Search results

Security Policy Management with Professor Wool Best Practices: Incorporating Security into DevOps Best Practices for Incorporating Security into DevOps, is a whiteboard-style series of lessons that examine the challenges of and provide technical tips for how to incorporate security throughout the DevOps process. Lesson 1 In this lesson, Professor Wool examines the need for and the process of adjusting application connectivity throughout each stage of the DevOps lifecycle. Best Practices for Incorporating Security Automation into the DevOps Lifecycle Watch Lesson 2 In theory adding capacity should be fairly straightforward, with minimal need for any intervention by the organization’s security team. But in practice it’s a little more complex. In this video Professor Wool provides some tips and best practices to help you add capacity without having to change your security policies, complete a security review or worse still, cause an outage or gap in the security perimeter. Tips for Adding Capacity Without Changing Your Security Policies Watch Lesson 3 In a typical DevOps scenario development team adds new functionality to an existing business application and then rolls it out into production. However, while the new functionality worked as planned in both the test and pre-production environments, the application then fails when moved into the live production environment. In this video, Professor Wool will discuss the reasons why this process went wrong, and how you can fix it. How to Integrate Security into the Test Environment Watch Lesson 4 In previous lessons Professor Wool discussed how building security into DevOps processes at an early stage helps organizations maximize the speed and agility of application development, while minimizing the risks of problems and outages when the applications go live. In this whiteboard video Professor Wool looks at how security automation helps to speed up the practice of Continuous Integration (CI) - a core element of DevOps. How to Integrate Security into the CI Process Watch Have a Question for Professor Wool? Ask him now Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

The move from traditional data centers to a hybrid cloud network environment has revolutionized the way enterprises construct their... Hybrid Cloud Security Management Deconstructing the Complexity of Managing Hybrid Cloud Security Tsippi Dach 2 min read Tsippi Dach Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 4/4/22 Published The move from traditional data centers to a hybrid cloud network environment has revolutionized the way enterprises construct their networks, allowing them to reduce hardware and operational costs, scale per business needs and be more agile. When enterprises choose to implement a hybrid cloud model, security is often one of the primary concerns. The additional complexity associated with a hybrid cloud environment can, in turn, make securing resources to a single standard extremely challenging. This is especially true when it comes to managing the behavioral and policy nuances of business applications . Moreover, hybrid cloud security presents an even greater challenge when organizations are unable to fully control the lifecycle of the public cloud services they are using. For instance, when an organization is only responsible for hosting a portion of its business-critical workloads on the public cloud and has little to no control over the hosting provider, it is unlikely to be able to enforce consistent security standards across both environments. Managing hybrid cloud security Hybrid cloud security requires an extended period of planning and investment for enterprises to become secure. This is because hybrid cloud environments are inherently complex and typically involve multiple providers. To effectively manage these complex environments, organizations will require a comprehensive approach to security that addresses each of the following challenges: Strategic planning and oversight : Policy design and enforcement across hybrid clouds Managing multiple vendor relationships and third-party security controls : Cloud infrastructure security controls, security products provided by cloud and third-party providers and third-party on-premise security vendor products. Managing security-enabling technologies in multiple environments : on-premise, public cloud and private cloud. Managing multiple stakeholders : CISO, IT/Network Security, SecOps, DevOps and Cloud teams. Workflow automation : Auto responding to changing business demands requiring provisioning of policy changes automatically and securely across the hybrid cloud estate. Optimizing security and agility : Aligning risk tolerance with the DevOps teams to manage business application security and connectivity. With these challenges in mind, here are 5 steps you can take to effectively address hybrid cloud security challenges. Step 1. Define the security objectives A holistic approach to high availability is focused on the two critical elements of any hybrid cloud environment: technology and processes. Defining a holistic strategy in a hybrid cloud environment has these advantages: Improved operational availability : Ensure continuous application connectivity, data, and system availability across the hybrid estate. Reduced risk : Understand threats to business continuity from natural disasters or facility disruptions. Better recovery : Maintain data consistency by mirroring critical data between primary locations in case of failure at one site through multiple backup sites. Step 2. Visualize the entire network topology The biggest potential point of failure for hybrid cloud deployment is where the public cloud and private environment offerings meet. This can result in a visual gap often due to disparities between in-house security protocols and third-party security standards, precluding SecOps teams from securing the connectivity of business applications. The solution lies in gaining complete visibility across the entire hybrid cloud estate. This requires having the right solution in place that can help SecOps teams discover, track and migrate application connectivity without regard for the underlying infrastructure. Step 3. Use automation for adaptability and scalability The ability to adapt and scale on demand is one of the most significant advantages of a hybrid cloud environment. Invariably, when considering the range of benefits of a hybrid cloud, it is difficult to conceptualize the power of scaling on demand. Still, enterprises can enjoy tremendous benefits when they correctly implement automation that can respond on-demand to necessary changes. With the right change automation solution, change requests can be easily defined and pushed through the workflow without disrupting the existing network security policy rules or introducing new potential risks. Step 4. Minimize the learning curb According to a 2021 Global Knowledge and IT Skills report , 76% of IT decision-makers experience critical skills gaps in their teams. Hybrid cloud deployment is a complicated process, with the largest potential point of failure being where in-house security protocols and third-party standards interact. If this gap is not closed, malicious actors or malware could slip through it. Meeting this challenge requires a unification of all provisions made to