What is a Network Vulnerability?
In network security, network vulnerabilities are gaps or underlying weaknesses in the existing system.
Unfortunately, this creates opportunities for different types of network security threats and risks that hackers will capitalize on to compromise, steal, or otherwise corrupt your information.
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are an essential area to consider when reviewing your IT infrastructure. You need to be aware of gaps in your hardware, software, and even processes because there are different types of attacks in network security, and almost all of them exploit underlying information security vulnerabilities.
In this blog, we’ll explain the most common types of vulnerabilities in network security so that you can learn to avoid them.
1. AI and Machine Learning Exploits
As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) become integral to many organizations’ operations, they present a new frontier for cyber attackers. AI and ML systems are used to enhance automation, improve decision-making, and optimize processes. However, as these technologies become more prevalent, they also become prime targets for adversarial attacks.
AI and ML systems can be exploited through adversarial machine learning, a method where attackers manipulate the data input to these systems to influence their output. By feeding an AI or ML model false data, attackers can cause the system to make incorrect decisions or predictions, potentially leading to security breaches, data corruption, or system failure. For example, an AI system used in network security might be tricked into misclassifying malicious activity as benign, allowing attackers to bypass security measures.
To defend against AI and ML exploits, organizations should:
- Secure data inputs: Ensure that the data used to train AI systems is clean and free from manipulation.
- Monitor AI behavior: Regularly audit and monitor the decisions and outputs of AI systems for any anomalies or unusual patterns.
- Implement robust models: Use more resilient AI and ML models that are less susceptible to manipulation by adversarial data.
As AI and ML continue to advance, so too will the sophistication of these attacks, making it crucial for businesses to stay vigilant and incorporate AI security into their overall cybersecurity strategies.
2. Insider Threats
Insider threats are a growing concern in the realm of network security. These threats come from within an organization and can originate from employees, contractors, or business partners who have legitimate access to systems and data. Insider threats can be either malicious or unintentional, making them particularly difficult to detect and mitigate.
A malicious insider intentionally exploits their access to steal sensitive data, sabotage systems, or assist external attackers. On the other hand, an unintentional insider may compromise security through negligence or a lack of awareness, such as falling victim to phishing attacks or mishandling confidential information.
Insider threats are especially dangerous because these individuals already have privileged access to the network, which often allows them to bypass many traditional security measures like firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
To minimize the risk posed by insider threats, organizations should: .
- Implement strict access controls: Enforce the principle of least privilege (POLP), ensuring that employees only have access to the data and systems necessary for their job roles.
- Monitor user behavior: Use tools that track and analyze user behavior for any unusual or suspicious activities, such as accessing data they normally wouldn’t or performing actions outside their role.
- Conduct regular cybersecurity training: Employees should be regularly trained on cybersecurity best practices, including recognizing phishing attempts and handling sensitive information appropriately.
- Establish a robust exit process: Ensure that when employees leave the organization, their access to all systems and data is promptly revoked.
Insider threats can be more challenging to defend against than external attacks, as they involve trusted individuals. By creating a strong culture of security and utilizing advanced monitoring tools, companies can reduce the risk of internal vulnerabilities compromising their networks.
3. Outdated Software
Although updates can get troublesome at times, they’re a crucial step that protects you from emerging software vulnerability issues.
Developers and software vendors regularly release new versions of their apps to add new features, ensure their compatibility with newer systems, or resolve identified issues.
From the operating system on your workstations to the mobile app your employees use, updating these programs is your responsibility. Without these updates, it creates network security vulnerabilities that can be exploited with malicious intent to hijack your systems or access your sensitive information.
While software updates can now be automated, a lot of software platforms still require manual searches and application of these updates and fixes.
A case in point: CVE-2022-3075 for the Google Chrome internet browser. This was a single high-severity vulnerability caused by a problem with one of its runtime libraries. Shortly after it was reported, Google released an emergency update for users across all supported devices.
4. Misconfiguration
As with any other business solution, network security strategies are unique to each company adopting them.
This starts with the setup of your infrastructure, with manual configuration playing an important part in your resiliency against cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
The manual part, handled by humans, opens up the rest of the network to the possibility of a security risk.
In a 2020 study, DivvyCloud revealed that cloud misconfiguration cost companies about US$5 trillion across 2018 and 2019.
