NERC CIP -

Understanding Bot Attacks and How to Prevent Them

fastgraphene — Thu, 09 May 2024 16:07:37 +0000

As cyber threats continue to evolve, businesses must stay vigilant against various forms of attacks, including bot attacks.Ransomware and phishing attacks grab the headlines but bot attacks are becoming more prevalent and will be a major growing issue with the advent of powerful AI.

What is a Bot Attack?

A bot attack is a type of cyber attack that uses automated scripts, known as bots, to carry out malicious activities. These bots are designed to overload the target with traffic, disrupt websites, steal data, make fraudulent purchases, or perform other harmful actions. Bot attacks can be launched against various targets, including websites, servers, APIs, and other endpoints, causing significant disruptions and financial losses.

Types of Bot Attacks

There are several types of bot attacks, each designed for a specific purpose. Some common examples include:

Credential Stuffing: Attackers use stolen login credentials to gain unauthorized access to websites. Bots attempt multiple, simultaneous logins from various devices and IP addresses, blending in with typical login traffic to bypass security measures.
Web/Content Scraping: Bots download (or “scrape”) content from websites to use in future attacks. They rapidly send HTTP GET requests and copy the information within seconds.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: Networks of infected machines, such as computers or IoT devices, are instructed to overwhelm the target server or network, causing outages and downtime.
Brute Force Password Cracking: Bots attempt to crack passwords or encryption keys by trying every possible combination to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Click Fraud: Bots imitate human behavior and click on ads, buttons, or hyperlinks, tricking platforms or services into thinking real users are interacting with the links.

According to Netacea, bots cost businesses as much as 50 ransomware attacks each year. “The average cost of bots per business averages at $85.6m per year, or 4.3% of online revenue. 81% of businesses surveyed are aware of this impact, which is an increase on the 47% of the previous survey, but still not enough.” (Source: Netacea)

According to Akamai, bot detection is the best defense against dangerous bots. “Bots are everywhere today. In fact, as much as 70% of traffic on your websites may come from bots.” (Source: Akamai) “…a significant amount of bot activity is malicious, used by attackers to illicitly collect content, to propagate spam, or to carry out attacks like account takeover and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns.”

Preventing Bot Attacks

At Highgate Cyber Security, we understand the issues around bot attacks. Our team of VCISOs and product experts suggest implementing the following strategies:

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Requiring users to provide two or more forms of identity before granting access can effectively prevent credential stuffing and brute force password cracking attacks.
Allowlists and Blocklists: Maintaining a list of approved IP addresses (allowlist) and denied IP addresses associated with bot attacks (blocklist) can help prevent malicious bot traffic from reaching your Internet properties.
Bot Management Software: Utilizing advanced bot management solutions like Cloudflare Bot Management can detect and prevent bot attacks in real-time using behavioral analysis, machine learning, and fingerprinting techniques.

By staying informed about the latest cyber threats and implementing effective security measures, businesses can protect themselves from the potentially devastating consequences of bot attacks.

At Highgate Cyber Security, we realize how bots, phishing and other forms of attacks can increase business risk and costs. We are committed to helping our clients stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and ensuring the safety of your digital assets.

For more information on our bot attack prevention solutions, please visit www.HighgateCyberSecurity.com or contact our team of experts today.

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Best Practices for NERC CIP Compliance – Reporting

fastgraphene — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:23:51 +0000

Part 3 – Reporting

Introduction

NERC CIP standards are designed to protect the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. Reporting requirements for cyber security can be fairly demanding. For example, Cyber incident reporting requirements mean that covered entities must report to CISA any covered cyber incidents within 72 hours from the time the entity reasonably believes the incident occurred.

Below we discuss NERC CIP best practices and specifically reporting related activities to help you maintain compliance and minimize the risk of fines or penalties:

Reporting

As part of Reporting you may need to undertake the following activities and actions:

Incident Response and Reporting

Create Incident Response Plan

Establish a robust incident response plan that outlines the steps to be taken in case of a security breach or violation.

Report promptly

Ensure that all incidents are promptly reported to the appropriate authorities as required by NERC CIP regulations.

Self-Certification.

The Guided Self-Certification is a monitoring method where a Registered Entity completes a self-assessment of its compliance with applicable Standards and Requirements, and submits substantiating evidence validating compliance.

Compliance Audits and Spot Checks

The Regional Entities utilize several methods to carry out their compliance functions, including regularly scheduled compliance audits, spot checks, and self-certifications. Registered entities are subject to audit for compliance with all NERC Reliability Standards applicable to the functions for which it is registered. Registered entities should have a working familiarity with the NERC Rules of Procedure, the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program for their respective Regional Entity, and other regional documents. Links to each of the Regional Entity websites are located below.

Critical Success Factors

-Executive support

–Dedicated owner with the right skills, resources to run the program

–Tracking of important schedules & tasks

–Maintaining documentation

–Timely reporting of issues

–Creating a culture of compliance

NERC CIP Best Practices

The four main categories of best practices for NERC CIP compliance include:

Governance

Reporting

Readiness

Reconnaissance

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Best Practices for NERC CIP Compliance – Readiness

fastgraphene — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 18:35:23 +0000

Part 4 – Readiness

Introduction

NERC CIP standards are designed to protect the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. Readiness for NERC CIP compliance is arguably the most important of the four categories of best practices. In readiness, we help prepare the entity for compliance and this includes audits, spot checks and other tests that may come up during the lifespan of an entity.