policy changes so that SecOps teams can become familiar with them, regardless of any new device additions to the network security infrastructure. This would be applicable to provisions associated with policy changes across all firewalls, segments, zones, micro‐segments, security groups and zones, and within each business application. Step 5. Get compliant Compliance cannot be guaranteed when the enterprise cannot monitor all vendors and platforms or enforce their policies in a standard manner. This can be especially challenging when attempting to apply compliance standardizations across an infrastructure that consists of a multi-vendor hybrid network environment. To address this issue, enterprises must get their SecOps teams to shift their focus away from pure technology management and toward a larger scale view that ensures that their network security policies consistently comply with regulatory requirements across the entire hybrid cloud estate. Summary Hybrid cloud security presents a significant—and often overlooked—challenge for enterprises. This is because hybrid cloud environments are inherently complex, involving multiple providers, and impact how enterprises manage their business applications and overall IT assets. To learn how to reach your optimal hybrid cloud security solution, read more and find out how you can simplify your journey. Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Learn from expert-crafted firewall ruleset examples and best practices. Optimize your security posture with actionable guidance and improve your firewall configurations. Firewall ruleset examples & policy best practices Securing your network: guide to firewall rules examples Cyberattacks continue to rise globally as malicious actors tirelessly develop sophisticated tools and techniques to break through networks and security systems. With the digitalization of operations today and the increasing adoption of remote working, crucial business activities such as communication, data storage, and data transmission are now primarily done digitally. While this brings numerous advantages – allowing easy usability and scalability, enhancing collaboration, and reducing the risks of data loss – businesses have to deal with various security risks, such as data breaches and cyberattacks from hackers. Organizations must provide adequate network security to keep sensitive data safe and ensure their network is usable, trustworthy, and optimized for maximum productivity across all channels. Schedule a Demo Firewalls and your network Your network and systems (software and hardware) comprise the IT infrastructure through which you operate and manage your enterprise’s IT services. Every IT system regularly receives and transmits internet traffic, and businesses must ensure that only trusted and authorized traffic penetrates their network to maintain security. All unwanted traffic must be prevented from accessing your operating system as it poses a huge risk to network security. Malicious actors attempting to penetrate your system often send virus-carrying inbound traffic to your network. However, with an effective firewall, you can filter all traffic and block unwanted and harmful traffic from penetrating your network. A firewall serves as a barrier between computers, networks, and other systems in your IT landscape, preventing unauthorized traffic from penetrating. Schedule a Demo What are firewall rules? The firewall is your first line of defense in network security against hackers, malware, and other threats. Firewall rules refer to access control mechanisms that stipulate how a firewall device should handle incoming and outgoing traffic in your network. They are instructions given to firewalls to help them know when to block or allow communication in your network. These instructions include destination or source IP addresses, protocols, port numbers, and services. A firewall ruleset is formed from a set of rules and it defines a unit of execution and sharing for the rules. Firewall rulesets typically include: A source address A source port A destination address A destination port A decision on whether to block or permit network traffic meeting those address and port criteria Schedule a Demo What are the most common firewall ruleset examples? There are thousands of rulesets that can be used to control how a firewall deals with network traffic. Some firewall rules are more common than others, as they tend to be fundamental when building a secure network. Here are some examples of firewall rules for common use cases: Enable internet access for only one computer in the local network and block access for all others This rule gives only one computer in the local network access to the internet, and blocks all others from accessing the internet. This example requires obtaining the IP address of the computer being granted access (i.e., source IP address) and the TCP protocol type. Two rules will be created: a Permit rule and a Deny rule. The permit rule allows the chosen computer the required access, while the deny rule blocks all other computers in the local network from internet access. Prevent direct access from the public network to the firewall This rule blocks access to your firewall from any public network, to protect it from hackers who can modify or delete your rules if they access your firewall directly. Once hackers manipulate your rules, unwanted traffic will penetrate your network, leading to data breaches or an interruption in operation. A Deny rule for any attempt to access the firewall from public networks will be created and enabled. Block internet access for only one computer in the local network This rule comes in handy if you do not want a specific computer in the local network to access the internet. You will need to create a Deny rule in which you set the IP address of the computer you wish to block from the internet, and the TCP protocol type. Block access to a specific website from a local network In this scenario we want to configure our firewall to deny access to a particular website from a local network. We first obtain the IP address or addresses of the website we wish to deny access to, and then create a Deny rule. One way to obtain a website’s IP address is by running the special command ‘nslookup ’ in your operating system’s command line (Windows, Linux, or others). Since websites can run on HTTP and HTTPS, we must create a Deny rule for each protocol type and indicate the destination IP address(es). Thus, the local network will be unable to access both the HTTP and HTTPS versions of the website. Allow a particular LAN computer to access only one specific website This example gives a local computer access to only one specified website. We obtain the IP address of the destination website and the source IP address (of the local computer). We create a Permit rule for the source IP address and the destination website, and a Deny rule for the source IP address and other websites, taking the TCP protocol types into account. Allow internet access to and from the local network using specific protocols (services) only This example allows your LAN computer to access the internet using specific protocols, such as SMTP, FTP, IPv6, SSH, IPv4, POP3, DNS, and IMAP; and blocks all other traffic Here we first create an “Allow” rule for the “Home segment,” where