Preventions

This section cannot be readily mitigated at a system level with preventive controls since it is based on the abuse of fundamental features of the system.

The Principle of Least Privilege should be enforced, and period reviews of permissions conducted to ensure that accounts have the minimum level of access required to complete duties as per their role.

An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is a set of rules outlining acceptable and unacceptable uses of an organization's computer systems and network resources. It acts as a deterrent to prevent employees from conducting illegitimate activities by clearly defining expectations, reinforcing legal and ethical standards, establishing accountability, specifying consequences for violations, and promoting education and awareness about security risks.

A social media policy is a set of rules that governs how employees should use social media platforms in connection with their work. It outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, helps employees understand the consequences of misuse, and serves as a deterrent by promoting accountability, raising awareness of risks, and ensuring consistent enforcement.

An anti-virus solution detect and alert on malicious files, including the ability to take autonomous actions such as quarantining or deleting the flagged file.

A web proxy can allow for specific web resources to be blocked, preventing clients from successfully connecting to them.

Windows Group Policy can be used to prevent specific accounts from accessing Registry Editor. This can prevent them from reading the registry or making modifications, if their permissions allow, using this utility.

File servers and collaboration platforms such as SharePoint, Confluence, and OneDrive should have configured permissions to restrict unauthorized access to directories or specific files.

Certain infringements can be prevented by prohibiting certain devices from being brought on-site.

Access to specific areas of a site should be restricted to only authorized personnel, through the use of controls such as locked doors, mantraps, and gates requiring an ID badge.

Mandatory security awareness training for employees can help them to recognize a range of cyber attacks that they can play a part in preventing or detecting. This can include topics such as phishing, social engineering, and data classification, amongst others.

Background checks should be conducted to ensure whether the information provided by the candidate during the interview process is truthful. This could include employment and educational reference checks, and a criminal background check. Background checks can highlight specific risks, such as a potential for extortion.

Group Policy can be used to disable printing for specific user accounts.

By only allowing pre-approved software to be installed and run on corporate devices, the subject is unable to install software themselves.

A Data Classification Policy establishes a standard for handling data by setting out criteria for how data should be classified and subsequently managed and secured. A classification can be applied to data in such a way that the classification is recorded in the body of the data (such as a footer in a text document) and/or within the metadata of a file.

Various methods can be used within Exchange to prevent internal emails being auto-forwarded to remote domains. This can prevent exfiltration via email auto-forwarding rules.

Network Intrusion Prevention Systems (NIPs) can alert on abnormal, suspicious, or malicious patterns of network behavior, and take autonomous actions to stop the behavior, such as resetting a network connection.

A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution refers to policies, technologies, and controls that prevent the accidental and/or deliberate loss, misuse, or theft of data by members of an organization. Typically, DLP technology would take the form of a software agent installed on organization endpoints (such as laptops and servers).

Typical DLP technology will alert on the potential loss of data, or activity which might indicate the potential for data loss. A DLP technology may also provide automated responses to prevent data loss on a device.

Domain Name System (DNS) filtering allows the blocking of domain resolution for specific domains or automatically categorized classes of domains (depending on the functionality of the software or appliance being used). DNS filtering prevents users from accessing blocked domains, regardless of the IP address the domains resolve to.

Examples of automatically categorized classes of domains are ‘gambling’ or ‘social networking’ domains. Automatic categorizations of domains are typically conducted by the software or appliance being used, whereas specific domains can be blocked manually. Most DNS filtering software or appliances will provide the ability to use Regular Expressions (RegEx) to (for example) also filter all subdomains on a specified domain.

DNS filtering can be applied on an individual host, such as with the hosts file, or for multiple hosts via a DNS server or firewall.

Provide a process for all staff members to report concerning and/or suspicious behaviour to the organization's security team for review. An internal whistleblowing process should take into consideration the privacy of the reporter and the subject(s) of the report, with specific regard to safeguarding against reprisals against reporters.

Routine reviews of user accounts and their associated privileges and permissions should be conducted to identify overly-permissive accounts, or accounts that are no longer required to be active.

When an employee leaves the organization, a formal process should be followed to ensure all equipment is returned, and any associated accounts or access is revoked.

Full Disk Encryption (FDE) involves encrypting all data on a device's hard disk or solid-state drive (SSD), including the Operating System (OS), third party applications and user data. This helps to ensure that data on the disk remains inaccessible if the laptop is lost or stolen, as the data cannot be accessed without the correct decryption key.

Typically a user decrypts a FDE disk during the boot process. The user is prompted to enter a password or provide a hardware token to unlock the encryption key. Only after successful authentication can the disk be decrypted and subsequently the Operating System loaded and the data accessed.

On mobile devices managed by Microsoft Intune, and where Protected Apps are being used, it is possible to apply app protection policies to protect corporate data on mobile devices. This functionality can prevent users from copying and pasting corporate data into personal apps.

