Is Your Organization Ready For the New CERT-In Guidelines?

 Here’s the best way to prep your IT infrastructure and manpower for these new cybersecurity directives

12.67 lakh was the number of Cyber Attacks registered in India till November 2022. With this severity there was a rising need of stringent directives and guidelines in order to enhance and strengthen the cyber security of the country. It was on 28^th April 2022 when the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), a department working under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), issued new policies and procedures under subsection (6) of section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000, relating to information security practices, procedures, prevention, response and reporting of cyber incidents for Safe & Trusted Internet. This was in line with the directive to enhance and improve cyber security in the country. The directions were to be effective from 60 days from the date of the issue of the guidelines.

Following are some of the major requisites mentioned in the guidelines

Time Clock Synchronization to NTP servers of NIC

All the service providers, Data Centers, intermediaries, government organizations, and body corporates in India shall compulsorily connect and synchronize their time with either the Network Time Protocol (NTP) server of the National Informatics Center (NIC) or the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), or with servers traceable to these NTP servers.

Cyber Incidents Reporting Within 6 Hours to CERT-In

In case of incidents all the service providers, intermediary, Data Center Government Organization, or a body corporate will here on have an obligation to report these incidents within 6 hours of noticing or being brought to notice about such incidents via email, phone or fax.

Single POC to Communicate with CERT-In

The service providers, intermediary, Data Center, Government Organization, or a body corporate must designate a single point of contact to interface with CERT-In, who when ordered or directed by CERT-In must take action or provide information or any similar assistance in a defined format to CERT-In that will contribute towards cyber security mitigation actions and enhanced cyber security situational awareness.

Maintain 180 Days Logs

It will be mandatory for all service providers, intermediaries, Data Centers, body corporate, and Government organisations to securely maintain logs of their ICT systems for a rolling period of 180 days within the Indian jurisdiction.

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Your ultimate guide to a data backup strategy

Organizations shouldn’t take cybersecurity lightly. Anti-virus software alone is not adequate to protect your critical files. Hackers spend a lot of effort devising workarounds. They eventually will. Once that happens, you won’t have to worry about your data being lost forever if you have a backup strategy in place to protect the data for your business, of course.

Why Having a data Backup Strategy is critical?

Data loss could drastically harm your reputation in addition to endangering the information of your clients. In 2019, the average cost of a breach was $7,000,000. It is estimated that 60% of organizations that experience data loss closes their doors within six months.

You could also run the risk of permanently losing your data. Malware and viruses can damage your gadgets, but these are only some of the most frequent threats. Studies show that hardware problems cause 45% of all unplanned downtime and 60% of IT specialists think that careless employees are the biggest threat to their own data. All of these risks can dearly cost your company money, and if you don’t have a solid data backup strategy in place, you face the risk of losing everything.

Even if your company can recover from a data loss, it could be costly. Research has shown that the average cost for corporations to recover from a loss is $7 million. Many firms do not frequently have access to that amount of excess money. Despite how high they are; these costs only provide a partial picture. The additional cost could be something priceless. I’m talking about your clients’ faith and confidence in you. Customers will shop elsewhere if they believe their data is not secure with you. The solution is to develop and implement a data backup strategy. By using the right tools, being prepared, and becoming trained, you can secure your data.

The Components of Efficient Backup Strategies

Before your draught your data backup plan, be aware of what should be included.

Let’s look at some best practices for data backup strategies:

Cost – You’ll need a data backup method that is reasonably priced. It’s a wise idea to think creatively with money. Consider the possible expense of a breach or loss. Then, contrast it with the anticipated cost of your data backup plan. That will help you find your way.

Where should data backups be stored? Some organizations prefer cloud-based backup. A physical backup is preferred by some people. The most cautious companies have many fallback strategies. In the event that the first one fails, they have a data backup.

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Disaster-Proofing Your Bank: A Comprehensive Guide to Recovery

Preparing for the Unexpected: A Guide to Disaster Recovery for Banks 

Disaster recovery is a crucial aspect of any business, but it is especially important for banks. Banks hold a significant amount of sensitive information and financial assets, making them a prime target for natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and other types of crises. Without a proper disaster recovery plan in place, banks can suffer devastating consequences, including loss of customer trust, financial losses, and reputational damage.

