ThreatLocker® Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform enforces a strict default-deny, exception-allow security posture, enabling organizations to set policy-based controls within their environment and mitigate myriad cyber threats, including zero-days, invisible threats Network footholds and malware attacks are a direct result of user error.
By implementing the capabilities of the ThreatLocker® Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform into their cybersecurity strategies, organizations in any industry around the world can check the requirements of most compliance frameworks and sleep better at night knowing they Protected from the most devastating cyberattacks, such as ransomware.
ThreatLocker has shared a free download that provides IT professionals with cybersecurity compliance best practices. This article aims to elaborate on this asset and provide a basic overview of it.
The complexity of compliance frameworks
Cybersecurity compliance frameworks exist to help organizations establish a strong cybersecurity strategy that keeps them ahead of threats. However, each framework is often ambiguous, making it challenging to ensure that the outlined requirements are met.
To add to the complexity of interpreting the requirements of this compliance framework brainteaser, the wording of each framework differs, even when pointing to the same technology required.
Compliance Best Practices
Regardless of compliance framework, organizations should implement a basic set of technical controls to improve their security posture and achieve compliance.
1. Access control management solution
Organizations need a centralized account and access management solution that can inventory all access accounts, assign unique IDs to each user, log all logins, provide role-based access, and enforce least privilege/ Minimum access rights. Account and access management solutions should also enforce strong passwords, automatically lock out after a specified number of failed login attempts, protect authentication feedback, and deactivate identifiers after a period of inactivity.
2. Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication should be implemented and enforced for privileged account logins, remote access logins, and when logging into any account accessible over the Internet.
3. Privileged Access Management (PAM)
Administrators and other privileged accounts should be protected using a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution. All privileged activity should be logged in a protected central location. The privileged operating environment is separated from the non-privileged working environment, and the non-privileged working environment cannot access privileges. Privileged operating environments should not be able to access non-privileged operating environments, the Internet, email, or other Web services. PAM solutions should allow deactivation of privileged accounts after 45 days of inactivity.
4. Remote access management system
Organizations need a remote access management system that monitors and logs remote access, provides automatic session locking, controls the execution of privileged commands, uses anti-replay authentication, and uses patterned session locking to hide the display after specified conditions.
5. Whitelist
Organizations must implement permission lists (historically known as whitelists) to provide an up-to-date software inventory, monitor installed software activity and integrity, log all executions, and have the ability to remove or deactivate unused, unauthorized, and inappropriate software. Supported software (including operating systems). Allowlisting solutions should include application containment to prevent the creation of subprocesses and control the execution of mobile code, software, libraries, and scripts. Any new software should be deployed in a sandbox environment and evaluated before it is allowed into the organization.
6. Anti-malware solutions
Organizations must implement anti-malware solutions that instantly scan endpoints, web pages, and removable media, incorporate automatic definition updates, and prevent connections to malicious websites.
7. Firewall
Organizations need to adopt a firewall solution that uses the least privileges, blocks all unnecessary ports and access to the Internet, logs network activity, and terminates connections after inactivity or session end.
8. Detection/Prevention Solutions
Organizations should implement intrusion detection/prevention solutions that take both proactive and reactive security approaches.
9. Web filter
Organizations need a web security solution that enforces web-based URL filters or DNS filtering.
10. Email Security
Email security solutions should be implemented to only use supported email clients, block all unnecessary file types on email gateways, and use DMARC. Make sure your email server has an effective anti-malware solution.
11. Micro-segmentation
Organizations need a technology solution to virtualize or micro-segment their networks using VLANs.
12. Removable media
Organizations need to implement a solution to control removable media, including enforcing encryption and restricting access to it.
13. Mobile device management
Organizations should implement mobile device management solutions that encrypt mobile devices, control mobile connections, and support automatic locking and remote wipe and lock.
14. Logging solutions
Organizations need a protected central logging solution that can extract and alert on Windows event logs, application event logs, network logs, data access logs, and user activity that is uniquely traced to the user. Logs should be checked regularly.
15. Patch management
Organizations need a patch management solution that scans their environment for missing patches, provides reports, and applies them.
16. Penetration testing
Organizations need to participate in penetration testing. Testing should be done internally and on all external-facing services. Any vulnerabilities discovered should be fixed.
17. Threat Intelligence Sharing
Organizations should participate in threat intelligence sharing communities where information about threats and vulnerabilities is exchanged so that they can be proactively mitigated.
18. Data protection
Organizations need to implement measures to protect data. Data should have granular permissions applied. Only users who need access to specific data to perform their job duties should be able to access that data.
19. Safely discard data
Organizations need a system to safely dispose of materials before equipment is reused or dismantled.
20. Encrypt sensitive data
Organizations should ensure that sensitive data is encrypted at rest (encrypted hard drives) and in transit (TLS or HTTPS) using strong encryption algorithms.
21. Backup system
Organizations need to implement a backup system where backups are performed regularly, replicated via locally and off-site stored copies, and tested regularly to ensure the organization always has a working backup available to assist in disaster recovery efforts.
22. Physical security controls
Organizations should have adequate physical security controls in place to prevent unwanted access, such as locks, cameras, and fences. Employees and visitors should be monitored and recorded. Assets should be inventoried, discovered and tracked, and any unauthorized assets should be disposed of.
23. Security awareness training
Organizations need to implement a role-based security awareness training solution that can be produced in-house or purchased from a third-party provider.
24. Written Policy
Organizations must have written policies for employees to read and sign to enforce each of the technology controls listed above.
Mapping requirements across compliance frameworks
While each compliance framework has its own set of specific standards, their common goal is to help organizations build a strong cyber defense strategy to prevent cyberattacks and resulting data loss. As attackers seek to exploit valuable data, protecting this hot commodity is critical.
Companies with strong security postures, such as those using the ThreatLocker® endpoint protection platform, are already making good progress toward achieving compliance with any framework. Add the ThreatLocker® endpoint protection platform to your security strategy to help create a successful compliance blueprint and achieve world-class cyber threat protection.
ThreatLocker has curated a downloadable guide, “The Compliance Blueprint for IT Professionals,” that maps the parallel requirements of numerous compliance frameworks, including:
- NIST SP 800-171
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
- Cyber Security Center (CIS) Critical Security Controls (CSC)
- Basic eight maturity models
- Network essentials
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
This e-book provides a mapping table for each of the 24 compliance best practices mentioned above, which are also mapped to the six compliance frameworks mentioned above.
The tables in this asset chapter are intended to provide detailed examples of what you can implement in your environment to examine parallel requirements within each framework (from controls and policies to cybersecurity awareness training).
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Companies with a strong security posture, such as those using the ThreatLocker® zero-trust endpoint protection platform, are already making good progress toward achieving compliance with any framework. Add the ThreatLocker® zero-trust endpoint protection platform to your security strategy to help create a successful compliance blueprint and achieve world-class cyber threat protection.
Learn more about ThreatLocker®
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