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Algosec helps financial institutions automate security policies, reduce risks, ensure compliance, and maintain seamless network operations. Finance Schedule a demo Watch a video Do you struggle with Financial institutions are dealing with the triple challenge of digital transformation, cyber security and regulations. They are constantly seeking to better serve their customers and establish a competitive edge through new technology innovations. But all too often, they fall behind on delivering these digital initiatives into production. Why does this happen? Network security operations teams are hampered by manual, slow and error-prone security change-management processes and the ever-increasing demands of industry regulations. Often requiring days, or even weeks, to process a single change across their complex network environment, security teams are deluged with hundreds of changes each month, hindering time-to-market. Security teams fight hard to create and maintain a clean and optimized network security policy that reduces the attack surface. But the frequent errors that arise from manual processes put the institution at cyber risk, opening security gaps that attract unwanted elements. Errors also introduce regulation-compliance gaps. Financial institutions find themselves struggling with the next audit instead of passing with flying colors. Business-Driven Security Policy Management for Financial Institutions AlgoSec’s unique, business-driven approach to security management enables financial institutions to align security policy management with their business initiatives and processes, making them more agile, more secure and more compliant all the time. With AlgoSec you can Automate the entire security policy management process – with zero-touch Manage the entire enterprise environment through a single pane of glass Proactively assess the risk of every change before it is implemented Automatically identify and remove bloat and clutter from security policies Automate firewall auditing and ensure continuous compliance Automatically discover, map and migrate application connectivity through easy-to-use workflows The Business Impact Get consistent, unified security management across any heterogeneous network environment Deploy applications faster by automating network security change management processes Avoid security device misconfigurations that cause outages Migrate application connectivity to the cloud quickly and easily Ensure a clean and optimized security policy Reduce the costs and efforts of firewall auditing and ensure continuous compliance Facilitate effective communication between security teams and application owners Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Business-Driven security management for financial institutions Read document Security policy management for financial institutions Read webinar AlgoSec case study: BM&FBOVESPA (English) Watch video Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Optimize network operations with Algosec's automated solutions, improving efficiency, visibility, and security across complex environments. Network & Security Operations Schedule a demo Watch a video Do you struggle with Manual, slow and error-prone change management processes? Outages and business disruptions that result from misconfigured security devices? Limited visibility and understanding of your network and security policy? Understanding and translating application connectivity requirements into networking terms? Figuring out how to support business transformation initiatives such as cloud or SDN? With AlgoSec’s business-driven automation of security policy management you can address security policy changes quickly and securely and avoid business disruption. With AlgoSec you can Provide a single pane of glass for unified network security policy management across cloud and on-premise networks Translate non-technical business requests for connectivity into networking terms Intelligently automate the entire security policy change process Proactively assess the risk of every proposed change Pinpoint and quickly troubleshoot network connectivity issues The Business Impact Process network security policy changes in minutes not days Effortlessly optimize your security policy Avoid costly business application outages from error-prone changes Provide uniform visibility and security management across your hybrid cloud environment Ensure continuous compliance with internal and regulatory standards Align various stakeholders for improved accuracy, accountability and governance Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Shift Happens: eliminating the risks of network security policy changes Read webinar Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Enhance network security and compliance for government agencies with Algosec’s automated policy management solutions. Government Schedule a demo Watch a video Government entities hold vast amounts of information that are worth a lot if it falls in the wrong hands. Therefore, with most of its information now digitalized, government networks are now the one of the most targeted in the world. Moreover, in recent years Government institutions are catching up with the rest of the industry and rolling out digital transformation initiations across complex hybrid cloud networks that include traditional and next-generation firewalls deployed on-premise and cloud security controls. But the complexity of these networks makes it difficult to see what’s going on, process changes, asses risk and ensure compliance with the multitude of regulations that government organizations are required to comply with. Business-Driven Security Policy Management for Government AlgoSec’s unique, business-driven approach to security management enables government institutions to align security policy management with their business initiatives and processes, and make them more agile, more secure and more compliant. With AlgoSec you can Automate the entire security policy management process – with zero-touch Manage the entire enterprise environment through a single pane of glass Proactively assess the risk of every change before it is implemented Automate firewall auditing and ensure continuous compliance with industry regulations, including NIST and FISMA Automatically discover, map and migrate application connectivity through easy-to-use workflows Built-in support for AWS, Microsoft Azure, Cisco ACI and VMware NSX The Business Impact Get consistent, unified security management across any heterogeneous network environment Deploy applications faster by automating network security change management processes Avoid lack of communication between disparate teams (security, networking, business owners). Migrate application connectivity to the cloud quickly and easily Reduce the costs and efforts of firewall auditing and ensure continuous compliance Facilitate effective communication between security teams and application owners Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Business-driven security management for local governments Read PDF Business-driven security management for the federal governments Read PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

