Author: Digital Element

According to IBM, the average cost of a single data breach in 2023 is a jaw-dropping $4.45 million. This marks a 15% increase over the past three years. 

Faced with an ever-growing number of threat actors and security risks, companies need effective security measures and a comprehensive security plan more than at any point in the past. 

In this step-by-step guide to building a strategic plan for data protection, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a cybersecurity framework for your company. 

Understanding information security

Information security is the process of securing digital data by mitigating cyber risks.

Given the current state of cyber threats and the importance of risk management, Information security is an essential part of any company’s overall business strategy.

Hackers pose a wide variety of information security threats — from ransomware to phishing attacks to malware. Because of this, there are also a variety of strategies companies use to make their information security program robust and effective.

 IP-based data gathering is one of the most important of these strategies. 

With IP-based data like Digital Element provides, companies analyze the source of their web traffic to see where attacks originate in real time. The data, when used with other security tools, can help identify nefarious traffic before a security incident occurs. 

The benefits of an IP-based information security strategy

Companies hoping to strengthen their security posture using an IP-based information security strategy reap many benefits. Some of the benefits of using an IP intelligence data solution like Digital Element to fuel your information security strategy include:

Protects valuable information

The most obvious benefit of an effective IP-based information security strategy (and arguably the most important) is it helps eliminate vulnerabilities to your company’s sensitive data, whether that’s confidential intellectual property, credit card data, or anything else you want to keep private. 

Exposing your company’s valuable and sensitive data to bad actors can happen in a single security issue, but IP-based data solutions can help boost network security and prevent this exposure in real time. 

IP-based cybersecurity strategies allow security teams to perform traffic and threat analytics that pinpoint where cyberattacks originate and what nefarious traffic looks like. You can then use these insights to set rules and alerts for traffic that meets specific criteria, helping prevent security breaches that could expose your confidential information.

Ensures compliance with regulations

Maintaining a strong security posture isn’t always optional. In many cases, the law requires companies to meet certain IT security standards.

Regulatory requirements and industry standards regarding cybersecurity vary from one industry to the other. For example, the law requires healthcare companies that handle sensitive medical information to comply with HIPAA’s data security requirements. Similarly, the law requires companies handling financial information to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

In such cases where strong security controls are a regulatory requirement, adopting an information security strategy helps ensure your company remains compliant and avoids costly fees.

Prevents financial losses

Financial losses due to cyberattacks come in several different forms. From ransomware payments to operational disruption, regulatory fines, or a loss of customers due to reputational damage, there is no shortage of ways porous information security can hurt a company’s bottom line.

By preventing these attacks from occurring (and reducing their impact in the event they are not prevented), IP-based information security can mitigate the financial losses caused by cyberattacks, ensuring a simple vulnerability doesn’t cost your company a fortune.

Improves decision making

A good information security strategy will serve as a roadmap for your company and its IT teams, providing the guidance you need for swift and effective decision-making in the face of a cyber threat.

This allows companies to quickly respond to threats in an organized, collaborative, and appropriate way. At a time when every minute matters, the speed of action an information security strategy enables is invaluable.

Key elements of an effective information security strategy

We’ve mentioned there are a lot of different elements that make up an information security strategy. The exact details of an information security plan will vary from company to company, but the core elements tend to remain the same.

Some of the most important elements to cover in your information security strategy include:

1. Risk assessment

Before you can safeguard against cyber threats, you need to form a complete understanding of the exact threats your company faces. A risk assessment sheds light on these threats as well as your company’s security vulnerabilities. 

Risk assessments allow you to identify the threats and vulnerabilities that pose the biggest risk so you can focus on mitigating them. In this way, your risk assessment will guide the rest of your information security strategy, dictating specific security measures you should take and how you can best allocate your company’s cybersecurity resources.

