Due to the escalating political tensions with Russia the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, issued a joint warning to businesses to quickly take proactive measures in helping to minimize their exposure to cybersecurity threats.  The advisory provides information on destructive malware that has been used to target critical infrastructure organizations in Ukraine, as well as guidance on how organizations can work to better protect and defend their networks and critical data from malicious activity.

The advisory further states that while there is no specific, credible threat to the United States at this time, the ongoing sanctions being placed on Russia by the US and its allies will likely escalate tensions that could provoke Russia to target critical IT infrastructure and organizations that would have a much broader impact in the US.

Every organization—large and small—must be prepared!

GSC IT Solutions is advising clients to be extremely vigilant with security best-practices. Please alert your staff of the heightened risk. Remind them to follow security best practices such as:

• Use strong & unique passwords, or preferably passphrases
• Change passwords on a regular basis, or if there any is any concern that the account or credentials have been compromised.
• Enable and use multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever possible
• Use antivirus and antimalware programs to conduct regular scans
• Apply a zero-trust approach to email.  Especially with unsolicited emails and unknown senders that include links or attachments and request you take action.
• Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching end users;
• Avoid connecting to unsecure networks (avoid public Wi-Fi)
• Do not share personal or sensitive information via email and chat
• Update OS and software applications with latest patches or version
• Quickly report potential threats or suspicious activity – time is critical in preventing malicious threats from spreading.

Additionally keep in mind that through our GSCare Managed Service solutions we are able to closely monitor our customer’s networks to proactively protect them, as well as quickly remediate threats.  If you are interested in learning more about how these solutions could help protect your business, give us a call at 603-485-7100.