What Are AWS Security Groups? Schedule a demo Watch a video AWS Security Groups are the stateful, instance-level firewalls that make or break your cloud perimeter. They filter traffic on the way in and out of every elastic network interface (ENI) , scale automatically with your workloads—supporting PCI DSS network segmentation—and can shrink audit scope and risk. This page explains how they work, why they differ from Network ACLs, what's new (cross-VPC sharing), and how AlgoSec Cloud Enterprise delivers continuous policy hygiene across hundreds of VPCs. How Do AWS Security Groups Work? Security groups (SGs) are virtual firewalls attached to ENIs in a virtual private cloud (VPC). They evaluate inbound rules first, allow stateful return traffic automatically, and then apply outbound rules—all before packets hit the guest OS firewall. Key behaviors: Allow Deny yes yes Before packet leaves ENI Before packet enters ENI Outbound Inbound Rule Type Default Action Stateful Security Groups ( SGs) Because SGs are stateful, you rarely need symmetric rules—responses are automatically allowed. By default, you can attach up to five SGs per ENI, giving you additive rule stacks for layered controls. Why Are AWS Security Groups Important? AWS security groups are critical because they enforce least-privilege, stateful filtering at the instance edge, blocking unauthorized traffic before it ever reaches your workload. The 2019 Capital One breach started with an SSRF exploit that punted traffic through an over-permissive SG/WAF combo; 100 million records later, the lesson was clear—least-privilege SGs matter for PCI DSS network segmentation compliance. When it comes to PCI network segmentation audits, AWS security groups let you create explicit, least-privilege boundaries around every cardholder-facing workload. Using Multiple AWS Security Groups Attaching more than one security group (SG) per ENI lets you layer responsibilities—platform, application, and third-party traffic—without ballooning the rule count in any single SG. AWS simply merges every rule across the attached groups into one effective allow-list; there is no concept of rule precedence or hidden denies. Rule union, not override: If SG-A allows TCP 22 and SG-B allows TCP 443, the instance will listen on both ports. Removing a port means removing it from every SG where it appears. Operations Checklist Tag everything with owner, env, and purpose; you'll thank yourself during audits and cost allocations. Watch for overlapping CIDRs—they multiply unintentionally when rules live in different SGs. Automate drift checks in CI/CD; any unauthorized console edit in a stacked security group can instantly alter the effective policy. Request higher SG-per-ENI limits before you need them; AWS approval isn't instant. Document the stack in runbooks so incident responders know which SG to configure (or not). Pro tip: For PCI network segmentation workloads, dedicate one SG to all PCI network segmentation rules and keep it read-only. Your Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) can audit a single file instead of searching through every microservice repository. Security Groups vs. Network ACLs for PCI Network Segmentation When a packet hits metal in AWS, two different bouncers can toss or pass it: Security groups (SGs) at the elastic-network-interface (ENI) layer and network ACLs (NACLs) at the subnet edge. Know what each one does so you don't build overlapping rules and accidental holes. Coarse subnet guardrails, country/IP blocks, extra layer for PCI DSS network segmentation compliance All traffic denied unless rules explicity allow it Lowest rule number is evaluated first; order matters Numbered Allow or Deny lines; first-match wins Fine - grained micro-segmentation, zero-trust tiers, PCI network segmentation All inbound blocked, all outbound allowed until changed AWS takes the union of all SG rules; no priorities to track Allow only (implicit deny for everything else ) Ideal Use Evaluation Order Default Behavior Rule Actions No-must write matching rules for both directions Applied to the entire subnet edge Stateful Layer/Scope Yes - return traffic automatically allowed Attached to each elastic network interface (instance-level) Security Groups ( SGs) Feature Network ACLs (NACLs) Think of SGs as the tight turnstiles right at the workload door and NACLs as the perimeter fence around the parking lot. Use both, but for different jobs; your cloud will remain tidy, audit-ready, and resilient: Why This Matters for PCI DSS Network Segmentation PCI DSS emphasizes strong, documented segmentation between the cardholder data environment (CDE) and everything else. SGs give you per-instance micro-segmentation, while ACLs provide an outer guardrail, satisfying default-deny, explicit-allow requirements. New AWS Security Group Functionalities AWS has added several quality-of-life upgrades that make security-group hygiene less painful and far more automation-friendly: Security-group VPC associations: Attach the same SG to several VPCs within a single region. Maintaining one "golden" rule set instead of cloning SGs per VPC eliminates policy drift and simplifies CI/CD pipelines. Shared security groups: Participant accounts in a Shared-VPC architecture can reuse SGs owned by the host account. Every team sees (and inherits) the exact rules the network team approved. This gives you centralized control without blocking decentralized builds. Cross-VPC security group referencing (via AWS Transit Gateway): A security group in one VPC can name an SG in another VPC as its source or destination. You can build hub-and-spoke or