We failed. And we’re going to pay for it.
The global fallout from the Log4j disaster continues to unfold, as bad as it seems now, the best is yet to come. But we’ve already known this for some time now. We know that attackers are even now strategizing, building their game plans, and establishing toe-holds in our networks. We know that even after we’ve figured out how to lock our systems back up, what matters is that it’s entirely possible attackers are already inside, and locking the doors behind them won’t change that.
Now, the calm after the storm, they’re going to go quiet. Business as usual, and sell that access to the highest bidder.
The beauty of the Log4j debacle is that the exploitation went beyond a simple hack or breach: it revealed what was already a mostly unexploited (until now) problem.
It revealed that not only do we have no idea what’s in our network, but we also have no idea who’s connected to our networks and how.Â
The posture of most SecOps and IT teams in the coming days will be to hunker down and lock up. Put out fires where they can. But it can’t stop there. In order to protect ourselves from the ongoing threat of Log4J, and any other potential future breach or attack, it’s vital that we proactively address the broader systemic issues.
What Log4J Revealed About our Networks…and How to Proactively Restructure our Approach
The Log4J bonanza glaringly revealed the failed visibility into our interconnected systems and trusted partners. Therein lies our problem: we believe that the people we trust have done their best to ensure the safety and security of our networks. We take for granted that we’ve done all that we can.
As a result, we’re blindsided by endemic threat vectors like this.
Having complete visibility of our interconnected systems, assets, devices, and networks isn’t just icing on the cake anymore: it’s non-negotiable.
The real problem of the exploit is in the aftermath of the vulnerability: where systems that are compromised (and don’t know it) are now able to be used to exploit systems belonging to partners –or worse, customers – that are now ripe for the picking.
How do you protect your network or your customers’ from exploitation if you don’t know whether your network has already been quietly compromised?
Take back control. Start from the ground up.
The answer lies in simplicity itself. Harness technologies that give cybersecurity teams the ability to attain actual, accurate visibility of the entire network. Attack Surface Analysis (not to be confused with Attack Surface Management), allows teams to leverage the datasets that routinely remain stagnant, siloed, or worse, are overlooked. With Attack Surface Analysis, teams can understand the proximity that existing threat vectors might have in being able to exploit weaknesses, known or unknown.
Log4J revealed we don’t have the visibility that we think we do. It revealed we aren’t seeing everything with as much accuracy as we’d hoped. It called our bluff.
What matters now is where we go from here. What matters is how we use this as a learning tool to propel our teams into greater strength and security, through heightened accuracy in the visibility of our interconnected systems.
Your move.
