ISO 27001 - PATECCO GmbH

Top-Risiken Privilegierter Zugriffe und wie man diese mit Privileged Access Management minimiert?

Privilegierte Konten sind der Schlüssel zu den kritischsten Systemen und sensiblen Daten Ihres Unternehmens. Während diese Konten essenzielle Abläufe ermöglichen, stellen sie bei Fehlverwaltung auch ein erhebliches Sicherheitsrisiko dar. Cyberangreifer wissen, dass die Kompromittierung privilegierter Zugangsdaten uneingeschränkten Zugriff auf Ihre Infrastruktur gewährleisten kann. Aus diesem Grund hat PATECCO eine Liste der häufigsten Risiken beim privilegierten Zugriff sowie wirksame Lösungen zusammengestellt, um Organisationen dabei zu unterstützen, ihre kritischen Systeme zu schützen, Sicherheitsbedrohungen zu reduzieren und die Einhaltung gesetzlicher und branchenspezifischer Vorschriften zu gewährleisten. 1. Anmeldedatendiebstahl Gestohlene privilegierte Zugangsdaten ermöglichen es Angreifern, sich als Administratoren auszugeben und Sicherheitsbarrieren zu umgehen. Der Diebstahl von Zugangsdaten gehört zu den häufigsten Einstiegspunkten bei Cyberangriffen. Organisationen können dieses Risiko mindern, indem sie starke Authentifizierung durchsetzen. Außerdem sollten die Zugriffsrechte so eingeschränkt werden, dass Mitarbeiter nur die für ihre Rolle erforderlichen Daten und Werkzeuge erhalten. Kritische Konten sollten zudem mit starken Passwörtern von mindestens 16 Zeichen geschützt werden. 2. Interne Bedrohungen Mitarbeiter, Dienstleister oder Administratoren mit erweiterten Rechten können ihre Privilegien missbrauchen – entweder böswillig oder versehentlich. Dies kann zu Datenlecks oder Systemausfällen führen. Um Insider-Bedrohungen zu mindern, sollten Unternehmen das Prinzip der geringsten Privilegien anwenden, privilegierte Sitzungen in Echtzeit überwachen und Genehmigungsworkflows für sensible Aktionen implementieren, um sicherzustellen, dass alle risikoreichen Vorgänge ordnungsgemäß autorisiert und überprüfbar sind. 3. Generische und unverwaltete Konten Gemeinsam genutzte “Admin“-Konten oder vergessene Systemkonten schaffen blinde Flecken, in denen die Verantwortlichkeit verloren geht. Angreifer können diese nicht verwalteten Konten unbemerkt ausnutzen. Organisationen sollten alle privilegierten Konten identifizieren und generische oder gemeinsam genutzte Zugänge eliminieren. Zudem sollten eindeutige Zugangsdaten einzelnen Benutzern zugewiesen werden, um Verantwortlichkeit sicherzustellen und das Risiko unbemerkter Zugriffe zu verringern. 4. Verbindung mit kompromittiertem Gerät Wenn sich ein privilegierter Benutzer von einem infizierten Endpunkt aus verbindet, können Angreifer Sitzungen kapern und Malware in kritische Systeme einschleusen. Um dieses Risiko zu mindern, sollten Organisationen sichere Zugangsgateways einsetzen, den Gerätezustand vor der Gewährung von Zugriff überprüfen und riskante Verbindungen isolieren, um zu verhindern, dass kompromittierte Endpunkte kritische Systeme beeinträchtigen. 