spoke-to-spoke traffic filters without configuring CIDRs everywhere, tightening cross-region segmentation. AlgoSec for PCI Network Segmentation with AWS Security Groups Managing security groups is easy when you have a dozen; it's a different story when juggling hundreds across multiple accounts, regions, and VPCs. That's where AlgoSec provides the context, automation, and guardrails you need for PCI network segmentation audits without slowing delivery: Unified SG inventory: Auto-discovers every security group across accounts for one-screen visibility. Continuous risk checks: Flags open CIDRs, unused groups, and over-broad ports before production—giving application owners instant, actionable insight. Zero-touch change push: Generate, approve, and apply SG updates straight from CI/CD. One-click compliance packs: Exports ready-to-submit reports for PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. Optimization hints: Suggests merges, rule clean-ups, and NACL offloads to stay under quotas. Migration Wizard: Converts legacy firewall rules into matching SG policies in minutes. Hybrid-cloud scale: Secures AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-prem firewalls from the same console—see real-world patterns in AWS and AlgoSec . Putting It All Together Security groups are your first—and sometimes last—line of defense in AWS. By combining layered SG design, complementary network ACL guardrails, and tooling like AlgoSec for continuous assurance, you create a security posture that scales as fast as your engineering teams deploy. This keeps you audit-ready for PCI DSS network segmentation at any size. Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Simplify Zero Trust with application - based segmentation- Whitepaper Download now Short tutorial- Learn how to build Zero Trust architecture Watch it now Zero Trust webinar with Forrester and AlgoSec CTO Watch it now Mapping the Zero Trust Model with AlgoSec’s solution Read the article now Schedule time with a Zero Trust expert

Algosec integrates with vulnerability management tools to prioritize risks, automate security policies, and strengthen network defenses. Vulnerability management solution Schedule a demo Watch a video With vulnerabilities more widespread than ever before it’s critical to be able to quickly weed through and prioritize these risks based how they impact the key applications that run your business. Yet vulnerability information is typically presented in technical terms such as servers and IP addresses, which is not a meaningful format for business application owners. Assess, Prioritize and Manage Risk from the Business Perspective AlgoSec seamlessly integrates with the leading vulnerability scanners to map vulnerabilities directly to their business applications, including servers and complex connectivity flows, and provide a security rating for every business application. AlgoSec automatically recalculates these risk scores whenever a change is made through its intelligent, automated security policy change management process, to ensure that you always have an up-to-date, business-centric view of your risk. With this information you can effectively prioritize and remediate risk across your organization based on its criticality and impact on your business. With AlgoSec you can Map vulnerabilities and severity levels directly to their business applications Get a an accurate, up-to-date vulnerability rating for every business applications Immediately identify any un-scanned servers for each application The Business Impact Get an application centric view of risk which is always up-to-date Remediate vulnerabilities quickly based on their criticality and impact on the business Improve accountability for risk across the organization Facilitate effective communication between security teams and application owners regarding risk Minimize your organization’s exposure to risk Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights How to Prioritize Risk from the Business Perspective Watch video Schedule time with one of our experts

AlgoSec Security Policy Management solution ties security incidents directly to the actual business processes Incident response Schedule a demo Watch a video Time is not on your side when managing security for a global enterprise and facing down a relentless barrage of cyber attacks. So when confronted with multiple suspect alerts flagged by your SIEM solution, you need a way to easily sift through and identify the attacks that will most likely impact key business processes and quickly take action – before they impact your business and its reputation. Tie Incident Response to Business Processes, Prioritize and Automate Remediation Through a seamless integration with the leading SIEM solutions, the AlgoSec Security Policy Management solution ties security incidents directly to the actual business processes that are or potentially will be impacted, including the applications, servers, network and traffic flows, and security devices. Once identified, AlgoSec can neutralize the attack by automatically isolating any compromised or vulnerable servers from the network. With AlgoSec you can Automatically associate security incidents with applications, servers and network connectivity flows Highlight the criticality of business applications impacted by the threat Automatically isolate compromised servers from the network Identify network connectivity to/from a compromised server on a visual, interactive map Plot the lateral movement of the threat across the network Notify stakeholders to coordinate threat remediation efforts Get a full audit trail to assist with cyber threat forensics and compliance reporting Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Bringing reachability analysis into incident response Watch video Advanced Cyber Threat and Incident Management Watch video The AlgoSec QRadar app for incident response Watch video AlgoSec Splunk app for incident response Watch video Schedule time with one of our experts The Business Impact Augment threat analysis with critical business context to assess the severity, risk and potential business impact of an attack Prioritize incident remediation efforts based on business risk Immediately neutralize impacted systems through zero-touch automation Limit the lateral movement of an attacker in, out and across your network Reduce the time and cost of mitigating a threat by orders or magnitude Keep all stakeholders involved in the remediation process to reduce disruption to the business Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue Schedule time with one of our experts

