Cyber resilience | Cyber espionage risk management

Cyber espionage poses a rising strategic threat to individuals and organizations today as it involves the most sophisticated, well resourced, and persistent targeting efforts by state-level threat actors to gain and exploit unauthorized access to systems, data, and infrastructure for strategic purposes.

A key element of cyber espionage threats today is the increasing exploitation by threat actors of wider technologies and vectors outside conventionally-framed ‘cyberspace’ wherein attackers armed with the requisite access, expertise, and intent, are able to execute targeting campaigns across multiple infrastructures including IT environments but also leveraging illicit access to the global telecommunications ecosystem and wider cyber-physical environments to reach their intended targets.

Threat actors engaged in cyber espionage take advantage of systemic gaps in cyber resilience between cyber, IT and telecoms infrastructures and protection measures owed, not only to the separation in protocols and systems, but crucially also to the fact that cybersecurity and IT security providers tend to lack wider telecoms expertise and threat visibility, the latter partly owed to the general lack of commercially available or publicly available telecom-specific threat intelligence today.

Recognising this reality and drawing from our in-house expertise across a broader ‘cyber-plus’ spectrum of network-enabled threats, TI IT offer an extended cross-spectrum approach to strategic cyber risk management for true 360° cyber resilience and assurance for at risk individuals and organisations today.

Comprehensive Cyber-Plus Risk Assessment

A comprehensive risk ‘cyber-plus’ assessment is the cornerstone of effective cyber espionage risk management. This involves identifying the full-spectrum attack surface, which includes all potential access points, attack surfaces, and associated vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit. By assessing exposure to various risks, organizations can prioritize initial remediation measures and rapidly strengthen cyber resilience. This process not only addresses immediate vulnerabilities but also helps in realigning the organization's cybersecurity posture for ongoing management and assurance. This continuous assessment ensures that the organization's defenses evolve in response to emerging threats.

Components of Cyber Espionage Risk Management:

Cyber resilience against targeting in espionage calls for an active, multi-layered defense strategy that comprises a tailored mix of behavorial, technical, measures and policy-based measures.

1. Dedicated Protection for at-risk Persons: For state level threat actors, individuals not only present the gateways to organizations’ data, they also present strategic targets in their own right whether though stealth or overt contact for cultivation and, ultimately, coercion. This is where the risks of cyber extortion and cyber espionage intersect. Specialised advisory for such individuals includes bespoke ‘playbook’ development for ongoing management and assurance.
2. Full-Spectrum Threat Monitoring and Detection: Leveraging advanced monitoring tools and techniques across a range of environments can help detect breaches, compromised credentials and assets, and other potential indicators of espionage risk. This includes the use of Extended Detection and Response (XDR), and continuous network monitoring utilising 24/7 Security Operations Centers (SOCs) as a service, and specialised Dark Web Monitoring Services, as well as pre-emptive Digital Forensics for optimal threat discovery capability.
3. Regular Audits and Assessments: Conducting regular security audits and assessments helps ensure that security measures are effective and up-to-date. This also provides an opportunity to identify and address any new vulnerabilities.
4. Zero Trust Security: Strict access controls incorporating Zero Trust Security principles is critical in managing the risk of espionage-related unauthorized access, or other exploitation of legitimate access. Implementing principles moreover of least privilege, for example, further helps to ensures that individuals only have access to the information necessary for their role, and can flag insider threats, both malicious and non-malicious (non deliberate) in nature.
5. Incident Response Preparation: Having a well-defined incident response capability is critical for timely and effective response to suspected breaches relating to espionage. This includes procedures for containment, eradication, and recovery, as well as communication plans to inform stakeholders.
6. Employee Training and Awareness: While espionage threats often involve highly sophisticated exploitation of technical vulnerabilities, human error can also prove to be the weakest link in the chain of resilience against cyber espionage risks, which include phishing attacks. Regular training and awareness programs can help employees recognize phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics used by cyber spies.

The suite of services, which are also available individually, as bundles, or as a comprehensive cyber resilience service comprises:

• Auditing
• Dark Web Monitoring
• Digital Forensics investigation
• M-XDR
• Incident Response
• Crisis Communications
• Legal Advisory

Strategic Auditing & Advisory

At TI IT, we specialise in evaluating exposure to cyber espionage risks, the most sophisticated threat faced by individuals and organisations today. We go beyond the IT-exclusive scope of conventional approaches to cyber resilience such as Information System auditing by encompassing a broader spectrum of real-world risks, and covering a wider range of attack surfaces exposed to exploitation in today’s evolving threat landscape.

Our auditing services and advisory draws from our unparalleled expertise in cyber-criminology, our knowledge of the cyber-physical threat environment which transcends conventional approaches to cybersecurity, and our trusted partnerships with leading cybersecurity vendors whose capabilities we have selected to enable us to design and deliver solution sets tailored to clients’ specific risk profile across a wide range of scenarios over time.

For at-risk executives and VIPs, we provide bespoke Communications Security (COMSEC) training as well as ongoing support for at-risk individuals in which our experts work with the client to develop and implement a tailored strategy or personalised ‘playbook’ of measures to manage and mitigate the risk on an ongoing basis. Our COMSEC program development incorporates behavioural as well as technical measures and covers all relevant device types across a wide range of professional and personal scenarios for persons at risk of targeting both at home and abroad. Click here to find out more about our Strategic Security Auditing services.