5. Übertragung infizierter Dateien Privilegierte Benutzer teilen häufig sensible Dateien zwischen verschiedenen Systemen aus. Wenn eine Datei kompromittiert wird, kann sich Malware mit erhöhten Berechtigungen schnell verbreiten. Um dieses Risiko zu mindern, sollten Unternehmen die Optionen für die Dateiübertragung einschränken, alle Dateien vor dem Hochladen auf Bedrohungen scannen und alle privilegierten Datenbewegungen protokollieren, um Nachvollziehbarkeit zu gewährleisten und die Verbreitung von Malware zu verhindern. 6. Operative Ineffizienz Ohne Automatisierung verlangsamt die manuelle Verwaltung privilegierter Konten die IT-Teams, erhöht die Fehlerquote und stört die Arbeitsabläufe. Organisationen können die Effizienz steigern, indem sie die Bereitstellung automatisieren, Genehmigungsprozesse vereinfachen und Zugriffsverfahren standardisieren. Dies hilft, Fehler zu reduzieren, Abläufe zu beschleunigen und Kosten zu senken. 7. Compliance-Verstöße Vorschriften wie die DSGVO, NIS2 und der ISO-27001-Standard erfordern strenge Kontrollen für privilegierten Zugriff. Schwache Überwachung oder fehlende Audit-Trails können zu hohen Bußgeldern führen. Um Compliance-Risiken zu verringern, sollten Organisationen die Bereitstellung automatisieren, Genehmigungsabläufe optimieren und Zugriffsprozesse standardisieren. Diese Maßnahmen tragen dazu bei, eine konsistente Durchsetzung von Richtlinien sicherzustellen, die Einhaltung gesetzlicher Vorschriften zu gewährleisten und die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Verstößen zu verringern. Warum PAM wichtig ist Privileged Access Management schützt nicht nur Konten, sondern stärkt auch die Compliance, verbessert die betriebliche Effizienz und reduziert Sicherheitsrisiken. Durch die vollständige Transparenz privilegierter Aktivitäten hilft PAM Unternehmen dabei, Anomalien zu erkennen, bevor sie zu Sicherheitsverletzungen werden. Außerdem sorgt es für einheitliche Zugriffsrichtlinien in allen Systemen, wodurch menschliche Fehler reduziert und Insider-Bedrohungen minimiert werden. Unternehmen, die PAM effektiv implementieren, gewinnen Kontrolle, Verantwortlichkeit und Widerstandsfähigkeit und verwandeln privilegierten Zugriff von einer Schwachstelle in einen strategischen Vorteil. Wie PATECCO Risiken in Resilienz verwandelt Risiken durch privilegierten Zugriff können ernsthafte Bedrohungen für die kritischen Systeme, Daten und die Compliance Ihres Unternehmens darstellen. PATECCO verfügt über umfassende Fachkenntnisse im Bereich PAM und hilft Unternehmen dabei, diese Risiken in operative Resilienz umzuwandeln. Unser Ansatz gewährleistet, dass privilegierte Konten sicher sind, überwacht und effizient verwaltet werden, sodass sich die Teams auf Wachstum und Innovation konzentrieren können. Mit PATECCO erhalten Sie professionelle Unterstützung in folgenden Bereichen: Klicken Sie auf das Bild, um das PAM-One-Pager-Dokument zu öffnen. Wenn Ihr Unternehmen auf der Suche nach einem vertrauenswürdigen IAM-Partner ist, um Ihre Cybersicherheit zu verbessern, Ihre Resilienz zu stärken und eine skalierbare, langfristige Compliance sicherzustellen, zögern Sie nicht, uns zu kontaktieren. Wir helfen Ihnen dabei, Informationssicherheit in einen echten Geschäftsvorteil zu verwandeln.

