Threat actors constantly look for opportunities to infiltrate organizations, exploiting vulnerabilities ranging from unpatched firmware to weak passwords and misconfigured devices. Once inside, these cybercriminals lurk, assessing systems and seeking avenues for lateral movement to maximize their impact. But what exactly is system hardening, how does lateral movement work, and how can you combat these threats? We’ll take a closer look at system hardening and explore strategies to prevent lateral movement. Along the way, we will equip you with the knowledge and best practices necessary to safeguard your digital assets against today's relentless cyber threats.
System hardening identifies the potential security vulnerabilities that exist in your system and makes them hack-proof by reducing the attack surface. It’s a set of tools and methodologies that removes non-essential services and minimizes the security risks to your systems as much as possible. By hardening your systems, you leave bad actors with fewer options to initiate cyberattacks and fewer places to move laterally in the system if they gain access.
Lateral movement refers to a group of methods cyber criminals use to explore an infected network, find vulnerabilities, escalate access privileges, and reach their ultimate target. “Lateral” describes the way the hacker can move sideways in a system, from a device to an application for example.
Ideally, you want a security posture that prevents intrusion. While that may not always be possible, there are ways to reduce the likelihood of an attack and prevent any subsequent lateral movement. Here are some best practices for system hardening and preventing lateral movement.
Preventing lateral movement by cybercriminals requires a proactive and multi-layered approach to cybersecurity. Hardening systems is a continuous effort, but it provides substantial benefits for your business.
By hardening systems, you reduce the potential attack surface and strengthen defenses against various threats, such as malware, unauthorized access, and data breaches. This helps safeguard sensitive information and ensure data privacy.
Hardening best practices often involve optimizing system resources, removing unnecessary software, and applying security patches and updates. These actions can lead to improved system performance, as fewer resources are wasted on unused or vulnerable components.
Many industries and organizations have specific security standards and regulations that must be followed to protect sensitive data. System hardening helps meet these requirements and ensures compliance with industry-specific standards, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
System hardening techniques can help turn a complex environment into a simpler one with stable, predictable configuration. This translates into a more straightforward and transparent environment which is simpler to monitor and audit.
By hardening systems, you reduce the likelihood of system disruptions, downtime, and financial losses resulting from successful cyber-attacks. It allows your business to maintain continuity, provide uninterrupted services, and protect its reputation.
Implementing robust security measures can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access, lateral movement, and data breaches. By prioritizing cybersecurity and investing in the right tools and practices, businesses can effectively harden their systems and protect their valuable assets from malicious actors.
System hardening is part of Locknet’s approach to a comprehensive managed IT and cybersecurity strategy. Let’s talk about how we can improve the security posture of your organization.