we use the value “Any” for the Source and Destination IP addresses. In the Protocol field provided, we choose the protocols through which our local computer can access the internet. Lastly, we create Deny rules where we enter the value “Any” for the Source and Destination IP addresses. In the Protocol field, we set the values TCP and UDP, thus blocking internet access for unspecified protocols. Allow remote control of your router This rule enables you to access, view, or change your Router Settings remotely (over the internet). Typically, access to routers from the internet is blocked by default. To set this rule, you need specific data such as your router username, WAN IP address, and password. It is crucial to note that this setting is unsafe for individuals who use public IP addresses. A similar use case is a rule enabling users to check a device’s availability on their network by allowing ICMP ping requests. Block access from a defined internet subnet or an external network You can set a rule that blocks access to your network from a defined internet subnet or an external network. This rule is especially important if you observed repeated attempts to access your router from unknown IP addresses within the same subnet. In this case, set a Deny rule for IP addresses of the subnet attempting to access your WAN port. Schedule a Demo What are examples of best practices for setting up firewall rules? It is expedient to follow best practices during firewall configuration to protect your network from intruders and hackers. Deploying industry-standard rules when setting up firewalls can improve the security of your network and system components. Below are examples of the best practices for setting up firewall rules. Document firewall rules across multiple devices Documenting all firewall rule configurations and updating them frequently across various devices is one of the best practices for staying ahead of attacks. New rules should be included based on security needs, and irrelevant rules should be deactivated to reduce the possibility of a loophole in your network. With documentation, administrators can review the rules frequently and make any required changes whenever a vulnerability is detected. Configure your firewall to block traffic by default Using a block or deny-by-default policy is the safest way to deal with suspicious traffic. Enterprises must be sure that all types of traffic entering their network are identified and trusted to avoid security threats. In addition, whenever a vulnerability arises in the system, blocking by default helps prevent hackers from taking advantage of loopholes before administrators can respond. Monitor firewall logs Monitoring firewall logs on a regular basis helps maintain network security. Administrators can quickly and easily track traffic flow across your network, identify suspicious activity, and implement effective solutions in a timely manner. Organizations with highly sophisticated infrastructure can aggregate logs from routers, servers, switches, and other components to a centralized platform for monitoring. Group firewall rules to minimize complexity and enhance performance Depending on the complexity of your network, you may need thousands of rules to achieve effective network security. This complicates your firewall rules and can be a huge challenge for administrators. However, by grouping rules based on similar characteristics like protocols, TCP ports, IP addresses, etc., you simplify them and boost overall performance. Implement least-privileged access In any organization, employees have various roles and may require different data to execute their tasks efficiently. As part of network security practices, it’s important to ensure each employee’s access to the network is restricted to the minimum privileges needed to execute their tasks. Only users who require access to a particular service or resource should have it, thus preventing unnecessary exposure of data. This practice significantly minimizes the risk of intentional and accidental unauthorized access to sensitive data. Schedule a Demo How do firewall policies differ from a network security policy? A network security policy outlines the overall rules, principles, and procedures for maintaining security on a computer network. The policy sets out the basic architecture of an organization’s network security environment, including details of how the security policies are implemented. The overall objective of network security policy is to protect a computer network against internal and external threats. Firewall policies are a sub-group of network security policies, and refer to policies that relate specifically to firewalls. Firewall policies have to do with rules for how firewalls should handle inbound and outbound traffic to ensure that malicious actors do not penetrate the network. A firewall policy determines the types of traffic that should flow through your network based on your organization’s network and information security policies. Schedule a Demo How can AlgoSec help with managing your firewall rules? Proper firewall configuration with effective rules and practices is crucial to building a formidable network security policy. Organizations must follow industry standards in configuring firewall rules and protecting their IT landscape from intruders and malicious actors. Firewall rules require regular review and update to maintain maximum protection against evolving threats and changing security demands. For many organizations, keeping up with these fast-paced security demands can be challenging, and that’s where AlgoSec comes in. AlgoSec helps with managing your firewall rules to ensure your network enjoys round-the-clock protection against internal and external security threats. From installation to maintenance, we assist you in setting up a resilient firewall that operates on the safest rulesets to keep your network safe against harmful traffic. We have dedicated tools that take away the burden of aggregating and analyzing logs from the components in your network, including computers, routers, web servers, switches, etc. We determine which new rules are needed for effective firewall network security policy management based on data from your firewall devices and security trends. AlgoSec will ensure your firewall stays compliant with best practices by applying our automated auditing solution, which identifies gaps in your firewall rules and enables you to remediate them before hackers take advantage of such loopholes. Schedule a Demo Select a size Securing your network: guide to firewall rules examples Firewalls and your network What are firewall rules? What are the most common firewall ruleset examples? What are examples of best practices for setting up firewall rules? How do firewall policies differ from a network security policy? How can AlgoSec help with managing your firewall rules? Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Case study Choose a better way to manage your network

