Weekends and holidays - the perfect time of the of year for cybercriminals

• And who doesn't like weekends and holidays? Cybercriminals are no exception, however they actually prefer to "work" during this time 

Everyone loves a long weekend and public holidays, but these special dates also figure highly in the calendar of the cybercriminal. Once a cyberattack gains access to a corporate network, over a holiday it will have more time to spread, since the offices are empty, making it easier for them to go unnoticed. As we head into the holiday season, Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, issues a stark warning about the dangers of letting your cybersecurity guard down during your office down time.

The trend is nothing new. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have already warned of its dangers in the wake of large-scale attacks this year in the US. On July 4th, Independence Day, the cyberattack on Kaseya, an IT management software company for MSPs, suffered a massive attack that affected 1,000 companies, with victims identified in at least 17 countries.

The devastating cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline – which supplies around 45% of the fuel across the US East Coast was carried out over the Mother's Day weekend. As a result of this ransomware attack, it was forced to shut down its operations in order to deal with the threat. On the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, it was meat giant JBS that was forced to pay the equivalent of $11 million in Bitcoins as a ransom to remediate a cyberattack.

During a vacation period or over a weekend, companies often operate with a skeleton team, with fewer staff to be on the lookout for any type of incident. This makes it easier for cybercriminals to operate in several ways. On the one hand, it allows ransomware to be fully deployed before anyone notices and on the other, it causes more panic during response operations, especially if the victim's IT teams are not available to respond. This, in turn, could increase the chances of a ransom demand being paid.

"Long weekends create the perfect conditions for threat actors to cause maximum damage. You need to take into account the fact that, at this time, everything is ‘paralyzed’ so once criminals gain access to the network, there is far more time to extend the attack and reach a large number of computers, and their data. This is one of the reasons why it is essential to have a good cybersecurity prevention strategy and not wait until the damage is already done before you address the problem", explains Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East

Tips for protecting a company from cyber-attacks

• Prevention strategy: in the times we live in, it is essential to have a proactive cybersecurity strategy to prevent data theft and cybersecurity problems. Unlike a reactive strategy, these methods are aimed at monitoring indicators of attack (IoA) and address all processes, technology, systems and people, with a focus on preparing for an attack, not waiting for it to happen.
• Zero Trust Strategy: according to Check Point Software's latest Threat Intelligence Report, 84% of malicious files in the UAE were sent by email. This is why, across the industry, security professionals are moving to a zero trust security mindset: no device, user, workflow or system should be trusted by default, regardless of the location from which it operates, either inside or outside the security perimeter. Applying these principles allows a "Deny by Default" security posture to be adopted where systems are hardened and isolated until a level of trust is established bringing the highest level of protection to a system.
• Protect mobile devices: data mobility is one of the main points to take into account when establishing a cybersecurity strategy. In the current paradigm, in which hybrid working has been adopted in most companies, there is a multi-device situation with many not having the appropriate security measures in place. These businesses are becoming the focus of many malicious campaigns by cybercriminals and so it is key to equip all devices with protective measures against any cyberattack. Check Point Harmony Mobile provides real-time threat intelligence and visibility into threats that could affect businesses, protecting them against any type of attack targeting mobile devices.
• Cybersecurity training: too often one of the main entry points for a cyberattack is an employee's email or device, which is why this is one of the weakest links in any company: the lack of training for its members. It is paramount to train company members so that they are able to identify and avoid possible attacks. A social engineering message encouraging the user to click on a malicious link is enough. Education is often considered one of the most important defenses that can be deployed.

-Ends-

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About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. ( www.checkpoint.com ) is a leading provider of cyber security solutions for enterprises and governments worldwide. Check Point Infinity portfolio solutions protect customers against 5th generation cyber attacks with industry-leading catch rates of malware, ransomware and other threats. Infinity rests on three core pillars that provide uncompromised security and Generation V threat defense in enterprise environments: Check Point Harmony for remote users; Check Point CloudGuard for automated cloud protection; Check Point Quantum for network perimeter and data center protection – all driven by the industry's most comprehensive and intuitive unified security management. Check Point protects more than 100,000 businesses of all sizes around the world.

© Press Release 2021