Utilities companies hold an enormous amount of Personally Identifiable Information or PII data, given the value this data provides to attackers it is no surprise that utilities companies are highly targeted by threat actors and nation-state hackers. Utilities companies must have robust threat detection and response capabilities in place to help protect against attacks such as malware and ransomware.
Operating in a highly competitive market and providing 24/7 service, utilities companies simply cannot afford to be offline or to be the victim of a successful ransomware attack. Not only would the financial damage be difficult to overcome, but the damage to their reputation and customer trust could take years to repair.
2020 saw an increase in ransomware attacks and Elexon, the company that facilitates payments on the UK electricity market, fell victim to a ransomware attack. The hackers used REvil or Sodnokibi malware to infiltrate their systems and amongst the data stolen were copies of executive’s passports which were later shared on the dark web.
All too aware of their vulnerabilities, utilities companies are now looking for ways to help them strengthen their threat detection and response capabilities to ensure an attack is identified and remediated quickly and effectively. So, what steps can utilities companies take to strengthen their detection and response capabilities?
Innovate to be more competitive
Consolidation and strengthening of threat detection and response will help utilities companies proactively monitor their environment, enhance the security of their environment and strengthen their overall security posture.
Partnering with a cyber and data security provider will also free up the time of their internal teams so they are able to focus their attention on innovating in line with their business objectives to help them gain a competitive edge.
Proactive expertise on demand
As threats continue to evolve and as the attack surface grows, utilities companies need to have stronger and comprehensive multi-layered protection. They should consider working with a focussed partner who has the skills to proactively support and correctly configure solutions that work around the clock.
Making use of machine learning techniques for behaviour monitoring can help quickly and effectively detect unusual modifications to the operating system, installed software or applications and automatically block suspicious behaviour to keep the environment secure.
Early detection of threats is crucial to stopping them in their tracks but should the worst happen and your organisation is compromised, your security partner will be able to support with remediation. As utilities companies operate 24/7 they should look for a security partner that provides 24/7 support.
Dynamic solutions for dynamic businesses
With everchanging business requirements and a constantly evolving threat landscape, utilities require dynamic threat detection and response solutions that adapt with them and their threats.
What was fit for purpose a month ago, can quickly become outdated and for a sector that cannot afford to be offline it is vital that utilities futureproof their cyber security approach. Solutions that are optimised by AI, global threat intelligence and machine learning can help keep utilities IT environments protected and their defences strong.
Consolidation of technology products
Consolidation of technology products reduces the complexity of your environment and what needs to be managed, decreases your attack surface and requires less time to skill up on. Freeing up more time to focus on business-critical tasks.
MTI partner, Trend Micro have detection and response solutions that can help utilities companies see more and respond faster. By connecting email, endpoints, servers and cloud workloads with extended detection and response (XDR) utilities can gain a broader perspective and better context to an attack-centric view and unlock the power to investigate and respond.
Managed XDR is a flexible, 24/7 service that allows organisations to have one single source of detection, analysis, and response.
Next Steps
Ransomware is a threat that everybody knows they are exposed to and while most organisations take steps toward ensure they are protected against a ransomware attack; few undertake a comprehensive assessment to assess the defences they have in place and whether they are implemented and configured correctly.
And even fewer have the processes and procedures in place to successfully overcome an attack, quickly and effectively. Our extensive experience and knowledge of penetration testing, security products and solutions and security managed services has enabled us to combine our skills, capabilities and experience to provide a single and comprehensive Ransomware Protection Assessment.