Integrating AlgoSec with F5 Networks firewalls, LTM, AFM, and network security devices offers visibility and compliance for hybrid networks F5 Networks and AlgoSec AlgoSec seamlessly integrates with F5 BIG-IP LTM and AFM modules to provide customers with unified security policy management across their heterogeneous networks. AlgoSec delivers visibility and analysis of F5 LTM and AFM. AlgoSec supports the entire security policy management lifecycle — from application connectivity discovery through ongoing management and compliance to rule recertification and secure decommissioning. Solution brief View webinar Key benefits Uniform security policy across your hybrid network environment. Deploy applications faster by automating network security change management processes. Avoid security device misconfigurations that cause outages. Reduce the costs and efforts of firewall auditing and ensure success. How to Unified visibility for the hybrid environment Cleanup, recertify, and optimize Security Policies Audit-ready compliance reports SEE HOW F5 USERS CAN BENEFIT FROM ALGOSEC Schedule time with one of our experts

Automate and secure network policy changes with AlgoSec FireFlow. Streamline workflows, ensure compliance, and reduce risks in your security environment. AlgoSec FireFlow – Automate and secure policy changes ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

It goes without saying that security is the cornerstone of any organization today. This includes ensuring access to corporate data is... Firewall Change Management Firewall migration tips & best practices Joanne Godfrey 2 min read Joanne Godfrey Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. firewallmigration Tags Share this article 8/18/14 Published It goes without saying that security is the cornerstone of any organization today. This includes ensuring access to corporate data is secured, connectivity to the data center from both internal and external users is secured, and that critical security updates are installed. Now comes the big question: what if you have to migrate your security policy to a new platform? With cloud computing and distributed data centers across the world nothing in technology is ever constant anymore. So how do you control and manage a firewall migration? What if you use multiple vendors’ solutions with both virtual and physical appliances? A firewall migration can be as simple as moving from one model to another, or a lot more complicated. As an experienced cloud architect, I’ve been a part of a number of firewall migration projects. Here are three tips to help make your firewall migration project a little bit easier. Create powerful firewall and security visibility map. All aspects of your firewall must be documented and well planned before doing a migration, and you must plan for both current as well as future needs. Start by gathering information: create a visual, dynamic map of your firewall architecture and traffic, which should include all technical connectivity data. Understand, document and prepare policy migration. Once you have your visual firewall map it’s time to look under the hood. One firewall might be easy, but is it ever really just one security appliance? The dynamic nature of the modern data center means that multiple security vendors can live under one roof. So how do you create a policy migration plan around heterogeneous platforms? You need to identify and document all the security policies and services and network algorithms for each firewall end-point. Analyze business impact and create a migration path. How do your applications interact with various security policies? Do you have specific business units relying on specific firewall traffic? How are various data centers being segmented by your security policies? Migrating a firewall will have a business-wide impact. You must ensure that this impact is absolutely minimal. You need to understand how your entire business model interacts with firewall and security technologies and if any piece of the business is forgotten technological headaches may be the least of your worries. Migrating a firewall doesn’t have to be hard, but it must be well planned. With so much information traversing the modern data center, it’s imperative to have complete visibility across the security architecture. Ultimately, with the right tools to help you plan, map and actually implement a firewall change process, and lots of cups of coffee, you can greatly reduce security migration complexity. #FirewallMigration Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Prevasio Datasheet Datasheet Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Update : Next two parts of the analysis are available here and here . As earlier reported by FireEye, the actors behind a global... Cloud Security Sunburst Backdoor: A Deeper Look Into The SolarWinds’ Supply Chain Malware Rony Moshkovich 2 min read Rony Moshkovich Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/15/20 Published Update : Next two parts of the analysis are available here and here . As earlier reported by FireEye, the actors behind a global intrusion campaign have managed to trojanise SolarWinds Orion business software updates in order to distribute malware. The original FireEye write-up already provides a detailed description of this malware. Nevertheless, as the malicious update SolarWinds-Core-v2019.4.5220-Hotfix5.msp was still available for download for hours since the FireEye’s post, it makes sense to have another look into the details of its operation. The purpose of this write-up is to provide new information, not covered in the original write-up. Any overlaps with the original description provided by FireEye are not intentional. For start, the malicious component SolarWinds.Orion.Core.BusinessLayer.dll inside the MSP package is a non-obfuscated .NET assembly. It can easily be reconstructed with a .NET disassembler, such as ILSpy , and then fully reproduced in C# code, using Microsoft Visual Studio. Once reproduced, it can be debugged to better understand how it works. In a nutshell, the malicious DLL is a backdoor. It is loaded into the address space of the legitimate SolarWinds Orion process SolarWinds.BusinessLayerHost.exe or SolarWinds.BusinessLayerHostx64.exe . The critical strings inside the backdoor’s class SolarWinds.Orion.Core.BusinessLayer.OrionImprovementBusinessLayer are encoded with the DeflateStream Class of the .NET’s System.IO.Compression library, coupled with the standard base64 encoder. Initialisation Once loaded, the malware checks if its assembly file was created earlier than 12, 13, or 14 days ago. The exact number of hours it checks is a random number from 288 to 336. Next, it reads the application settings value ReportWatcherRetry . This value keeps the reporting status, and may be set to one of the states: New (4) Truncate (3) Append (5) When the malware runs the first time, its reporting status variable ReportWatcherRetry is set to New (4) . The reporting status is an internal state that drives the logic. For example, if the reporting status is set to Truncate , the malware will stop operating by first disabling its networking communications, and then disabling other security tools and antivirus products. In order to stay silent, the malware periodically falls asleep for a random period of time that varies between 30 minutes and 2 hours. At the start, the malware obtains the computer’s domain name . If the domain name is empty, the malware quits. It then generates a 8-byte User ID, which is derived from the system footprint. In particular, it is generated from MD5 hash of a string that consists from the 3 fields: the first or default operational (can