Defense strategies

  • 7 minutes

Defense strategies in cybersecurity are methods to prevent, detect, and respond to cyberattacks. Defense in depth is managed by applying controls at multiple layers with overlapping safeguards and risk mitigation strategies.

Defense in depth

Defense in depth is a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity that aims to protect an organization's systems and data by layering multiple security measures. It recognizes that no single security measure can provide complete protection, so it establishes multiple layers of defense that work together to thwart potential attacks.

This example shows the security layers commonly considered in a defense in depth security model. These layers are shown in order from the outermost layer to the innermost layer. Let's explore each layer:

  • Physical security: The physical layer focuses on securing the physical environment and assets. It involves measures such as video surveillance, access controls (for example, locks, biometrics), and security guards to prevent unauthorized physical access to facilities, servers, and other critical infrastructure.
  • Identity and access management (IAM): IAM is responsible for managing user identities, authenticating their access, and enforcing access controls. It includes practices like strong password policies, multifactor authentication (MFA), role-based access controls (RBAC), and user provisioning and deprovisioning processes to ensure that only authorized individuals can access systems and resources.
  • Perimeter security: The perimeter layer involves securing the network perimeter to prevent unauthorized access and protect against external threats. It includes technologies like firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and virtual private networks (VPNs) to filter and monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic.
  • Network security: The network layer focuses on securing internal network traffic and communication. It includes measures like network segmentation, network monitoring tools, and traffic filtering to control and monitor network traffic, mitigate the attack from moving across systems, and detect and respond to potential threats.
  • Compute security: The compute layer involves securing individual computing devices (such as servers, workstations, and endpoints). It includes practices like vulnerability management, regular patching, secure configurations, and host-based firewalls to protect against malware, unauthorized access, and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.
  • Application security: The application layer focuses on securing software and applications. It includes secure coding practices, regular vulnerability assessments, web application firewalls (WAFs), and secure software development lifecycle (SDLC) processes. The goal is to identify and mitigate application-level vulnerabilities and protect against attacks that take advantage of application vulnerabilities.
  • Data security: The data layer involves protecting sensitive data at rest, in transit, and in use. It includes practices like data encryption, data loss prevention (DLP) solutions, access controls, and data backup and recovery processes. The goal is to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, and mitigate the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.

By implementing these layers of defense in depth, organizations create a comprehensive and multi-layered security approach. This approach ensures that even if one layer is breached or compromised, there are additional layers to provide protection and mitigate the impact of potential security incidents.

Defense—cybersecurity tools

Malware tools are designed to prevent, detect, and remove malicious software (malware) from computer systems.

Antivirus

Antivirus software is a fundamental tool in cybersecurity defense. It works by scanning files, programs, and system memory to detect and remove known malware, such as viruses, worms, and trojans. Antivirus software uses a database of known malware signatures to identify malicious code and prevent it from infecting the system. It also provides real-time protection by monitoring file activity and blocking suspicious behavior. Antivirus software should be regularly updated to ensure it can recognize the latest threats.

Firewalls

Firewalls are a crucial component of network security. They act as a barrier between an internal network and external networks (such as the internet). Firewalls monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a set of predefined rules. They examine packets of data, inspecting the source, destination, and other attributes to determine whether the traffic should be allowed or blocked. Firewalls can be configured to restrict access to specific ports, protocols, or IP addresses, providing protection against unauthorized access and filtering out potentially malicious traffic. Firewalls can be implemented as hardware appliances or software solutions and are an essential part of network defense.

Intrusion detection system/Intrusion prevention system (IDS/IPS)

Think of an IDS/IPS like a security guard for a computer network. It keeps an eye on all the information coming in and going out, and looks for signs of trouble. For example, the IDS monitors the network and logs to see if anything seems strange or not allowed. It checks what's happening against a list of known issues that have happened before. If it sees something that matches the list or looks like a problem, it sends a warning to the people in charge so they can check it out.

An IPS adds the option to take immediate action. Its job is to monitor the traffic going in and out of the network and stop potential threats. The IPS looks at the data packets moving through the network and checks them against a list of rules for what's allowed and what's not. If it sees something that's clearly bad or suspicious, unlike an IDS, it takes action right away. This could mean blocking the bad traffic, closing off weak spots, or telling security people to investigate.

For instance, if a known vulnerability in a web server is being targeted, the IPS can prevent the exploitation by blocking the malicious requests.

Although it may seem at first glance that you would always want to deploy an IPS system, there are some instances where you may only want to deploy the IDS capability. For example, with an IDS in place, there's a risk that legitimate activities could be mistakenly identified as malicious and subsequently blocked. In the industry, these are referred to as false positives.

Security orchestration and automated response systems (SOAR)

SOARs are tools designed to automate and streamline security operations. SOAR platforms help centralize security operations, automate repetitive tasks, and enable faster incident response. They collect and correlate security alerts, initiate predefined response actions, and provide a centralized dashboard for monitoring and managing security incidents. SOAR systems help security teams save time, improve efficiency, and respond effectively to cybersecurity incidents.

Honeypots

Honeypots are decoy systems or resources intentionally created to attract and deceive attackers. They're designed to mimic real systems or applications but are isolated and monitored. Honeypots are used to gather information about attackers' techniques, tactics, and tools without risking the compromise of actual production systems. By luring attackers into interacting with the honeypot, security professionals can study their behavior, identify new attack vectors, and improve overall security defenses. Honeypots can provide valuable insights into emerging threats and help organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture.