Offensive security encompasses a range of practices that simulate cyberattacks in a controlled environment, allowing businesses to identify security risks in their systems and address them before attackers can exploit them. The core components of offensive security include vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, malware analysis, cyber forensics, and reverse engineering.
### The Misconception of Security Through Size
One pervasive misconception is that smaller businesses are less likely to attract cybercriminals’ attention. However, data proves otherwise: cybercriminals often see SMBs as easy targets precisely because they may lack the extensive defences of larger enterprises. Small and medium businesses hold valuable data, including customer information, financial records, and intellectual property, making them prime candidates for attacks such as phishing, ransomware, and business email compromise.
Boards typically comprise a mix of internal directors (executives from within the company) and external directors (independent individuals unconnected to the organisation). This blend ensures a balance of insights—insiders bring deep organisational knowledge, while outsiders contribute objectivity and fresh perspectives.
Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA) attacks involve the use of algorithms to create numerous, often random-looking, domain names. These generated domains allow malware to connect to its C&C servers, keeping malicious activities in motion even as individual domains are blocked or taken down. By consistently creating new domains, DGA-based malware increases its resilience, complicates detection, and challenges security defences.
The Dark Web is a segment of the Deep Web, inaccessible through standard web browsers like Chrome or Safari. Instead, it requires special software such as the Tor (The Onion Router) browser, which anonymises user activity by routing it through multiple servers. While the Deep Web houses non-indexed content like academic databases or medical records, the Dark Web hosts a distinct group of hidden sites. Its marketplaces are notoriously associated with illegal trading, raising unique challenges for businesses and law enforcement.