SolarWinds Hackers Leave Challenges in the Cloud

A Kremlin-based attack on nine major American federal enterprises dubbed the SolarWind hack happened about a year ago. Fast forward to today, where outlet ArsTechnica found that hackers have a lot more in their arsenal this year from last year. Considering the SolarWinds hack was one of the worst to ever occur in history, it’s clear that research is the best prevention tactic. 

“This intrusion activity reflects a well-resourced threat actor set operating with a high level of concern for operational security,” Monday’s report said. “The abuse of a third party can facilitate access to a wide scope of potential victims through a single compromise.”

So what happens when hackers in another country plan another attack? If you feel that your company is not prepared to take on more cybersecurity risks, It’s time to consider your plan of action. Looking for a managed service provider would be your best bet to combat other cyber crises. 

What to Look Out For

The last hack didn’t target any supply chains. Instead, the hack went above and beyond. It targeted Cloud service providers first, including MSPs. But once a hacker gets into a client’s cloud, they could wreak all the havoc they wanted to do.

Here’s a shortlist of some of the tactics used by hackers to get ahold of your data. These are all red flags that your MSP is aware of handling.

Newer advanced tradecraft tactics include using credentials stolen by money-motivated hackers. These hackers use malware to steal your information through your web browser credentials and cryptocurrency wallets. 

Hackers can get inside a service provider and impersonate them, which is a way to retrieve data from compromises and networks. Sometimes, your location-based services leave you vulnerable to outsiders. Tradecraft gives hackers ways to bypass security restrictions and access a target account entirely. From there, you can bypass two-factor authentication protections and more.

Security firm Volexity detailed how Nobelium could bypass multi-factor authentication through a cryptographic key. If data can’t be secure through an MFA, what’s next for the hacking world? For example, the server handling Outlook Web App is also vulnerable. Microsoft’s MFA app is one route hackers could exploit again.

 

Need assistance protecting passwords and your company’s IT services from cyber-attacks? Contact 1R Technologies to consult about our service offerings as a premier Managed Service Provider.