Algosec empowers CIOs with automated security policy management, enhancing visibility, reducing risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Secure application
connectivity for CIOs Schedule a demo Schedule time with one of our experts Secure application connectivity. Anywhere. Digital transformation compels application development teams to move fast, while cyber security threats require a heightened security posture. AlgoSec lives at the intersection of your infrastructure, security policy and the applications that run your business. Balancing between agility and security is an ongoing battle for security teams, who are often unable to keep pace. This situation creates application delivery bottlenecks, and leaves the company exposed to increasing risk and compliance violations The AlgoSec Security Management Platform The AlgoSec platform helps organizations securely accelerate application delivery by automating application connectivity and security policy across the hybrid network estate, including public cloud, private cloud, containers, and on-premises networks. With the AlgoSec platform, application owners and InfoSec teams can: Enable application visibility by providing application discovery for reliable, estate-wide mapping Ensure compliance with application compliance awareness, risk mitigation, and remediation Cut application delivery bottlenecks with intelligent application change automation Watch the video "Placeholder Text" What they say about us Placeholder Name Send Michael West Reece Secure application connectivity 
across your entire application fabric Heading 5 Send Michael West Reece Secure application connectivity 
across your entire application fabric Heading 5 Join leading companies like: The business impact Accelerate time-to-market without compromising security With complete visibility of your hybrid network and zero-touch automation, your team can focus on what's essential – adding business value. AlgoSec analyzes your entire network intelligently so you can make changes quickly. Reduce cyber-security threats and reputational risk With complete visibility of your hybrid network and zero-touch automation, your team can focus on what's essential – adding business value. AlgoSec analyzes your entire network intelligently so you can make changes quickly. Align DevOps, SecOps, and business teams With complete visibility of your hybrid network and zero-touch automation, your team can focus on what's essential – adding business value. AlgoSec analyzes your entire network intelligently so you can make changes quickly. Achieve continuous compliance With complete visibility of your hybrid network and zero-touch automation, your team can focus on what's essential – adding business value. AlgoSec analyzes your entire network intelligently so you can make changes quickly. Always be compliant With complete visibility of your hybrid network and zero-touch automation, your team can focus on what's essential – adding business value. AlgoSec analyzes your entire network intelligently so you can make changes quickly. Five reasons why leading infosec teams choose AlgoSec Your applications always
come first AlgoSec's patented application-centric view of the hybrid network abstracts infrastructure complexity by listening to the network and associating connectivity flows with specific applications. 1 The only complete hybrid network solution Visualize and manage the application connectivity and security policies across all public clouds, private clouds, containers, and onpremises networks. 2 Security across the entire application development lifecycle Automate security policy across the application delivery pipeline from code analysis and build, through monitoring and reporting, to mitigate risk without compromising agility. 3 Zero-touch change automation Always be compliant. Quickly pinpoint gaps, so you can immediately act. Identify exactly which application or security policies are potentially noncompliant with audit-ready reports. 4 Full integration with your existing tech-stack Complete integration with leading ITSM, SIEM, vulnerability scanners, identify management, and orchestration systems promotes a holistic, more robust security posture. 5 Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

AlgoSec provides firewall rule set analysis, risk management capabilities such as a comprehensive view of all risks and automatic risk analysis of each change Firewall policy risk & security risk mitigation Schedule a demo Watch a video Firewalls are the cornerstone of your network security. They ensure that only business-critical services are allowed to flow to and from your network, to minimize the attack surface. But network security is only as good as its policy configuration. Today’s networks are highly complex and dynamic and have accumulated thousands of rules across multi-vendor firewalls, NGFWs and cloud security controls. It therefore comes as no surprise that, according to Gartner, “99 percent of all firewall breaches are caused by misconfiguration not firewall flaws.” A business-driven approach to mitigating network security risk AlgoSec allows you to instantly assess, prioritize and mitigate risks in firewall policies, and map them to their respective business applications, to deliver a business-driven view of risk. AlgoSec checks your policy against an extensive database of industry best practices, which can be enhanced and customized with risks specific to your organization. AlgoSec also proactively assesses the risk of every proposed firewall rule change before it is implemented, so that you can ensure that your policy remains secure and compliant all the time. With AlgoSec you can Instantly view all risks in the network security policy – across multi-vendor firewalls and cloud security groups Map risky traffic flows to the applications they serve Proactively assess the risk of every change before it is implemented Safely tighten overly permissive rules (e.g. ANY/ANY). Securely remove firewall rules for decommissioned applications, without breaking access to other applications The Business Impact Deliver an instant, business-driven view of risk Ensure a clean and optimized security policy Ensure continuous compliance Avoid outages and prevent cyber-attacks Resources Learn from the experts. Get the latest industry insights Shift Happens: Eliminating the Risks of Network Security Policy Changes Read webinar Managing Your Security Policy in a Mixed Next-Gen and Traditional Firewall Environment Watch video Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Untangling Network Complexity Exploring Network Segmentation Strategies and Security Solutions for Enhanced Network Security Network segmentation solution & software (risk mitigation) Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. What is network segmentation? What is network segmentation and why is it necessary? Which security risks does network segmentation mitigate? What are the most effective approaches to network segmentation? Which principles drive effective network segmentation? 