2. Security policies and procedures

Well-defined security policies and procedures establish the framework for how a company handles its data and technology. These documents outline the rules and procedures employees should follow to maintain strong security, covering concerns such as access control, password management, and the acceptable use of company devices. 

84% of US-based organizations have stated that conducting regular security awareness training has reduced the rate at which employees fall prey to phishing attacks, so having these policies and procedures in place is vital to maintaining an effective information security strategy.

3. Employee training

Along with providing security policies and procedures to your employees, it’s also important to thoroughly train them on those policies and procedures. By conducting regular training sessions to familiarize your employees with proper cybersecurity practices, you can reduce the risk posed by human error. 

Likewise, it’s also important to train your employees on how to respond in the event of a security incident so everyone understands their roles and responsibilities. This will be integral when responding to and recovering from security incidents.

4. Use of secure technology

Implementing the right cybersecurity technology is a pillar of a strong cybersecurity program. Technologies such as antivirus software, firewalls, instruction detection systems, access control/authentication systems, and numerous others all play a vital role in preventing hackers from gaining access to your company’s data. 

Choosing and installing the right tools for the job is something every information security strategy should address.

5. Regular audits and updates

Cybersecurity is still a rapidly evolving field, and the nature of cyber threats is constantly changing. This makes it essential for companies to regularly audit their security controls and update them as necessary to keep them aligned with the latest cyber threats. 

By regularly auditing your information security strategy and updating your security policies and controls, you can ensure your company does not fall victim to outdated tools and practices.

6. Incident response plan

Companies tend to focus most of their information security strategy on preventing security breaches. But there are times when prevention is not enough, and responding to a security incident becomes the primary concern. 

Your information security strategy should outline the exact steps your company will take in case of a security breach, including procedures for containing the incident, notifying stakeholders, conducting forensic analysis, and recovering affected systems.

7. Disaster recovery planning

Once you’ve contained a security breach, how your company recovers from the incident will play a major role in determining how costly its impact is. 

Your company’s information security strategy should include a disaster recovery plan that details the steps to take following a data breach or other security incident, including vital areas of concern such as data recovery, stakeholder/customer communication, and forensic analysis for understanding the cause and scope of the incident.

8. Compliance

You should design your company’s information security strategy to ensure compliance with any legal or regulatory requirements related to data security. This allows you to maintain a strong security posture while also ensuring you remain compliant and avoid the fees and reputational damage that can come from non-compliance.

How Digital Element helps with information security

At Digital Element, we’re committed to helping companies strengthen their information security and prevent costly incidents. 

Using patented technology along with over 20 proprietary methods to gain context into IP addresses, Digital Element provides real-time IP intelligence data that brings context and transparency to your company’s information security strategy, helping you identify threats and pinpoint the origins of security breaches.

Digital Element also partners with companies that provide device-derived data from SDKs and apps, enabling even more transparency into your web traffic. 

When it comes to empowering better decision-making and faster threat detection, we can’t overstate the value of IP data. 

To start leveraging IP intelligence data to bolster your company’s security, learn more about the insights Digital Element has to offer.

Information security use cases

IP intelligence data has several key use cases for strengthening information security. Some of the top use cases for the IP data provided by Digital Element include:

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A web application firewall (WAF) serves as a gate to keep out suspicious traffic that could pose a security risk. If you don’t know which traffic qualifies as being suspicious, though, the value of this technology is limited.

By using IP data to inform their WAF, companies can effectively identify, process, and potentially block traffic originating from specific areas known for fraudulent activity (for example, traffic originating from countries such as Russia that do not restrict hacking of foreign computer systems). 

Once traffic has been flagged based on its origin, companies can then process it according to a set of internal rules, such as invoking multi-factor authentication steps.

VPN usage

VPN usage is on the rise, with the VPN market growing to $31 billion in 2021. This increased usage of VPNs presents a worrying trend for cybersecurity professionals, making it increasingly difficult to analyze web traffic and identify its origin.