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Top Privileged Access Risks and How to Eliminate Them with Privileged Access Management

Uncategorized / Ina Nikolova

Privileged accounts are the keys to your organization’s most critical systems and sensitive data. While these accounts enable essential operations, they also represent a major security risk if mismanaged. Cyber attackers know that compromising privileged credentials can provide unrestricted access to your infrastructure. For that reason, PATECCO has compiled a list of the most common privileged access risks and effective solutions to help organizations protect their critical systems, reduce security threats, and maintain compliance with industry regulations. 1. Credential theft Stolen privileged credentials allow attackers to impersonate admins and bypass security barriers. Credential theft remains one of the most common entry points in cyberattacks. Organizations can mitigate this risk by enforcing strong authentication. Access rights should be restricted so that employees only have the data and tools essential for their role. Critical accounts should also be protected with unique passwords of at least 16 characters. 2. Insider Threats Employees, contractors, or administrators with elevated rights may misuse their privileges – either maliciously or by accident. This can lead to data leaks or system outages. To mitigate insider threats, organizations should apply the least privilege principle, monitor privileged sessions in real time, and implement approval workflows for sensitive actions to ensure that all high-risk operations are properly authorized and auditable. 3. Generic and Unmanaged Accounts Shared “admin” accounts or forgotten system accounts create blind spots where accountability is lost. Attackers can exploit these unmanaged accounts unnoticed. Organizations should identify all privileged accounts, eliminate generic or shared logins, and assign unique credentials tied to individual users to ensure accountability and reduce the risk of undetected access. 4. Connection with a Compromised Device If a privileged user connects from an infected endpoint, attackers can hijack sessions and infiltrate malware into critical systems. To mitigate this risk, organizations should enforce secure access gateways, verify device health before granting access, and isolate risky connections to prevent compromised endpoints from affecting critical systems. 5. Transfer of Infected Files Privileged users often share sensitive files across systems. If a file is compromised, malware can spread rapidly with elevated permissions. To mitigate this risk, organizations should restrict file transfer options, scan all files for threats before uploading, and log all privileged data movements to ensure traceability and prevent the spread of malware. 6. Operational Inefficiency Without automation, managing privileged accounts manually slows down IT teams, increases errors, and disrupts workflows. Organizations can improve efficiency by automating provisioning, streamlining approval processes, and standardizing access procedures, which helps reduce errors, speed up operations, and lower costs. 7. Compliance Violations Regulations such as GDPR, NIS2, and ISO 27001 Standard require strict privileged access controls. Weak monitoring or lack of audit trials can result in costly fines. To mitigate compliance risks, organizations should automate provisioning, streamline approval workflows, and standardize access processes. These measures help ensure consistent enforcement of policies, maintain regulatory compliance, and reduce the likelihood of violations. Why PAM Matters? Privileged Access Management does more than protect accounts – it strengthens compliance, enhances operational efficiency, and reduces security risks. By providing full visibility into privileged activities, PAM helps organizations detect anomalies before they escalate into breaches. It also enforces consistent access policies across all systems, reducing human error and minimizing insider threats. Organizations that implement PAM effectively gain control, accountability, and resilience, turning privileged access from a vulnerability into a strategic advantage. How PATECCO Turns Risk into Resilience? Privileged access risks can pose serious threats to your organization’s critical systems, data, and compliance posture. PATECCO brings extensive expertise in PAM to help organizations transform these risks into operational resilience. Our approach ensures that privileged accounts are secured, monitored, and managed efficiently, allowing teams to focus on growth and innovation. By choosing PATECCO, you gain professional support in the following areas: Click on the image, to open the PAM one-pager: If your organization is looking for a trusted IAM partner to enhance your cybersecurity resilience and support scalable, long-term compliance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We are here to help you turn information security into a true business advantage.

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From Compliance to Confidence – How ISO 27001 and ISMS Strengthen Enterprise Trust?

