Cloud Protection for Microsoft Office 365

F-Secure Cloud Protection for Microsoft Office 365 helps organisations mitigate their business email risks by providing effective threat protection against increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks and malicious content as well as URL protection for users. Whenever an end-user receives or creates a Microsoft Outlook item, such as email, appointment, task, contact, or note in their mailbox, the solution analyses all included attachments and links for harmful content, such as malware, Trojans, ransomware, or phishing. The solution also provides rich reporting, advanced security analytics, and system events to ensure faster response to the identified potential threats. F-Secure Cloud Protection for Microsoft Office 365 also comprises a management portal and easy-to-use dashboard for daily administration and a service backend so that you do not need to install any additional software or make any changes to your network configuration to start using the solution.

Covid-19 pandemic cyber security challenges

The sudden global lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic has left many organisations scrambling to keep operations running smoothly. Faced with the often-monumental challenge of quickly enabling mass remote working for their staff, the speed and scope of the change has put unprecedented pressure on CISOs to ensure systems remain as secure as possible. The CISOs and IT Managers play a major role in ensuring business continuity by keeping organisations safe from malicious attacks whilst keeping sensitive data protected effectively and networks withstanding pressure. At the same time they have to defend their organisations amid accelerated threat levels, as cyber attackers ramped up attacks in a bid to exploit the coronavirus confusion and vulnerability of organisations.

The Impact of Cyber Attacks Increases Over Time

The longer an attacker is on your estate, the more knowledge they gain of your business and its practices, including which assets are of the most value from a financial point of view so that they can hit you harder. Many attackers, especially state-sponsored groups which are becoming more common in today’s digitally oriented world, lurk on estates for years, gaining full access to business practices and long-term strategic plans. Back in 2012, for example, a state-sponsored cyberattack group targeted several key industries globally, with a specific focus on cyberespionage where English was the primary language.

Recent Attacks

Life Healthcare Group, which is the second largest private hospital operator in SA with over 6500 beds was hit by a cyber-attack in June close to the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa.

Garmin, the manufacturers of GPS wearable equipment was subjected to a ransomware attack in late July that left its website and call centres offline for over 24 hours

Spotted in the Wild

Twitter Hit Again
In an unsurprising turn of events, Twitter has managed to land itself in hot water yet again as 130 accounts were targeted in an account takeover attack.

Internet Scams Escalating During Pandemic
The Covid19 pandemic has caused a massive surge in internet usage and the use of online tools and services as South Africa has in fact been reported as receiving one of the highest number of organisation compromises due to stolen credentials In a recent survey.

Recent Scams:

• Phishing
  Emails received from genuine-looking but unfamiliar senders that include a link to follow and proof of payment (pop) scams, such as the following ones:
• 419 Scam
  This form of spam is an introduction communication which the scammer distributes to a wide audience as spam in the hope of a response.
• What to do if caught by a phishing scam.