Group Policy Security Best Practices for Preventing Ransomware in Utilities, Energy and Materials Windows Networks
Utility, energy and material companies are accountable for protecting critical operational, financial and intellectual property information. The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg had reported that ransomware attacks on Norsk Hydro, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., and Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) have eclipsed $40 million in costs. A recent Wall Street Journal article even went on to say that Utilities Are Prime Targets for Cyberattacks due to looming security vulnerabilities in legacy technologies.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 4,000 ransomware attacks have occurred daily since January 1, 2016. Moreover, the Department of Homeland Security states that “Prevention is the most effective defense against ransomware and it is critical to take precautions for protection.” In accordance with the department’s Ransomware Executive One-Pager and Technical Document, preventative measures include the following:
- “Manage the use of privileged accounts based on the principle of least privilege: no users should be assigned administrative access unless absolutely needed; and those with a need for administrator accounts should only use them when necessary.”
- “Implement Software Restriction Policies (SRP) or other controls to prevent programs from executing from common ransomware locations, such as temporary folders supporting popular Internet browsers or compression/decompression programs, including the AppData/LocalAppData folder.”
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 AT 1PM EASTERN
Join Jeremy Moskowitz, 15-Time Microsoft MVP awardee for Endpoint Management and Enterprise Mobility, for a free 60-minute webinar on Group Policy Security best practices for preventing ransomware. During this webinar, you’ll receive 100% free Windows security tips taken directly from Jeremy’s award-winning Group Policy training program. Plus, you’ll learn how Windows Administrators around the country use PolicyPak to protect their networks from ransomware attacks.
Group Policy Security Best Practices for Preventing Ransomware covers the following topics:
- Delegating Permissions over Group Policy usage
- Default GPOs and Fine-Grained Password Policy
- AppLocker, DeviceGuard & PolicyPak Least Privilege Manager
- LAPS: Local Admin Password Solution
- Application and Browser Security using PolicyPak
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jeremy Moskowitz is a 15-time Microsoft MVP awardee for endpoint management and enterprise mobility using Group Policy and Modern Device Management. Jeremy’s published works include Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security and the Managed Desktop (Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons., Indianapolis, Indiana) and MDM: Fundamentals, Security and Modern Desktop (Copyright © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons., Indianapolis, Indiana). Jeremy Moskowitz is the CEO and head instructor for MDMandGPanswers.com, which has enrolled over 16,000 students and is the founder of PolicyPak Software, which manages and protects nearly 2 Million endpoints worldwide.
