Most people in business are well aware of what cyber attacks are, but many forget how diverse that topic can be. Stopping an attack before it becomes a problem is ideal, but this requires a multi-faceted approach. Considering the many types of attacks in network security, preventing lateral movement demands a proactive strategy.
Traditional methods aren’t really going to cut it here, which is why modern solutions have adapted with the help of advanced technology. Lateral movements mean attackers have compromised your network on several fronts and are accessing critical assets.
This can spiral out of control fast, and proactive prevention can be more important than response alone. In this article, you’re getting a close look at the types of attacks in network security and how to prevent lateral movement.
Common Types of Attacks in Network Security
When it comes down to the range of cybersecurity attacks, it’s a pretty long list. The reality is that some are more common than others. Regardless of how common they may be, that doesn’t make them any less of a threat to your organization. The types of cybersecurity incidents mentioned below have definitely evolved over time, with some being pretty efficient at lateral movement across networks.
Zero-Day Exploits
With zero-day exploits, certain vulnerabilities are attacked with zero potential for any kind of warning. This is a good example of why threat response isn’t enough on its own. In many cases, this particular type of attack is focused on initial entry points to reach deeper attacks on the network.
Lateral movement comes into play as an initial exploitation to make the situation worse and escalate access points. Common efforts in mitigation for this include network segmentation, behavior-based detection, and real-time threat intelligence.
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
Focusing on intercepting and altering communications between two parties, MitM attacks can be pretty dangerous. These types of network attacks can end up with sensitive data, such as login credentials, and easily mask themselves.
Networks that don’t utilize segmentation or encryption can be wide open for this type of attack. Thankfully, today’s cybersecurity technology can easily implement this, so you don’t have to worry about this issue. Enterprise information security architecture is a multi-layered concept, and this has a lot to do with the numerous attacks that are common in the market.
DoS and DDoS Threats
By overwhelming system traffic, these types of threats can quickly cause service outages, leaving your network vulnerable. They can also be relatively hard to block as they can originate from multiple sources.
In many circumstances, these particular attacks are used as a distraction so the attacks can move laterally across the network without resistance. Once again, tools exist to mitigate this, such as traffic filtering, DDoS-specific protection, and internal threat monitoring.
How to Prevent Lateral Movement
The list of potential cyber attacks is seemingly never-ending, but there are many tools available that can protect your business from lateral movement. From network segmentation to multi-factor authentication, and many other efforts, you can guard your network from every angle.
- Network Segmentation: Works to isolate critical assets and implements role-based access control (RBAC)
- Multi-Factor Authentication: MFA is a necessity for limiting credential-based access and blocking lateral movement after a breach
- Vulnerability Scanning: This practice focuses on closing known exploits and reducing the potential for zero-day exposure
- Endpoint Detection & Response: EDR is great for real-time network monitoring, behaviour analytics, and flagging suspicious lateral activity
- Least Privilege Access: Essentially reduces the potential radius for an attack in your network and can restrict user permissions
I always like to point out that these are just a few common examples you can utilize. With the range of tech on the market, you can get pretty layered with your network security architecture. As time goes on, your company will continue to be challenged to adapt to evolving cybersecurity threats.
Being proactive and educated on prevention, mitigation, and response efforts is how you ensure your business stays protected. You’ll always have several options here, whether it’s managing your own setup or getting some external help along the way.
Final Thoughts
The landscape of network security in the business world has been shapeshifting for decades. One of the main benefits in our modern era is the sheer number of network tools at our disposal. Always remember that information security is information risk management.
As long as you continue to be thorough with your network security setup, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about. Choosing the right security solutions is a challenge in itself, but the Firewalls team is here when you need us. We encourage you to send a message to our team members to discern what network security solutions you need for the long run.
