You've had a Cyber Attack - Now what?: Turning the Tide: Navigating the Aftermath of a Cyber Attack with Resilience and Response

This book offers a practical guide for organisations post-cyber security attack. Tailored for stakeholders like IT professionals, management, legal teams, and communications personnel, it outlines crucial steps to mitigate the attack's impact, restore operations, and fortify cyber security for future resilience. Notable advice: Stop, Look, Assess, Plan, Act.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understand the shared responsibility model of cloud security.
2. Implement strong access controls and data encryption.
3. Establish a regular vulnerability management process.
4. Provide regular security awareness training to employees.
5. Have a plan for responding to cyberattacks.
6. Regularly test, train, and update incident response plans.

Organisations must allocate resources for robust cyber security measures and incident response to mitigate risks. Cyber-crime poses ongoing threats to individuals, businesses, and governments, requiring a multi-pronged approach:

1. Implement strong security controls, including firewalls and access controls.
2. Educate employees on cybersecurity, identifying and avoiding threats.
3. Develop a response plan for investigating, containing, and restoring systems after an attack.

A cyber security incident disrupts or breaches information systems, affecting businesses of all sizes. Organisations need well-defined incident response plans to minimise damage, protect assets, and restore normal operations promptly.

Common Cyber Attacks:

1. Malware: Damages or gains unauthorized access to computer systems.
2. Phishing: Deceptive attempts to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information.
3. Ransomware: Encrypts files, demanding payment for release.
4. Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS): Overloads systems to disrupt functioning.
5. SQL Injection: Exploits database vulnerabilities for unauthorized access.
6. Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: Intercepting and altering communication between two parties.

A cyber security incident is any occurrence that disrupts or breaches the security of information systems, networks, or applications. These incidents encompass a broad spectrum of events that can have detrimental consequences for information assets. These attacks are not just against the smaller business or individuals, but even large corporates have fallen victim to such attacks. The cost impact can be enormous.

There are many different causes of cyber-attacks, but some of the most common include:

1. Financial gain: Cyber-criminals may launch cyber-attacks to steal money, credit card information, or other valuable data.
2. Espionage: Governments and corporations may launch cyber-attacks to steal sensitive information from their rivals.
3. Vandalism: Cyber-criminals may launch cyber-attacks to damage or disrupt computer systems or networks.
4. Activism: Hacktivists may launch cyber-attacks to protest government policies or corporate practices.

A holistic cyber security approach involves preventive measures, user education, and a robust incident response strategy, adapting to the evolving threat landscape. Combining technical defences with ongoing training ensures a resilient cyber security posture.

1. Combine technical defences with user education.
2. Implement preventive measures and continuously adapt to the evolving threat landscape.
3. Maintain a resilient cybersecurity posture.