21 questions that help you get network segmentation right 10 KPIs to measure success in network segmentation How AlgoSec helps you reap the benefits of network segmentation How to get started with network segmentation? Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk mitigation with the AlgoSec Copy White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Copy Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Copy Case study Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

2024 just started but cloud network security insights are already emerging. Amongst all the research and insights GigaOm’s comprehensive... Cloud Network Security Understanding the human-centered approach for cloud network security with GigaOm’s 2024 insights Adel Osta Dadan 2 min read Adel Osta Dadan Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 1/23/24 Published 2024 just started but cloud network security insights are already emerging. Amongst all the research and insights GigaOm’s comprehensive research emerges as a vital compass. More than just a collection of data and trends, it’s a beacon for us – the decision-makers and thought leaders – guiding us to navigate these challenges with a focus on the human element behind the technology. GigaOm showcased indicators to where the market is heading. Understanding multi-cloud complexity : GigaOm’s insights highlight the intricacies of multi-cloud environments. It’s about recognizing the human factor in these ecosystems – how these technologies affect our teams and processes, and ultimately, our business objectives. Redefining security boundaries : The shift to adaptive security boundaries, as noted by GigaOm, is a testament to our evolving work environments. This new perspective acknowledges the need for flexible security measures that resonate with our changing human interactions and work dynamics. The human impact of misconfigurations : Focusing on misconfiguration and anomaly detection goes beyond technical prowess. GigaOm’s emphasis here is about protecting our digital world from threats that carry significant human consequences, such as compromised personal data and the resulting erosion of trust. To learn more about cloud misconfigurations and risk check out our joint webinar with SANS . Leadership in a digitally transformed world Cultivating a Zero Trust culture : Implementing Zero Trust, as GigaOm advises, is more than a policy change. It’s about cultivating a mindset of continuous verification and trust within our organizations, reflecting the interconnected nature of our modern workspaces. Building relationships with vendors : GigaOm’s analysis of vendors reminds us that choosing a security partner is as much about forging a relationship that aligns with our organizational values as it is about technical compatibility. Security as a core organizational value : According to GigaOm, integrating security into our business strategy is paramount. It’s about making security an inherent part of our organizational ethos, not just a standalone strategy. The human stories behind vendors GigaOm’s insights into vendors reveal the visions and values driving these companies. This understanding helps us see them not merely as service providers but as partners sharing our journey toward a secure digital future. Embracing GigaOm’s vision: A collaborative path forward GigaOm’s research serves as more than just guidance; it’s a catalyst for collaborative discussions among us – leaders, innovators, and technologists. It challenges us to think beyond just the technical aspects and consider the human impacts of our cybersecurity decisions. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Attacks on water treatment plants show just how vulnerable critical infrastructure is to hacking – here’s how these vital services should... Cyber Attacks & Incident Response Stop hackers from poisoning the well: Protecting critical infrastructure against cyber-attacks Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 3/31/21 Published Attacks on water treatment plants show just how vulnerable critical infrastructure is to hacking – here’s how these vital services should be protected. Criminals plotting to poison a city’s water supply is a recurring theme in TV and movie thrillers, such as 2005’s Batman Begins. But as we’ve seen recently, it’s more than just a plot device: it’s a cyber-threat which is all too real. During the past 12 months, there have been two high-profile attacks on water treatment systems that serve local populations, both with the aim of causing harm to citizens. The first was in April 2020, targeting a plant in Israel . Intelligence sources said that hackers gained access to the plant and tried altering the chlorine levels in drinking water – but luckily the attack was detected and stopped. And in early February, a hacker gained access to the water system of Oldsmar, Florida and tried to pump in a dangerous amount of sodium hydroxide. The hacker succeeded in starting to add the chemical, but luckily a worker spotted what was happening and reversed the action. But what could have happened if those timely interventions had not been made? These incidents are a clear reminder that critical national infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks – and that those attacks will keep on happening, with the potential to impact the lives of millions of people.  And of course, the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted how essential critical infrastructure is to our daily lives. So how can better security be built into critical infrastructure systems, to stop attackers being able to breach them and disrupt day-to-day operations?  