March 2023 | Nextworks
Geo-blocking is a technology that restricts access to your online services based upon location. This safeguard is commonly used to block countries, regions, or entire continents from accessing your data and accounts.
Geo-blocking is rather straightforward and can help to increase your online security. While the technology is by no means bullet proof, it’s a protective barrier that can be easily erected, often posing little or no inconvenience to your organization.
Today’s most common hack is to gain access to email, and preferably the email for decision makers or accounting personnel. Thus, Nextworks recommends geo-blocking email access for this reason.
This restriction can be an obstacle for employees travelling to other countries as they would not be able to access email from their laptop or smartphone. However, if they contact their IT Help Desk before making the trip, then a temporary exception can be put in place for their account.
Suppose that you receive a bogus email warning that your Microsoft 365 mailbox is almost out of space. Upon clicking the link in the email to “add more space”, a bogus Microsoft login screen appears. After proving your email address and password, the hacker may now have access to your email.
There are barriers that might prevent this from taking place, such us:
The majority of these types of attacks originate overseas. So while the scammer may now have obtained your email password, they are unable to login to Microsoft 365 from their location.
A web proxy is security tool allowing people to add a privacy layer to their Internet use by adding encryption, and routing traffic through proxies. If you’re using a proxy server, internet traffic flows through the proxy server on its way to the web site you requested.
However, the bad guys can use web proxies too. They can route their traffic through the United States, circumventing geo-blocking that you may have put into place.
There is no silver bullet. A wise security initiative includes an amalgamation of reasonable and prudent technology measures and training programs. Geo-blocking within itself won’t always save you from a financial or a PR disaster. But it certainly can’t hurt. Contact Nextworks today.
Contact Nextworks today for a no cost Cybersecurity Assessment.
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