Increasing threats from ransomware and geo-political threats of cyber warfare mean these are challenging times for those responsible for IT security. Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden signed into law the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act. In addition, the White House recommended companies execute multiple strategies to protect critical services and systems in a statement titled “Act Now to Protect Against Potential Cyberattacks." Many of these recommendations are particularly relevant to the IBM i community. There are specific recommendations in security tools, response strategies, and preventive measures all IBM i companies should be implementing. Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about: • Specific recommendations from the US government • Applying these recommendations to your IBM i environment • How Precisely can help

1. How US
Cybersecurity
Executive Order
Impacts IBM i
Customers
Bill Hammond | Director, Product Marketing

2. Today’s
Security
Landscape
malicious actor
weak password
byod vulnerability
malware
insider threat
evolving attack
elevated authority
ransomware

3. Malware and Ransomware
3
• A growing range of cyber-attack products and services
• Marketed and sold by a wide range of ‘companies’
• Steady, organized industrialization of cyber-attack tools
and services
• Ransomware as a Service sector
• Operating in the very efficient ‘Dark Web’ marketplace
• Highly developed, broadly marketed, extremely
profitable, industrial-scale

4. Architecture
of Malware
Attacks
Actively guided
and executed
Stealthy, nearly
invisible
• Not chunks of malicious code /payloads
• Not a single, standardized sequence of
actions
• Skilled human hacker gains access,
studies your systems
• Fully customized and carefully timed
and sequenced
• Nearly impossible to distinguish from
‘normal’ user or application activity
• Main activity is… inactivity
• Quietly evaluates potential targets,
learns your security patterns and gaps,
considers tactics
Immediate
monetary reward
Crypto-Currency
enabled
• Direct payment from victim, not resale of
information
• (Actually, they often do that as well,
even after ransom is paid)
• Hackers world-wide investing heavily in
malware skills development, computing
and network resources
• The “Unmarked Bills” for all 21st
century cyber-extortion
• Easily traded and /or converted to
conventional currencies
• Crypto transactions are (currently)
effectively beyond the reach of law
enforcement agencies and modern
global financial controls.
4

5. The threat to IBM i
5
IBM i has a sterling reputation for system security and
data protection
• But even IBM itself says that IBM i highly securable,
not inherently secure.
• Still requires all appropriate security options it offers
are properly implemented.
IBM i no longer a Security Island
• IBM i hardware, applications and data are
increasingly integrating with other platforms
• Web partners, service providers, cloud-based e-
commerce systems, more…

6. Executive Order on
Improving the Nation’s
Cybersecurity

7. • Policy Improvements
• Removing Barriers to Sharing Threat Information
• Modernizing Federal Government Cybersecurity
• Enhancing Software Supply Chain Security
• Establishing a Cyber Safety Review Board
• Standardizing the Federal Government’s
Playbook for Responding to Cybersecurity
Vulnerabilities and Incidents
• Improving the Federal Government’s
Investigative and Remediation Capabilities
• National Security Systems
Executive Order

8. Act Now to Protect
Against Potential
Cyberattacks

9. • Continuing growth in ransomware attacks
• Response to unprecedented economic
sanctions
• Increasing likelihood of foreign, state-
sponsored attacks
• Every organization—large and small—
must be prepared to respond to disruptive
cyber incidents
Strengthening
Cybersecurity

10. IBM i customer
recommendations

11. Multi-factor Authentication
Deploy MFA on all systems
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• This is the #1 defense against malware – mitigates risk of
stolen passwords
• Don’t neglect IBM i in your MFA coverage
• Multiple authentication options that align with your budget
and current authenticators
• Use an MFA solution that can protect more than just user
logon

12. Modern Security Tools
Deploy security tools
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Highly securable platform but not secure by default
• Understand IBM i security settings and customize for your
company
• Modern tools can continuously look for and mitigate threats

13. Cybersecurity Expertise
Work with cybersecurity professionals
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Make sure that your systems are patched and protected
• Testing against all known vulnerabilities
• Change passwords across your networks so that previously
stolen credentials are useless to malicious actors

14. Data Protection
Back up your data
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Extend your backup and DR plans to include security
protections
• “Air-gapped” copies of your backups beyond the reach of
malicious actors
• Test your recovery processes from these copies

15. Security Testing
Run security exercises
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Test security response plans like you run disaster recovery tests
• Critical to be able to respond quickly to minimize the impact of
any attack
• Coordinate the security testing with you DR testing
• Outside contractors can be very valuable

16. Data Encryption
Encrypt your data
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• IBM i systems contain high value data including personally
identifiable information (PII)
• Encryption keeps bad actors from reading and using your data
• Encryption is key to many compliance requirements
• Consider both data at rest and data in motion when using
encryption

17. Employee Education
Educate your employees
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Include education on common tactics that attackers will use
over email or through websites
• Develop employee education that specifically covers IBM i
access.
• Encourage employees to report if their computers or phones
have shown unusual behavior

18. Establish Relationships
Initiate connections with
government agencies
IBM i RECOMMENDATIONS
• Please encourage your IT and Security leadership to be
proactive in establishing relationships
• Engage with your local FBI field office or CISA Regional Office
before you need them
• Visit the websites of CISA and the FBI to find technical
information and other useful resources

19. Questions?