Uncategorized / Ina Nikolova

In the age of advancing digital transformation, marked by growing cyber threats, regulatory pressure, and rising customer expectations, organizations are under increasing scrutiny to protect sensitive information and maintain robust security practices. Simply being compliant is no longer enough – businesses must demonstrate a proactive, transparent, and strategic approach to information security. This is where ISO 27001 and Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) become essential tools – not only for compliance, but for building lasting trust. They provide the structure, processes, and assurance businesses need to shift from a compliance mindset to a proactive, trust-oriented security framework. For companies like PATECCO, this evolution is not optional, but strategic. Why ISO 27001 Matters More Than Ever? ISO 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for information security management. It provides a structured framework to identify, manage, and reduce risks related to information assets, while ensuring ongoing improvement and alignment with business objectives. Achieving ISO 27001 certification proves to clients, partners, and regulators that your organization takes information security seriously – and that it’s willing to adhere to globally accepted standards for protecting data, managing access, and reducing risk exposure. For many companies, ISO 27001 is a required box to check. But for digitally responsible companies, it’s a foundation for long-term trust and business differentiation. ISMS as a Strategic Driver, Not Just a Compliance Tool An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is the engine behind ISO 27001 compliance. It involves not just technologies and policies, but also the people and processes responsible for ensuring continuous security oversight. A well-designed ISMS enables companies to: More importantly, a functioning ISMS fosters a culture of security across the organization, turning compliance into an everyday habit – not a once-a-year exercise. Beyond these core benefits, an effective ISMS also drives proactive risk management by continuously monitoring and adapting to the dynamic threat environment. This agility helps organizations respond swiftly to new vulnerabilities, minimizing potential damage and operational disruption. From Checklist to Business Enabler For many companies, compliance with standards like ISO 27001 is seen as a checkbox requirement – something to achieve for contracts or audits. However, leading organizations now recognize that security maturity is a business enabler. When implemented thoughtfully, an ISMS delivers benefits far beyond risk reduction: In other words, companies that view ISO 27001 and ISMS as strategic assets, but not burdens, are better positioned to lead in the digital economy. Adopting an ISMS positions companies as trusted partners in their industries. Clients, regulators, and business partners recognize the commitment to ongoing security resilience, which can open doors to new opportunities and markets where stringent security standards are a prerequisite. How PATECCO Helps Clients Achieve Information Security Excellence PATECCO supports organizations in building and maintaining strong, compliant, and innovation-ready information security frameworks. By combining deep expertise in Identity and Access Management with its ISO 27001-certified internal processes, PATECCO delivers solutions that go beyond theoretical compliance, helping clients turn security into a tangible business asset. Through a structured, risk-based approach, PATECCO assists clients in establishing Information Security Management Systems that are scalable, auditable, and aligned with international standards. This includes guidance on policy development, process modeling, and integration of technical controls such as Privileged Access Management (PAM) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). In 2025, PATECCO further strengthened its position in the ISMS market by expanding its consulting services to help clients not only prepare for ISO 27001 certification but also build a culture of continuous improvement. With a clear focus on aligning security with business goals, PATECCO enables organizations to increase stakeholder trust, ensure regulatory compliance, and build long-term resilience in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. If your organization is looking for a trusted ISMS partner to enhance your cybersecurity resilience and support scalable, long-term compliance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@patecco.com or call +49 (0) 23 23 – 9 87 97 96 . We are here to help you turn information security into a true business advantage.

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Cybersecurity in Banking sector: Importance, Risks and Regulations

