The SecureDrive® Solution

Comprehensive Tools for Improving Data Security

By Sergey Gulyayev, COO, SecureData, Inc.

Since 2007, SecureData Inc. has operated on the premise that protecting the world’s most sensitive and vulnerable information requires more than just a single approach. Given the rapid pace of technological innovation and the equally rapid identification of new vectors for cyberattacks, any strategy for mitigation must be flexible and comprehensive.

The key to effective data security has always been prevention since no organization is immune to attack. Ransomware has become extraordinarily sophisticated in recent years and has the capability to evade many of the latest detection and mitigation methods. Maintaining the integrity of your data in motion and at rest requires an equally sophisticated approach

The SecureDrive Solution focuses on three essential areas of security: protecting backup and portable storage drives, mitigating the potential threats from lost or stolen devices, and securing network endpoints from ransomware and malware attacks launched via infected USB drives. Casting a wide security net allows organizations to combat an ever-expanding attack surface.

An Unprecedented Year for Cyber Insecurity

In 2020 the global COVID-19 pandemic caused massive disruptions to the way we live and work. A massive wave of new remote workers had to adjust to a new way of doing their jobs, while IT administrators struggled to create a secure environment for remote network access. Schools and universities were forced to implement new distance learning strategies that also required new and more advanced security measures.

As a result, 2020 also saw an unprecedented rise in cybersecurity incidents as malicious actors found new avenues of attack against our healthcare systems, our educational institutions, and even the burgeoning vaccination supply chain. No industrial sector was left unaffected.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a cyberthreat watchdog agency within the Department of Homeland Security, issued 38 security alerts in 2020. That represents an increase of nearly 700 percent over the previous year, during which CISA issued only five.

In addition to numerous state-sponsored attacks, CISA alerts last year addressed a wide range of other cyberthreats. These included phishing and spoofing campaigns related to COVID relief funds, ransomware attacks targeting healthcare providers, corporations and numerous agencies of the federal government, and attacks on operational technology and industrial control systems related to critical infrastructure.

The Value and Vulnerability of Data

Data is more deeply integrated into our economy than ever before, and this trend will only increase in the coming years. Businesses track our purchase histories and movements online to better cater to our interests. Health providers access our medical records on mobile devices in real time. Connected technology has made our homes smarter and our critical infrastructure more automated. But these advances have also made data less secure by vastly increasing potential access points for malicious actors.

Any effective data security strategy must account for these increased attack vectors. Mitigation guidelines offered by government agencies such as CISA include broad recommendations for analyzing risk, implementing training on cybersecurity best practices, creating an incident response plan, and regularly testing to ensure its effectiveness against ransomware and other malware attacks.

To ensure continuity of access to business-critical data, security recommendations also focus on how data moves in an organization and at which points it can be compromised. These include the protection of stored backups and external drives, protecting data storage devices in the event of loss or theft, and the whitelisting and blacklisting of software and hardware. SecureData has created a comprehensive data security strategy that puts these recommendations front and center.

Comprehensive Data Security with SecureDrive

• SecureDrive’s Offline Encrypted Backup & External Storage Drives – This cornerstone of SecureDrive’s total security approach corresponds with CISA’s guidelines for preventing ransomware attacks. SecureDrive and SecureUSB devices are FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated, hardware-encrypted and authenticated via on-board PIN (the KP product line) or mobile phone app with secure Bluetooth connection (BT product line). Offline encrypted backup storage puts your critical data beyond the reach of ransomware to ensure data integrity and continuity.
• SecureData’s Remote Drive Management – SecureData’s Remote Management license provides unrivaled data access controls, including geo- and time-fencing, remote wipe and remote password reset, and full user logging capabilities for an unlimited number of BT storage devices. Remote Management gives full administrative control over how, when, and where your data is accessed. Lost or stolen data storage is a frequent avenue for cyberattack. The Remote Management license eliminates this threat.
• Comprehensive Endpoint Protection – The SecureGuard USB port blocker provides full remote management of what devices can access computers connected to a computer network. This subscription service works in tandem with or discrete from the Remote Management license and gives administrators the ability to whitelist or blacklist any USB device on Windows-operated computers. This data loss prevention technology closes a common pathway for ransomware and malware attacks.

Conclusions

Technological advances and a growing trend toward automated systems means that more and more of our lives will be dependent on digital systems and the data that make them function. As a result, that data will be under increasing threat from adversarial nation-state actors seeking political or military advantages, as well as cybercriminals who target essential sectors because they are more likely to pay to restore access to infected networks.

A comprehensive network and data security plan is essential for mitigating the myriad cybersecurity threats the business and industrial sectors increasingly face. As long as data exists in digital form, so too will the vulnerabilities persist. SecureDrive provides IT security professionals in all verticals the cutting-edge tools and utilities they need to confront current and emerging threats to data security. Making them an integral part of your cybersecurity posture will give you the layered security you need to meet even the most sophisticated cybersecurity challenges.

About the Author

Sergey Gulyayev is the COO of SecureData, Inc. based in Los Angeles but with a significant base of operations in Cleveland, Ohio. SecureData provides a range of tailored, high-level data protection capabilities that include FIPS-certified hardware-encrypted portable storage devices, backup solutions, file repair software, data recovery and digital forensics services. SecureData has a global presence through partnerships in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia, and South America, and serves companies and organizations in regulated industries, such as government, financial services, military, law enforcement, legal, healthcare, and education.

Sergey can be reached online at sergey.gulyayev@securedata.com and at our company website http://www.securedata.com.