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the importance of disaster recovery for banks and discuss some of the key considerations that should be taken into account when developing a disaster recovery plan. We'll also explore some of the most common disaster recovery strategies used by banks, and highlight some of the best practices that can help banks minimize the impact of a disaster.

First and foremost, it's important to understand that disasters can come in many different forms. A natural disaster such as a flood or a tornado can cause physical damage to a bank's facilities, while a cyber-attack can compromise sensitive information and disrupt operations. Even a simple power outage can have a significant impact on a bank's ability to conduct business.

That's why banks need to take a comprehensive approach to disaster recovery, one that covers all potential scenarios. This includes identifying critical systems and processes, establishing recovery priorities, and developing a clear chain of command to ensure that the right people are in charge during a crisis.

One effective strategy for disaster recovery is to establish a secondary location that can take over operations in the event of a disaster. This can be a physical location, such as a backup data center, or a virtual location, such as a cloud-based system. Having a secondary location in place ensures that the bank can continue to operate and provide services to customers even if the primary location is impacted by a disaster.

Another important aspect of disaster recovery is data backup and restoration. Banks must ensure that they have a comprehensive backup plan in place, one that includes regular backups of all critical data, as well as the ability to quickly restore that data in the event of a disaster. This includes not only financial data but also customer information and other sensitive information.

Overall, disaster recovery is a vital aspect of banking, and one that requires careful planning and attention. By taking the time to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan and implementing best practices, banks can minimize the impact of a disaster and ensure that they can continue to provide services to their customers.

In addition, let's be real, who doesn't love a good disaster recovery plan? It's like a fire drill for your bank account. In addition, let's face it, if the apocalypse does happen, you want to know your money is safe and sound.

In conclusion, banks play a crucial role in our economy, it's important for them to have a robust disaster recovery plan in place to ensure continuity of operations during a crisis. In this blog, we've discussed some of the key considerations and best practices for disaster recovery in the banking industry. With the right planning and preparation, banks can minimize the impact of a disaster and protect the financial assets and sensitive information of their customers. So, let's hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

5 Ways Cloud Computing Is Getting Smarter With AI

In a recent report, Statista predicted that by 2025, “the global value of the AI market will surpass an estimation of $89 billion per annum by 2025.” The study contends that a sizeable portion of this will occur due to the accelerated demand for Artificial Intelligence (AI) that powers Cloud computing. Artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing have a daily impact on millions of people’s lives in today’s digital world. Every day, digital assistants like Siri, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa demonstrate the power of AI and cloud computing. A seamless operation of verbal commands or data backup over emails, and cloud drives, showcases how AI and cloud-based resources are improving our daily lives. 

On the business side, AI technology, coupled with cloud computing, is making organizations become more efficient, strategic, and insight-driven. With the Cloud comes more flexibility, agility, and cost reduction, while artificial intelligence allows for better data management, analytics, and insights, improving customer experience and workflow optimization.

While it is well known that AI works on the ideology that machines can mimic human intelligence and can be programmed to think and act like humans, blending it with Cloud Computing has proven to be quite beneficial for businesses and organizations. With faster innovation, flexibility, agility, and scalability than any other platform, cloud computing—which is the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—ensures better business growth.

Experts believe that AI has the potential to revolutionize cloud computing services. AI as a service improves Cloud Computing and opens up new avenues for innovative development. Merging cloud technology and AI is an indispensable component of business and commerce in the modern world. Better data management, storage, organization, optimization, and real-time insights are made possible by the seamless, adaptable environment it creates. A significant reduction in infrastructure management enables businesses to be more agile, flexible, and cost-efficient, improving the day-to-day experience.

The integration of AI infrastructure with public, private, and hybrid clouds offers many advantages, including:

• Enhanced Data Management
• Better Security
• Intelligent Automation
• Accelerated Productivity
• Deeper Actionable Insights
• Cost-Effectiveness
• Reliability

The future belongs to AI and cloud computing. In many ways, it will revolutionize data management, storage, and processing. The five ways artificial intelligence enhances cloud computing are listed below:

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Fortifying the Virtual Frontline: Network Security for Virtualized Data Centers

“Cyberattacks are rising, and the data breach cost is higher than ever before. According to reports, the average data breach cost in 2022 was $3.86 million, with the healthcare industry being the most affected. In addition, with remote work becoming the norm due to the pandemic, securing networks and protecting sensitive data have never been more important. So don’t let your business become a statistic – take action now to secure your network.”

Want to know how you can secure your Data center network?

