How Managed Services in San Antonio Can Help You Avoid a Digital Waterhole Attack

Safari Gone Virtual

Managed services providers in San Antonio want to inform you about waterhole attack. Consider this: at a waterhole in Africa, a gazelle may be wrangled suddenly into turbulent muddy waters by a hungry crocodile. This is a watering hole attack. Hackers bring the Savannah to the web through programs designed to attack websites their targets are apt to use. Complicating the issue is software developed for things like retargeting, which can be modified to follow specific targets across the web and set traps for them. Hackers that use this technique usually follow a process that includes several steps:

• Profiling
• Probing
• Compromise of vulnerable sites
• Site-launched probing
• Malicious software installation

A hacker will profile targets, get an idea of their online proclivities, then test the sites they frequent for vulnerabilities. When they find a vulnerable site, the hacker installs the waterhole malware. When the target checks the site, the malware jumps onto their machine (or network), probes for vulnerabilities, then exploits them if it finds them to install malicious software.

Protection Measures

Protecting against this kind of thing can be difficult and is one reason managed services providers in San Antonio have increased their security provisions profile. Several strategies to employ in order to avoid the waterhole attack include:

• Ensure patching is updated on all operating systems and software
• Keep all firewalls as up-to-date as possible
• Inspect employee website use and block vulnerable ones
• Inspect internal websites to ensure no malware undermines them
• Ensure users of known bad sites are notified
• Establish education protocols for your tech-using Staff

You want patches that are updated as soon as they become available. Simple patching prevented many businesses from being undermined by North Korea’s WannaCry attack in 2017. The right MSP can help you get the latest patches. Additionally, all firewalls should be cutting-edge and upgraded as necessary. Make sure sites employees visit which are a risk are blocked and that the site-owners are notified if malware is found.

Be absolutely positive your own internal websites aren’t malware-infected as well. When you find users internally who are going to known problem sites, notify those users immediately–this requires some level of network visibility in terms of security; another thing best facilitated via MSP. Lastly, educate your employees pertaining to best practices, and refresh that education at intervals to remain contemporary.

Finding Safer Digital Waterholes

Managed services in San Antonio from ICS can help you manage your network such that waterholes rife with hacking crocodiles are avoided by your employed herds across your company’s digital Savannah. Contact us now for more information on the latest in security and professional technology solutions.

Jason Simons

ICS is a Texas-based 40-year-old technology company specializing in Managed IT, VoIP, Video Conferencing and Video Surveillance solutions for US and International businesses. ICS has over 4000 regional installations and specializes in multi-site businesses between 25 and 2500 employees. ICS’s customers enjoy the experience of ICS’s Total Care program which provides clients flat fee services with obsolescence and growth protection. Whether a customer elects to deploy their IT, Video Conferencing or VoIP in the cloud or on the customer’s premise, ICS can provide a full turn-key solution for our clients under one flat monthly fee.