In today’s digital age, data protection and security are paramount, especially within the healthcare sector. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK recognizes the importance of safeguarding sensitive patient information and maintaining the integrity of its critical network infrastructure.
However, as cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated, the NHS faces the challenge of addressing misconfigurations and vulnerabilities effectively. This blog explores the significance of configuration management and remediation in bolstering the NHS’s cybersecurity efforts.
The healthcare sector, including the NHS, has increasingly become a prime target for cyberattacks. Alarmingly, manual security measures have often fallen short, leaving organisations vulnerable to a myriad of threats. Recent statistics from Microsoft reveal that a staggering 80% of ransomware attacks are directly linked to configuration errors. Unlike vulnerabilities that can be patched, misconfigurations place the onus on operators to remediate issues promptly.
Device Misconfigurations are particularly difficult, as unlike vulnerabilities, you as the operator are responsible for the remediation, no patching! Let’s talk about the Detection and Remediation
Determining whether a device has slipped into a misconfiguration state or deviated from the ideal golden image can be quite a daunting task, especially when dealing with a substantial device count, often numbering well beyond a few hundred.
Traditionally, organizations have turned to methods like penetration testing, red teaming, and blue teaming to gain some visibility into misconfigurations. However, it’s essential to note that these approaches are neither real-time nor continuous, and they certainly lack automation.
To effectively tackle misconfigurations, it’s crucial to understand their primary sources, which include:
Then it’s a case of understanding the potential risk, devices affected and the prioritization of the risk, in order to start reducing the attack surface and remediating
Once misconfigurations are identified, the next hurdle is remediation. This phase often involves a complex web of stakeholders. Security teams focus on pinpointing exploitable risks, while the responsibility for closing these gaps falls on the shoulders of SecOps, infrastructure teams, and IT operations.
This siloed approach can lead to conflicts, as the latter groups are often reluctant to implement changes, fearing they might inadvertently disrupt operations. In some cases, there might simply not be enough resources, time, or clarity on how to effectively close these gaps. This fragmented process can hinder the timely resolution of misconfigurations and leave the organization exposed to potential security risks.
To address these challenges, the NHS relies on the Data Protection and Security Toolkit (DPST), governed by NHS Digital. This toolkit emphasizes configuration security, which includes:
The NHS aligns its practices with guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), particularly its “10 Steps to Cyber Security.” Secure Configuration is a crucial component of these guidelines, aiming to make compromise and disruption more challenging for attackers. NCSC provides recommended configurations for various platforms, including Android, Chrome OS, iOS, macOS, Ubuntu, and Windows.
“Applying secure configurations to servers and end-user devices to restrict the options available to an attacker”
One limitation is that these configurable guidance standards are not always up-to-date. For instance, as of the last available information:
To effectively manage configuration and remediation, NHS requires solutions that offer:
GYTPOL is a security assurance platform focusing on endpoint configurations. It empowers both Security and IT teams to harden devices and ensure that their PCs, laptops and servers are compliant with defined policies (regardless of the operating system). Platform functionality includes:
In an era marked by escalating cyber threats, the NHS’s commitment to secure configuration management and remediation is pivotal. By leveraging tools like GYTPOL and aligning with industry guidelines, the NHS can proactively address misconfigurations, reduce risks, and safeguard patient data effectively. In doing so, they exemplify their dedication to providing secure and efficient healthcare services.
The typical productivity yield per device when analyzing the manual effort saved through automation with GYTPOL, per device is between 2-4 hours, allowing GYTPOL to significantly reduce the cost of ownership delivering a considerable ROI.
Moreover, GYTPOL doesn’t stop at just managing configurations and remediation. It also offers proactive protection against zero-day vulnerabilities, a critical feature in the context of today's vulnerability bonanza.