Thankfully, an IP intelligence solution such as Digital Element identifies VPN traffic and provides rich insights security professionals can use to detect potential criminal activity, including connection type, log-in location, and domain name. 

This goes a long way toward helping companies prevent attacks, such as credential stuffing, that stem from VPN proxies.

IoT devices

IoT devices offer the potential to change the business world as we know it and are already well on their way to doing so. However, a world where everything is connected to the internet (and thus poses a potential security vulnerability) is concerning for many security professionals.

As the prevalence of IoT devices continues to grow, shoring up their vulnerabilities via IP-based information security will be a key cybersecurity objective.

Harness the power of information security with Digital Element

Strong information security is like your company’s armor, ensuring a single cyber attack doesn’t bring the whole operation to a halt. If you want to strengthen your company’s information security and create a comprehensive security strategy, leveraging the power of IP-based data is one of the best steps you can take.

With Digital Element, companies automatically and comprehensively analyze their web traffic to identify and address potential threats before a security incident occurs.

Try Digital Element today and harness the power of IP-based information security.

Valued at $153.65 billion, the global cybersecurity industry is booming. Cybersecurity services, from geolocation services to anti-malware platforms, are the first line of defense against cyber threats, making them a crucial part of digital transformation efforts and overall business strategy. 

A successful cyber-attack or data breach can do irreparable harm to a company’s reputation — and that’s not even considering the financial overhead of threat removal, disaster recovery, and crisis management.

In this detailed roundup of the best cybersecurity services of 2023, we’ll help you weigh the pros and cons of each major cybersecurity provider so you can make the right choice based on your needs.

The essential role of cybersecurity services

A single data breach can cost a company an average of $9.44 million in the U.S. But the financial loss is just the tip of the iceberg. 

The reputational damage and loss of current and future customers can be even more devastating, particularly for resource-stretched small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which account for nearly half of all cybersecurity incidents.

On average, it takes 287 days to contain a breach, but businesses that can do so in 200 days or fewer stand to save an average of $1.12 million. This shows how essential it is to have a good cybersecurity stack to support your organization in the event that a security breach does happen. With the right set of tools and services, you can isolate the source of the attack, perform any remaining vulnerability management, and stop an ongoing threat dead in its tracks.

Cybersecurity solutions play a crucial role in protecting businesses from the financial and reputational damage that can result from cyber threats. They bring automation to essential functions like risk management, monitoring, and detection, as well as disaster recovery, to make the mitigation process as smooth as possible for businesses.

 Here’s an overview of how they do it:

• Risk assessment: Cybersecurity services begin by conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities within a business’s network security and system setup. This involves evaluating the business’s current security posture, identifying weak points, and determining the potential impact of different types of security threats.
• Protection measures: Once the risk assessment is complete, cybersecurity services implement a variety of protection measures. These can include firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and secure gateways to protect the network. They also use encryption and secure protocols to protect data in transit and at rest.
• Monitoring and detection: Cybersecurity services continuously monitor the business’s network and systems for any unusual or suspicious activity. They use advanced threat detection tools that can identify and alert potential threats in real-time.
• Incident response: In the event of a security incident, cybersecurity services have security controls in place to respond quickly and effectively. This can involve isolating affected systems to prevent the spread of the threat, identifying and removing the threat, and restoring systems to normal operation.
• Training and awareness: Cybersecurity services also provide training and awareness programs for employees. Since human error is a significant factor in many security incidents, these programs aim to educate employees about safe online practices and how to recognize and respond to potential threats.
• Compliance: Many industries are subject to regulations that include requirements for protecting data and maintaining privacy. Cybersecurity services help businesses comply with these regulations, which can include conducting audits and providing reports for regulatory bodies.
• Disaster recovery and business continuity planning: Cybersecurity services help businesses prepare for worst-case scenarios through disaster recovery and business continuity planning. This involves creating a plan to recover data and restore system functionality as quickly as possible after a major incident.

