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Organizations want to get ahead of cyber attacks.
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On average, a single data breach costs a company $4 million (per incident) but the cost can be far higher in other situations. Because more than 400,000 new pieces of malware are being discovered daily, the looming risk of a breach or attack has IT professionals concerned about security protocols. The online landscape is constantly changing and as a business grows, it faces more and more risks associated with security measures. Cybercriminals come up with new ways to attack databases and networks frequently, and without the right set of cybersecurity skills, a once very secure system may find itself facing disaster if a single breach is successful.
Plenty of organizations want to get ahead of cyber attacks before they strike, and a key component of preparing to defend against an attack involves careful examination of security procedures. Identifying risks and addressing security weaknesses is a great way to reinforce protective measures. A cyber attack simulation is an applicable method of testing security issues without risking private data. On top of testing security infrastructure and outlined protocols, security simulation tools are also useful in structuring an IT department’s response to a threat, breach, or attack.
Gartner provides an exceptional Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) platform that can be utilized to increase visibility and improve protective measures against security threats. A Breach and Attack Simulation Gartner built launches realistic, sophisticated cyber attack simulations to challenge an organization’s security measures and expose components that need enhancement.
Because these tool types enable businesses to make changes offensively, IT and other security teams can strengthen their efforts in ways that benefit them the most. Instead of waiting for an attack to occur and attempting to resolve it defensively, a cyber attack simulation game seeks to increase proactivity by reducing risks before they can be exploited.
Your destination may be achieving compliance in industry certifications such as SOC2 or ISO27001, but it doesn’t stop there. With Trava, our modern tools can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be by giving you the control to assess your risk, repair the most vulnerable areas, and transfer risk through insurance.
A variety of network security labs exist to both test and improve security measures throughout entire organizations. Additionally, the selection of labs available can appeal to individuals with different needs and experience levels. For example, there are cybersecurity labs for students who have not yet started professional work in an IT department. Other labs aim at a more experienced audience who simply needs to test their skills and security planning periodically to evaluate their risk potential.
On top of offering cyber attack games and realistic simulations, several tech schools have incorporated a number of equipment options to enhance cyber lab realism. These cybersecurity lab equipment lists often include, but are not always limited to:
Cyber labs also host several different attack simulation types, ranging from those that are relatively easy to address to expert-level threats. Such labs might cover IP attacks, cache poisoning, local/remote DNS attacks, VPN tunneling, firewall exploration/evasion, TCP attacks, Heartbleed attacks, spoofing labs, and Mitnick attacks.
Additionally, a common way to offer a breach and attack simulation, open source, allows both new and established IT professionals can use them freely to enhance their skills. It’s worth noting, though, that these labs do not all present equal value. Depending on the developer and the frequency of software updates being conducted, some of these labs may be outdated or ineffective when it comes to simulating certain attack types. Thorough research is imperative when it comes to choosing tools that enhance IT skills from all sides.
A myriad of cybersecurity tools incorporate attack simulations into their main functions. Having software that mimics real-world attacks not only prepares business professionals for addressing a potential attack, but testing with these tools help IT teams prepare more robust response plans, address system vulnerabilities, and be aware of system security strengths.
Breach and attack simulation tools, also known as BAS tools launch false but realistic phishing attacks, breach attempts on the organization’s firewall, and even employ fake attackers with AI-generated logic so that the simulation can respond to attempts made to block access. Additionally, these tools continuously text security protocols by launching new simulated attacks without warning. The simulated attacks work to ensure adequate and evolving security measures are in place to block new attack methods.
Along with realistic cyber attack simulations, BAS software also routinely performs penetration attempts, security testing for dynamic applications, and vulnerability scans. Each test performed will collect and analyze data so that IT professionals can read testing reports and employ the information collected towards stronger network protection.
Several free cyber attack simulation tools are available online, but for IT professionals who are training new staff, or relying on these tools to determine efficient security measures, it’s worth noting that many of the free or open source breach and attack simulation tools do not provide well-rounded testing for the wide variety of attack types mentioned above.
Instead, smaller, free-to-use tools usually focus on mimicking a single, specific type of attack and do not generate the detailed reports needed to properly modify system weaknesses. However, these tools provide easy access to IT exercises and should not be disregarded altogether. They simply should not be the key software standing between private information and hackers.
Due to the challenges involved with trying to ensure all bases are covered when choosing simulation software, it’s necessary to evaluate the options available. When determining the efficacy of the many cyber attack simulation tools in existence today, consider the following points.
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A DDoS attack is also called a distributed denial-of-service attack, and this type of cyber threat involves a malicious individual or group attempting to disrupt a server’s regular traffic or service. These attacks cause disruptions by overloading the server with an overwhelming amount of online traffic.
This type of live cyber attack employs the use of multiple computer systems to source the traffic used in the attack. Compromised networks and devices include both computers and IoT programs.
By overloading the network or server, a DDoS attack succeeds in preventing traffic from operating normally, which can disrupt workflows and interfere with the customer base’s ability to use an organization’s online services. The main goal of the attack is to make it to where the target’s resources can no longer provide service. They’re often quite difficult for IT teams to defend against, being that they can mimic legitimate web traffic.
Unfortunately, differentiating an attack’s traffic from legitimate traffic is the key factor to determine when protecting a system from these types of attacks. Because the traffic can come from a single source or an array of sources, a single-vector attack or a multi-vector attack.
As such, mitigating these attacks requires several strategies in place so that IT teams can address the attack on different fronts. However, various types of cybersecurity simulation training can prepare IT professionals for the complicated tasks at hand. An ever-evolving system of cyber attack simulation tools can help to prepare security professionals for the challenge, though. Breach and attack simulation use cases include security validation tools, so while it may be incredibly challenging to mitigate a DDoS attack, continuous training is a benefit.
For students, beginner-level IT team members, and employees hoping to improve their skill sets, making use of cybersecurity games and simulations is a must. Not only do cybersecurity games for beginners help aspiring IT professionals improve their security capabilities, but they do so in a protected learning environment.
Cybersecurity activities for students help enhance the learning experience by providing students with real-world scenarios that they need to react to in order to fully absorb a lesson and apply the information learned. Cyber attack games and simulations work to prepare new IT employees for the challenges they’ll face when working for a real company.
However, while cybersecurity games for employees can be a helpful tool when it comes to training IT teams, it’s important to ensure that an organization’s security measures are as efficient as possible. This involves working with professionals in IT security. Professional security services reinforce an IT department’s efforts to protect company and customer data from unauthorized access, and risk mitigation services point IT departments and teams in the right direction when it comes to addressing possible vulnerabilities.
Reach out to Trava for more information about our cybersecurity solutions, take advantage of our free risk assessment report, and book a demo to discover what makes Trava such a valuable asset for any organization.