The financial approval process is a structured procedure used by organizations to review and authorize financial transactions. It includes segregation of duties, authorization levels, and documentation and audit trails to prevent financial abuse and ensure adherence to policies and budgets.

Applying spending limits to corporate cards can control the amount of funds a subject could spend legitimately or illegitimately.

An enterprise-managed browser is a web browser controlled by an organization to enforce security policies, manage employee access, and ensure compliance. It allows IT administrators to monitor and restrict browsing activities, apply security updates, and integrate with other enterprise tools for a secure browsing environment.

First stage bootloaders such as BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) and UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) or second stage bootloaders such as GNU GRUB (GNU GRand Unified Bootloader) and iBoot, generally provide the ability to configure a bootloader password as a security measure. This password restricts access to the computer’s firmware settings and, in some cases, the boot process.

When a bootloader password is set, it is stored in a non-volatile memory within the firmware. Upon powering on the system (and the bootloader settings being selected) the bootloader prompts the user to enter the password before allowing access to the firmware settings, thereby preventing unauthorized users from altering system settings or booting from unauthorized devices.

Next-generation firewall (NGFW) network appliances and services provide the ability to control network traffic based on rules. These firewalls provide basic firewall functionality, such as simple packet filtering based on static rules and track the state of network connections. They can also provide the ability to control network traffic based on Application Layer rules, among other advanced features to control network traffic.

A example of simple functionality would be blocking network traffic to or from a specific IP address, or all network traffic to a specific port number. An example of more advanced functionality would be blocking all network traffic that appears to be SSH or FTP traffic to any port on any IP address.

Commercial security software may include native anti-tampering protections that prevent attempts to interfere with its operations, such as deleting or renaming required files.

Only allow necessary protocols to communicate over the network. Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized protocols from being used. Typically these controls would be implemented on next-generation firewalls with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and other network security appliances.

Using Group Policy on Windows it is possible to block execute, read, and write operations related to a CD/DVD drive.

In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access

Open the following policies and set them all to Enabled:

CD and DVD: Deny execute access,

CD and DVD: Deny read access,

CD and DVD: Deny write access

Using Group Policy on Windows it is possible to block execute, read, and write operations related to a floppy disk.

In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access

Open the following policies and set them all to Enabled:

Floppy Drives: Deny execute access

Floppy Drives: Deny read access

Floppy Drives: Deny write access

Using Group Policy on Windows it is possible to block execute, read, and write operations related to a removeable disk, such as an SD card or USB mass storage devices.

In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Removable Storage Access

Open the following policies and set them all to Enabled:

Removeable Disk: Deny execute access

Removeable Disk: Deny read access

Removeable Disk: Deny write access

Training should equip employees to recognize manipulation tactics, such as social engineering and extortion, that are used to coerce actions and behaviors harmful to the individual and/or the organization. The training should also encourage and guide participants on how to safely report any instances of coercion.

Offering mental health support and conflict resolution programs to
help employees identify and report manipulative behavior in the
workplace

Network Access Control (NAC) manages and regulates devices accessing a organization's network(s), including personal devices under a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. NAC systems ensure that only authorized and compliant devices can connect to the network, reducing security risks.
 

NAC performs the following functions:

• Device Authentication and Authorization: Checks whether the device meets the organization’s security policies before granting access.
• Compliance Checks: Verifies that devices have up-to-date security patches and configurations. Non-compliant devices may be denied access or placed in a quarantined network zone.
• Segmentation and Isolation: Restricts devices' access to sensitive areas, limiting potential impact from compromised devices.
• Continuous Monitoring: Tracks connected devices for ongoing compliance and can automatically quarantine or disconnect those that fall out of compliance.
• Policy Enforcement: Applies security policies to ensure devices can only access appropriate resources based on their security status.

NAC functionality can be provided by dedicated NAC appliances, next-generation firewalls, unified threat management devices, and some network switches and routers.

MDM solutions require employees to register their personal devices with the organization's MDM system before gaining access to corporate networks and applications. This process ensures that only approved and known devices are permitted to connect.

Once a device is enrolled, the MDM system can enforce security policies that include:

• Access Control: Restricting or granting access based on the device's compliance with corporate security standards.
• Configuration Management: Ensuring that devices are configured securely, with up-to-date operating systems and applications.
• Remote Wipe and Lock: Allowing the organization to remotely wipe or lock a device if it is lost, stolen, or if suspicious activity is detected.
• Data Encryption: Enforcing encryption for data stored on and transmitted by the device to protect sensitive information.
• Application Control: Managing and restricting the installation of unauthorized applications that could pose security risks.

A structured program, including a helpline or other reporting mechanism, designed to assist employees who feel vulnerable, whether due to personal issues, coercion, or extortion. This process allows employees to confidentially raise concerns with trusted teams, such as Human Resources or other qualified professionals. In some cases, it may be appropriate to discreetly share this information with trusted individuals within the Insider Risk Management Program to help prevent and detect insider threats while also providing necessary support to the employee.