Here is a blog helping you to secure your virtual data centers network.

What is network security?

Network security is the process of securing a computer network from unauthorized access, misuse, malfunction, modification, destruction, or disruption. It involves a variety of technologies, tools, and processes to protect a network and the devices connected to it from cyber threats, such as hacking, malware, and ransomware. Network security includes the physical security of the network infrastructure, as well as the software and protocols used to protect the network, such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and encryption. The goal of network security is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and resources on a network.

What is network security in Cloud Computing?

Network security in cloud computing refers to the measures and technologies implemented to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data and resources stored and processed in the cloud. This includes protecting the cloud infrastructure from unauthorized access, attacks, and breaches and ensuring that data is appropriately encrypted and transmitted securely between different components of the cloud environment. Network security in cloud computing also involves monitoring and detecting any suspicious activity on the network and implementing incident response and disaster recovery plans to minimize the impact of any security breaches.

Some examples of network security measures in cloud computing include firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), and encryption technologies.

What is the use of network security in cloud computing?

Network security in cloud computing is to protect the cloud infrastructure and the data stored and processed in it from unauthorized access, attacks, and breaches. This is important because cloud computing environments often involve shared resources and multi-tenancy, which can introduce new security risks. Network security measures in cloud computing help to ensure that only authorized users and devices have access to the cloud infrastructure and that data is transmitted securely between different components of the cloud environment.

Organizations can protect their sensitive data from unauthorized access, breaches, and attacks by implementing network security measures, leading to data loss, intellectual property, and financial losses. It also ensures that the cloud infrastructure is available to legitimate users and that the performance and integrity of the data are not affected by malicious activities. Network security also enables organizations to comply with regulatory and industry standards and to maintain the trust of their customers and clients.

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Managed security services – Partnering with you for safety

Managed security services are becoming more and more popular among businesses. A constantly changing threat landscape necessitates competent security talent and knowledge, yet both are in short supply, and it’s imperative to continuously monitor and handle security incidents.

With their clients, managed security services providers (MSSPs) keep a lookout for any security problems. Why is working with an MSSP important? What makes an MSSP preferable to creating your own Security Operations Center (SOC)?

See the top 10 reasons below why you ought to think about working with an MSSP.

• The price is lower than you anticipate

There is a widespread misconception that using an MSSP is expensive and exclusively for “big people.” Many smaller businesses assume that an MSSP will be beyond their price range, especially if it is onshore and offers round-the-clock monitoring. However, MSSPs are able to spread the expense of resources over a lot of clients because they look after numerous clients. Additionally, the majority of MSSPs have either developed a solution using Open Source technologies to decrease the cost or have negotiated favorable pricing with their technology vendors based on volume license.

In the end, you should contact an MSSP to ask questions if you are thinking about one but are holding off because you are worried about the expense. It will probably turn out to be less expensive than you anticipated. Asking never causes any harm.

• You gain access to all of a team’s resources

The majority of MSSPs divide their SOC into three unique teams. Level 1 does initial triage and continuously monitors. When Level 1 needs assistance, Level 2 handles the escalation of the problem, and Level 3 handles advanced escalations, incident response, and threat hunting. Five Level 1s, one Level 2, and one Level 3 are required as a bare minimum to run a 24x7x365 SOC operation, not to include the nice-to-haves of a SOC Manager and Threat Intelligence.

An MSSP will have a team of at least seven professionals watching over your network. You benefit from the expertise and understanding of an entire staff that has undergone rigorous training and has amassed years of professional experience.

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15 Latest trends in data center security 2023: Staying secure in the cloud

 Are you aware the average cost of a data breach in the cloud is $1.25 million? Isn’t that a considerable amount?

What would you better prefer? Waiting until it’s too late and spending on a data breach or instead on cloud data security?

Data insecurity shouldn’t be your downfall – protect it.

Talking about the Datacenter security market, the stats say, “The data center security market was valued at $11.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $27.5 billion by 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.3% during the forecast period.”

According to these projections, the data center security market is expanding rapidly and is anticipated to expand further in the forthcoming years. In addition, the increased usage of cloud computing and virtualization, as well as growing concern about data security and regulatory compliance, are projected to propel the data center security industry forward.

