The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has shared a factsheet providing details on free tools and guidance for securing digital assets after moving to the cloud from on-premises environments.

The new release fact sheet helps network defenders, incident response analysts, and cybersecurity professionals mitigate the risk of information theft and exposure, as well as data encryption and extortion attacks.

It aims to assist in the crucial tasks of identifying, detecting and mitigating known vulnerabilities and cyber threats encountered when managing cloud or hybrid environments.

The tools highlighted complement the built-in tools provided by cloud service providers and help build resilience into network infrastructures, strengthen security measures, quickly identify malicious compromises, meticulously map potential threat vectors, and effectively identify malicious activity following a breach.

“Cloud service platforms and cloud service providers (CSPs) have developed built-in security capabilities for organizations to enhance security capabilities while operating in cloud environments,” CISA said.

“Organizations are encouraged to use the built-in security features of CSPs and take advantage of free tools/applications developed by CISA and its partners to close security gaps and complement existing security features.”

THE list of free tools highlighted in today’s fact sheet and developed by CISA in collaboration with partners include:

While not comprehensive, these tools can help detect malicious activity, build resilience against damaging cyberattacks, and aid in remediation and investigation efforts.

Today’s announcement is part of an ongoing effort to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats by providing organizations with timely warnings and essential guidance.

For example, beginning in January 2023, CISA has taken proactive steps to alert critical infrastructures on systems exposed to the Internet on their networks that are vulnerable to ransomware attacks.

“Using this proactive cyber defense capability, CISA has notified more than 60 entities of early-stage ransomware intrusions since January 2023, including critical infrastructure organizations in the energy, healthcare and utility sectors. public health, water and wastewater, and the educational community.” CISA said at the time.

The cybersecurity agency has also launched the Joint Cyber ​​Defense Collaborative (JCDC) in August 2021a partnership to protect America’s critical infrastructure from ransomware and other cyber threats.

Additionally, in August 2021, CISA has published comprehensive guidelines designed to help at-risk private sector organizations and government entities prevent data breaches resulting from ransomware attacks.