In recent statementAnssi (the National Agency for Security and Computer Systems) has unveiled a list of priority cyber preventive measures in this context of international tensions. The agency expects possible incidents in cyberspace, related to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Anssi publishes 5 preventive measures
According to the French security agency, “the implementation of cybersecurity measures and the strengthening of the level of vigilance are essential to guarantee protection at the right level of organizations”. To help companies anticipate, ANSSI recommends the implementation of 5 preventive measures :
- Strengthen authentication on information systems;
- Increase security oversight
- Backup critical data and applications offline
- Establish a prioritized list of the entity’s critical digital services
- Ensure the existence of a crisis management system adapted to a cyberattack
Firstly, Anssi recommends that French companies implement strong authentication requiring the use of two different authentication factors either: a password, an unlocking trace or a signature, a material medium (smart card, USB token, magnetic card, RFID) or at least another code received by another channel (SMS). The agency specifies that for administrators, the activation of strong authentication must be done on all of their accounts.
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In this context, it is also advisable to set up a “daily event monitoring system”. Such a program should allow the company to detect a possible compromise so that it can react as soon as possible. In the event of an incident, this will save valuable time in understanding the situation. Anssi also recommends regular backups of all data, including those present on file servers, infrastructure and critical business applications.
As the security agency explains, “A cyberattack can have a destabilizing effect on organizations. Support functions such as telephony, messaging but also business applications can be put out of use”. To avoid ending up in a total blackout situation, it is necessary to define emergency contact points, including digital service providers. Anssi even recommends making sure to have the numbers in paper version.
For the moment, no cyberattack targeting French organizations in connection with recent events has been detected by Anssi. However, cyberspace also risks becoming a theater of war over the next few weeks. Recently, Anonymous declared cyberwar on Russia and the cybercriminals behind the Conti ransomware publicly showed their support for Vladimir Putin’s government.