Availabilit
A Holistic Approach to Fortifying the IT Framework

The prevalence and interconnectivity of data in the information age are undeniable. The growing network of systems exposes organizations to an increased risk of data breaches. Organizations spend millions in safeguarding their IT infrastructure, but the risk of data theft persists. The existence of digital footprints makes it easy for cyber criminals to target organizations with phishing attacks.

Cyber attackers also leave a digital trail. Most organizations, however, lack the digital know-how or the relevant tools to investigate a cyber incident by following its trail. They need the expertise of cyber forensics specialists to navigate the intricacies of an organization’s IT infrastructure and get to the bottom of a cyberattack. This is where Availabilit’s (AVBT) meticulous cyber forensics services stand out.

“We help organizations stay ahead of cyber disruptions while minimizing their risk and costs,” says Adrian Choo, director of AVBT.

A cybersecurity and IT consultancy, AVBT has digital forensics expertise in a wide range of specialties, including phishing investigations, mobile device forensics, and e-discovery. Cyber security audits, white-collar crimes, and phishing attack recovery are among its most requested services.

Three Simple Steps Are All It Takes

Initially providing pure IT support for companies, AVBT now focuses primarily on cybersecurity audits, risk assessments, and consulting services to help customers improve their IT infrastructure. It follows a simple three-step methodology of imaging, indexing, and analyzing data to resolve cyber incidents involving IT infrastructure. Its first order of business is to take a comprehensive image of a customer’s existing IT infrastructure, which provides an overview of their network of devices and software. Whether imaging endpoints, mobile devices, or servers, AVBT performs a deep dive, analyzing every area of the network to identify and report vulnerabilities.

It provides reports in a comprehensible format, addressing a major problem that C-suite executives face in audit and risk assessment reports—complex and lengthy notes filled with technical jargon. The simplified technical vocabulary in AVBT’s reports helps management understand the impact of cyberattacks on their business and makes it easier for them to make effective decisions. Once the customer gains better insight into the incident through the reports, AVBT recommends the next course of action to safeguard their data. It further explains how inaction may adversely affect their business.

Best exemplifying its forensics capabilities is a ransomware incident where a client’s data was compromised. AVBT discovered the source of the attack and immediately locked the compromised account. It assisted in recovering data from the day before the attack. Sparing no effort in securing the data, a companywide cybersecurity audit was conducted. Having implemented the necessary changes to secure the IT infrastructure, AVBT had everything up and running smoothly within eight hours.

In another case, a client was hit by an unprecedented data breach when their email was compromised by a phishing link. AVBT’s prompt involvement helped prevent losses. Upon initiating a lockdown, it conducted a thorough investigation to identify compromised areas. AVBT completely recovered their network, helped secure their emails, and assisted law enforcement officers in tracing the attackers.

Data Security Begins at Home

AVBT leaves no stone unturned in ensuring the utmost security of forensic data, which is crucial for legal admissibility and prosecution.

It has set up strict labeling and storage systems for legally admissible data to prevent theft or contamination of evidence.

AVBT assigns each of its cases to specific personnel and allows only those authorized inside its secure investigation space; a controlled area with electronic locks. It employs a wide variety of digital forensic tools that are legally permissible for various security incidents. The tools range from open-source Linux live distributions like CAINE to subscription-based platforms like the Nessus vulnerability scanner.

Depending on the nature and scenario of the cybersecurity incident, AVBT chooses the most suitable tools for data recovery and forensics tasks. It owns specialized hardware and customizes it to increase compatibility across different devices used for incident response and investigations.

Along with acquiring data from servers, data recovery, and reconstruction, AVBT’s forensics expertise extends to litigation support. A Singapore client found the most value in its services when they needed assistance in seeking legal redress in a litigation case. AVBT offered a complete rundown of its process, explaining that its experienced team could handle everything. Forensics were used to extract data from the client’s hard drive to support the litigation process. The recovered data proved invaluable in helping win the case.

We Help Organizations Stay Ahead Of Cyber Disruptions While Minimizing Their Risk And Costs

In addition to AVBT’s proficiency in white-collar crime investigations and litigation support, its forensics capabilities include examining existing IT infrastructure and processes in detail and providing evidence-backed solutions and direction for businesses. Its value comes from the ability to recognize and understand a client’s key concerns as part of its holistic approach, which includes the study of user habits, user training, and discussions with management to understand business direction and how it can assist.

“Taking a holistic approach is vital to protecting an organization’s data,” says Choo.

The Organization’s Best Interests at Heart

AVBT looks at every part of a client’s business to provide a holistic package that addresses all their performance and security concerns. When trying to secure their data, organizations often enforce certain technologies that are disruptive to their staff, resulting in poor security habits that compromise data security. AVBT’s comprehensive approach to data protection considers user behavior, enhancing employees’ user experience while allowing them to work in ways they are used to.

It takes into account a client’s budget and ease of use to achieve what they need with technology. AVBT helps them easily understand and relate to the technical aspects of each step of its process. It further aids in their decision-making process by helping them see how its proposed solution affects their business financially in the long run.

Shining light on AVBT’s holistic services is an instance where it helped a financial services firm resolve issues. Poor previous guidance had led the client to invest in top-of-the-line products and services for IT security and business continuity. Apart from recurring, unreasonable costs, the poorly configured technology made it difficult to resolve business continuity issues triggered by an equipment malfunction. AVBT, besides fixing the issue, performed an audit of their IT systems and reduced their total cost of ownership to one-sixth of what it was previously. It helped them enhance security while improving functionality and usability for users.

This ability to reproduce success in every customer instance speaks volumes about ABVT’s proficiency in successfully handling client requests. Whether organizations require quick incident responses, cyber forensics investigations, or sustainable solutions for business continuity, they can trust AVBT with all their IT security and compliance needs.