Breach and attack simulation: why your organization needs it
You’ve invested in your organization’s cybersecurity. You’ve implemented security controls across all of your applications, networks, and infrastructure. You’ve addressed vulnerabilities ranging from malware to phishing to spoofing, and much more. But, how do you know in advance that your security measures will all work, in an actual attack?
That’s where breach and attack simulation (BAS) comes in.
What is BAS?
BAS is a preparedness testing method. When you conduct BAS on your organization, cybersecurity experts simulate actual threats by deploying attacks against your systems and your cybersecurity tools. These cybersecurity experts try to penetrate your organization in a simulated environment, assessing if threats are detected, if alerts are working properly, and if threats are ultimately terminated.
Reproducing the simple – and sophisticated – pathways used by malicious actors, security experts can locate and mitigate vulnerabilities in your organization. This is especially important as threats evolve quickly. Hackers are relentless and aggressive; your security measures should be, too.
Using BAS in your organization
Vulnerable environments increase the risks of successful attacks, compromising your organization’s critical services and data. BAS is a mighty tool in eliminating vulnerabilities, and it can also help you validate and prioritize your organization’s cybersecurity spend. A few examples of putting BAS into action could be challenging the security controls in place for proprietary and third-party software, identity authentication, access authorization, network protection, and data storage security. BAS can assess readiness of an organization’s technologies, such as intrusion prevention systems. Attack simulations could include malware attacks on specific targets, delivery of malicious email attachments, web-based attacks, and much more.
Who are the security experts conducting BAS?
Experts validating the security of your organization need to think like hackers do, staying current on threats and the tools that can help mitigate your vulnerabilities. These security professionals are up-to-date on the tactics and techniques of malicious actors and the ways they create pathways to bypass defenses. They are connected to the broad and ethical cybersecurity community, always ready to analyze and respond more quickly and accurately than security software on the market; it is widely known that off-the-shelf cybersecurity testing software is scrutinized by threat actors for possible methods of exploitation. Even more, security software on the market alone is just a tool; it cannot confirm whether the assessed systems can withstand cyberattacks. These market tools take time to catch up in response to the most current steps taken by malicious attackers, and that precious time can be the moment of opportunity for those attackers to gain access to your resources.
That’s why security professionals like Moruga’s cybersecurity team can conduct BAS to provide your organization with the peace of mind that your security measures will work, in an actual attack. Contact us today for your consultation.