Predictive analytics is changing every facet of the business world. While most of the emphasis has been on identifying market opportunities, predictive analytics is also essential for boosting security. New predictive analytics models are being merged with various security solutions to bolster cybersecurity. Predictive analytics has helped improve security in a number of ways. These solutions include:
- Better identifying threat actors from various regions where cyberattacks are known to originate
- Evaluating the evolution of cyberattacks
- Helping security experts identify the defenses that will be most effective against new generations of cyberattacks
NIST Computer Security has documented many of these findings in The Cyber Risk Predictive Analytics Project. The authors discussed an approach they took to utilize predictive analytics in their security plans:
“We used the negative binomial panel regression technique. This is the appropriate multiple regression technique based on a distribution of a dependent variable with the following characteristics: a skewed distribution and a count variable that is heavily weighted with zeros. The panel approach is necessitated since our data spans multiple years and industries. Specifically, our dependent variable is a count of total breaches for a company in a given year. Additional analysis was conducted with breach subcategories (i.e. Deficient Access Breaches; Technical Exploits Breaches; Theft Breaches; and Behavioral Vulnerability Breaches). The independent variables used included the following: the respondent’s response to each of the questions and a set of control variables (year, industry, and firm). Control variables are year, industry, firm.”
You might have been hearing about Web Application Firewalls recently but have no idea what exactly they are used for. Do businesses really need to implement such a system? Keep reading to find out whether it is necessary for you and your e-business.
What is a WAF?
A firewall is a security system that monitors and controls outgoing and incoming data traffic centered on security policies. It basically creates a barrier between a trusted internal network and an untrusted external network. Meanwhile, a WAF (Web Application Firewall) is an application firewall designed for HTTP applications. It can block, filter, and monitor network traffic to and from any application. We can say that WAF ensures you get high quality desired output with reduced risks. It achieves this by creating a shield between the internet and web application. By monitoring and inspecting the network traffic, you get an added layer of security to your network! Moreover, it helps stop common web attacks that often result from security faults.
Do you need a WAF?
Let us analyze the benefits of having a WAF on your networks. Once you read all about its advantages, you can decide whether or not you need one by yourself. The following are the major benefits of having a WAF in place:
1. Private Data Protection
WAFs work around the clock to protect the system against unauthorized data exposure. For an online business, WAFs ensure that private user data is securely stored. Lack of cybersecurity make customer information vulnerable to hackers and this can cost you reputation and customer trust. A web attack can definitely damage your company and a WAF can prevent it from happening. WAFs proactively shield your websites and applications from data theft and fraud by stalling any suspicious activity. It inspects all web requests ranging from SQL injection and path traversal to site scripting. This then ensures that your clientele’s data remains safe and secure.
2. Automates Patches
In cases where you discover a vulnerability on your website, you need to take immediate actions to prevent the escalation of these problems. Some businesses might have the resources to patch the application or even solve the problem quickly, though not everyone has the same resources. However, some WAFs come with a convenient solution since they have the ability to temporarily patch the website for immediate protection before you seek a long-term solution.
3. Prevents Data Leakage
Hackers and their strategies have evolved with technology developments and they can gather crucial data with greater ease. This means it can be hard to catch them before they completely compromise your website. Obviously, any kind of leak can turn out to be a disaster for both you and your clients. A WAF scans every request on your web applications and stops any unusual information from leaving the network. This makes your application or website hack-proof!
Predictive Analytics and WAF are the Key to Better Cybersecurity
Predictive analytics is changing the future of cybersecurity. It is helping cybersecurity experts perform better threat assessments and have the right defenses in place. However, it is only effective if it is combined with the right defenses. WAF technology is helping minimize the risk of data breaches in 2018. From the above benefits, it should be easy for you to assess if you and your company actually need a WAF. If you ask us, Web Application Firewalls should be in place if companies truly value their customers and their business. Business owners will greatly benefit from it once they ensure the security of their websites. Moreover, its implementation will give them peace of mind and more time to focus on running their business!