Another example of a simple misconfiguration causing severe security vulnerabilities is the 2020 data breach that compromised 440 million records from cosmetics company Estee Lauder. The breach included sensitive data such as user information, CMS content, middleware, and even the company’s production logs.
IT experts then pointed out the cause of the incident: Microsoft cloud databases were not configured to be password-protected.
To avoid these types of vulnerabilities in network security, it’s important for companies to deploy proper security tools and technologies. An industry best practice that helps address misconfiguration risks is a full vulnerability management program, with a third-party security company usually in charge.
5. Stolen User Credentials or Insufficient Password Protection
Passwords ensure that only qualified personnel can access parts of your IT infrastructure, making it a potential source of network vulnerabilities.
However, modern technologies mean that longer and stronger passwords are now needed.
The Virginia-based cybersecurity company Hive Systems annually releases a table to give users an idea of how long it takes to forcefully guess your password using the brute force method. For example, an alphanumeric and symbolic password with eight characters can be cracked within eight hours.
On the other hand, an 18-character password can take about 438 million years to guess by force.
Aside from brute force, there are other exploits available against your user credentials. Aside from training people to use and store a long and strong password, there are technological solutions to help protect your company.
An increasingly popular option is the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) policies that require a registered device or a biometric pass on top of the traditional username-password combination.
6. Unauthorized Access
While the previous example of network vulnerabilities focused on the human aspect of access control. This section tackles organizational issues that create cyber vulnerabilities and expose companies to risk.
Some companies tend to generalize how they approach user access and security, creating one of the most common network vulnerabilities. Employees gain access to areas of the company’s system through their work and personal devices. Yet, most of them aren’t even aware how often their devices are doing it.
Should these employee accounts get compromised, the extent of the cyber threats resulting from a breach would be substantial.
The three most common forms of unauthorized access include the following:
- Tailgating or piggybacking. This is when someone accesses your network illegally after a valid attempt. For example, one employee logs into your system only for another, unauthorized user to access confidential files.
- Phishing attacks. Phishing is a form of social engineering and can be classified as fraudulent activity. It entails stealing confidential information like credit card numbers and login credentials. Emails or other electronic communications are used to pose as reputable businesses.
- Use of fraudulent access information. This involves the use of inaccurate or outdated information such as location or age to gain access to a network.
One industry practice to prevent these types of network security vulnerabilities is the adoption of the principle of least privilege (POLP). This cyber security concept is built on the idea that users only need access to areas of the network that are relevant to their job.
Not only does it mitigate risks and isolate different departments of your company, but controlling user access makes it easier to monitor your network traffic and data access.
In addition, regularly performing penetration testing can help you identify areas where your cybersecurity measures are weakest.
7. Mobile Device Vulnerabilities
With the pandemic necessitating remote work, mobile devices have become a part of businesses.
In fact, even before the pandemic, about 75% of the US workforce had been using their mobile phones for work—often as a part of a company’s bring your own device (BYOD) policy.
The term “mobile device” now includes all individual networked assets such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and even wearable devices, although definitions vary.
There is a particular line of defense, often integrated into modern cyber security strategies, focused on mobile devices. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) refers to a set of monitoring and security tools focused on access points such as end-user devices.
Using a combination of event-based responses and machine learning, EDR prevents various types of malware from entering your system—right from the endpoints of your system.
8. Shared Responsibility Model Failure
Cloud networks generally follow what is known as the “Shared Responsibility Model.”
This means that keeping a network safe from different types of attacks in network security is the responsibility of the cloud provider and the client company.
While this sounds intuitive, a lot of companies actually misunderstand their role in keeping outsiders from leaking and stealing data from their IT infrastructure. Having the right mindset commands the right behavior in managing files and providing access to users.
In adopting full cloud work or hybrid setups, there should be enough considerations in developing a cyber security strategy between different environments. It is worth noting that traditional security measures will no longer work in a cloud-based setup.
Cyber vulnerabilities under this category are more commonly known as “runtime threats,” a broad term that encompasses gaps that affect your system once it’s already running.
Deploying a system without fully understanding the shared responsibility model often leads to client organizations assuming that the cloud provider covers all aspects of cyber security and network maintenance.
Security Starts Here
Securing your network begins with identifying the gaps that attackers exploit—and building a strategy to close them. At IT Solutions, we take a proactive, security-first approach to protecting your systems, data, and users from evolving threats.
If you’re ready to reduce your risk and regain confidence in your IT environment, contact our team to learn more.
