A cybersecurity incident is a specific type of security incident that involves a breach or compromise of digital assets, computer systems, networks or data. It encompasses incidents that relate to the intentional exploitation of digital vulnerabilities such as malware, hacking attacks, data breaches or DoS attacks. Cybersecurity incidents can vary widely in terms of scope, impact and severity. They require immediate attention and response to mitigate potential harm.
Security events | Security incidents | Cybersecurity incident |
---|---|---|
An observable activity or behaviour that may indicate a potential security issue within the IT environment. | A confirmed violation of security policies or unauthorized access that results in potential harm or damage to systems, data, or networks. | A subset of security incidents specifically involving breaches or compromises of digital assets through cyber means. |
In conclusion, a cybersecurity incident is a subset of security incidents, involving confirmed breaches or compromises of digital security that lead to unauthorized access or potential damage. It signifies a significant breach of security policies. In contrast, security events are early indicators of potential threats, highlighting unusual activities in IT environments. While security events are potential precursors to incidents, a cybersecurity event is a broader term covering both minor security events and major security incidents. Security incidents are any activity that poses a real time threat to the integrity of an organization's network. Organizations must diligently monitor and respond to cybersecurity events to enhance their cybersecurity posture and safeguard against security incidents.
For instance, a real-life example of a cybersecurity incident involved ChatGPT in March 2023. OpenAI admitted to the breach by releasing a statement acknowledging that credit card information, email IDs, membership numbers, names, and addresses of some users were visible to other users. This information was available for a nine-hour window and users who were active during this time risked having their details visible to other users. This breach is attributed to a bug in the open source AI that was being used by ChatGPT.
The risks associated with cybercrimes are escalating as the digital age continues to progress. CyberCrime Magazine predicted that cybercrime will cost the world over USD 10 trillion annually by 2025.It is difficult to calculate the return on investment while budgeting for an organization's cybersecurity spending, however it remains most important. Highlighting the emphasis on cybersecurity, Bank of America's CEO, Brian Moynihan, once said that they had an unlimited spending budget on cybersecurity.
Understanding the intricacies of cybersecurity incidents, distinguishing them from security events and other incidents is crucial.
It is important to know the difference between a security event and a security incident. A security event is an occurrence in the network that might lead to a security breach. If a security event is confirmed to have resulted in a breach, the event is termed a security incident. A security incident results in risk or damage to the resources and assets of an enterprise. Based on the breach detected, sufficient action has to be taken to limit the damage and prevent the incident from getting worse.
Security events are the first step towards identifying a threat or a complete attack. An enterprise might run into thousands of security events per day. However, not all security events indicate a cyberattack. For example, a user receiving a spam email triggers a security event. Such events need to be monitored using a SIEM solution to detect if a security event leads to a security incident.
Some of the most common sources of security events that should be analyzed in a network are explained below.
A firewall controls traffic to and from the network. Firewall logs provide the first evidence of an intrusion by attackers. So, security events detected from firewall logs must be carefully monitored. Below are some of the common security events and incidents that you should monitor from firewall logs.
Critical servers, such as file servers, web servers, and domain controllers, are highly susceptible to attacks, as compromising these systems means gaining control of the network or data to a large extent. Monitoring all the user activities and changes to configurations in these servers is critical. Some of the common security events that you should monitor on critical servers are:
When the above events, upon investigating, turn out to be from a suspicious source or indicate unusual user behavior, then they are security incidents.
These are some common events that you should monitor. Depending on the functionality of the servers, you can add other events for monitoring. For instance, in a web server, it becomes essential for you to monitor the logs for injection attempts.
Databases are one of the most common targets for attackers, as they store employee details, confidential business data, and more. Some of the common security events in databases are:
Endpoints such as laptops and desktops generate a huge amount of security events in a single day. Some of the common security events that you need to monitor from endpoints are:
A security incident is a security event that damages network resources or data as part of an attack or security threat. An incident doesn’t always cause direct damage, but it still puts the enterprise's security at risk. For example, a user clicking on a link in a spam email is a security incident. This incident doesn't directly cause any damage, but it could install malware that causes a ransomware attack.
Some of the security incidents that you should be monitoring in your network include:
Organizations must be diligent in monitoring and responding to cybersecurity events to bolster their cybersecurity posture to build their cyber defences against potential threats. Implementing a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution can be instrumental in detecting, managing, and mitigating such incidents, offering a proactive approach to safeguarding your network.
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