Below we discuss NERC CIP best practices and specifically readiness related activities to help you maintain compliance and minimize the risk of fines or penalties:

Readiness

As part of Readiness you may need to undertake the following activities and actions:

Perform Regular Risk Assessments

Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities in your infrastructure.

This process helps you pinpoint areas where compliance may be at risk and enables you to take appropriate corrective actions.

Maintain Documentation (Evidence)

Keep detailed records and documentation of all compliance activities, risk assessments, audits, and training programs.

This documentation serves as evidence of your efforts to comply with NERC CIP requirements.

Develop and Implement Training Programs

Educate your staff about NERC CIP regulations, their importance, and their role in compliance. Provide targeted training to employees who handle critical assets, ensuring they understand their responsibilities in maintaining compliance.

Perform Self-Audits

Regularly conduct internal audits to assess your utility’s compliance status. Self-audits help identify areas that need improvement and enable you to address any issues before they become larger problems.

Engage in External (mock) Audits

Engage external auditors to conduct independent audits of your compliance program. These audits can provide an objective evaluation of your utility’s adherence to NERC CIP regulations and help identify any potential weaknesses.

Compliance Audits and Spot Checks

Critical Success Factors

-Executive support

–Dedicated owner with the right skills, resources to run the program

–Tracking of important schedules & tasks

–Maintaining documentation

–Timely reporting of issues

–Creating a culture of compliance

NERC CIP Best Practices

The four main categories of best practices for NERC CIP compliance include:

Governance

Reporting

Readiness

Reconnaissance

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Best Practices for NERC CIP Compliance – Governance

fastgraphene — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:10:19 +0000

Part 2 – Governance

Introduction

NERC CIP standards are designed to protect the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system.

Below we discuss NERC CIP best practices practices to help you maintain compliance and minimize the risk of fines or penalties:

Governance

Creating a strong governance for your NERC CIP compliance means you manage your compliance systematically and keep it moving forward and ahead of penalties and non compliance events.

As part of Governance you need to :

Appoint a leader

Appoint a dedicated compliance officer or team responsible for overseeing and implementing the compliance program.

This individual or team should have a thorough understanding of NERC CIP requirements and should be proactive in identifying and addressing potential compliance gaps.

Identify and assign an executive sponsor

Without the right executive level sponsorship, you run the risk of losing the priority you need to ensure your NERC CIP compliance stays on the list of important and ‘above the line’ activities.

If you think of it as the keys to the vehicle and its a privilege not a right to drive then you know that an executive sponsor will help the organization shepherd the program and help it stay aloft. There may end up being more than one executive who supports your efforts but you certainly need a leading executive advocate.

Establish a Compliance Program

Develop a comprehensive compliance program that covers all aspects of NERC CIP regulations.

This program should ensure adherence to the standards.via

Clear policies
Procedures
Controls
Monthly review meetings
Quarterly reviews

Critical Success Factors

-Executive support

–Dedicated owner with the right skills, resources to run the program

–Tracking of important schedules & tasks

–Maintaining documentation

–Timely reporting of issues

–Creating a culture of compliance

NERC CIP Best Practices

The four main categories of best practices for NERC CIP compliance include:

Governance

Reporting

Readiness

Reconnaissance

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Best Practices for NERC CIP Compliance – Reconnaissance

IN — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 08:47:12 +0000

Part 1 – Reconnaissance

Introduction

Ensuring compliance with NERC CIP (Critical Infrastructure Protection) regulations is crucial for an electric power utility to avoid fines and penalties.

NERC CIP standards are designed to protect the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system.

Below we discuss NERC CIP best practices practices to help you maintain compliance and minimize the risk of fines or penalties:

Reconnaissance

Staying informed is part of Reconnaissance. As part of this you need to :

Keep up-to-date with the latest NERC CIP requirements, guidelines, and changes.
Regularly review NERC publications and announcements to stay informed about any updates or new compliance expectations.
Stay connected to the industry via conferences, educational events e.g. WECC, SERC, TexasRE have a number of events as do the other RE organizations

Monitor Third-Party Compliance

If your utility relies on third-party vendors or contractors, ensure that they also comply with NERC CIP regulations. If a third-party that supports you in your efforts, such as an O&M (Operations and Maintenance ) provider fails to keep its NERC CIP compliance intact, then it may affect your compliance and result in a breach. Therefore it is a good best practice for your organization or CIP team to ensure third-party compliance.

Regular reviews are important

Regularly review their compliance status and verify that they meet the necessary standards.

Participate in Industry Sharing and Collaboration

Engage externally

Engage with other electric power utilities and organizations in the industry to share best practices and experiences related to NERC CIP compliance.

Collaborate and learn

Collaboration can provide valuable insights and help you improve your compliance efforts.

NERC CIP Best Practices

The four main categories of best practices for NERC CIP compliance include:

Governance

Reporting

Readiness

Reconnaissance

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