected network connection, connecting anything to anything; applies consistent security and internet compliance policies to all users, regardless of location or type of device being used; keeps unauthorized traffic out of an organization's network.

• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): point of policy application between users and "Cloud Service Providers" (CSP); 

What is Cloud Security?

CLOUD SECURITY

• Cloud Security

• Protection of information stored in the digital environment or cloud architectures for the client organization.

• It uses various cloud service providers like Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud, etc., to ensure security against multiple threats.

What is Cloud Security?

CLOUD SECURITY

• Cloud Security

• Cybersecurity discipline dedicated to securing cloud computing systems.

• It includes keeping data private and secure across infrastructure, applications and online platforms.

• Technology, protocols, and best practices that protect cloud computing environments, applications running in the cloud, and data stored in the cloud.

• Securing these systems involves the efforts of cloud providers and the customers who use them, whether an individual, a small or medium-sized business, or an organization.

• Cloud service providers host services on their servers over always-on internet connections.

• Because your business depends on customer trust, cloud security methods are used to keep customer data private and stored securely.

• However, cloud security is also partially in the hands of the customer, who must focus above all on the proper configuration of the service and safe usage habits.

What are the categories of Cloud Security? What categories of Cloud Security are there? 

CLOUD SECURITY CATEGORIES

• Categories

• Data security: threat prevention; tools and technologies that allow providers and customers to insert barriers between access and visibility of sensitive data (encryption, VPN, etc.).

• Identity and Access Management (IAM): access privileges offered to user accounts; authentication and authorization; restrict users (legitimate and malicious) from accessing and compromising sensitive data and systems; password management, multi-factor authentication, etc.

• Governance: threat prevention, detection and mitigation policies; they can help track and prioritize threats to keep critical systems carefully monitored; they are mainly applied in business environments; they can be useful for any user.

• Data Retention (DR) and Business Continuity (BC) Planning: technical disaster recovery measures in case of data loss; backups; technical systems to guarantee the continuity of operations.

• Legal compliance: protection of user privacy; companies must follow regulations; data masking, which hides the identity within the data using encryption methods.

What is the scope of Cloud Security?

SCOPE OF CLOUD SECURITY. SCOPE OF CLOUD SECURITY

• Scope

• Physical networks: routers, electrical power, wiring, climate controls, etc.

• Data storage: hard drives, etc.

• Data servers: computer hardware and software on the core network.

• Computer virtualization platforms: virtual machine software, host machines and guest machines.

• Operating systems (OS): software that supports all computing functions.

• Middleware: management of the application programming interface (API).

• Execution environments: execution and maintenance of a running program.

• Data: all information stored, modified and accessed.

• Applications: traditional software services (email, tax software, productivity packages, etc.).

• End-user hardware: computers, mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, etc.

What are the types of cloud services? What types of cloud services are there? 

TYPES OF CLOUD SERVICES.

• Types of Cloud Services

• Core.

• Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud services.

• Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud services.

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud services.

What is the Núcleo cloud service?

CORE

• Core

• The core of any third-party cloud service involves the provider managing the physical network, data storage, data servers, and computer virtualization platforms.

• The service is stored on the provider's servers and virtualized across its internally managed network to be delivered to customers for remote access.

• This transfers the costs of hardware and other infrastructure to provide customers with access to their computing needs from anywhere through their internet connection.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS) Cloud Services? What are Software as a Service (SaaS) Cloud Services? 

SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SAAS) CLOUD SERVICES

• Software as a Service (SaaS) Cloud Services

• They provide customers with access to applications that are purely hosted and run on the provider's servers.

• Providers: manage the applications, data, runtime, middleware, and operating system.

• Clients: they are only responsible for obtaining and using the applications.

• Examples: Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Cisco WebEx, etc.

What is Platform as a Service (PaaS) Cloud Services? What are Platform as a Service (PaaS) Cloud Services?

PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS) CLOUD SERVICES

• Platform as a Service (PaaS) Cloud Services

• They provide customers with a host to develop their own applications, which run within the customer's own sandbox space on the provider's servers.

• Providers: manage the runtime, middleware, and operating system.

• Clients: are responsible for managing their applications, data, user access, end-user devices, and end-user networks.

• Examples: Google App Engine, Windows Azure, etc.

What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Services? What are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Services?

INFRASTRUCTURE CLOUD SERVICES AS A SERVICE (IAAS)

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Services

• They offer customers remote connectivity hardware and platforms to host most of their computing tasks, including the operating system.

• Providers: they only manage basic cloud services.