transmit data packets) network interface’s physical address computer’s domain name UUID created by Windows during installation (machine’s unique ID) Even though it looks random, the User ID stays permanent as long as networking configuration and the Windows installation stay the same. Domain Generation Algorithm The malware relies on its own CryptoHelper class to generate a domain name. This class is instantiated from the 8-byte User ID and the computer’s domain name, encoded with a substitution table: “rq3gsalt6u1iyfzop572d49bnx8cvmkewhj” . For example, if the original domain name is “ domain “, its encoded form will look like: “ n2huov “. To generate a new domain, the malware first attempts to resolve domain name “ api.solarwinds.com “. If it fails to resolve it, it quits. The first part of the newly generated domain name is a random string, produced from the 8-byte User ID, a random seed value, and encoded with a custom base64 alphabet “ph2eifo3n5utg1j8d94qrvbmk0sal76c” . Because it is generated from a random seed value, the first part of the newly generated domain name is random. For example, it may look like “ fivu4vjamve5vfrt ” or “ k1sdhtslulgqoagy “. To produce the domain name, this string is then appended with the earlier encoded domain name (such as “ n2huov “) and a random string, selected from the following list: .appsync-api.eu-west-1[.]avsvmcloud[.]com .appsync-api.us-west-2[.]avsvmcloud[.]com .appsync-api.us-east-1[.]avsvmcloud[.]com .appsync-api.us-east-2[.]avsvmcloud[.]com For example, the final domain name may look like: fivu4vjamve5vfrtn2huov[.]appsync-api.us-west-2[.]avsvmcloud[.]com or k1sdhtslulgqoagyn2huov[.]appsync-api.us-east-1[.]avsvmcloud[.]com Next, the domain name is resolved to an IP address, or to a list of IP addresses. For example, it may resolve to 20.140.0.1 . The resolved domain name will be returned into IPAddress structure that will contain an AddressFamily field – a special field that specifies the addressing scheme. If the host name returned in the IPAddress structure is different to the queried domain name, the returned host name will be used as a C2 host name for the backdoor. Otherwise, the malware will check if the resolved IP address matches one of the patterns below, in order to return an ‘address family’: IP Address Subnet Mask ‘Address Family’ 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 Atm 172.16.0.0 255.240.0.0 Atm 192.168.0.0 255.255.0.0 Atm 224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 Atm fc00:: fe00:: Atm fec0:: ffc0:: Atm ff00:: ff00:: Atm 41.84.159.0 255.255.255.0 Ipx 74.114.24.0 255.255.248.0 Ipx 154.118.140.0 255.255.255.0 Ipx 217.163.7.0 255.255.255.0 Ipx 20.140.0.0 255.254.0.0 ImpLink 96.31.172.0 255.255.255.0 ImpLink 131.228.12.0 255.255.252.0 ImpLink 144.86.226.0 255.255.255.0 ImpLink 8.18.144.0 255.255.254.0 NetBios 18.130.0.0 255.255.0.0 NetBios 71.152.53.0 255.255.255.0 NetBios 99.79.0.0 255.255.0.0 NetBios 87.238.80.0 255.255.248.0 NetBios 199.201.117.0 255.255.255.0 NetBios 184.72.0.0 255.254.0.0 NetBios For example, if the queried domain resolves to 20.140.0.1 , it will match the entry in the table 20.140.0.0 , for which the returned ‘address family’ will be ImpLink . The returned ‘address family’ invokes an additional logic in the malware. Disabling Security Tools and Antivirus Products If the returned ‘address family’ is ImpLink or Atm , the malware will enumerate all processes and for each process, it will check if its name matches one of the pre-defined hashes. Next, it repeats this processed for services and for the drivers installed in the system. If a process name or a full path of an installed driver matches one of the pre-defined hashes, the malware will disable it. For hashing, the malware relies on Fowler–Noll–Vo algorithm. For example, the core process of Windows Defender is MsMpEng.exe . The hash value of “ MsMpEng ” string is 5183687599225757871 . This value is specifically enlisted the malware’s source under a variable name timeStamps : timeStamps = new ulong[1] { 5183687599225757871uL } The service name of Windows Defender is windefend – the hash of this string ( 917638920165491138 ) is also present in the malware body. As a result, the malicioius DLL will attempt to stop the Windows Defender service. In order to disable various security tools and antivirus products, the malware first grants itself SeRestorePrivilege and SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege privileges, using the native AdjustTokenPrivileges() API. With these privileges enabled, the malware takes ownership of the service registry keys it intends to manipulate. The new owner of the keys is first attempted to be explicitly set to Administrator account. If such account is not present, the malware enumerates all user accounts, looking for a SID that represents the administrator account. The malware uses Windows Management Instrumentation query “ Select * From Win32_UserAccount ” to obtain the list of all users. For each enumerated user, it makes sure the account is local and then, when it obtains its SID, it makes sure the SID begins with S-1-5- and ends with -500 in order to locate the local administrator account. Once such account is found, it is used as a new owner for the registry keys, responsible for manipulation of the services of various security tools and antivirus products. With the new ownership set, the malware then disables these services by setting their Start value to 4 (Disabled): registryKey2.SetValue(“Start”), 4, RegistryValueKind.DWord); HTTP Backdoor If the returned ‘address family’ for the resolved domain name is NetBios , as specified in the lookup table above, the malware will initialise its HttpHelper class, which implements an HTTP backdoor. The backdoor commands are covered in the FireEye write-up, so let’s check only a couple of commands to see what output they produce. One of the backdoor commands is CollectSystemDescription . As its name suggests, it collects system information. By running the code reconstructed from the malware, here is an actual example of the data collected by the backdoor and delivered to the attacker’s C2 with a separate backdoor command UploadSystemDescription : 1. %DOMAIN_NAME% 2. S-1-5-21-298510922-2159258926-905146427 3. DESKTOP-VL39FPO 4. UserName 5. [E] Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0 6.2.9200.0 64 6. C:\WINDOWS\system32 7. 0 8. %PROXY_SERVER% Description: Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter #2 MACAddress: 9C:B6:D0:F6:FF:5D DHCPEnabled: True DHCPServer: 192.168.20.1 DNSHostName: DESKTOP-VL39FPO DNSDomainSuffixSearchOrder: Home DNSServerSearchOrder: 8.8.8.8, 192.168.20.1 IPAddress: 192.168.20.30, fe80::8412:d7a8:57b9:5886 IPSubnet: 255.255.255.0, 64 DefaultIPGateway: 192.168.20.1, fe80::1af1:45ff:feec:a8eb NOTE: Field #7 specifies the number of days (0) since the last system reboot. GetProcessByDescription command will build a list of processes running on a system. This command accepts an optional argument, which is one of the custom process properties enlisted here . If the optional argument is not specified, the backdoor builds a process list that looks like: [ 1720] svchost [ 8184] chrome [ 4732] svchost If the optional argument is specified, the backdoor builds a process list that includes the specified process property in addition to parent process ID, username and domain for the process owner. For example, if the optional argument is specified as “ ExecutablePath “, the GetProcessByDescription command may return a list similar to: [ 3656] sihost.