Corporate Investigations: Cyber Security & Intelligence

The investigative agency Argo helps your company protect itself from unlawful access to your databases and detect any weaknesses in the security system of your IT infrastructure.

In today’s world, the issue of cyber security has become of vital importance. The rapid evolution of technology has had a profound impact on our society and our lives. The widespread presence of wireless networks, accessible almost everywhere, has encouraged the proliferation of devices capable of connecting to the Internet: from tablets and mobile phones to the latest wearable devices (traditional objects such as watches or glasses that can connect to the web).

However, connecting to the Internet, while allowing access to a vast amount of information and opportunities, also makes devices potentially vulnerable, along with everything they contain—from personal data and social media profiles to online banking access. This affects both individuals and companies that use the Internet to exchange information, manage service delivery, and coordinate operations.

The danger should not be underestimated. The vulnerability of IT systems allows access in seconds to industrial secrets, patents, and innovations that have required years of research. Cybercrime can cause enormous economic damage, even leading to corporate bankruptcy.

Cybercrime is a reality that is growing at a frightening rate. In just the first six months of 2015, it increased by 30%, becoming the cause of 66% of serious cyberattacks. We are all exposed to the risk of intrusions that can have devastating effects on personal life and/or on the economic life of nations. These are real dangers that can no longer be underestimated. Developing new capabilities and tools to improve the cyber security of corporate systems is therefore a major challenge for the growth, well-being, and security of all citizens.

The term cyber security refers to that branch of computer science concerned with the analysis of threats, vulnerabilities, and risk. The risk of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks exploiting infrastructure and application vulnerabilities must therefore be countered in a structured and effective way. Since data protection and the assurance of continuity of IT systems are essential for companies, it becomes crucial for them to rely on constantly trained professionals to build a robust Risk Management strategy in the workplace. To achieve this, companies must invest in so-called Security Auditing—the branch of cyber security that deals with checking the security of IT systems.

Security Auditing can therefore be defined as a set of technical and operational measures aimed at analyzing the level of security and reliability of a corporate network, building a real and detailed picture of its protection level, and then securing it. These activities are carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The experts of the investigative agency will secure the IT system through two main types of activity: Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Test.

Vulnerability Assessment Investigation refers to those activities that involve performing automated and semi-automated scans to detect the effectiveness of security systems, identifying and mitigating the presence of vulnerabilities within the analyzed IT infrastructure. These activities, aimed at securing corporate networks and data, provide an assessment of the risks to which the structure is exposed. In particular, this procedure allows obtaining a list of the most easily identifiable vulnerabilities (software vulnerabilities, default passwords, etc.) in order to remedy them by assigning priorities and structuring corrective actions within a relatively short timeframe.

In summary, the Vulnerability Assessment Investigation analyzes the security status of the client’s IT systems to identify weak points (potential entry points for intruders) within the company’s IT infrastructure.

The Penetration Test, on the other hand, makes it possible to determine how the corporate infrastructure was breached, in order to fix it by acting on all components exploited by the attacker (networks, systems, applications, people, processes, physical locations, etc.). Through reproductions, attacks suffered by the company are simulated, thus testing the system to strengthen it and prevent further similar attacks in the future. It is therefore the next step after the Vulnerability Assessment and involves simulating actual intrusion attempts on the client’s systems.

The two tools (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Test) therefore both contribute, each in its own way, to outlining a picture of the real state of security at the time specific tests are carried out in the following areas:

• Network/Infrastructure: Verification of the security level of wired and wireless networks, servers, and endpoints in accordance with the OSSTMM methodology by ISECOM.
• Applications: Verification of the security level of corporate applications in accordance with the internationally recognized methodology summarized within the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).
• Endpoint Protection Assessment: Verification of the effectiveness of endpoint protection systems through customized tests for the corporate infrastructure.
• Monitoring and Prevention Services: Advanced SIEM solutions for the collection, correlation, and generation of security alerts. Customized Early Warning solutions for the prevention of cyber threats. This is a good practice also found in international standards such as PCI DSS and ISO/IEC 27001.

The role of a capable, professional, and reputable Security Advisory Company such as the investigative agency Argo is to accurately assess the status of the client’s IT infrastructure and guide them in adopting a process that enables the creation of a secure and efficient system over time, making the most of the available tools. Argo helps your company protect itself from unlawful access to your databases and detect any weaknesses in the security system of your IT infrastructure.