Uncategorized / Ina Nikolova

The threat of financial fraud, cyber-attacks and other malicious activities has become a major concern for businesses around the world, especially in the banking sector. As risk management is essential to protect assets and maintain customer trust, it is important to keep an eye on the latest trends in cyber security in banking and best practices specific to banking. With constant changes in technology, regulations and security requirements adding to the overall complexity, it can be difficult to operate systems securely while meeting business objectives. To help banks better protect their networks against evolving threats – both internally and externally initiated – this article takes a closer look at current cybersecurity risks banks face today and strategic solutions institutions can use to defend themselves against attacks. Importance of cyber security for banking Due to rapid technological developments, maintaining a secure system is becoming increasingly important for banks. In today’s digital world, there is an even greater risk of sensitive personal information such as bank details and passwords being hacked or accessed by malicious actors. The security of customer data is critical to the survival and reputation of a bank. To achieve this goal, banks need to be constantly vigilant and implement enhanced security measures that protect against security threats when browsing the internet or engaging in online banking activities. Banks should also ensure that they use the latest software updates and that all employees are trained in the secure handling of customer data and banking transactions. Ultimately, protecting customer data through strong cybersecurity is essential to ensure safety and security in the banking sector and the longevity of business operations. The biggest risks for banks‘ cyber security In recent years, cybercrime has increased so much that it is already objectively considered the biggest threat to the financial sector. As hackers‘ methods and know-how have become more sophisticated, it is becoming increasingly difficult to consistently defend against attacks. Below you are listed the most important cyber security threats in the banking sector. Phishing attacks In this case, hackers create clone websites that any user can easily access via third-party messaging services. Since there is a credible multi-factor authentication there and it generally looks like a real website, users do not even realize that they have already given their credentials to hackers. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) A DDoS attack uses a botnet – a collection of connected online devices – to flood a target website with spoofed traffic. Unlike other cyberattacks, a DDoS attack does not attempt to compromise security. Instead, the goal is to exhaust network, server or application resources so that they become unavailable to the targeted audience. A DDoS attack can also be used to mask other malicious activity and disable security devices to compromise the target’s security. It is also interesting to note that during the pandemic, the number of DDoS attacks increased by 30% in the financial services industry. Unencrypted data As cybercriminals have become more creative, data threats have not diminished over time. It’s no longer enough to just protect data access points – the data itself must be encrypted. Our partner, IBM , reports that the average cost of a data breach is $4.35 million. The price tag is sure to rise in the future as cyberattacks occur daily, causing tremendous damage to businesses and users. However, with robust encryption methods, these costs can be reduced or avoided altogether. The Ransomware Ransomware is used by cybercriminals to encrypt important data and deny its owners access to it unless they pay a ransom. This cyberattack is unfortunately a serious threat to banks, 90% of which have already been hit. In the age of cryptocurrencies, fraudsters are particularly interested in finding vulnerabilities in the decentralized system. If these vulnerabilities are present, they can easily steal money from the trading system. Data manipulation Altering digital documents and information is known as data tampering. Cybercriminals use arbitrary attack vectors to penetrate networks, gain access to software or applications, and alter data. By manipulating data rather than stealing it, hackers can be more successful and cause catastrophic consequences for organizations or individuals. It is a sophisticated cyberattack because it can take a long time for a user to realize that their sensitive and confidential data has been irrevocably altered. Spoofing Spoofing is a form of cyberattack in which criminals disguise their identity as a trusted and known source in order to steal confidential information or money. Banks face a constant threat of spoofing attacks that can have serious consequences for their customers and operations. In addition, a man-in-the-middle attack is gaining traction, where a hacker intercepts communications between a customer and the bank to gain access to personal information, redirect payments or even launch a denial-of-service attack. Therefore, it is important that banks remain on guard and take measures to protect themselves from these threats. Cybersecurity regulations for banks impacting FinTech Financial institutions should consider the following FinTech regulations to maintain strong security and prevent data breaches. Security managers can use these regulations to evaluate their security measures and those of their suppliers. In addition, your organization can easily identify the processes and procedures needed to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Below are the three most common financial compliance requirements related to financial cybersecurity in banking. NIST NIST has become the No. 1 standard for cybersecurity assessment, security vulnerability identification and compliance with cybersecurity laws, even if compliance is not mandatory. NIST has developed 110 requirements covering various aspects of an organization’s IT procedures, policies and technology. These requirements address access control, system configuration, and authentication methods. In addition, cybersecurity and incident response protocols are defined. Meeting all of these requirements ensures that an organization’s network, systems, and people are efficiently prepared to securely manage all controlled unclassified information (CUI). GDPR The General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) is a security framework designed to protect citizens‘ personal data. Any company that processes private data of EU citizens, whether manually or automatically, must comply with the GDPR. This regulation highlights a

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Best Practices for Successful Risk Management