Types of cybersecurity services

Different types of IT security services cater to different aspects of a business’s security needs, from managing security operations to responding to incidents to securing cloud environments to protecting physical endpoints. 

Here’s a brief overview of the different types of cybersecurity solutions currently available in 2023:

Managed security services

Managed security consulting services involve outsourcing the day-to-day management of security to a specialized third-party provider. These services can include 24/7 monitoring and management of intrusion detection systems and firewalls, overseeing patch management and upgrades, performing security assessments and audits, and responding to emergencies. 

Businesses often opt for managed security services to reduce the burden on their internal teams, gain access to specialized expertise, and ensure round-the-clock protection against threats.

Incident response

Managed detection and response is a critical cybersecurity service that focuses on managing and mitigating the impact of a security breach or cyberattack. This involves a set of procedures businesses follow when an incident is detected, including identifying the nature and extent of the incident, containing the threat, eliminating the cause of the breach, and recovering systems and data. 

Incident response teams also conduct a post-incident analysis to learn from the event and improve future response efforts.

Cloud security

As businesses increasingly move their data and applications to the cloud, securing these environments has become paramount. Designed to protect data stored in the cloud and ensure compliance with various regulations, cloud security helps secure data transmission, manage user access, set up firewalls, and monitor for suspicious activity. 

Cloud security also involves working with cloud providers to ensure they have robust security measures in place.

Endpoint security

Endpoint security focuses on securing each endpoint on the network, including desktops, laptops, smartphones, and other remote devices, from potential threats. This is particularly important with the rise of remote work and bring-your-own-device policies. 

Endpoint security services typically involve the use of antivirus software, firewalls, and other tools to detect, prevent, and respond to threats at the device level.

IoT security

IoT security is concerned with protecting internet-connected devices and networks in the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices, which can range from smart home devices to industrial sensors, often have unique security considerations due to their connectivity and the types of data they handle. 

IoT security services can involve securing device firmware, managing device updates, securing data transmission, and monitoring suspicious activity.

Key criteria for evaluating cybersecurity services

The right cybersecurity program can provide robust protection against threats, while the wrong choice can leave a business vulnerable. 

Here are some key criteria to consider when evaluating cybersecurity services.

Look for a well-established cybersecurity service with a proven track record

When it comes to cybersecurity, experience matters. 

A well-established cybersecurity service with a proven track record is likely to have encountered a wide range of threats and scenarios. They should be able to provide case studies or examples of how they’ve helped similar businesses mitigate cyber threats. 

Additionally, a proven track record can also indicate stability and reliability, both important factors in a long-term security partner.

Look for a provider that offers a comprehensive range of services

Cyber threats can come from many directions, so it’s important to choose a cybersecurity service that offers a comprehensive range of services. This includes not only protection measures like firewalls and encryption but also monitoring and detection, incident response, and recovery services. 

A provider that can offer a full suite of services can offer an all-inclusive solution, but combining different specialized services can help create a more foolproof strategy.

The solution should use state-of-the-art technology

The field of cybersecurity is constantly evolving, with new threats emerging and new with cybersecurity services developing new technologies to combat them. Therefore, it’s important to choose a cybersecurity service that uses state-of-the-art technology and keeps up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. 

This includes advanced threat detection tools, AI, and machine learning technologies for identifying and responding to threats, as well as cutting-edge encryption technologies for protecting data.

Make sure the cybersecurity tool offers top-of-the-line customer support

Finally, top-notch customer support is a crucial factor in a cybersecurity service.

Cyber threats don’t adhere to business hours, so you need a provider that offers 24/7 support and can respond quickly in the event of a security incident. Good customer support should include regular communication about potential threats and updates on the state of your security, as well as assistance with understanding and implementing security measures.