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\sihost.exe 1720 DESKTOP-VL39FPO\UserName [ 3824] svchost.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe 992 DESKTOP-VL39FPO\UserName [ 9428] chrome.exe C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe 4600 DESKTOP-VL39FPO\UserName Other backdoor commands enable deployment of the 2nd stage malware. For example, the WriteFile command will save the file: using (FileStream fileStream = new FileStream(path, FileMode.Append, FileAccess.Write)) { fileStream.Write(array, 0, array.Length); } The downloaded 2nd stage malware can then the executed with RunTask command: using (Process process = new Process()) { process.StartInfo = new ProcessStartInfo(fileName, arguments) { CreateNoWindow = false, UseShellExecute = false }; if (process.Start()) … Alternatively, it can be configured to be executed with the system restart, using registry manipulation commands, such as SetRegistryValue . Schedule a demo Related Articles 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 5 Multi-Cloud Environments Cloud Security Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

State of cloud security: Concerns, challenges, and incidents Download PDF Schedule time with one of our experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. SecureLink Enables Business Agility with Hybrid Cloud Management Organization SecureLink Industry Security Service Provider Headquarters Malmo, Sweden Download case study Share Customer
success stories "To be able to apply the same policy on all your infrastructure is priceless" SecureLink is Europe’s premier, award-winning, cybersecurity company. Active since 2003, they operate from 15 offices in 8 countries, to build a safe, connected world. More than 2,000 experts and thought leaders are dedicated to delivering unrivalled information security value for over 1,300 customers. They are part of the Orange Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, and listed on Euronext Paris and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The Challenge SecureLink has been an on-site consultant for several years for a large global entertainment company. SecureLink’s client has over 100 firewalls running both on-premises and on AmazonWeb Services (AWS) from several different vendors. Some of the challenges included: “Shadow IT” had taken over, causing security risks and friction with IT, who had to support it. Security policies were being managed in tedious and unmaintainable Excel spreadsheets Lack of verification if official firewall policies accurately reflected traffic flows The business units were pushing a migration to a hybrid cloud environment rather than relying exclusively on an on-premises deployment. Business units were unilaterally moving business applications to the cloud, leading to “shadow IT.” Business application owners were unable to comply with security policies, troubleshoot their “shadow network,” nor connect cloud-based servers to local servers. When there were problems, the business units went back to the IT department, who had to fix a mess they didn’t create. The Solution SecureLink was searching for a solution that provided: Automation of security policy change management and documentation of security policy changes Comprehensive firewall support for their multi-vendor, hybrid estate Ability to determine compliance and risk profiles Full visibility and control for IT, while enabling business agility In order to keep the business happy and agile, but ensure that IT had full visibility and control, they implemented AlgoSec. The client selected AlgoSec’s Security Policy Management Solution, which includes AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer and AlgoSec FireFlow. AlgoSec Firewall Analyzer delivers visibility and analysis of complex network security policies across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid networks. It automates and simplifies security operations including troubleshooting, auditing, and risk analysis. Using Firewall Analyzer, SecureLink can optimize the configuration of firewalls, and network infrastructure to ensure security and compliance. AlgoSec FireFlow enables security staff to automate the entire security policy change process from design and submission to proactive risk analysis, implementation, validation, and auditing. Its intelligent, automated workflows save time and improve security by eliminating manual errors and reducing risk. The Results AlgoSec helped SecureLink gain control of shadow IT without slowing down the business. By using AlgoSec to gain full visibility of the entire network, IT was able to regain control over company’s security policy while supporting the move to the cloud. “AlgoSec lets us take ownership and be quick for the business,” said Björn Löfman, a consultant at SecureLink. “The way AlgoSec provides the whole map of the internal and cloud networks is outstanding, and to be able to apply the same policy on all your infrastructure is priceless.” By using the AlgoSec Security Management Solution, SecureLink was able to clean up risky firewall policies, gain increased understanding of their security policies, tighten compliance, and enhance migrations of hardware and implement a hybrid cloud environment with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Some benefits to the client of AlgoSec include: Greater understanding of network security policies Easier firewall migration – they migrated from Juniper NetScreen to Check Point firewalls Ability to optimize rules and reduce unneeded and duplicate rules and objects. They were able to go from 4,000 rules to 1,110 rules – a 72% reduction. Move to the hybrid cloud with the adoption of Amazon Web Services Able to reduce shadow IT and reclaim ownership of the cloud Full visibility of entire hybrid network – including both on-premise and devices in the cloud including firewalls, AWS security groups , and Access Control Lists (ACLs). Schedule time with one of our experts

Learn how to effectively prevent and block ransomware attacks using your firewall. Discover essential configurations and best practices for enhanced security. Prevent & block ransomware attacks on firewall What is a ransomware attack? Ransomware is a malware attack that locks a victim’s data and demands a ransom, usually in Bitcoin, for its release. It often spreads through disguised executable files or malicious emails but can also exploit software vulnerabilities. A notable instance is the WannaCry attack, which spread without user interaction. Given the increasing sophistication of these attacks, understanding and combating ransomware is crucial for tightened cybersecurity. Schedule a Demo What are the main types of malware and ransomware threats? Understanding the variants of malware and ransomware infections in cybersecurity is critical to effective prevention and response. These threats can range from viruses to sophisticated Ransomware-as-a-Service models. Let’s delve into the main types: Viruses – Malicious software that can spread to other files and operating systems. Worms – Self-replicating malware spreading independently through networks, causing