You are the cybersecurity lead at a large corporation. Recently, your organization has been experiencing a relay, DDoS, and spam attacks. You need to devise a strategy to not only mitigate these attacks but also ga Which of the following would be the BEST solution? Implement a strong firewall and block all SMTP traffic. Regularly change the email server's IP address to confuse the attackers. Set up an email honeypot designed to attract and trap these types of attacks. Shut down the email server until the attacks cease.

Question

UpStudy AI · Accepted Answer

Given the scenario where your organization is experiencing relay, DDoS, and spam attacks, it's crucial to implement a strategy that not only mitigates these threats but also provides insights to prevent future incidents. Let's evaluate each option:

1. **Implement a strong firewall and block all SMTP traffic.**
   - **Pros:** Blocking SMTP traffic could prevent spam and relay attacks.
   - **Cons:** SMTP is essential for legitimate email communication. Blocking it entirely would disrupt business operations and communication within the organization and with external partners.

2. **Regularly change the email server's IP address to confuse the attackers.**
   - **Pros:** This could make it temporarily harder for attackers to locate the server.
   - **Cons:** Frequently changing IP addresses can lead to significant operational disruptions, including issues with DNS resolution, email delivery delays, and complications with legitimate email traffic.

3. **Set up an email honeypot designed to attract and trap these types of attacks.**
   - **Pros:** 
     - **Detection and Monitoring:** A honeypot can help in detecting attack patterns and understanding the methods used by attackers.
     - **Intelligence Gathering:** It allows the cybersecurity team to collect valuable data on the attackers' tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), which can be used to bolster defenses.
     - **Mitigation Without Disruption:** Unlike blocking SMTP traffic or shutting down servers, a honeypot does not interfere with legitimate email operations.
   - **Cons:** Requires expertise to set up and maintain effectively but offers significant long-term benefits.

4. **Shut down the email server until the attacks cease.**
   - **Pros:** Immediately stops attacks targeting the email server.
   - **Cons:** Completely disrupts business operations reliant on email, leading to decreased productivity and potential loss of trust from clients and partners.

**Best Solution:**  
**Set up an email honeypot designed to attract and trap these types of attacks.**

**Rationale:**  
Implementing an email honeypot provides a balanced approach by mitigating current threats without disrupting legitimate operations. It allows your cybersecurity team to monitor, analyze, and understand the attackers' behavior, thereby enhancing your overall security posture and enabling proactive defenses against future attacks.

**Additional Recommendations:**
- **Deploy Advanced Email Filtering:** Implement spam filters and anti-malware solutions to detect and block malicious emails.
- **DDoS Mitigation Services:** Utilize services that can absorb and mitigate DDoS traffic to maintain service availability.
- **Regular Security Audits:** Conduct periodic audits to identify and rectify vulnerabilities within your infrastructure.
- **User Training:** Educate employees about phishing and other social engineering tactics to reduce the risk of successful attacks.

By combining a honeypot with these additional measures, your organization can create a robust defense mechanism against a variety of cyber threats.

**Answer:**  
Set up an email honeypot designed to attract and trap these types of attacks.
Set up an email honeypot to effectively detect and mitigate relay, DDoS, and spam attacks without disrupting business operations.

Real Tutor Solution

Answer

Solution

Extra Insights

Related Questions

Latest Computer Technology Questions