It’s a huge challenge, because of the variety and complexity of the networks and systems in use across different industry sectors worldwide. Different systems but common security problems For example, in water and power utilities, there are large numbers of cyber-physical systems consisting of industrial equipment such as turbines, pumps and switches, which in turn are managed by a range of different industrial control systems (ICS). These were not designed with security in mind:  they are simply machines with computerized controllers that enact the instructions they receive from operators.  The communications between the operator and the controllers are done via IP-based networks – which, without proper network defenses, means they can be accessed over the Internet – which is the vector that hackers exploit. As such, irrespective of the differences between ICS controls, the security challenges for all critical infrastructure organizations are similar:  hackers must be stopped from being able to infiltrate networks; if they do succeed in breaching the organization’s defenses, they must be prevented from being able to move laterally across networks and gain access to critical systems. This means  network segmentation  is one of the core strategies for securing critical infrastructure, to keep operational systems separate from other networks in the organization and from the public Internet and surround them with security gateways so that they cannot be accessed by unauthorized people. In the attack examples we mentioned earlier, properly implemented segmentation would prevent a hacker from being able to access the PC which controls the water plant’s pumps and valves. With damaging ransomware attacks increasing over the past year, which also exploit internal network connections and pathways to spread rapidly and cause maximum disruption,  organizations should also employ security best-practices to block or limit the impact of ransomware attacks  on their critical systems. These best practices have not changed significantly since 2017’s massive WannaCry and NotPetya attacks, so organizations would be wise to check and ensure they are employing them on their own networks. Protecting critical infrastructure against cyber-attacks is a complex challenge because of the sheer diversity of systems in each sector.  However, the established security measures we’ve outlined here are extremely effective in protecting these vital systems – and in turn, protecting all of us. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Every business needs to manage risks. If not, they won’t be around for long. The same is true in cloud computing. As more companies move... Cloud Security Introduction to Cloud Risk Management for Enterprises Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 11/24/22 Published Every business needs to manage risks. If not, they won’t be around for long. The same is true in cloud computing. As more companies move their resources to the cloud, they must ensure efficient risk management to achieve resilience, availability, and integrity. Yes, moving to the cloud offers more advantages than on-premise environments. But, enterprises must remain meticulous because they have too much to lose. For example, they must protect sensitive customer data and business resources and meet cloud security compliance requirements. The key to these – and more – lies in cloud risk management. That’s why in this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about managing enterprise risk in cloud computing, the challenges you should expect, and the best ways to navigate it. If you stick around, we’ll also discuss the skills cloud architects need for risk management. What is Cloud Risk Management and Why is it Important? In cloud computing, risk management refers to the process of identifying, assessing, prioritizing, and mitigating the risks associated with cloud computing environments. It’s a process of being proactive rather than reactive. You want to identify and prevent an unexpected or dangerous event that can damage your systems before it happens. Most people will be familiar with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). Organizations use ERM to prepare for and minimize risks to their finances, operations, and goals. The same concept applies to cloud computing. Cyber threats have grown so much in recent years that your organization is almost always a target. For example, a recent report revealed 80 percent of organizations experienced a cloud security incident in the past year. While cloud-based information systems have many security advantages, they may still be exposed to threats. Unfortunately, these threats are often catastrophic to your business operations. This is why risk management in cloud environments is critical. Through effective cloud risk management strategies, you can reduce the likelihood or impact of risks arising from cloud services. Types of Risks Managing risks is a shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the customer – you. While the provider ensures secure infrastructure, you need to secure your data and applications within that infrastructure. Some types of risks organizations face in cloud environments are: Data breaches are caused by unauthorized access to sensitive data and information stored in the cloud. Service disruptions caused by redundant servers can affect the availability of services to users. Non-compliance to regulatory requirements like CIS compliance , HIPAA, and GDPR. Insider threats like malicious insiders, cloud misconfigurations, and negligence. External threats like account hijacking and insecure APIs. But risk assessment and management aren’t always straightforward. You will face certain challenges – and we’ll discuss them below: Challenges Facing Enterprise Cloud Risk Management Most organizations often face difficulties when managing cloud or third-party/vendor risks. These risks are particularly associated with the challenges that cloud deployments and usage cause. Understanding the cloud security challenges sheds more light on your organization’s potential risks. The Complexity of Cloud Environments Cloud security is complex, particularly for enterprises. For example, many organisations leverage multi-cloud providers. They may also have hybrid environments by combining on-premise systems and private clouds with multiple public cloud providers. You’ll