Enhanced Threat Awareness Attributed to Microsoft Security Log Extension by CISA Offcials
Microsoft has taken significant strides in bolstering its security measures, with the tech giant expanding free access to security logs in 2023. This move comes as part of Microsoft's broader effort to realign its security governance, placing security at the forefront of its software development and customer interactions.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with several other agencies, has released a best practices guide for event logging. This guide aims to provide organizations with actionable information to detect, analyse, and respond to threats swiftly and effectively.
The recommendations in the guide emphasize the importance of comprehensive logging to identify exploitation activity. Key suggestions include implementing exhaustive and detailed logs, regularly scanning and monitoring network IPs and traffic, updating intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and firewalls, auditing and minimizing privileged access, and leveraging advanced security tools.
These guidelines stress the need for continuous and context-rich event logging, combined with automated analysis tools, privilege audits, and proactive network defence measures. By following these best practices, organizations can enhance their ability to identify and mitigate malicious activities.
Notably, the ransomware actor Medusa, tracked by Reliaquest, has used living-off-the-land techniques in multiple attacks. Alex Capraro, a cyber intelligence analyst at Reliaquest, asserts that by implementing the best practices for event logging and threat detection outlined in the guide, organizations can protect their networks, devices, and data from compromise.
Jeff Greene, CISA's executive assistant director for cybersecurity, has confirmed the expansion of Microsoft's logging elements. These expanded logs are being used by federal agencies and critical infrastructure organizations to detect threats.
However, the Cyber Safety Review Board issued a report in April, blasting Microsoft for the 2023 attack, stating it was entirely preventable. The guide is part of an effort to combat sophisticated threat activity from state-linked threat groups like Volt Typhoon.
Microsoft began overhauling its internal security culture through the Secure Future Initiative earlier this year. The initiative aims to enhance Microsoft's security posture and threat mitigation capabilities, aligning with the best practices outlined in the CISA guide.
In conclusion, the best practices for event logging, as outlined by CISA and other cybersecurity authorities, highlight the importance of comprehensive capture of security events, regular monitoring, privilege auditing, and integration with detection and response systems. By adhering to these guidelines, organizations can significantly improve their security posture and better protect their assets from cyber threats.
[1] Source: CISA documents and alerts, referenced in the article.
- To better defend their data and systems from advanced threats like ransomware, organizations should consider implementing the cybersecurity best practices outlined by CISA, such as comprehensive event logging, network monitoring, privilege audits, and threat detection system integration.
- By following these best practices, organizations can align their security governance with technology giants like Microsoft, who are also investing heavily in cybersecurity and data-and-cloud-computing, as seen in Microsoft's expanded security logs and the Secure Future Initiative.
