Speakers
Synopsis
The session will focus on the critical role of accurate and comprehensive threat intelligence in building robust cybersecurity defences for NFPs and SMEs. Cloudflare will share real-world examples of cyberattacks from the last year, illustrating proactive measures and lessons learned. Take aways from this will include:
- Reliable Threat Intelligence: Must be accurate and verified by multiple sources to be trusted.
- Real-Time Integration: Essential for NFPs and SMEs with limited resources, allowing automatic updates without manual intervention.
- Recent Attacks: Targeted Israeli and Palestinian news sites; over 5 billion and 454 million attack requests mitigated, respectively. Understanding attack methods helps strengthen defences.
- Brand and Domain Impersonation: Common tactics used in attacks, such as those by the pro-Russian group Killnet targeting Australian universities, hospitals, and airports. Understanding these threats aids in prevention.
- Phishing Threats: Significant for SMEs and NFPs with limited budgets. With 91% of cyberattacks starting with phishing, more needs to be done beyond education and multi-factor authentication. The session covers strategies to mitigate phishing risks.
- Insufficient Traditional Defences: Sometimes machine learning and fingerprinting aren't enough. SMEs and NFPs need robust security providers. The session will discuss using AI and GPUs for faster threat detection and inferences.
- Gathering Telemetry: Creates fingerprints of applications, devices, or attack methods, formatted for easy consumption and used to build protections.
- Threat Intelligence Collection: Discuss gathering intelligence from one trillion DNS requests daily, including BGP updates and WAF rules, to better understand and mitigate threats.
Case Study: UN Women Australia
The session will include a detailed case study of UN Women Australia, which turned to Project Galileo to mitigate malicious bots that threatened its online security. As a not-for-profit organisation, UN Women Australia funds its programs through public and private donations, primarily via digital channels. This case study will illustrate how even well-prepared NFPs can face significant threats and how effective cybersecurity measures can make a critical difference.
The organisation faced a series of bot-driven banking identification number (BIN) attacks, exploiting shortcomings in third-party payment services. This led to disruption and potential financial losses. With limited resources and budget, UN Women Australia took immediate steps to block the attacks and reached out to Cloudflare for assistance whom quickly onboarded UN Women Australia and analysed its technical infrastructure to address vulnerabilities. The collaboration led to the implementation of security measures, including DDoS protection and bot management. Ensuring the organisation could continue its fundraising efforts to focus on its mission.
Importance for NFPs and SMEs:
The insights from this session are crucial for NFPs and SMEs, as these organisations often lack the resources and expertise to combat sophisticated cyber threats. By understanding the significance of threat intelligence, these organisations can implement effective security measures to protect their data and operations. The session aims to empower NFPs and SMEs with the knowledge and strategies to defend against cyber threats, ensuring the continuity of their