The data center security market is constantly evolving to keep pace with the changing threat landscape and the increasing adoption of cloud computing and virtualization.  Here are the 15 latest trends in the data center security market:

• Cloud security: With the increasing adoption of cloud computing, organizations are looking for ways to secure their data and applications in the cloud. This has led to the rise of cloud security solutions for cloud-based data centers. Cloud security is essential for any organization that uses cloud computing services to store, process, and manage data and applications.

• Virtualization security: Virtualization security is securing virtualized environments, including virtual machines and the hypervisor, against cyber threats. Virtualization has become increasingly popular in data centers as it allows organizations to run multiple virtual servers on a single physical server, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs. However, virtualization also introduces new security challenges, such as the need to secure virtual machines and the hypervisor. As a result, there is a growing demand for virtualization security solutions.

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A 360 Cybersecurity Approach – Maximum Security Minimum Risk

Technology is moving faster and advancing quickly, similarly, data is growing exponentially and in larger volumes. Businesses are investing strategically and financially to source the data, analyze it up to its potential, store it, and further action it. Throughout this process, security plays a very crucial role as any kind of threat or leak may cause severe damage to the business both financially and operationally. In the pandemic, the true potential of cloud and data centers has been witnessed by numerous organizations across sectors and across the globe.

Thanks to this much-needed appreciation cloud industry have been moving higher up the growth ladder. Since maintaining an on-premise infrastructure and other security measures is quite complex, businesses reach out to third-party providers to not only store their data but also secure it and operate further. Present-day SecOps teams are alert 24*7 to discover, analyze, correlate, and gain the deepest insights into the suspicious threat data. The aim is for comprehensive threat visibility that goes beyond the tactical approach. Proper threat visibility is charted out via automated threat response and examined threat intelligence, both are considered crucial aspects of a cybersecurity solution.

In order to fight and prevent cyberattacks and threats, businesses need a proactive approach and comprehensive cybersecurity protocols in place. A 360-degree approach is among the surest ways to maximize data protection as a part of the cybersecurity approach. To tackle the threats, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, the implementation of cybersecurity measures and protocols is done on corporate and digital levels. Basis the firewalls and the heavily equipped staff and physical surveillance, cybersecurity is measured. Businesses in the BFSI, pharma and healthcare segments are at higher risk because of the sensitivity of their data, hence they need more of an advanced protection system in place.

As hybrid work culture is settling in and digital transformation rapidly growing, cybersecurity attacks and breaches have become more prone. Between 2015 and 2021 more than 85 million cyber breaches were recorded. From grocery shopping, entertainment, educational classes, and banking, so much has led to our dependency on the internet, which means so much of our personal data is out there. Did you know, India ranks 3^rd on the list of countries’ top internet users? Yes, that’s right we are 3^rd in that massive list, just behind China and US. This means we need to increase and tighten our security measures in order to protect the exponentially growing data which is a crucial factor for growing businesses. A 360-degree approach can be beneficial in this unpredictable and competitive market as gives an exhaustive view for thorough planning.

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6 Reasons How Cloud Computing Boosts Enterprise Mobility

To meet their objectives, businesses must adjust to technological advancements. To thrive in the face of escalating competition, it is also necessary to transform core business processes. Here, entrepreneurs can benefit from the combination of cloud and enterprise mobility solutions. It can add value to your business model while assisting you to connect with customers, employees, and stakeholders in real time. All you get is high operational efficiency and growth.

The growing use of smart mobile devices has altered how people usually go about their daily lives. Mobile apps and technology have had such an impact that they now play a role in our daily activities. Employees are bringing their own devices to the workplace and even working on the go or remotely working from their homes, steadily replacing the traditional work-at-desk method.

Mobility and the cloud together have almost changed the technology equation in the recent past. Arguably, mobile devices have received special favoritism from corporate sector employees. Determining the significance of this rapidly proliferating trend, employers have adopted various effective programs recently, like COPE and BYOD, etc., often getting the servers exposed to major security risks. This is where productive and flexible cloud solutions have made their presence felt loud and clear.

The nexus of cloud and enterprise mobility is expected to fetch high-end innovation to the existing business models in the imminent times. This will ultimately lay the basis for new and beneficial prospects. Hence, it would be worthwhile to explore the inseparable bond between the cloud and enterprise mobility and how they affect enterprise-wide IT ecosystems.

How Cloud and Mobility Combination Modernizes Enterprises

The corporate world needs constant connectivity and ideally secure data access. At the moment, enterprise mobility solutions have the potential to change the game, and this trend is here to stay.  Mobility solutions always remain handy for businesses to achieve their goals, whether it is a smartphone, tablet, or notebook.