admit this poses more complexities, especially when managing configurations, security controls, and integrations across different platforms. Unfortunately, this means organizations leveraging the cloud will likely become dependent on cloud services. So, what happens when these services become unavailable? Your organisation may be unable to operate, or your customers can’t access your services. Thus, there’s a need to manage this continuity and lock-in risks. Lack of Visibility and Control Cloud consumers have limited visibility and control. First, moving resources to the public cloud means you’ll lose many controls you had on-premises. Cloud service providers don’t grant access to shared infrastructure. Plus, your traditional monitoring infrastructure may not work in the cloud. So, you can no longer deploy network taps or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to monitor and filter traffic in real-time. And if you cannot directly access the data packets moving within the cloud or the information contained within them, you lack visibility or control. Lastly, cloud service providers may provide logs of cloud workloads. But this is far from the real deal. Alerts are never really enough. They’re not enough for investigations, identifying the root cause of an issue, and remediating it. Investigating, in this case, requires access to data packets, and cloud providers don’t give you that level of data. Compliance and Regulatory Requirements It can be quite challenging to comply with regulatory requirements. For instance, there are blind spots when traffic moves between public clouds or between public clouds and on-premises infrastructures. You can’t monitor and respond to threats like man-in-the-middle attacks. This means if you don’t always know where your data is, you risk violating compliance regulations. With laws like GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations, managing cloud data security and privacy risks has never been more critical. Understanding Existing Systems and Processes Part of cloud risk management is understanding your existing systems and processes and how they work. Understanding the requirements is essential for any service migration, whether it is to the cloud or not. This must be taken into consideration when evaluating the risk of cloud services. How can you evaluate a cloud service for requirements you don’t know? Evolving Risks Organizations struggle to have efficient cloud risk management during deployment and usage because of evolving risks. Organizations often develop extensive risk assessment questionnaires based on audit checklists, only to discover that the results are virtually impossible to assess. While checklists might be useful in your risk assessment process, you shouldn’t rely on them. Pillars of Effective Cloud Risk Management – Actionable Processes Here’s how efficient risk management in cloud environments looks like: Risk Assessment and Analysis The first stage of every risk management – whether in cloud computing or financial settings – is identifying the potential risks. You want to answer questions like, what types of risks do we face? For example, are they data breaches? Unauthorized access to sensitive data? Or are they service disruptions in the cloud? The next step is analysis. Here, you evaluate the likelihood of the risk happening and the impact it can have on your organization. This lets you prioritize risks and know which ones have the most impact. For instance, what consequences will a data breach have on the confidentiality and integrity of the information stored in the cloud? Security Controls and Safeguards to Mitigate Risks Once risks are identified, it’s time to implement the right risk mitigation strategies and controls. The cloud provider will typically offer security controls you can select or configure. However, you can consider alternative or additional security measures that meet your specific needs. Some security controls and mitigation strategies that you can implement include: Encrypting data at rest and in transit to protect it from unauthorized access. For example, you could encrypt algorithms and implement secure key management practices that protect the information in the cloud while it’s being transmitted. Implementing accessing control and authentication measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access control (RBAC), and privileged access management (PAM). These mechanisms ensure that only authorized users can access resources and data stored in the cloud. Network security and segmentation: Measures like firewalls, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), and virtual private networks (VPN) will help secure network communications and detect/prevent malicious actors. On the other hand, network segmentation mechanisms help you set strict rules on the services permitted between accessible zones or isolated segments. Regulatory Compliance and Data Governance Due to the frequency and complexity of cyber threats, authorities in various industries are releasing and updating recommendations for cloud computing. These requirements outline best practices that companies must adhere to avoid and respond to cyber-attacks. This makes regulatory compliance an essential part of identifying and mitigating risks. It’s important to first understand the relevant regulations, such as PCI DSS, ISO 27001, GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. Then, understand each one’s requirements. For example, what are your obligations for security controls, breach notifications, and data privacy? Part of ensuring regulatory compliance in your cloud risk management effort is assessing the cloud provider’s capabilities. Do they meet the industry compliance requirements? What are their previous security records? Have you assessed their compliance documentation, audit reports, and data protection practices? Lastly, it’s important to implement data governance policies that prescribe how data is stored, handled, classified, accessed, and protected in the cloud. Continuous Monitoring and Threat Intelligence Cloud risks are constantly evolving. This could be due to technological advancements, revised compliance regulations and frameworks, new cyber-treats, insider threats like misconfigurations, and expanding cloud service models like Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). What does this mean for cloud computing customers like