Digital Element: An industry-leading cybersecurity service

Choosing a cybersecurity solution can be hard if you don’t know what you’re looking for. That’s exactly why it’s important to create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that clearly indicates the tools and solutions you require, along with the estimated budget and necessary features for each.

Digital Element is a leading provider of IP Intelligence and geolocation solutions, offering services that enhance cybersecurity resilience. We provide accurate geolocation data, ensuring businesses deliver the right content while personalizing the user experience and protecting the digital rights of content owners.

Our IP Intelligence data helps broadcasters, security professionals, and businesses make informed decisions to keep data safe and mitigate damage if an attack is successful.

Unlock the power of cybersecurity through threat intelligence with Digital Element

Among the best cybersecurity services of 2023, you’ll find several that provide comprehensive protection through risk assessment, monitoring and detection, incident response, training and awareness, compliance, and disaster recovery.

If you’re looking for a well-established provider with a proven track record, a comprehensive range of services, state-of-the-art technology, and top-of-the-line customer support, try Digital Element.

Our geolocation services offer a unique approach to cybersecurity, providing accurate data for informed decision-making, personalized user experiences, and robust digital rights protection.

As a trusted partner to broadcasters, security professionals, and businesses worldwide, Digital Element is a key player in the cybersecurity landscape. 

Discover how Digital Element can enhance your cybersecurity resilience today.

For businesses going through digital transformation, managing the increased volume and complexity of data — coupled with the risk of cyber threats and human error — can quickly become an additional overhead that serves only to burden your operations team.

Enter data loss prevention (DLP). DLP software plays a crucial role in safeguarding businesses from both internal and external threats by monitoring, detecting, and blocking data while in use, in motion, and at rest.

Understanding data loss prevention (DLP)

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a strategy that prevents sensitive or critical information from leaking outside of a corporate network.

With DLP, engineering and operations teams can enforce data security policies, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide visibility into data movement, leading to enhanced overall data security and integrity.

Organizations can implement DLP through software that monitors and controls endpoint activities, filters data streams on corporate networks, and monitors data in the cloud to protect data at rest, in motion, and in use.

DLP software identifies confidential data, tracks that data as it moves through and out of the enterprise, and prevents unauthorized disclosure of data by creating and enforcing disclosure policies. These policies define critical data and outline the controls to enforce, such as alerting, encrypting, and other protective actions.

Data loss prevention tools come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are focused on things like endpoint security and email protection, while others take on advanced network safety using tools like IP geolocation and VPN detection. The specific type of DLP software your company needs will depend on the nature and size of your business, as well as the setup of your network architecture.

Types of data loss prevention software

Each type of DLP software plays a unique role in a comprehensive data protection strategy, which is why many organizations use a combination of different types to cover all their bases against expensive cybercrime:

• Network DLP: These solutions are typically installed at the network perimeter, such as at the exit point of a corporate network, and are used to monitor and control data in motion. They analyze network traffic to detect valuable data sent in violation of information security policies.
• Storage DLP: Also known as Data at Rest DLP, these solutions identify and secure data stored in data centers, cloud storage, file servers, databases, and other storage devices. They ensure that stored data is kept safe from unauthorized access and breaches.
• Endpoint DLP: Organizations install these solutions on end-user devices such as computers, laptops, and mobile devices. Endpoint DLPs control data in use and monitor transferred data. They can also control data uploads and prevent malicious activities.
• Cloud DLP: Designed to protect data stored or shared in the cloud, organizations can integrate these solutions with cloud-based services to monitor and control data access and movement, ensuring compliance with regulations like HIPAA and GDPR.
• Email DLP: These solutions monitor and control data sent via email. Organizations use email DLP to prevent sensitive information from being shared with unauthorized individuals, both within and outside the organization.
• Content-aware DLP: These solutions are capable of inspecting and contextualizing the content being sent or accessed. They can identify data based on pre-defined policies and take action to prevent unauthorized sharing.

