The public sector handles a significant amount of sensitive information related to public services and administration. The challenge is to protect this data from breaches that could lead to identity theft, financial loss or misuse of personal information. It is also important to maintain public trust in the public sector.

Increasing cyber threats

Ransomware attacks on public organizations is happening more often than ever. The attacks block all computers, and therefore all digital communication; then the attacker demands a large ransom to unlock them. Avoiding digital communication is hardly a solution in today's world, and in order not to be harmed by the attacks, you need to work with cybersecurity in a consistent and structured way. It is the only option if the business's digital communication is to be protected.

How to protect yourself against cyberattacks

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all formula that will protect you from all cyberattacks. But there is a lot you can do to prevent them from happening, as well as ways to reduce the damage from an attack.

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Read about four concrete tips on how you can protect yourself and your business against cyberattacks:

1. Create a good safety culture

One thing that all organizations can do is build a good security culture. Cybersecurity is not only a technical challenge but also a human challenge. Criminals do not always exploit only technical flaws but also the human factor as part of the attack. Building and maintaining a strong security culture is therefore an extremely important part of working with cybersecurity.

To improve safety culture, attitudes and behaviors need to change. The organization needs to see cybersecurity and security culture that an activity across the business and not as a pure IT issue – it is important that management prioritizes the issue. What should permeate the work on the safety culture is to think of safety as something that enables the work, not hinders it.

Read more about how your business can improve safety culture.

2. Segment your networks

Network segmentation limits the damage caused by a cyberattack. Without segmentation, there is a risk that sensitive information can be leaked or manipulated, and that malware and ransomware can spread uncontrollably and quickly, making systems inaccessible. Attackers do not need to go directly to the target, such as a command and control system. Instead, they nestle in via weak points far out in the network, or via email or customer service, as a way to reach their goal. Many attackers are also patient, are prepared to work long-term, do everything in small steps and, unfortunately, are often one step ahead. The harsh reality is that the business's command and control systems may already be attacked without you noticing.
When working with cybersecurity and segmenting your systems into security zones, it is a good idea to use a risk-based approach. This way you avoid security work being carried out according to some undefined ”ad hoc” method and it is also often easier to explain and justify the investments you want to make if you can explain which risks you are addressing or reducing.

Read more about network segmentation.

3. Set requirements for your subcontractors

To ensure that your information security solution is future-proof, it is therefore important to ensure that your subcontractors have a working method that means they take on the commitment to remain digitally responsible. Do they provide security updates throughout the life of the product/service? Do they conduct regular threat and security analyses? Will their products remain secure throughout their lifetime? These are important questions that you should ask your supplier.

4. Update safely

Nowadays, practically everyone has to companies rely on external software supply chains, even if there is a local IT infrastructure and local maintenance. In addition, all software, whether it is an operating system or a business application, needs updates to implement new features, fix bugs or correct critical vulnerabilities. These updates are downloaded from the vendor or from another trusted external party via the internet. In some cases, portable media (such as USB sticks) are also used to reduce the risk of information being manipulated by an external threat actor.

When downloading software updates, it is good security practice to use only trusted sources and verify the integrity of the updates by checking for each downloaded package that the software checksum matches the checksum provided by the vendor. But what happens if someone tampers with the package by injecting other software code, such as a backdoor, ransomware, or other malicious content into the package, either at the software vendor or at an intermediary between the vendor and the end customer? For companies that use or provide such a software package to their customers, the integrity of the software package appears to be okay and the content trustworthy.

Read more about secure updates.

Products from Advenica that increase your safety

To protect sensitive systems and confidential data, Advenicas data diodeis the most secure option. The function of a data diode is to allow data to pass forward, while blocking data in the opposite direction. And since it is not software, it cannot be directly attacked by malware, resulting in high security. Any organization that uses sensitive information has great use for a data diode to protect its valuable information and to achieve secure data exchange.

To further reduce potential attack vectors while providing secure and selective access to systems from remote networks, a security gateway for controlled information exchange should be implemented. By using Advenica ZoneGuard With secure remote access, access is controlled and threats to remote connectivity are greatly and effectively reduced in the transition between the insecure and the protected environment. All information is validated and transformed, meaning that sensitive information remains within the protected network and malicious code cannot spread.

Importing files into secure environments is another area that poses a significant security threat unless the files are properly sanitized before transfer. By using Advenica's File Security Screener provides a high security comprehensive solution with effective and automated countermeasures through malware scanning and CDR (Content Disarm and reconstruction). At the same time, separation of the connected networks is ensured. File Security Screener provides an effective, scalable and reliable solution for secure file import.

What to consider when procuring IT security

Does your organization plan to outsource your IT security? There are a number of important things to consider. To make a successful procurement, you need to go through a few different steps:

Step 1: Do a needs analysis
Step 2: Send an RFI (Request for information) to suppliers
Step 3: Requirements
Step 4: The substrate itself
Step 5: Evaluation and selection of supplier

We have made a guide with some tips for such a procurement. Download the guide here.

Why you should choose Advenica as your security solutions provider

At Advenica, we have extensive experience working with public sector clients. For over 30 years, we have been a trusted supplier to several national defense clients as well as other organizations with sensitive systems and digital information. This has given us extensive experience in cybersecurity and the high-security segment.

Advenica was founded in 1993 and our unique products are designed, developed and manufactured in Sweden. We are a privately held listed company with extensive experience in security at the highest level.

Our products ensure that you can protect your digital information. This is done by physically isolating networks while securely connecting information. Our solutions also help you achieve compliance with GDPR, NIS and security legislation.

Our products are often part of a larger solution, but a very important part if you are to be able to protect your most important digital information. Therefore, it is important that you ensure that you get this important part!

Some things we think you should consider when purchasing IT security are the following:

•Is certifications such as Common Criteria important or is national certification important?
•Is it important that it is a Swedish company?
•Is it important that the company has extensive experience with security solutions?
•Is it important that the company has a high level of knowledge about high security?