Cisco Threat Grid: Keeping Malware Defense On-Prem

Every organization should be concerned about malware – although it seems some should be a little more concerned than others. Certain industries seem to land in its crosshairs far more often. Unfortunately for organizations in malware’s favorite verticals, building an effective cyber security plan can be complicated by the realities of life within those industries.

It’s no surprise cyber criminals love the financial services industry. Its proximity to cash flow and an abundance of sensitive data make it their highest valued target according to multiple studies. In IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2018, financial services took home the unsavory title of 2017’s most commonly victimized industry, a crown it’s captured for two years running. Financial services also proved to be a hotbed of mobile attacks according to research conducted by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Almost 3-in-10 (29%) mobile malware attacks targeted the industry.

Still, that doesn’t mean those outside of financial services should rest easy. Government entities trailed just behind financial services in Check Point’s study, suffering 26% of mobile attacks. Plus, according to IBM’s research, financial services wasn’t the most heavily targeted industry, it was the one that suffered the most incidents. More targeted industries included information and communications technology and manufacturing. Meanwhile, according to numbers relayed by Varonis, healthcare has the market cornered on attacks by a specific kind of malware: ransomware.

All of the businesses we’ve listed above are at a greater risk for cyber attacks. However, they have something else in common. Most of these industries are what some observers might refer to as, heavily-regulated. As such, self-defense can become a far more complex topic. Cloud, for example, might be a non-starter. However, there are plenty of ways to stay compliant while still taking advantage of leading defense tools.

Design a regulatory-friendly malware defense scheme

One leading tool that was previously out of the question for cloud-restricted organizations was Cisco’s Threat Grid. By way of Threat Grid, organizations could relay samples of suspected threats to the cloud for analysis. The resulting insights could be invaluable in preventing or remediating attacks. In order to allow organizations unable to lean on the cloud access to this threat intelligence, Cisco made a change.

Cisco Threat Grid – Appliances provides the same benefits as its cloud-based counterpart and functions in almost the exact same way, only data is never transmitted offsite. Instead, it is analyzed using what Cisco refers to as “on-premises static and dynamic” analysis. Once completed, Threat Grid stores the results of each investigation on-prem. Of course, today’s threat landscape is always changing. Cisco Threat Grid – Appliances can be updated manually to ensure its knowledge base is always tuned to the latest threats, again, without running afoul of regulating bodies.

Next Steps: Learn more about Cisco Threat Grid

Threat Grid is one solution organizations of all sizes and regulatory obligations can use to stay safe and compliant. To learn more, join us on 12/4 for a Threat Hunting Workshop at the Cisco offices in Malvern, PA. This full-day, hands-on session will put attendees in the driver’s seat as they navigate four simulated cyber security scenarios. The goal? Help develop and refine the skills and abilities necessary to respond during the real thing. Register now to secure your spot for this free event today!

If you’d like to carry on the Threat Grid conversation before the event, you can reach our networking and security team by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. Our experts are waiting to answer any questions you might have about this or a host of other subjects. As always, you can leave us your comments on this or any of our blog posts using social media. Arraya is on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. After you’ve shared your take, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and exclusive learning opportunities.