• Clients: are responsible for securing everything that is stacked on an operating system, including applications, data, runtimes, middleware, and the operating system itself; they must manage user access, end-user devices, and end-user networks.

• Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE), etc.

What are the types of Cloud Security environments? What types of Cloud Security environments are there? 

TYPES OF CLOUD SECURITY ENVIRONMENTS

• Types of Environments

• Public cloud environments: comprised of multi-tenant cloud services in which a customer shares a provider's servers with other customers, such as an office building or workspace; third-party services directed by the provider to give access to customers through the web.

• Third-party private cloud environments: are based on the use of a cloud service that provides the customer with exclusive use of their own cloud; they are typically owned by a third-party provider, and are managed and operated off-site.

• Internal private cloud environments: these are made up of single-tenant cloud service servers, but are operated from their own private data center; it is managed by the companies themselves to allow the complete configuration of each element.

• Multi-cloud environments: include the use of two or more cloud services from independent providers; they can be any combination of public or private cloud services.

• Hybrid cloud environments: these involve the use of a combination of a third-party private cloud or on-premise private cloud data center with one or more public clouds.

What are the risks of Cloud Security?

CLOUD SECURITY RISKS

• Risks

• Cloud-based infrastructure risks: including incompatible legacy computing platforms and disruptions to third-party data storage services.

• Internal threats: due to human error, such as misconfiguration of user access controls.

• External threats: almost exclusively caused by malicious actors, such as malware, phishing, and DDoS attacks.

What are the challenges of Cloud Security?

CLOUD SECURITY CHALLENGES

• Challenges

• There is no perimeter: cybersecurity professionals must take a more data-centric approach.

• Interconnection: security must be in the cloud and not serve as an exclusive element to protect against access to the data stored there.

• Storage of data by third parties.

• Access via internet.

• Power failure: could lead to permanent data loss.

What is the importance of Cloud Security? Why is Cloud Security important? 

IMPORTANCE OF CLOUD SECURITY

• Importance

• The introduction of cloud technology has forced everyone to reevaluate cybersecurity.

• Data and applications can float between local and remote systems, and always be accessible over the internet.

• Hence, protecting them is more difficult than when it was only a matter of preventing unwanted users from accessing a corporate network.

• Cloud security requires adjusting some prior IT practices, but it has become more essential for two key reasons:

• 1. Convenience over safety.

• 2. Centralization and storage for multiple users.

What is Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity? What is Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity? 

DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

• Business Recovery and Continuity

• Monitor, alert and plan how an organization responds to the loss of operations or data and resume suspended operations after any disaster strikes, recovering pre-event operational capacity.

What is Disaster Recovery? What is Disaster Recovery?

DISASTER RECOVERY

• Disaster Recovery

• Set of procedures focused on recovering access to data and IT infrastructure after a disaster.

• An organization's ability to respond to and recover from catastrophic events that negatively affect its operations or infrastructure.

• It is the basis for the identification, evaluation and mitigation of disasters and the subsequent recovery strategies.

• Disaster recovery planning coordinates the team for the effective restoration of systems and data after a disaster or attack.

• Objective: minimize the damage of a disaster and help the organization return to its standard of operations as quickly as possible.

What is Business Continuity? What is Business Continuity?

BUSINESS CONTINUITY

• Business Continuity

• It focuses on keeping company operations in action during a disaster.

• Business continuity planning focuses on keeping operations running during the incident.

• Objective: enable the organization to continue operating internally and providing services to customers, suppliers, and partners, even in the face of a disaster.

What are the goals of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity? 

DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY OBJECTIVES

• Goals

• Disaster recovery has a dual purpose: maintaining and restoring key IT systems and infrastructure after an incident.

• Maintenance: works by properly replicating and backing up data and assets to specific restore points.

• Recovery: a reactive effort to recover functionality and control over systems and data that are infected or compromised.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)?

DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

• Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

• Systematic methodology by which a team allocates its resources to effectively regain control of key data and information systems after a disaster.

• It can be used to resolve both minor and serious situations.

• The effectiveness of disaster recovery plans lies in the ability to anticipate threats before they actually arise, and test various threat scenarios to ensure that the plan is working correctly.

• After a cyberattack, teams need to have a disaster recovery plan to correct problems as quickly and effectively as possible.

• Without this, every minute wasted can increase the cost of damage and recovery ability.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)?

DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

• Disaster Recovery Plan: Fundamental Elements

• Risk assessment: teams must thoroughly evaluate all potential threats and weaknesses in the organization's IT infrastructure, with special interest in areas that are most susceptible to cyberattacks.

