Cyber Security

Data Encryption, Managed Firewalls, Endpoint Solitions, Anti-Virus Software & more.

Cyber Security

Cyber Security specialists in Peterborough

In today’s digital era, ensuring robust cyber security has never been more paramount. Recent events underscore the profound consequences of overlooking this vital business component. Simply put, Cyber Security is non-negotiable and here’s why:

Universal Threat Landscape: Whether you’re a budding startup operating from a home office or a global conglomerate with a vast network of offices, threats persist. Your size doesn’t determine your vulnerability; complacency does.
Far-reaching Implications: A security breach isn’t merely about lost data. It’s about the accompanying fines, the reputation damage, and the potential operational paralysis that can cost both time and money.

How our approach supports you

Our Multi-Faceted Cyber Security Approach:

Recognising Vulnerabilities: Without the right cyber security strategies, your business stands exposed to myriad threats, from external hacking attempts to insider breaches. An innocent click on a malicious link by an employee or intentional data theft – the threat spectrum is vast.
Layered Security Approach: A single security solution is like a single lock on a vault. We advocate for a layered security approach. By deploying multiple solutions, we ensure maximum protection, covering potential vulnerabilities across various fronts.
Managed Firewall Service: Our offerings extend beyond just advice. We provide comprehensive firewall services, assisting with its complete management, configuration, and regular updates to fortify your first line of defense.
Dedicated IT Support: In the unfortunate event of a breach, our team is equipped to swiftly intervene, containing the issue and working towards remediation.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a real-time protection mechanism that continually monitors and responds to potential threats on a network. It utilises artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning to find and respond to potential attacks in real-time.

In contrast to traditional anti-virus tools, which work passively by identifying known threats (i.e. checking detected anomalies against a list of threats it’s seen before), EDR works actively to identify and mitigate threats in real-time.

EDR works by constantly monitoring each endpoint in a network.

What is an endpoint? Well, these days it could be anything from the desktop and laptop computers your team uses to an internet-enabled fridge. Essentially, any device capable of internet access becomes an endpoint, serving as a potential gateway for attackers.

An EDR system will monitor each endpoint and collect data about common events. If something unusual or unexpected happens, data about the event is sent back to the centralised EDR system and analysed. If a threat is identified, the EDR system will take preventative or mitigative action, such as immediately disconnecting the affected endpoint or rolling back changes made by infected files.

How EDR can protect your business?

Now that you’re familiar with the concept of EDR, you might wonder why it’s so important to have such advanced cyberattack protection. Isn’t regular anti-virus enough? The truth is that, sadly, anti-virus is unable to handle the types of modern attacks being thrown at businesses today.

Here are some of the attack types your business could be vulnerable to right now:

Ransomware. These attacks will immediately encrypt local files on a computer, then display a message requesting payment of some kind to unlock the files. A good example of such an attack is the “WannaCry” cyberattack in 2017, which infected older Windows machines and affected more than 200,000 machines across the world.

Fileless attacks. As the name suggests, a fileless attack doesn’t require the user to open an email attachment or file of any kind. It’s a form of ‘stealth’ cyberattack and potentially one of the most damaging. These operate unlike viruses, which reside on hard drives, instead infecting memory and attacking endpoints at a much deeper (and more difficult to eliminate) level.

Lateral movement attacks. One of the more sophisticated attacks, the ‘lateral movement’ in the name refers to an attacker moving from one endpoint to another in order to avoid detection, sometimes even impersonating genuine users. This process effectively ‘dodges’ any anti-virus software – but it can’t avoid a good EDR system.

Zero-day malware. Cyberattackers are always working to identify exploits in systems like Microsoft Windows. A ‘zero-day’ attack happens when attackers use an exploit which the developers haven’t yet patched. This can be a big security risk, but an EDR is able to identify – and mitigate against – the negative impact of such attacks.

Historically, these types of attacks have required either dedicated software for detection – or, worse, have simply been missed by conventional anti-virus solutions.

As attackers have become more sophisticated, it’s become clear that preventative measures must likewise evolve – and it’s here that EDR comes into play.

How EDR works – and why it’s so much smarter than anti-virus

One of the big differences between EDR and conventional anti-virus is that it’s based on modern artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

In plain English, that means that the EDR system will leverage all of the data it’s collected from all endpoints and use it to decide whether a particular event represents a cyberattack threat.

Once the EDR system has a baseline understanding of how endpoints should behave, it can begin to ask questions of particular events as they occur.

For example, let’s say a user downloads a file attachment from a random email address on their laptop. In real time, the EDR system may ask the following:

Does this file appear unusual in any way?
Has this endpoint performed this action before, and if so, how often?
Is the downloaded file requesting access to sensitive or protected areas of the endpoint?

Every EDR system is different, but this is the core of the concept – it’s proactively monitoring activity in real time and making an immediate decision about whether to act, based on historical data.

Downloading weekly virus definitions for a nightly scan seems a little inadequate in comparison, right?

Cyber Security

Your Business's Digital Shield

Entrust your cyber security to Smart Solutions Group. With our expertise, commitment, and state-of-the-art tools, we ensure that your business remains protected in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Cyber Security

Cyber Security

Cyber Security specialists in Peterborough

How our approach supports you

Our Multi-Faceted Cyber Security Approach:

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

How EDR can protect your business?

How EDR works – and why it’s so much smarter than anti-virus

Cyber Security

Your Business's Digital Shield

To speak to our team today call us on: 03303 800 900

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