significant damage. Trojans – Disguised as legitimate software or files, Trojans can steal data or exploit permissions to gain unauthorized system access. Adware – This malware displays unwanted ads or pop-ups on a system, often for the attacker’s revenue generation. Fake pop-ups – Messages claiming your system has a virus and demanding payment for its removal, such as FakeAV and System Progressive Protection. Rootkits – Designed to hide their presence, rootkits enable remote access for malware, making it difficult for antivirus software to detect and remove the threats. Botnets – Attackers use these networks of compromised computers, known as botnets, to carry out remote DDoS and other cyber attacks. Spyware – This malware secretly monitors user activity and collects sensitive data. Fileless malware – Operating entirely in a system’s memory, this malware type is hard to detect and remove. Phishing emails – Disguised emails that trick recipients into clicking a malicious link or opening email attachments that appear authentic. Malvertising – Hackers inject malicious code into legitimate online advertising networks, redirecting users to malicious websites. Drive-by attacks – Users visit unsafe, fake web pages, including sites infected unknowingly or fake sites posing as legitimate ones. Self-propagation – Physically infects a system through a network or USB drive. Encryption ransomware – Encrypts your files and demands payment in return for the decryption key. Examples include CryptoLocker and WannaCry. Locker ransomware – A cyber threat restricting access to your system, demanding payment for restoring access. Winlocker and Police-themed ransomware are examples. Mobile ransomware – Targeting mobile devices, this ransomware locks the device or encrypts the files, demanding payment for their release. Android Defender and Simplelocker are examples. RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-Service) – Distributed as a service, this ransomware model allows anyone to buy or rent ransomware kits or apps for infecting others. Recognizing these threats is the first step toward ransomware prevention . Schedule a Demo Are firewalls able to provide ransomware protection? Yes, firewalls offer a layer of protection against ransomware. They act as a barrier between computers and networks, scanning incoming and outgoing traffic based on defined security parameters to block malicious packets. Firewalls can help thwart ransomware attacks by blocking suspect IP addresses, prohibiting remote access without authorization, and controlling the flow of certain data types that could carry ransomware. Schedule a Demo Which firewall rules can block ransomware? Several firewall rules can help block ransomware: Block known malicious IP addresses – You can configure firewalls to block traffic from IP addresses known to often distribute ransomware. Block all inbound traffic on port 445 – Used for file and printer sharing, port 445 is a common target for ransomware attacks. Restrict outbound traffic – Limiting outbound traffic to necessary ports can prevent a ransomware attack from communicating with its command and control server, thus halting the attack. Implement Geo-IP filtering – Some organizations may find it beneficial to block or limit traffic from specific countries or regions, particularly if they are known sources of ransomware. Disable Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) – Many ransomware attacks exploit RDP to gain remote access to systems. Disabling RDP at the firewall can help prevent these advanced threats. Implement Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) – These systems can detect unusual traffic patterns or system activities that suggest a ransomware attack, allowing the firewall to respond and block the attack. Application control – Firewalls with application control features can prevent the execution of unrecognized or unauthorized applications, which can stop the delivery or execution of ransomware. Schedule a Demo What are the best practices for ransomware prevention? Clean up and tighten firewall rules Over time, firewall rules can get messy. This mess might let attackers in, just like weak VPNs or vulnerable email security can. Regularly cleaning up firewall and endpoint protection rules can help stop a ransomware attack . When you change a rule, make sure you know why. Misconfigured changes could disrupt apps or expose VPN tunnels. Analyze the risks and vulnerabilities in your network Every network security solution has some risks. These risks come from different providers. It is essential to find these risks and rank them based on how much they can harm your business. Since threats can pop up anytime, endpoint security with anti-malware features is essential. Focus on risks that could hurt critical business apps. Tying vulnerabilities to related firewall rules can make this easier, just like real-time updates in endpoint security can help stay ahead of new threats. Mitigate lateral movement and control east-west traffic with network segmentation Using network segmentation allows you to minimize the impact on your network in case of an attack. This is particularly effective against swift threats such as zero-day attacks, which target a software vulnerability that is unknown to the software vendor or to antivirus vendors. By securing crucial company data in protected segments with strong encryption keys and employing sandboxing, you are well-equipped to manage east-west traffic. East-west traffic refers to the communication or data transfer that happens inside the network, from server to server, or between internal applications. By managing this traffic, you can prevent attackers from moving laterally across your network. Adding multi-factor authentication can make this strategy even more robust. It adds another layer of security to keep attackers under control. For enhanced protection against cyber threats, consider implementing micro-segmentation . This advanced method can provide granular security controls and can further deter lateral movement across your network. Identify where your hybrid network is exposed to public networks In complex network setups with multi-cloud and hybrid systems, it is very important to see everything that is happening. You need to know how your business apps connect, including any vectors that unwanted or harmful traffic, such as bots, could use. To understand where your hybrid network is exposed to public networks, you need a complete map of your network and the ability to simulate traffic. This information can help you find and fix points where your network is exposed. Respond to incidents coming from SIEM/SOAR solutions with rapid isolation SIEM/SOAR systems collect and examine logs from your IT setup, security tools, and business apps. This helps the SOC team find and flag strange activities for further investigation. But with so much data, many alerts are false positives. Still, this does not mean you are lost in a sea of noise. By linking security incidents to network traffic patterns, you can tell if a compromised server is exposed to the internet. This can help you quickly separate an infected server if a Trojan gets past your defenses, which is a crucial strategy in stopping ransomware attacks. Schedule a Demo What steps must you take when a ransomware attack