• Business continuity: determination of the procedures and resources to use to keep key business operations active in the event of a disaster.

• Data archiving, backup, and recovery: documentation and implementation of maintenance processes to periodically back up key data and systems, including plans to restore these assets if they become compromised due to a disaster or attack.

• Incident response: develop a flow of procedures and exercises that clearly articulate how a team should respond to a cyberattack, breach, or disaster, including how to identify and contain threats, assess damage, and restore affected systems.

• Communication: instructions on how to communicate the situation to key stakeholders in the event of an attack; this includes employees, customers, suppliers, affected investors, and the media.

• Training and education: intended for employees; based on good cybersecurity and disaster response practices, particularly on key exercises indicated in the organization's plan and what to be prepared for if a disaster occurs.

• Testing and drills: consistent execution and practice of disaster recovery plans is vital to ensuring they are effective and that your team can be confident in their roles and responsibilities to handle threats as they arise.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)?

DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

• Disaster Recovery Plan: Phases

• Convene the team: determine the roles and responsibilities of all team members and departments within the organization.

• Development of an incident management plan: exhaustive documentation of the procedures to be used to identify and report threats and cyber attacks.

• Conducting a "Business Impact Analysis" (BIA): helps determine priorities and objectives for disaster recovery; focuses on identifying the systems, assets and processes fundamental to the organization and its operations.

• Establishing a "Recovery Point Objective" (RPO): defines the acceptable amount of data loss measured over time.

• Determine a "Recovery Time Objective" (RTO): determines the maximum acceptable time in which an organization's operations can be interrupted after a disaster.

• Definition and documentation of the plan:

• Dependencies: determine which systems and processes are interdependent and how they interact with each other.

• Key suppliers: identify all key suppliers and partners for the organization's operations.

• Locations: details about recovery locations, including primary and secondary alternatives.

• Recovery procedures: identify and document the procedures and tools that will be used to recover compromised systems, applications, and data.

• Communications procedures: determine what alternative technologies will be used to communicate, especially if primary communications systems are not available.

• Testing protocols: used to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and the specific steps of each protocol.

• Consistently test the disaster recovery plan: schedule testing regularly to ensure the plan effectively handles all potential cyberattacks, errors, and disasters.

• Regularly review and update the plan: evaluate and review the plan to ensure it is up to date.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan? What is the Disaster Recovery Team?

DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

• Disaster Recovery Team

• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): responsible for the organization's overall cybersecurity strategy; helps lead disaster recovery efforts and monitor all information and data systems to protect against cyberattacks.

• IT security team: specialized technical support team under the CISO; monitors and protects the organization's networks and systems; they are the first line of defense for mitigating cyber attacks and executing incident response processes.

• Network administrators: may have more diversified positions for the maintenance and protection of the organization's networks, servers and other infrastructure; they play a key role in cybersecurity and disaster recovery for smaller operations.

• IT operations and support: assist with the daily operation of the organization's servers, data storage, and other hardware systems; they may be responsible for technical support and problem resolution.

• Risk management experts: assess and manage organizational risks related to cyberattacks and other IT threats; they are effective in predicting and simulating potential attacks to identify vulnerabilities; they help suggest improvements to prevent real attacks.

• Legal affairs and compliance: work within a disaster recovery team to ensure that the organization's disaster recovery strategies and recovery efforts meet specific legal and regulatory requirements.

• Crisis communications, media and public relations: often a separate department that remains integrated with disaster recovery efforts.

• Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Manager: qualified professional capable of developing, maintaining and implementing an organization's disaster continuity plan, ensuring operations continue as planned; also responsible for testing and periodically updating the plan as needed.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)? What types of Disaster Recovery are there?

DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)

• Types of Disaster Recovery

• Disaster recovery for data centers: focuses on the security of physical IT infrastructure and data backups; strategies revolve around using a failover page at a secondary location to maintain operational continuity during a disaster.

• Cloud disaster recovery: strategies leverage cloud-based solutions to replicate and host an organization's physical and virtual servers; this approach provides automatic failover to the public cloud in the event of disasters, thereby eliminating the need for a secondary location.

• Network disaster recovery: focuses on having backup data and locations and planning to regain control over network services.

• Virtualized disaster recovery: a set of strategies designed to replicate workloads to an alternative cloud or physical location; provides cybersecurity teams with greater flexibility, efficiency, and ease of implementation.

• Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS): a commercial service provided by outsourced third parties that duplicate and host an organization's physical and virtual servers; the outsourced provider takes ownership of implementing and managing the most appropriate disaster recovery strategy and plan.