By now, every business owner is aware of the damage a security breach can have on their corporate systems – especially in logistics, where a breach can stop production for an unknown period of time, costing thousands of dollars in lost profit on top of the cost of your usual overheads.

Advanced cyber-attacks can nest inside a system for up to six months, so one of the best ways to protect your logistics company is to be aware of the stages of a cyber-attack itself. From there, you can learn what can be done to protect yourself.

Reconnaissance

Hackers begin by identifying vulnerable targets and that can be anyone in your organization, as only one entry point is needed. Common methods are phishing emails which can be opened accidentally.

To counter this, make sure your company has a cybersecurity education program for all workers, including you! Malware and other protection software should be up to date and strong enough to protect your system. It should also be paid for. Don’t rely on freebies, they’re never as good.

Scanning

Once a target has been found, a weak point will be identified that allows hackers to gain access. Tools found online can help to scan your network to find those points. This is a slow process that can last months and is very detailed.

This is particularly dangerous for companies with BYOD policies so if your logistics business has one, invest in an endpoint security package. This covers every point of entry, working with the software already on each device to offer full up to date protection.

Access and Escalation

Once the hackers have found weak points, access is gained easily. In most companies, privileged access is needed for them to fully control every part of your network. To get this, tools such as Rainbow Tables are used to steal credentials and make their way to an administrator account. Once higher privilege access is achieved, your network no longer belongs to you.

Obviously, this method is entirely dependent on knowing employee credentials so make sure passwords and usernames are changed regularly. Invest in higher security protocols. Fingerprint access or bar code scanning can significantly minimize risk.

Exfiltration

With the network under their control, the attackers can now access every system in order to find the valuable sensitive data. They can also mess with files they don’t want by changing information and completely erasing others.

One way to stop this from happening is to install a fail safe to your network that doesn’t allow information to leave the system without permission. This should only be accessible using a different password to any others used.

Sustainment

At this point, the hackers have unrestricted access to everything in your logistics company. The next step is staying in the system, often accomplished by putting malicious programs in place that let them come and go as they please so that they no longer need privileged access.

Deception

Now the hackers hide their tracks with a series of smokescreens to throw off any examination of the system. By this point, there is no protection you can use. If you haven’t taken the right precautions in stages 1-3, there’s a not a lot you can do to save your logistics company being invaded. Be vigilant, be safe.

Stratosphere Networks is a leading provider in managed services and has extensive experience providing protection to businesses of different sizes.  If you think your company is in need of more protection, call us at (877)599-3999 or fill out our contact form to speak with one of our advanced professionals.