How to choose the right data loss prevention software

Choosing the right data loss prevention (DLP) software is a critical decision that can significantly impact the security of your organization’s data. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right DLP tool:

• Data architecture: Once you know what data you need to protect, you can look for a DLP solution that offers features tailored to protect that data. For instance, Safetica offers templated data classification, which can be useful if you have specific types of data you need to protect.
• Coverage: The DLP solution should cover all potential data leakage points, including email, web, cloud services, network, and endpoint. For example, Forcepoint DLP offers unified data protection coverage across all these channels.
• Ease of use: The DLP solution should be user-friendly and not require extensive technical expertise to operate. It should offer intuitive interfaces and easy-to-understand reports. ManageEngine Endpoint DLP Plus, for instance, is designed for user dexterity and precision, making it easy to configure and deploy policies.
• Policy management: The ability to create, manage, and enforce policies is a crucial feature of a DLP solution. The software should allow you to easily tailor policies to match your organization’s needs. For example, NinjaOne Backup offers automated backup policies users can customize based on their requirements.
• Integration: The DLP solution should integrate well with other security and IT systems in your organization. This can help streamline your security operations and provide a more holistic view of your security posture.
• Scalability: The DLP solution should be able to scale as your organization grows. It should be able to handle an increasing amount of data and a number of users without performance issues.
• Vendor reputation: Consider the reputation of the DLP solution’s vendor. Look at reviews and testimonials from other customers, and consider the vendor’s history and experience in the field. Also, consider the level of support the vendor provides. Do they offer 24/7 support? What are their response times like? Can they provide references?
• Pricing: Finally, consider the cost of the DLP solution. This includes not only the upfront cost but also any ongoing costs for maintenance, support, and updates. Keep in mind the most expensive solution is not always the best one for your needs. DLP solutions don’t usually provide pricing information on their websites, so you would need to contact them directly for a quote.

Digital Element: Your trusted intelligence solution for data loss prevention

Choosing the right data loss prevention solution is crucial for safeguarding your organization’s data. Factors such as data architecture, coverage, ease of use, policy management, integration, scalability, vendor reputation, and pricing play a critical role in this decision.

While there are several robust DLP solutions on the market, Digital Element has a unique approach to data protection and is one of the few that uses IP geolocation to safeguard against data loss.

Digital Element is a leading provider of IP Intelligence and geolocation solutions. Our NetAcuity platform provides the most detailed, hyperlocal dataset available worldwide today that complies with the highest standards of end-user privacy.

Key features:

• Hyperlocal IP geolocation: Provides detailed and accurate geographic information.
• Proxy data: Identifies the use of different types of proxy servers to ensure data integrity.
• Mobile carrier identification: Identifies mobile carrier data for better mobile targeting and prevention of fraud.

Looking for a cybersecurity solution? Try Digital Element today

Need help isolating specific malicious actors by location or discovering the source of a data breach? Enhance your cybersecurity strategy today with Digital Element.

An emerging threat that has grown to an alarming degree over the past 18 months is residential IP proxy networks.

Numerous networks offer to make thousands, even tens of thousands of legitimate residential IPs available to parties seeking anonymity online, and at very little cost. Should this matter to you?

The short answer is yes, as players who use these proxies may be doing so in order to appear like “customers” who attempt to access your site or apps, but are bots or bad actors in disguise.

What is a Residential Proxy IP Network?

Residential Proxy IP networks are networks that use the IP addresses of consumers who sign up for any number of apps that pay them to share their internet bandwidth. Those apps become gateways for other clients of the app provider.

Put another way, residential proxy networks enable consumers with residential internet access to “sublet” their IP address to residential IP proxy network subscribers, enabling their internet traffic to appear as if it is originating from the sublet IP address.

These resi-proxy networks allow entities to purchase residential proxy IPs at scale, from any region desired, thereby posing a threat  to all companies with gated web properties. What looks like a residential user in an appropriate location may actually be a bot or malicious actor hiding behind a proxy.

