Threatpost recently reported that the U.S. election campaigns of President Trump and Joe Biden have been targeted with a slew of cyberattacks. The article referenced Microsoft as the key source, stating that “in recent weeks, cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in it have ramped up - including numerous attempts against Trump and Biden staffers.” According to Microsoft, this increased activity is consistent with what had been anticipated and is consistent with what the U.S. government and others have reported.
With campaign cybersecurity already under the spotlight over concerns about the integrity of voting machines and the expansion of mail-in voting, protecting campaign staffer endpoints from breach is now more important than ever as we close in on the U.S. Presidential Election. Re-educating staffers on cyber security best practices to avoid a breach of their devices can help minimize the threats, but keeping campaign endpoints patched with the latest security updates is another layer of protection that can keep hackers from accessing sensitive campaign data.
Reduce cybersecurity risk with Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC)
While there are many ways in which an election can be hacked, focusing on endpoint hardening and patch management can help minimize attack surfaces and reduce the impact of potential exploits. That is why Automox has partnered with Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC) to offer its automated endpoint management platform at a discounted cost to 2020 presidential and congressional campaigns. Defending Digital Campaigns is a non-partisan organization that provides low- and no-cost security products and services to federal campaigns to help defend them from cyberattacks and election interference.
Through the partnership, Automox is offering its cloud-native patching and endpoint management platform to political campaigns to provide access to holistic endpoint hardening that automates the enforcement of critical patches, software updates, security configurations and more. Automox’s cloud-native architecture enables quick deployment of critical patches and endpoint hardening policies across all campaign endpoints without the overhead of having to manage and secure additional infrastructure. Patching and hardening campaign endpoints provides a layer of protection against potential election hacking to keep campaign data more secure.
How election campaigns can secure campaign devices
Securing endpoints and safeguarding vulnerable campaign systems against potential threats is a must in today’s digital landscape. Endpoints include any and all end-user devices that are connected to a system; laptops, desktops, and tablets are all examples of endpoints.
Endpoint hardening is a key element of endpoint security. There are many steps campaigns can take to harden their endpoints:
- Identify and inventory endpoints
- Employ an effective and efficient patch management strategy
- Limit user privileges and accessibility (JEA)
- Segment systems as necessary
Without an inventory, there is no way to track and baseline endpoint security meaningfully for security posture reporting, endpoint hardening or even prioritizing remediation activities. Having full visibility over endpoints allows organizations to see what endpoints are on their network and which ones need to be updated. Creating a regular patching routine and employing an effective patch management strategy is another critical element for hardening endpoints. Patching regularly helps to minimize your attack surface and keep attackers at bay. Limiting user privileges and taking the proper steps to segment and secure critical infrastructure is also key to keeping your endpoints secure -- and to minimize the effects of any potential breaches.
Cloud-based patch management for preventing election interference
For an election campaign looking to secure their systems, cloud-based patch management is ideal. It gives users the freedom to patch virtually any device on the network, regardless of what operating system it’s running or where the device is located. Having a reliable patch management platform that’s scalable and adaptable ensures these devices won’t pose a significant security risk.
Automox’s cloud-based platform can be installed on virtually any device on your network and can be used to create a complete inventory of all endpoints, regardless of their location. Automated patching solutions make the process of deploying patches and monitoring patch status less complicated -- and modern platforms like Automox make it possible to patch for different operating systems and third party applications from a single interface.
From election campaigns to the election machines themselves, there is no shortage of ways in which attackers can seek to meddle in U.S. elections. Performing regular security updates and employing an effective patch management strategy is one of the best ways to mitigate these risks. Patching is crucial to minimizing the attack surface of a network, regardless of whether that network belongs to a Fortune 500 company or a local political campaign.
With modern patching solutions like Automox, election campaigns can keep every device on their network up to date with the latest security fixes, and much more. Check out our product demo to learn more.
About Automox Automated Patch Management
Facing growing threats and a rapidly expanding attack surface, understaffed and alert-fatigued organizations need more efficient ways to eliminate their exposure to vulnerabilities. Automox is a modern cyber hygiene platform that closes the aperture of attack by more than 80% with just half the effort of traditional solutions.
Cloud-native and globally available, Automox enforces OS & third-party patch management, security configurations, and custom scripting across Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single intuitive console. IT and SecOps can quickly gain control and share visibility of on-prem, remote and virtual endpoints without the need to deploy costly infrastructure.
Experience modern, cloud-native patch management today with a 15-day free trial of Automox and start recapturing more than half the time you're currently spending on managing your attack surface. Automox dramatically reduces corporate risk while raising operational efficiency to deliver best-in-class security outcomes, faster and with fewer resources.