Even though you need a mobility solution for business connectivity, without connecting mobile apps to the Cloud, you won’t be able to take advantage of features like remote monitoring, offline data synchronization, and real-time analytics.

Here, Mobile Backend as a System (MBaaS) is effectively powerful with a wide range of capabilities to connect enterprise mobile apps with the cloud and data processing systems.

what is cloud computing?

virtualization in cloud computing

types of cloud computing

advantages of cloud computing

Reasons Why Your Small Businesses Must Adopt Cloud

 Many of today’s multi billion-dollar companies have started out small. The Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) sector is essential to the health of any nation’s economy. They prove to be the drivers for growth and innovation and offer employment opportunities. We can classify a business as small, medium, or large based on a variety of factors. It may include elements like funding, earnings, personnel, or the size of the business. Indeed, any small business must utilize its limited resources to the fullest in order to succeed.

We keep hearing about ‘The Cloud” day in and day out. The value that cloud solutions add to a business of any size is remarkable. In the case of small businesses, however, these advantages can be overwhelming. So, before we highlight the key benefits of cloud solutions for small businesses, let’s touch on the two main types of deployment infrastructures.

We’ll focus on the benefits cloud technology can bring to small businesses by leveling the playing field for them.

93% of organizations now use cloud technologies in some form or fashion. (Source: TNS)

Significant Benefits of Cloud Solutions for Small Businesses

Here we list the major benefits offered by cloud computing to small businesses.

Improved Data Security

We live in an increasingly interconnected world, which means the threat of cyber security keeps growing at a rapid pace. However, contrary to some common myths, it is essential to understand that using a cloud platform is an exceptionally safe and secure method of storing your business-critical data. As a result, small businesses are relatively more vulnerable to external threats as they need more resources to deal more efficiently with sophisticated attempts to steal data.

These businesses have the resources, technical know-how, and human resources to monitor any attempt at potential intrusions into their systems. In addition, they are consistently developing new encryption solutions and technologies to keep their and clients’ data safe and secure from cybercriminals and hackers.

Small businesses that are taking the services of a cloud provider do not have to worry about security updates, encryption, and monitoring network traffic, as all of these are taken care of by the cloud service provider.

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Cloud computing: What is it? All the Information You Need

 Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services such as storage, processing, networking, software, analytics, intelligence, and more over the internet (the cloud). It allows users to access and use these services on demand, without the need for infrastructure, setup, or maintenance. 

 

Cloud computing types

There are several types of cloud computing models, including public, private, and hybrid clouds. Public clouds are owned and operated by third-party companies, which offer their services to the public over the internet. Private clouds, on the other hand, are owned and operated by a single organization, and are used exclusively by that organization. Hybridclouds are a combination of public and private clouds, and allow organizations to use the best of both worlds.

Benefits of cloud computing

Cloud computing offers several benefits to organizations and individuals. It allows them to scale their computing resources up or down as needed, pay only for the services they use, and access their applications and data from anywhere with an internet connection. It also helps organizations reduce their IT costs, as they do not have to maintain and upgrade their own infrastructure.

Major Cloud Service Provider’s Players:

There are many cloud server providers and cloud solutions companies in India that offer a range of cloud services and platforms. Some of the top cloud providers in India include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, and Oracle Cloud, ESDS. These companies offer a variety of cloud services, such as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS).

In addition to the big players, there are also several smaller cloud-hosting providers in India that offer specialized services and support to their customers. These cloud hosting service providers in India often focus on specific industries or business needs, and offer customized solutions to meet the unique requirements of their clients.

When it comes to choosing the best cloud hosting in India, it is important to consider the specific needs and goals of your organization. Some factors to consider include the type of cloud model that is most suitable for your business, the level of security and compliance required, the types of services and applications you need, and the level of support and maintenance offered by the cloud provider.

There are many top 10-cloudservice providers in India to choose from, and it can be overwhelming to determine which one is the best fit for your organization. It is important to do your research and compare the offerings of different cloud providers to find the one that best meets your needs.

In summary, cloud computing is a technology that allows organizations and individuals to access and use computing resources over the internet. It offers a range of benefits, including scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. There are many cloud service providers in India that offer a variety of cloud services and platforms, and it is important to choose the one that best meets the specific needs and goals of your organization.