How can you protect your network from cyber threats in the pharmaceutical industry?

Creating data Backups and Encrypting Sensitive information, Updating all security systems and software thru AI Based Behavior Analysis ways to prevent cyber attacks in a Pharmaceutical Companies. As wells as Conducting regular employees cyber security Training can Reduce your attacks on surfaces and assessing your vendors.

Encryption has evolved beyond the simple act of formatting data independently. It begins with the software employed to create files, extends to the operating system hosting the software, and spans across a robust network infrastructure. Each protocol governing information transfer across the network incorporates an element of encryption. Every network medium, whether it's a Wi-Fi or LAN connection, demands encryption. Moreover, every individual handling crucial information across the network must learn the most effective methods to leverage encryption for robust data security.

Les communications de bout en bout (end-to-end encryption) sont de plus en plus utilisées pour garantir que les données restent chiffrées tout au long de leur transit, de l'émetteur au destinataire. Cela est particulièrement important pour les communications en ligne, les messageries et les transactions.

The most important is global awerness in any organisation of risks and threats of the modern digital world. It's not only limited to networking but to many systems that are exposed to exploitation. Once awerness is achieved by training of the staff, assuming the organisation has already in place risk prevention systems including antivirus, IDS, IPS but not limited to, would be to indicate weaknesses of those systems and implementing additional layers of security. NIST and ENISA are examples of the frameworks that should be followed to identify and mitigate potencial risks with appropriate technologies in place. I'm not talking about basics and daily routine that is a must, but entire frameworks to sustain high level of security.

These measures may include: Installing firewalls, implementing secure passwords, and using encryption to protect sensitive data and user training.

The network segmentation is a técnic to segregate group of IP/Users following the principle of divide and conquer, but not only is segregated network by VLAN if no segregated based on business necesety and following the rule of what need to know this sector of the enterprise, the correct segregation of network could be help to implement zero trust principle (SP 800-207), preventing insiders attack and reducing the impact surface in case of any cyber attack

Network segmentation is extremely important, access to them by people external to the department or from other networks should only occur with restrictive, vpn-based permissions

Network segmentation is a necessary step to implement from a zero trust perspective. Lateral movement needs to be obstructed

It's key to balance security with usability, ensuring segments are neither too restrictive nor too vulnerable. Incorporating Zero Trust principles, where every access request is continuously verified, can greatly enhance this strategy. Additionally, as remote work and cloud-based solutions grow, adapting segmentation for these environments is crucial. Automating threat detection and response within each segment can further strengthen security.

Keeping single network or what we say a vnet in azure or vpc and only keeping one default subnet for all the resources can render your infra vulnerable instead it should be segmented for each tier of the application which creates it extremely difficult to attack the resources.

There are many different ways to monitor your network, but not all works the same. For example, one way is to monitor your network performance by running continuous synthetic tests using tools like Catchpoint, Kentik, etc. Testing between sites or from inbound/outbound traffic to/from your network to ensure there is no latency or packet loss. Second, is to monitor your networking devices and servers health using NMS systems. Third, is to monitor your network traffic by collecting flow data from your networking devices to determine if there is any DDoS attacks and to perform network analysis like what is the destination IP being attacked. All of these tools should be use together to ensure full monitoring coverage.

It's crucial to note that effective monitoring goes beyond just detecting issues; it's about proactively managing network health. Tools like Nmap, Wireshark, and Splunk are great, but integrating them with AI-driven analytics can take monitoring to the next level, predicting potential issues before they impact the network. This proactive stance, combined with a robust incident response plan, is key in today's dynamic cyber environments.

Network monitoring, involving collecting, analyzing, and reporting on network status and performance, is a vital practice. It aids in identifying and troubleshooting issues, optimizing resources, and responding to cyber threats. Utilizing tools like Nmap, Wireshark, Nagios, or Splunk allows efficient monitoring, generating alerts, logs, and reports for comprehensive network oversight.

Despite substantial investments in state-of-the-art cybersecurity infrastructure, the risk posed by human error remains an ever-present vulnerability. Human factors often constitute the most critical weak points in the security chain. Through comprehensive staff training, organisations can enhance their workforce's ability to identify and effectively mitigate cyber threats. Such training cultivates a proactive security culture that transcends technological solutions, addressing cybersecurity's human dimension. This strategy not only reinforces an organisation’s defensive posture but also has the universal applicability to benefit all departments and hierarchical levels.

Protecting a network from cyber threats in the pharmaceutical industry is crucial due to the sensitive nature of the data and the potential impact on public health. Training staff plays a significant role in enhancing the overall cybersecurity posture. I think the best strategies include regular security awareness training, phishing simulations, and making sure there are clearly communicated policies for handling sensitive information. Lastly, companies should regularly assess the effectiveness of their cybersecurity programs and adjust them based on emerging threats and organizational needs.

The human factor is the factor protection forgotten and the most important, if you take in account what is the first factor to allow the insertions any attack or malware in a network or sistem always is the user the first point of contact, due do the above is very important create evaluations, formation paths and continuous security reinforcements help to all the enterprise to reduce the number or insertions attacks in the organization and increase the number of notification of possible attack by the users

La formation permet d'informer le personnel sur les différentes formes de cybermenaces, y compris les attaques par hameçonnage, les logiciels malveillants, les attaques de ransomware, etc. La sensibilisation aux menaces actuelles est la première ligne de défense. vous pouvez enseigner et renforcer les bonnes pratiques de sécurité, telles que la création de mots de passe robustes, la mise à jour régulière des logiciels, et l'utilisation de l'authentification à deux facteurs.

