Shields Up” Warning Issued

From the Alabama Small Business Development Center Network

The current Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused anxiety, financial impacts, and political actions around the globe. Loss of life and property have been confined to Ukraine so far but, the impacts are being felt around the world economically and logistically in companies large and small.

In addition to the economic impact in the U.S., there is a high level of concern regarding cyber-attacks. State-sponsored attacks on Ukraine are being used to disrupt everything from utilities, to banking, and communications. The tools being used to cause these disruptions are not always under the full control of the attacker. Many of the threats being released on Ukraine are capable of making their way around the world via the internet. It is also a distinct possibility that the U.S. and its allies could see an increase in targeted cyber-attacks should Russia decide to retaliate against those countries imposing sanctions.

The cybersecurity community is taking this threat seriously and we would ask the small business community to do the same. There is a real possibility that any small business could become the victim of a cyber-attack either directly or indirectly. To minimize the risk, small business owners should, at a minimum, do the following:

  • Be more diligent about checking for unusual activity or performance issues on your devices and networks. This should include website traffic monitoring.
  • Make a plan to incorporate regular backups if you have not done so already.
  • Test a recent backup to make sure it works.
  • Check anti-virus and all software (including any website plugins) for needed updates and patches.
  • Incorporate a firewall or security monitoring software in your website and online store.
  • Use a password manager with complex passphrases (16+ characters with random numbers, letters, and symbols)
  • Use multifactor authentication
  • Turn on or incorporate virtual private networks (VPN) when online
  • Familiarize yourself with your website/online store providers data breach policy to fully understand who is responsible for reporting any breaches that may incur as well as who is liable in the event your site becomes infected.

While you cannot be guaranteed that you will not be impacted by a cyber-attack, you can dramatically reduce your chances of becoming a victim and substantially increase the speed of your recovery by following the above steps. Should you need more details or resources to assist with preparations, please contact your local SBDC offices and use the links below.

We strongly encourage all organizations to review and take advantage of the following resources:

  • Shields Up – CISA launched a new Shields Up webpage that provides actionable information on urgent steps to harden systems given the heightened threat environment.
  • Pro Bono Services – CISA recently launched a new catalog of free cybersecurity services from CISA, the open-source community, and our private sector partners in the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative. The catalog is designed to help under-resourced organizations improve their security posture. 
  • Mis-, dis-, & Mal- information (MDM) – CISA released aCISA Insights titled, Preparing for and Mitigating Foreign Influence Operations Targeting Critical Infrastructure, which provides critical infrastructure owners and operators with guidance on how to identify and mitigate the risks of influence operations using MDM narratives from steering public opinion and impacting National Critical Functions and critical infrastructure. 
  • America’s SBDC – Basic Cyber Awareness Resources for Small Business: https://americassbdc.org/cybersecurity/resources/

CISA continues to lean forward to inform industry partners of potential threats—part of a paradigm shift from being reactive to being proactive. On January 11, 2022, CISA released a joint cybersecurity advisory with the FBI and NSA about the Russian threat to U.S. critical infrastructure, including specific tactics, techniques, and procedures associated with Russian actors. CISA followed this advisory with an executive-level product urging every organization to take urgent, near-term steps to reduce the likelihood and impact of a potentially damaging compromise. CISA maintains a dedicated public webpage providing an overview of the Russian government’s malicious cyber activities as well as all advisories and products on Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, to include the recent advisory on known tactics, techniques, and procedures used by Russian state-sponsored cyber actors.

Sources:

  • Brian L. Pavone, MAISS, CPP, CPD, ACI Protective Security Advisor, Region 4 – Birmingham, AL Northern District of Alabama U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
  • Paul E. Daymond, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Division, Public Affairs Officer, Private Sector Coordinator, Media, Public and Congressional Affairs
  • Mark Lupo, Business Education/Resilience Specialist, UGA SBDC

America’s SBDC Cybersecurity Interest Section