you? There’s an urgent need to conduct regular security monitoring and threat intelligence to address emerging risks proactively. It has to be an ongoing process of performing vulnerability scans of your cloud infrastructure. This includes log management, periodic security assessments, patch management, user activity monitoring, and regular penetration testing exercises. Incident Response and Business Continuity Ultimately, there’s still a chance your organization will face cyber incidents. Part of cloud risk management is implementing cyber incident response plans (CIRP) that help contain threats. Whether these incidents are low-level risks that were not prioritized or high-impact risks you missed, an incident response plan will ensure business continuity. It’s also important to gather evidence through digital forensics and analyze system artifacts after incidents. Backup and Recovery Implementing data backup and disaster recovery into your risk management ensures you minimize the impact of data loss or service disruptions. For example, backing up data and systems regularly is important. Some cloud services may offer redundant storage and versioning features, which can be valuable when your data is corrupted or accidentally deleted. Additionally, it’s necessary to document backup and recovery procedures to ensure consistency and guide architects. Best Practices for Effective Cloud Risk Management Achieving cloud risk management involves combining the risk management processes above, setting internal controls, and corporate governance. Here are some best practices for effective cloud risk management: 1. Careful Selection of Your Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Carefully select a reliable cloud service provider (CSP). You can do this by evaluating factors like contract clarity, ethics, legal liability, viability, security, compliance, availability, and business resilience. Note that it’s important to assess if the CSP relies on other service providers and adjust accordingly. 2. Establishing a Cloud Risk Management Framework Consider implementing cloud risk management frameworks for a structured approach to identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks. Some notable frameworks include: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cloud Computing Risk Management Framework (CC RMF) ISO/IEC 27017 Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) Cloud Audit and Compliance (CAC) Criteria Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls for Cloud, etc. 3. Collaboration and Communication with Stakeholders You should always inform all stakeholders about potential risks, their impact, and incident response plans. A collaborative effort can improve risk assessment and awareness, help your organization leverage collective expertise, and facilitates effective decision-making against identified risks. 4. Implement Technical Safeguards Deploying technical safeguards like cloud access security broker (CASB) in cloud environments can enhance security and protect against risks. CASB can be implemented in the cloud or on-premise and enforces security policies for users accessing cloud-based resources. 5. Set Controls Based on Risk Treatment After identifying risks and determining your risk appetite, it’s important to implement dedicated measures to mitigate them. Develop robust data classification and lifecycle mechanisms and integrate processes that outline data protection, erasure, and hosting into your service-level agreements (SLA). 6. Employee Training and Awareness Programs What’s cloud risk management without training personnel? At the crux of risk management is identifying potential threats and taking steps to prevent them. Insider threats and the human factor contribute significantly to threats today. So, training employees on what to do to prevent risks during and after incidents can make a difference. 7. Adopt an Optimized Cloud Service Model Choose a cloud service model that suits your business, minimizes risks, and optimizes your cloud investment cost. 8. Continuous Improvement and Adaptation to Emerging Threats As a rule of thumb, you should always look to stay ahead of the curve. Conduct regular security assessments and audits to improve cloud security posture and adapt to emerging threats. Skills Needed for Cloud Architects in Risk Management Implementing effective cloud risk management requires having skilled architects on board. Through their in-depth understanding of cloud platforms, services, and technologies, these professionals can help organizations navigate complex cloud environments and design appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Cloud Security Expertise: This involves an understanding of cloud-specific security challenges and a solid knowledge of the cloud provider’s security capabilities. Risk Assessment and Management Skills: Cloud architects must be proficient in risk assessment processes, methodologies, and frameworks. It is also essential to prioritize risks based on their perceived impact and implement appropriate controls. Compliance and Regulatory Knowledge: Not complying with regulatory requirements may cause similar damage as poor risk management. Due to significant legal fees or fines, cloud architects must understand relevant industry regulations and compliance standards. They must also incorporate these requirements into the company’s risk management strategies. Incident Response and Incident Handling: Risk management aims to reduce the likelihood of incidents or their impact. It doesn’t mean completely eradicating incidents. So, when these incidents eventually happen, you want cloud security architects who can respond adequately and implement best practices in cloud environments. Conclusion The importance of prioritizing risk management in cloud environments cannot be overstated. It allows you to proactively identify risks, assess, prioritize, and mitigate them. This enhances the reliability and resilience of your cloud systems, promotes business continuity, optimizes resource utilization, and helps you manage compliance. Do you want to automate your cloud risk assessment and management? Prevasio is the ideal option for identifying risks and achieving security compliance. Request a demo now to see how Prevasio’s agentless platform can protect your valuable assets and streamline your multi-cloud environments. 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