Dark Web Monitoring

Dark Web Monitoring is a specialised protective service affording early detection of security breaches before compromised information may be exploited to destructive effect by attackers, earlier, in other words, than conventional cybersecurity measures may detect any threat. For individuals and corporations facing rising Cyber Extortion and Cyber Espionage risks today, Dark Web Monitoring whether acquired as an in-house capability or as a discrete managed service, offers:

• A crucial component of Strategic Cyber Risk Management.
• Vital early warning of compromised accounts and assets.
• A key enabler of Resilience and additional layer of protection.
• A key pillar of Assurance for at-risk individuals and corporations.

We also offer dark web investigation as a component of our Incident Response services. This involves threat hunting by expert analysts to help confirm whether a breach has occurred but crucially moreover to inform assessment of the exposure risks posed. Responders use specialised tools to search for specific identifying information as specified by the client. Such information can include personal or corporate email addresses, corporate domains, project names, credit card numbers and many other types. Expert guidance is also offered helping organizations to respond more swiftly and holistically to understand and mitigate potential harms. Click here to find out more about our Dark Web Investigation services.

Digital Forensics Investigation

At a time of rising cyber extortion and cyber espionage threats worldwide, digital forensics investigation also offers an increasingly important proactive protective measure today underpinning cyber resilience for at-risk individuals, such as Ultra High Net Worth (UNHW) individuals, VIPs, and others at risk of targeting by cybercriminals or state-sponsored threat actors. Through the services of a trusted provider, digital forensics can provide a key component of strategic cyber risk management and mitigation strengthening cyber resilience, such as malware discovery and removal from infected devices of targeted individuals.

Digital forensics analysis and investigation is also a core element of our Incident Response services. Our experts are available for deployment at immediate notice to provide in-person, on-location support to you or your organization in uncovering and analyzing digital evidence of compromise including malware infection, and remediating that threat on site as required. Whether you are dealing with a cyber incident, conducting an internal investigation, or preparing for legal proceedings, this service can be tailored to meet your needs. Click here to find out more about our Digital Forensics Investigation services.

Managed XDR (M-XDR)

Managed Extended Detection and Response (M-XDR) services bring the benefit of continuous monitoring, proactive threat hunting, and rapid response to security incidents, all managed by a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts, ensuring that the customer gains maximal value out of their investment and real assurance moreover.

Choosing the right M-XDR service and XDR solution is vital however, and this can be challenging for companies today finding themselves faced with very similar claims made by very different solution vendors and service providers, and there is no ‘one-size fits all’ when it comes to XDR or M-XDR today.

We deliver the right XDR solution and Managed-XDR service for your business’s needs and priorities. With our world-leading XDR vendor partners, Teichmann International (IT Solutions) AG offers best of breed M-XDR ranging from full 24/7 SOC service delivery, to tailorable co-managed XDR according to our clients’ requirements. Click here to find out more about our M-XDR.

Incident Response

Effective incident response capability is essential for cyber resilience especially against cyber espionage risks today. Beyond having a plan in place setting out the steps to be taken in the event of an attack, organizations must ensure they have sufficient measures in place to identify and quickly contain an attack, isolating affected systems while also rapidly assessing the scope and impact of the attack, and enacting the appropriate crisis communications strategy, all while understanding and managing the legal risks which can arise at each step, especially when faced with a demand for ransom payment.

As recent trends have shown, it is increasingly a matter of when, not if, a business will suffer a major breach, and therefore having an adequate incident detection and response capability is essential. The need for an advanced, best-of-breed capability in this regard is all the more important in the case of individuals and organizations at risk of espionage-related threats due to the more stealthy, non-disruptive and long term nature of such targeting which can go undetected for months and even years.

Faced with such a threat, even large organisations and enterprises can struggle to sustain effective incident detection and response capability today as their teams are typically overwhelmed by alert fatigue over time, dulling responsiveness at all levels, and negating the actual as well as perceived value of reporting. Here, an outsourced incident response capability, whether co-managed or fully managed in a ‘white gloved service’ scenario, is increasingly utilised by large enterprises today to maintain an optimised security posture while confirming the value of their investment in cybersecurity, and gaining strategic assurance as to their resilience against an evolving threat. Click here to find out more about our Incident Response services.

Crisis Communications

Effective crisis communications once a breach is discovered are crucial for minimizing harms and costs, both in the short and long term. Organizations require a comprehensive and cohesive crisis communication plan that includes internal communication and external communications with stakeholders including customers, partners, and external agencies. In the immediate aftermath of breach discovery, the primary focus for victims tends to be on technical remediation of the vulnerability in play, and often simply in identifying the vulnerability to begin with, as quickly as possible. Under such pressure, organisations can lose sight of the importance and value of effective communications internally and externally in minimising both short term and long term impacts of breaches which takes more than managing technical recovery efforts and addressing any data breaches or losses.

This is where a managed crisis communications capability ensuring timely, clear, and coordinated stakeholder communication from the outset of breach discovery can minimize both short-term and long-term reputational damage as well as financial harm, while allowing the organisation to focus efforts on technical remediation measures, and on strengthening cyber resilience going forward. Click here to find out more.

Legal Risk Advisory

When a major breach or other state-level intrusion is discovered, time is of the essence. Organizations must quickly engage legal and cybersecurity experts to implement a strategically aligned response. This process requires a deep understanding of the legal landscape, including regulations and potential consequences of unauthorised disclosures of personal information and other sensitive data. Legal advisors can provide guidance on how to navigate resolution post-discovery, balancing the need to expedite technical remediation with the imperative to meet relevant reporting obligations as required.

Navigating the legal and regulatory landscape is a vital component of cyber resilience today. Organizations must understand their legal obligations and the regulatory requirements related to data breaches and also intrusions, both disruptive and non-disruptive in nature. This includes advisory on reporting obligations to authorities and affected individuals where relevant, as well as compliance with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for example. Click here to find out more.