Data Recovery Digest

The recent war in Ukraine has many countries clamoring to bolster their own defenses. With rumors of cyberattacks and cyber warfare, many of these efforts focus on building a strong cyberdefense. As such, it should come as no surprise that the Biden administration has several recommendations for businesses in the United States.

A statement released by the White House reads, in part: “The Administration has prioritized strengthening cybersecurity defenses to prepare our Nation for threats since day one. President Biden’s Executive Order is modernizing the Federal Government defenses and improving the security of widely-used technology. The President has launched public-private action plans to shore up the cybersecurity of the electricity, pipeline, and water sectors and has directed Departments and Agencies to use all existing government authorities to mandate new cybersecurity and network defense measures.”

Cyberdefense Recommendations

The latest round of recommendations starts with some urgent steps that organizations must take in order to defend against modern cyberthreats. This includes:

• Using multi-factor authentication to secure user logins
• Implementing modern security tools, like network firewalls and antivirus software
• Ensuring your software systems are all patched and updated with the latest upgrades
• Creating a dedicated backup plan in case any critical data is lost or corrupted
• Running regular tests and exercises to ensure the validity of your new Cyberdefense
• Encrypting data, especially sensitive data, so that it won’t be accessible if it is compromised
• Teaching your staff on the dangers and warning signs of phishing, social engineering, and other threats
• Working with local law enforcement and the FBI during confirmed cyber incidents

While all of these recommendations are a great way of minimizing the risk of a serious cyberattack or incident, some issues can still occur. As a result, software developers and technology service providers have also been given a list of recommendations. This includes:

• Developing software and hardware with security as a topmost priority
• Securing development systems to prevent unauthorized access
• Using modern Cyberdefense tools, including vulnerability assessments, penetration tests, and anti-malware software
• Testing and verifying all code used during development, including open source code
• Implementing the cybersecurity processes as detailed in the document entitled “Improving our Nation’s Cybersecurity”

Again, these recommendations aren’t meant to provide an invulnerable defense against modern cyberattacks. Instead, they provide a sound defensive strategy against the most common attacks while training and educating employees on some of the more advanced methods. While it won’t make your network impervious to attacks, it will make it infinitely more difficult for hackers to target your data.

The recent statement issued by the White House continued by stating: “We accelerated our work in November of last year as Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated his aggression ahead of his further invasion of Ukraine with extensive briefings and advisories to U.S. businesses regarding potential threats and cybersecurity protections.”

It’s safe to say that the Biden administration is taking cybersecurity seriously – at least in the wake of the recent War in Ukraine. Whether or not he’ll stay committed to the cause throughout the entire length of his presidency remains to be seen.