War in Ukraine: Danger of cyber war - What you should do now

We are also concerned about the war in Ukraine on a daily basis. We are receiving more and more enquiries in this context. Because this war does not stop at the digital world. Cyberattacks triggered by state hackers and autonomous organisations are on the rise. These are not only taking place in the areas directly affected by the war, but also in the NATO states and their friendly countries.

The goal: Critical infrastructures for the greatest possible damage. We would therefore like to inform you what we recommend in the current situation.

Basic security tips:

Employees should urgently receive IT security awareness training. Especially with regard to phishing, social engineering and social media.
Companies with Russian and/or Ukrainian partners and customers must expect an increased probability of becoming the target of an attack - especially through so-called "spear phishing". If you suspect an email, you should have it checked immediately.
Be vigilant for suspicious activity in your network and digital environment. Watch for new/unusual traffic and abnormal activity within the operation. Monitor detection alerts and request support if needed.
Vulnerability scans should be performed more frequently to close vulnerabilities. It may also make sense to carry out pentesting against your own infrastructure.
Important systems should definitely be secured. Make sure that you have fully deployed and correctly configured your protection based on best practices.
Vendor signatures should always be kept up-to-date. Especially with Trend Micro, Crowdstrike and similar products.
Follow the recommendations of the BSI or other authorities and implement these recommendations in the process.
Security concepts must be reviewed and adapted if necessary.
Carry out a fact check. Check the latest information, especially from Russian media, first and compare it with other media.
Trend Micro has created its own blog containing security recommendations. You can find it in English here.
Check your back-up strategy and update it if necessary.

For all companies in the KRITIS sector, we offer an unbureaucratic and prompt first check. This checks how well your company is currently prepared for a cyberattack. You only invest 1.5 hours - we provide the service free of charge. There is no obligation for subsequent projects. You can find more information here.