Uncategorized / Ina Nikolova

Markets and their requirements are currently changing faster than ever before. Digitalisation is advancing, and more and more companies are shifting processes to the cloud. Artificial intelligence is producing results that were previously not thought possible – the outcome is uncertain. Considering these developments, smart risk management is becoming indispensable for companies of all kinds. A robust and customised risk management process not only helps your organisation reduce uncertainty. It can also tip the proverbial scales when it comes to delivering critical value to your customers. This article explains risk management, how to implement enterprise-wide risk management and the link between risk management and information security. What is risk management about? Risk management in a company systematically identifies, evaluates and deals with potential risks. These risks could affect the company’s objectives, assets and stakeholders. Every company has its own risks, depending on the industry and context. An effective strategy requires tailored processes to analyse and appropriately manage the risks. As the use of online technologies in the business context increases, so do the threats. Examples include home office and cloud services to which companies are exposed. Dealing with these risks in a planned manner is essential for a company’s information security. Certification to ISO 27001 is particularly important for those companies that work with large amounts of personal data. This is even more true for companies in critical infrastructures, e.g. the healthcare and financial sectors. ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security and lays the foundation for a company-wide information security management system (ISMS), which in turn defines measures for risk management in the company. This makes the ISMS a particularly important element for the long-term success of a company. Development of a risk management process Risk management according to ISO 27001 follows a process that comprises three central steps: Below we look at each of these steps in detail and provide you with useful best practices. Are you ready? 1. Identification and assessment of risks There are various approaches to identifying and assessing risks for a company. Approaches focusing on assets to be protected, on vulnerabilities, on threats and on scenarios are particularly common. Each variant has certain advantages and disadvantages and areas of application in which it is particularly useful.Before you start with the actual assessment of risks, you must first decide on a basic perspective for the analysis. Basically, there are two categories: qualitative and quantitative risk analyses. 2. Develop a risk treatment plan Once the potential risks to an enterprise have been identified and assessed, a risk treatment plan must be developed. This is used to manage or eliminate the risks. Regardless of the industry, four ways have been established to deal with risks to businesses. „Avoiding the risk“ in this case means doing everything possible to eliminate the cause of the risk. This may include stopping certain activities, no longer serving certain markets or no longer pursuing certain projects. Avoiding the risk makes sense above all when the risk is very likely and the possible consequences would be particularly fatal. If a company decides to „reduce risk“, it takes measures to reduce the risk or mitigate consequences. These include the introduction of measures, processes or guidelines. This option makes sense if the probability of occurrence is low and the possible consequences are significant for the company. In „transferring the risk“, the risk is transferred to another party, for example by taking out insurance or outsourcing certain activities to a third party. This option is always chosen if the possible consequences of a risk would be high and the company itself cannot or does not want to take countermeasures. In this option, the risk and its possible negative consequences are accepted. Instead of taking countermeasures, one prepares as far as possible, e.g. through monitoring or contingency plans, and includes the negative consequences as costs in calculations. This option always makes sense if the possible negative consequences of a risk are relatively small and the company is prepared to bear them. 3. Review and check for residual risks After the risk treatment plan has been completed, it must be reviewed for its effectiveness and possible residual risks. If residual risks are identified, they can be assessed using the above approaches and integrated into the existing plan. The final review is to ensure that the internal risk management is designed for the long term and is continuously monitored and controlled. Any changes in business processes or the business context must be taken into account and may lead to changes in the risk treatment plan. Cybersecurity and compliance are complex and becoming more complicated as more sophisticated threats emerge across the globe. Comprehensive cybersecurity, driven by senior management, can provide flexible and responsive solutions to these issues and protect businesses with an exceptionally secure and robust infrastructure. PATECCO offers you competent expert advice and solutions tailored to you in order to optimally support you in your risk management. In addition, we support you with ISO 27001 certification, your DSGVO compliance and develop individual strategies for your company-wide risk management.

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