is detected? Step 1: Identify the attack – Act quickly if you think you are under a ransomware attack. Signs of an attack can include files you cannot open, weird computer activity, or a ransom message on your screen. If you see these, confirm it is ransomware and take steps to limit the damage. Step 2: Isolate affected systems – When you know you are under attack, isolate the affected computers from the rest of your network. This can stop the ransomware from spreading. You might need to disconnect from the internet, turn off Wi-Fi, or even shut down the system. Step 3: Secure backup data – Backups can help you recover from ransomware. If you have not already saved backups in a different place or offline, do it immediately to protect data from damage. Step 4: Report the incident – Tell your IT department or security team about the attack. If you do not have an IT team, you might need help from a cybersecurity company. Also, tell the law enforcement agencies and any organizations you are a part of that might need to know. Step 5: Preserve evidence – Keep any evidence related to the ransomware attack. This might include ransom messages, emails, or system logs. This evidence can help the police and cybersecurity experts understand what happened and might help get your data back. Step 6: Remove the ransomware – IT or cybersecurity experts should be the ones to get rid of the ransomware. They have special tools and methods to remove ransomware. Experts will ensure that it does not cause more harm to your files or computers. Step 7: Restore your systems – After the ransomware is gone, you can start fixing your systems. If you had backups that were not affected by the attack, you might be able to restore your systems to their previous state. If not, you might need a professional service to recover your data. Step 8: Post-incident review – Review what happened and how you responded. Find any weak spots in your security that the attack exploited and make a plan to improve your safety. This step can help stop future attacks and strengthen your business’s cybersecurity. Schedule a Demo How does AlgoSec prevent and mitigate ransomware attacks? Manage security policies AlgoSec’s tools help you deal with network security policies. They enable you to fight against ransomware attacks. AlgoSec makes sure your firewall does not have too many rules or unnecessary ones. Removing old or superfluous rules and eliminating duplicates will improve your anti-ransomware policies. Don’t forget to check out AlgoSec’s anti-ransomware resources . Visualize your network AlgoSec lets you see your entire network. It shows you all your business applications and how and where they connect. You can use this network map to find places that might be exposed to public networks and fix any weak spots. Optimize security policies AlgoSec gives you tools to improve your security policies. They help you clean up your firewall rules and remove old, duplicate, and too-permissive rules. AlgoSec’s intelligent change management automation and useful reports help you keep your policies clean. By ensuring new rules are designed and implemented optimally, potential ransomware attacks can be blocked. Assess & mitigate risks AlgoSec helps you find and deal with risks in your firewall policies. It checks your security policies against a list of best practices and known threats. By checking the risk of each new change before it is made, AlgoSec makes sure you do not accidentally add unknown risks to your network. This helps you protect your network from ransomware attacks. Tie security incidents to business processes AlgoSec’s platform smoothly integrates with all the leading SIEM and SOAR solutions. This lets you connect security problems directly to your business processes. If there’s a breach, AlgoSec quickly stops the attack by cutting off any servers at risk. This helps you limit the damage from a ransomware attack. Enforce network segmentation AlgoSec helps enforce network segmentation in your hybrid network. It automatically finds applications and their connections. This creates a real-time map for designing your network divisions. AlgoSec allows you to define which traffic is allowed, making sure your security rules fit your division strategy. It also automates security changes. The platform supports software-defined micro-segmentation control over network traffic, compatible with Cisco ACI and VMWare NSX. Schedule a Demo Select a size What is a ransomware attack? What are the main types of malware and ransomware threats? Are firewalls able to provide ransomware protection? Which firewall rules can block ransomware? What are the best practices for ransomware prevention? What steps must you take when a ransomware attack is detected? How does AlgoSec prevent and mitigate ransomware attacks? Get the latest insights from the experts Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk White paper Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure Solution overview See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Case study Choose a better way to manage your network

Learn how to unify, consolidate, and automate your entire network security policy management across your Cisco and multi vendor estate Webinars Cisco & AlgoSec Achieving application-driven security across your hybrid network Your network extends into hybrid environments and may include private clouds running Cisco ACI, and on-premises devices. Managing network security policies in your multi-vendor estate is complex. Because your network is made up of multiple vendors and each part of your network estate is managed in its own silo, it is tough to get centralized management of your entire network. Making changes is a chore and validating security is difficult. Learn how to unify, consolidate, and automate your entire network security policy management across your Cisco and multi-vendor estate. In this session Roxana Diaz, Worldwide Technical Solutions Architect at Cisco, and Yonatan Klein, AlgoSec’s Director of Product, will discuss how to manage the Cisco and multi-cloud estate and how to: Capitalize on your Cisco ACI investment to take advantage of its full capabilities Bring centralized visibility, automation, and compliance monitoring into your Cisco and multi-vendor network ecosystem Get full visibility of your entire hybrid network estate, including items within the Cisco ACI security environment, as well as outside it, including Cisco firewalls and routers, as well as multi-vendor devices. Take advantage of Cisco Tetration Analytics and AlgoSec’s intelligent discovery to get a full picture of your network and application traffic and to design and provision a micro-segmentation network policy design. Unify, consolidate, and automate your network security policy management Proactively assess risk throughout your entire network, including Cisco ACI contracts, and recommend the necessary changes to eliminate misconfigurations and compliance violations June 10, 2020 Yonatan Klein irector of Product Management Roxana Diaz Worldwide Technical Solutions Architect at Cisco Relevant resources AlgoSec Joins Cisco’s Global Price List Keep Reading Migrating and Managing Security Policies in a Segmented Data Center Keep Reading AlgoSec Cisco ACI App Center Demo Watch Video Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue