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Let?s take some time to break down the National Institute of Standards and Technology?s definition of zero trust, and the seven ?tenets? that must be followed, as found in their Special Publication 800-207. How Does NIST Define Zero Trust? Such a definition can be found in that special publication: ?Zero trust (ZT) provides a collection of concepts and ideas designed to minimizeuncertainty in enforcing accurate, least privilege per-request access decisions ininformation systems and services in the face of a network viewed as compromised. Zerotrust architecture (ZTA) is an enterprise?s cybersecurity plan that utilizes zero trustconcepts and encompasses component relationships, workflow planning, and accesspolicies. Therefore, a zero trust enterprise is the network infrastructure (physical andvirtual) and operational policies that are in place for an enterprise as a product of a zerotrust architecture plan.? In other words, zero trust seeks to not only make it more difficult for a threat to get in, it also simplifies the task of identifying how such a threat would get in. NIST?s Seven Tenets, Reviewed Let?s go through the list and discuss what each of these policies requires that a business do to abide by them. ?All data sources and computing services are considered resources.? In other words, anything that connects to the network needs to abide by any security requirements and access controls that have been established on that network.  ?All communication is secured regardless of network location.? Regardless of whether a device is on the network or not, all communication between it and other network resources needs to maintain the security it would have if external networks were involved. ?Access to individual enterprise resources is granted on a per-session basis.? It is entirely possible that one of your users might only need one of your company?s assets for a limited time, if not for a single session. Locking down your business? resources and requiring authentication each time these resources are accessed helps to limit the chance that unauthorized usage takes place. ?Access to resources is determined by dynamic policy?including the observable state of client identity, application/service, and the requesting asset?and may include other behavioral and environmental attributes.? The hard fact of the matter is that business technology is increasingly complicated, especially now that remote work has become a viable option. This gives the business access to a lot of data that can be used to help its authentication measures. Taking this data into account when determining access permissions in the moment can make a business? access more secure. ?The enterprise monitors and measures the integrity and security posture of all owned and associated assets.? At the risk of sounding cliche, zero trust means that you trust nothing and no one. As this would imply, the zero trust model requires all assets to be monitored constantly?whether an asset is owned by the workplace or the employee. This helps to prevent threats from intruding, as well as ensures that patch management is seen to appropriately. ?All resource authentication and authorization are dynamic and strictly enforced before access is allowed.? Putting it simply, a zero trust approach continues to confirm access permissions even after the user has been initially confirmed and created in the system. This continuous process takes a lot of different inputs into consideration to determine whether trust can be given. ?The enterprise collects as […]

Let?s review the steps that can be taken to help optimize the privacy settings in each of the major browsers. Optimizing Chrome?s Security As Murphy?s Law predicts, the world?s most popular browser is generally accepted as the least secure without the implementation of some customizations. These customizations come in the form of downloadable extensions, developed thanks to Chrome?s open-source nature. With the blessing (and preferably, the assistance) of an IT professional, the Chrome Web Store can be accessed and the right extensions downloaded to help shore up Chrome?s security shortcomings. These extensions can then be removed whenever necessary via the three-dot menu, under More, More Tools, and then Extensions. If you go to the Privacy and security section, and then to Cookies and other site data, there you?ll find the option to Block third-party cookies. For business owners, we can enforce all instances of Google Chrome on your network to follow several best practices, such as not storing passwords and other sensitive information. If you would like help, give us a call at (603) 889-0800. Optimizing Firefox?s Security Firefox, on the other hand, has relatively robust security built into the browser. Under Preferences, you can find Privacy & Security. That area will have the options Standard, Strict, and Custom. The Standard option, the default, blocks trackers in private browsing, cryptominers, and third-party cookies. Strict takes everything included in Standard and blocks trackers and fingerprints. Custom allows the user to adjust how these trackers are blocked. Your settings can be applied to your active tabs by reloading them, with a Reload All Tabs button provided. Optimizing Edge?s Security Edge keeps it pretty basic, offering a few options for the user, including tracker blocking on the Tracker prevention screen. In terms of the options that can be found in Edge, security can be set to Basic, Balanced, and Strict. Basic blocks the trackers utilized for fingerprinting and cryptomining. Balanced, the default setting, blocks trackers from unvisited sites while allowing those that can help speed up browsing. Strict blocks the most trackers, potentially interfering with the functionality of some sites. Optimizing Safari?s Security Despite a few hiccups in the technology, Safari offers its users a way to identify any ad trackers present on the website, as well as a list of all trackers that have pinged them in the prior 30 days. Safari also allows you to prevent this kind of tracking by accessing your Preferences and from there, Privacy. Check to make sure that Prevent cross-site tracking is selected, and delete your cookies manually for good measure. Access Manage Website Data, where you can review which websites have left trackers, and remove them individually or all at once. Safari also has the capability to Block all cookies if you so choose. Your business? security is critical, whether you?re browsing the web or using the solutions it relies on to function. White Mountain IT Services is here to be your resource to help you protect your investments. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to ask how we can help you keep your business safe.

Let?s examine the many variables associated with voice authentication to see how much promise it actually shows. First and Foremost, How Does Voice Authentication Work? It may help to specify how authentication in general works, just so we can get a full appreciation of how voice authentication would function. In any variety of authentication measures, the user provides some kind of proof of identity. If that proof matches the reference that the security system is comparing it to, the user is given access. In terms of voice authentication, the user?s voiceprint of a specific phrase would be compared to the stored copy of what that user?s voiceprint should resemble. So, if your passphrase was ?The rain in Spain falls mainly over the lazy dog,? the system would check for the correct phrase, but also check that the tones and inflections present in the user?s voice matched the patterns in that user?s voiceprint. As a result, voice authentication is typically classified under the ?something you are? subset of multi-factor authentication along with retinal scans, facial recognition, or palm scans. How Secure is Voice Authentication? Like any other authentication measure, there are already countless stories of voice recognition being bamboozled, meaning that more work is needed to keep your solutions secured. Hackers have already been able to fool voice authentication using recorded snippets, and have hidden malicious commands in white noise to gain control over voice-activated devices. Having said that, it is important that we also address that any form of identity authentication is inherently less secure when used exclusively, rather than as part of a multi-factor authentication strategy. Furthermore, voice authentication is now being developed with two fraud-fighting technologies built-in. The first, liveness detection, works to differentiate between a live voice and a recorded one. The second, continuous authentication, does what its name suggests and verifies the user throughout the time they are active. That way, an attacker that just switches back to themselves after using a recorded voice to log in would be caught regardless. Best Practices Concerning Voice Authentication We?ve referenced a few already, but here are a few essential functions that any voice-based authentication system should involve: Multi-Factor Authentication: We really can?t encourage the use of MFA enough. The more proof that a user has to provide to prove their identity, the less likely it is that an unauthorized individual will have what they need to access your resources. Pairing a PIN or password/passphrase with a secondary proof, like voice authentication, makes it much harder for this kind of access to be secured. This primary form of authentication should need to be reconfirmed regularly. Secure Storage: On your end, you need to keep your saved records of all authentication data extremely secure? including the biometric data. Otherwise, MFA could potentially be fooled and the whole system would topple. Obtain Consent: You also need proof that your users have agreed to use biometric data as an authentication measure, for privacy and legal reasons alike. So, would you consider implementing voice authentication as an option in your company?s protections?specifically as part of a multi-factor authentication requirement? Are you concerned about the protections you currently have in place? Give us a call, we?ll help ensure that your business is properly secured. Call (603) 889-0800 today.

To begin, let?s examine each of these two options to determine how they differ from one another. ?VPN? is Used to Describe More Than One Thing A large amount of the confusion surrounding VPNs is that the term refers to related concepts that are used very differently in common practice. These concepts are summed up as so many things in IT are, with the delineation appearing between ?public? and ?private? VPNs. What Does a Public VPN Do? A public VPN allows a user to access an ?anonymous? (more on this in a moment) network that they can use to browse. This kind of VPN is commonly used to sidestep geofiltering/geoblocking, or the process of blocking or allowing certain content based on the  user?s location, particularly where streaming services are involved. For example, if you are traveling abroad, you might not be able to access the same movies on Netflix. A VPN lets you access Netflix as if you were in some other country. Having said all this, this form of VPN is prone to numerous problems, primarily because many have been identified as a VPN and are therefore blocked? pretty much defeating the purpose. Furthermore, despite claiming to not maintain logs of the users? activities, a public VPN provider could hypothetically see all of your unencrypted online activity and do with it as they please? including private messages. ?Free? VPN services will often make their money by selling user activity to advertising networks. What Does a Private VPN Do? Comparatively, private VPNs are used to enable an organization?s users to securely access their materials and resources while working remotely. This is assuming that the VPN has been set up properly, of course. If it is, however, the VPN?s security is formidable, allowing a workforce to safely access the resources and files they have saved elsewhere (namely, your business? storage space) with relative ease. A private VPN can basically be described as a protected thoroughfare for your data to travel to between two locations, shielded by heavy-duty encryption. So, Which Of These Options Would You Rather Utilize for Your Business? Productivity? Obviously, the latter, private VPN connection is more suited for professional purposes?particularly with remote work remaining a common option for many businesses. We can help you set one up for your own use. Reach out to us for assistance with this, and any of your other IT needs.

Back in April, security researchers laid the blame for the SolarWinds attack on the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Microsoft has discovered that there are various modules used by the attack group, a collective referred to as Nobelium. Nobelium includes other malware such as GoldMax, GoldFinder, and Sibot. Other types of malware that were previously known to researchers include Sunburst/Solorigate, Teardrop, and Sunspot. In the case of FoggyWeb, it is a malware which installs a backdoor on an already compromised server. Backdoors themselves allow hackers to pull off all sorts of nasty tricks. Hackers can use the backdoor to access a network at any given time in the future, and they can use the backdoor to install malware, access sensitive data, spy on users, and so much more. It?s safe to say that backdoors are dangerous for businesses to contend with. As for FoggyWeb, the backdoor itself is used to steal credentials and configurations from compromised servers. With these credentials in hand, hackers can remain on the infrastructure even after they have been purged from it. Hackers can also use these credentials to control access to important assets or other tasks that demand authentication. As with other backdoor threats, FoggyWeb can also receive commands remotely to pull off even more dangerous stunts. To ensure that your business does not fall victim to these types of threats, you should take a multi-faceted approach to your network security. This includes monitoring your network for suspicious activity, ensuring that user access controls are in effect, and deploying comprehensive security solutions that can keep your infrastructure safe. Thankfully, these solutions are more accessible than ever with the help of managed service providers like White Mountain IT Services. We can help arm you with the tools to protect your business from any type of threat. To keep your business secure from all sorts of threats, reach out to White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800.