It's essential to emphasize that training should be continuous and evolving, not just a one-time event. Engaging methods like interactive simulations and real-world scenario workshops can greatly enhance learning retention. It's also important to tailor training to different roles, as security needs vary across departments. Creating a culture where security is everyone's responsibility, not just the IT department's, can significantly strengthen an organization's defense against cyber threats.

A segurança cibernética é uma preocupação central na era digital, e a atualização de sistemas desempenha um papel crucial na proteção contra ameaças. Ao fechar vulnerabilidades conhecidas, as atualizações fortalecem as defesas digitais, impedindo ataques maliciosos. A não atualização pode deixar sistemas desprotegidos e suscetíveis a explorações que poderiam resultar em roubo de dados, interrupção de serviços e outros impactos prejudiciais.

Emphasizing the 'why' behind updates is key – they're not just about the newest features but crucial for patching vulnerabilities. It's vital for organizations to have a structured update policy, especially for critical systems. Automatic update tools like WSUS and SCCM are helpful, but regular audits and manual verifications are also important to ensure updates don't disrupt existing system functionality. Educating staff about the importance of regular updates on their devices is equally critical.

System updates are very important for the functionality and security of an application/system. It is very crucial to stay on top of the updates especially patches to zero day exploits. It is very important however to have pilot systems for these updates to ensure that the systems are working correctly.

System updating involves installing the latest patches, fixes, or enhancements for network devices, servers, applications, or software. This process enhances network functionality, compatibility, and security. Updating addresses known vulnerabilities, preventing exploitation by hackers, and introduces new features. Utilizing update management tools like WSUS, SCCM, or Ansible facilitates automatic or manual system updates, ensuring a proactive approach to maintaining the integrity and security of network components.

From CyberSecurity point of view one of the most efficient step in defending against a very common threat now a days called as "Ransomware" is taking proper backups of your data. Having a robust backup strategy will go a long way while working on a ransomware scenario. The best practices to follow as per my experience will be the following: 1. Regular automated backups with frequent intervals 2. Keeping redundant backups in multiple locations 3. Encryption of backups 4. Regular access control audits, testing and validations

It's crucial to have a multi-layered backup strategy. While cloud services offer convenience and accessibility, combining them with physical backups like external drives provides a robust defense against data loss. It's also important to regularly test backups for integrity and ease of restoration. Remember, the value of a backup lies not just in its creation but in its reliability and the speed at which data can be restored. Incorporating regular backup testing into your IT strategy is key for effective disaster recovery.

Backups need to be air gapped or kept in multiple locations, as well as tested on a regular basis. When I managed servers many years ago I would keep a local backup on a NAS and it would replicate to another NAS at the DR data center. With today’s ransomware, I would likely be more comfortable with an online backup and an air gapped copy at a DR site.

In addition to backing up your data, it is also essential to test those backups. In a disastrous event such as ransomware, network failure etc, we want to make sure that we are restoring the services into a proper working state.

Backing up data involves creating and storing copies in a separate location or medium, like a cloud service, external drive, or tape. This practice is crucial for recovering data in case of network failure, disaster, or attack. Backup prevents data loss, corruption, or ransom, ensuring network operations and continuity restoration. Employing backup tools like Acronis, Veeam, or Dropbox allows regular or on-demand data backup, providing a robust strategy for safeguarding against unforeseen events.

Use SIEM to analysis events within the network. Use the collected events to identify anomalous behaviors and take a suitable action. This approach has a higher coverage by allowing admins to identify both insider and outsider malicious parties.

Add Multifactor Authentication wherever possible. Authentication is the 1st step in any computer transaction and ensuring the identity of anyone accessing your network, data, and applications is a solid 1st step in keeping unwanted actors out of your space. Make Multifactor Authentication the default when establishing new accounts or onboarding new staff. Help your staff make better choices. As an example, Apple sets up MFA by default and compliance is approximately 93%. MFA compliance on Android devices, where it is not a default setting drops to less than 10%. Be Better.

One thing I've personally found helpful is attending and engaging with different industry forums and organizations to share information about emerging threats and best practices. I've found that collaboration can provide valuable insights into the current threat landscape. By combining staff these security measures, you can create a comprehensive and resilient cybersecurity strategy for the pharmaceutical industry.

What I have seen is that pharmaceutical industry is much more serious and dealing with lives of people. One small change in proportion of composition can have fatal outcome, causing legal ramifications. Hence it's not just one day blackout but APT risk owing to the competition and risk involved which are to guarded against. With SCADA and OT security we need to apply best practises to guard against any backdoors in PLC etc as well to protect own manufacturing units from getting compromised.

Key Management: Todays standardised encryption methods are mathematically sound and offer robust protection with today’s computing power. While generating encryption keys is straightforward, key management is a critical area prone to errors. It involves secure storage, controlled access, regular rotation, and comprehensive auditing of key usage to protect against cyber threats. For guidance on best practices for implementing key management, the industry experts first turn to NIST's standards. Also see also ISO/IEC 27002 and ANSI X9.17/X9.52