“Shields Up”: a small company’s week
Security agencies are warning of more cyber attacks. The checklist is short, and it’s the same basics as always.
With the war in Ukraine, security agencies in the US, UK and Europe are warning organisations to expect more cyber attacks, including spill-over from attacks aimed elsewhere. CISA calls its guidance “Shields Up”.
You don’t need to be a target to be hit. Malware doesn’t check passports. The good news: the advice is the basics, done now instead of “soon”.
This week:
- MFA on all remote access and admin accounts. Email, VPN, cloud consoles.
- Patch internet-facing systems, starting with known exploited vulnerabilities. CISA keeps a public list.
- Turn off what you don’t use: open ports, old VPN accounts, remote desktop on the internet.
- Test a restore from offline backups.
- Write down who to call if something goes wrong, and make sure they’re reachable.
- Lower the bar for reporting. Tell staff that any odd email or behaviour is worth a message, today.
If you do business in the region, check your suppliers and partners too. Their incident can become yours.