What you must do to stop it

No matter who is out to get through your guard?

• Competitors
• Disgruntled employees
• Bounty hunters

They can only get at you through your vulnerabilities.

Know your vulnerabilities

Know your vulnerabilities, so that you can devise appropriate defense mechanisms by focusing on:

§         Underlying problems

• Root causes; once clear, will themselves suggest solutions.
• Simple, low-cost counter measures will stop 90% of attackers
• many countermeasures are already installed; get people to use them.
• biggest problem is simple ignorance/unawareness
• detection of attacks is most important
• settle for cost-effective solution (remember the ‘TEMPEST’ safeguards!
• choose countermeasures that are in harmony with your company culture: declaring the office a War Zone may seriously hamper operational effectiveness without commensurate returns.

 

Advertising is all about the future, and m/s Skandra Selwel Ltd had, after a thorough vulnerability scan, installed a rigid-3-stage information leak barrier….to keep out spies. But the barriers did not succeed in stopping key personnel, who hated the new atmosphere of tension and secrecy, the business of advertising being very open, relaxed and fun-filed. Counter measures, out of tune with company culture, do not succeed…. or survive.

Consider Risk

Consider Risk; some vulnerabilities are Negligible, some are Potentially disastrous

Several counter measures are suggested. Determine their relevance to your organization’s vulnerabilities, by applying, to each of them the following questions:

• Does this countermeasure apply to our organization?
• Is it easy/ cost-effective to implement?
• How much work (steps) is involved?
• How much time will it take to set up?
• Can I prioritize them?

Counter measures

Many of the suggested countermeasures help in DETECTING an operation. This can be even more important than stopping one:

• It can enable you to watch, wait, lay a trap, plant DISINFORMATION, etc.
• It can help to determine your best possible (set of) countermeasures.