We have also seen evidence that bad actors leverage residential IP proxy networks to commit ad fraud, gift card schemes, access content that’s restricted by geo-location, as well as crawl government and other websites searching for PII data, such as Social Security numbers or other government ID numbers.

While residential proxy IP networks have been available for some time, what is changing is the exponential growth in both the number of networks and their scale. Certain proxy networks boast access to hundreds of thousands of residential IP addresses, which are made available to anyone willing to pay. This escalation demonstrates the need for heightened vigilance and robust security measures to combat the risks associated with these networks.

Building a Pool of Residential IP Proxies

How do residential IP proxy networks obtain those thousands of IP addresses? The networks rely on multiple strategies, such as providing an SDK to app developers who want to monetize their apps, or convincing the provider of a browser extension to include their code. They can also leverage a botnet to obtain residential IPs.

Consumers also play an important role in residential proxy IP networks, often unwittingly. The proxy networks tell consumers that by sharing their internet bandwidth, they can earn easy money. To get paid, all the consumer needs to do is install an app — Pawns.app, Honeygain, Peer2profit, PacketStream to name a few — and start collecting passive income. The amount of money they earn isn’t huge; payments range from $0.20 per GB per shared data to $75 per month. Still, it’s easy money.

The networks inform consumers that their Internet will be shared, and some, such as Honeygain, verify the use cases of its clients. Others, such as 911 S5, offer free VPN services to consumers, and harvest their IP addresses with their consent.

Consumers have no way of knowing who uses their IP address, and to what end. They are just left to trust the service. Some of the apps promise that the consumer’s data will only be sold to “credible” companies that use it for verified use cases, such as competitive analysis. But this still exposes consumers to risk. A bad actor may use their IP addresses to engage in DDoS or other nefarious attacks, resulting in a permanent ban from some sites.

This isn’t a theoretical risk. We know that residential proxies have been used in a range of crimes, including ad fraud and DDoS attacks. In the summer of 2022, the FBI seized the website Rsocks.net and shut down a botnet that engaged in malicious activity with the help of a residential proxy network.

Dangers Residential IP Proxy Networks Pose to Security Teams

Every organization has multiple layers of security, including web application firewalls (WAFs) and content delivery networks (CDNs). Unfortunately, the proliferation of residential proxy networks means these tools have a significant blind spot that must be addressed.

A WAF protects your web applications by monitoring, filtering, and blocking malicious HTTP/S traffic traveling to a web application, and prevents unauthorized data from leaving the application. It does this by adhering to a set of policies, including context around the IP address, that help determine which traffic is malicious and which is safe.

If for instance, corporate security policy mandates that all non-residential IP addresses, as well as addresses from a specific geolocation be blocked, the firewall will block all traffic that matches that criteria.

If, however, the traffic is residential and has a geo-location that is permissible, it will be deemed legitimate. Today, however, those two data points are no longer sufficient, and security teams need a lot more context around IP addresses to understand their incoming traffic.

But while WAFs and CDNs can be deployed to protect organizations against things like scraping and DDoS attacks, they can be tricked into providing access to your network if the attackers are using the services of a residential proxy network. And in case you’re wondering, these residential proxy services aren’t very expensive to use.

How Digital Element Detects Residential IP Proxies

Digital Element devotes tremendous resources to maintaining the most accurate and meaningful IP geolocation and Proxy/VPN data for our customers. Included in that is our ongoing focus on emergent technologies, such as residential proxy networks, to ensure our customers can depend on us not only for reliable geolocation data, but also insights regarding important shifts that could impact your business.

IP addresses contain a lot of contextual data that help us predict the legitimacy of a user behind a device. That contextual data includes attributes such as activity level and IP stability. We know, for instance, that proxied IP addresses are shared by clients all over the world, so they are likely to be seen in multiple locations. That’s an important insight for clients; if an IP address remains consistently associated with a specific location for an extended period, it is less likely to be a proxy.

IP address intelligence data, such as activity levels and stability, can’t decipher between legitimate and illegitimate users alone, but it can provide much needed context that organizations can use to make smart decisions to protect their advertising budgets and corporate data.

Digital Element’s Nodify Threat Intelligence solution provides critical contextual information to help identify inbound or outbound traffic tied to VPNs, proxies, or a darknet. In turn businesses are enabled with powerful insights that help them protect against nefarious actors while reducing risk and cost.

Focus on Residential IP Proxy Network Traffic

As a cybersecurity professional, you’re well aware of the cybercriminal’s astute skills and motivation to innovate new methods to find their way into corporate systems so they can steal data. As such, it’s a good time to take time out of busy schedules to do a deep dive on the cybercriminal’s newest tools.

If you’d like to learn more about Nodify and residential IP proxy traffic detection, visit https://www.digitalelement.com/nodify/ or reach out to sales@digitalenvoy.com

Cybercrime is on the rise, with it projected to cost businesses worldwide $10.5 trillion by 2025.

Cybercrime affects large corporations to small mom-and-pop shops. Just recently, Uber’s network was breached, and sensitive company data was leaked to the public, showing anyone is at threat. However, nearly half of all attacks are aimed at small businesses.

The results of a successful cyberattack range from monetary loss to reputational damage. Therefore, businesses worldwide need to know what they can do to keep their networks and systems safe.

We have gathered data from trusted cybersecurity reports to shed light on the cost of cybercrime on businesses and the need for reliable cybersecurity solutions.

How much do data breaches cost?

Cybercrime is a trillion-dollar industry. A single data breach on a company costs an average of $9.44 million in the U.S. Unfortunately, the initial financial loss is just the beginning; data breaches can also harm a business’s reputation and lead to a loss of current and future customers. This can be particularly hard for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who may not have the necessary resources to weather the reputational fallout of a successful data breach.

How long does it take to detect a data breach?

Threat actors and their tactics get more sophisticated by the day. As such, effectively preventing every single attack on a company is near impossible.  Businesses need to have protocols in place to detect and contain breaches as quickly as possible. It takes an average of 287 days to contain a breach. However, if a business can contain a data breach in 200 days or fewer, they stand to save $1.12 million on average.

IP threat intelligence is one way businesses can mitigate the damage of a successful attack. While IP data intelligence won’t stop cybercriminals from trying to attack your network, it will give you the insights needed to make informed decisions to keep data safe and mitigate damage if an attack is successful in breaching your defenses.

How prepared are companies for data breaches?

The pandemic was a blessing in disguise for threat actors. As businesses worldwide switched overnight to remote and hybrid working models, cybercriminals found themselves with a wealth of new network vulnerabilities to exploit. Unfortunately, years later, many businesses still haven’t updated their cybersecurity protocols to reflect these new working models. In fact, 32% of SMBs say they haven’t changed their cybersecurity plan since the pandemic forced them to pivot to remote and hybrid working operations.

Another issue businesses face is cost. Nearly a third of network security professionals say they don’t have the budget to effectively defend themselves against attacks. Furthermore, just half of SMBs have a cybersecurity plan in place.

Cybercriminals are constantly improving and trying new tactics to gain access to sensitive data for their own personal gain. Unfortunately, they don’t care about the devastating effects these attacks can have on businesses and their customers. We hope these alarming statistics help raise awareness about just how damaging cybercrime can be and will inspire people to take action to ensure their networks and systems are secure.

Sources:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/uber-suffers-new-data-breach-after-attack-on-vendor-info-leaked-online

tethttps://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/18/2129432/0/en/Cybercrime-To-Cost-The-World-10-5-Trillion-Annually-By-2025.html

https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/security-executives-say-unprepared-threats-lie-ahead

https://upcity.com/experts/small-business-cybersecurity-survey