Tag Archives: malware email

Enhancing Security: Managing Browser and Email Client Plugins with GPO in Active Directory

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Controlling and managing plugins across various browsers and email clients is crucial for maintaining a secure enterprise environment. This blog post will explore how to effectively manage these plugins using Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in an Active Directory (AD) setting, aligning with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Critical Security Controls Version 8.

The Importance of Plugin Management

CIS Control 2: Inventory and Control of Software Assets emphasizes the need to actively manage all software on the network. This includes plugins for browsers like Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and email clients such as Outlook, which can be potential vectors for security breaches if left unmanaged.

Implementing Plugin Management with GPO

Here’s a comprehensive guide to manage plugins using Group Policy across different browsers:

  1. Create a New GPO: In the Group Policy Management Console, create a new GPO or edit an existing one.
  2. Configure Internet Explorer Settings:
    • Navigate to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer
    • Enable “Prevent running of extensions not listed in the Add-on List”
    • Add approved extensions to the “List of Approved Add-ons”
  3. Manage Microsoft Edge Settings:
    • Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge
    • Enable “Control which extensions cannot be installed”
    • Use “Allow specific extensions to be installed” to whitelist approved extensions
  4. Configure Google Chrome Settings:
    • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome > Extensions
    • Enable “Configure extension installation whitelist”
    • Add the extension IDs of approved extensions to the whitelist
  5. Manage Mozilla Firefox (requires additional setup):
    • Firefox requires the Firefox ADMX templates to be added to your Group Policy Central Store
    • Once added, go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Mozilla > Firefox
    • Enable “Extensions to Install” and specify allowed extensions
  6. Configure Email Client Plugins (Outlook):
    • Go to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Outlook > Security
    • Enable “Disable all COM add-ins”
    • Use the “List of Managed Add-ins” to specify allowed add-ins
  7. Apply GPO to Relevant OUs: Link the GPO to the appropriate Organizational Units (OUs) containing user accounts and computer objects.
  8. Test and Monitor: Apply the GPO to a test group before rolling out organization-wide. Monitor for any issues and adjust as necessary.

Aligning with CIS Controls

This comprehensive approach aligns with several CIS Controls Version 8:

  • Control 2: Inventory and Control of Software Assets
  • Control 4: Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software
  • Control 7: Continuous Vulnerability Management
  • Control 12: Network Infrastructure Management

By implementing these policies across various browsers and email clients, you’re taking significant steps towards a more secure and standardized environment.

Additional Considerations

  1. Browser Diversity: Be aware that different browsers may require different GPO settings. Ensure your policies cover all browsers used in your organization.
  2. Third-party Management Tools: For more granular control, especially in environments with multiple browsers, consider using third-party extension management tools that integrate with GPO.
  3. Regular Updates: Browser vendors frequently update their GPO capabilities. Stay informed about new policy options and adjust your configurations accordingly.
  4. User Education: Implement a policy to educate users about the risks of unapproved plugins and the process for requesting new plugins if needed for work purposes.

Regular Review and Updates

Remember to regularly review and update your plugin management policies. New plugins may need to be added to the approved list, while others may need to be removed due to emerging security concerns or obsolescence.

Conclusion

Managing plugins across various browsers and email clients through GPO is an effective way to enhance your organization’s security posture. It provides centralized control, reduces attack surfaces, and helps maintain compliance with cybersecurity best practices across diverse software environments.

Need assistance implementing this multi-browser approach or other security controls? The experts at MicroSolved are here to help. Contact us today to strengthen your organization’s cybersecurity defenses and ensure compliance with industry standards like the CIS Critical Security Controls.

 

 

* AI tools were used as a research assistant for this content.

YAPT: Yet Another Phishing Template

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Earlier this week, we gave you the touchdown task for July, which was to go phishing. In that post, we described a common scam email. I wanted to post an example, since some folks reached out on Twitter and asked about it. Here is a sample of the email I was discussing.

<paste>

Hi My name is Mrs. Hilda Abdul , widow to late Dr. Abdul A. Osman, former owner of Petroleum & Gas Company, here in Kuwait. I am 67 years old, suffering from long time Cancer of the breast.

From all indications my condition is really deteriorating and it’s quite obvious that I won’t live more than 3 months according to my doctors. This is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage.

I don’t want your pity but I need your trust. My late husband died early last year from Heart attack, and during the period of our marriage we couldn’t produce any child. My late husband was very wealthy and after his death, I inherited all his businesses and wealth .The doctor has advised me that I will not live for more than 3 months ,so I have now decided to spread all my wealth, to contribute mainly to the development of charity in Africa, America,

Asia and Europe .Am sorry if you are embarrassed by my mail. I found your e-mail address in the web directory, and I have decided to contact you, but if for any reason  you find this mail offensive, you can ignore it and please accept my apology. Before my late husband died he was major oil tycoon in Kuwait and (Eighteen Million Dollars)was deposited  in a Bank in cote d ivoire some years ago, that’s  all I have left now,

I need you to collect this funds and distribute it yourself to charity .so that when I die my soul can rest in peace. The funds will be entirely in hands and management. I hope God gives you the wisdom to touch very many lives that is my main concern. 20% of this money will be for your time and effort includin any expensese,while 80% goes to charity. You can get back to me via my private e-mail: (hilda.abdul@yahoo.com) God bless you.
1. Full name :
2. Current Address :
3. Telephone N° :
4. Occupation :
5. Age :
6. Country :

MRS. Hilda Abdul

<end paste>

As you can see, this is a common format of a phishing scam. In this case, you might want to edit the targeting mechanism a bit, so that they have to click through to a web page to answer or maybe even include a URL as supposed proof of the claim. That way you would have two ways to catch them, one by email reply and two by click through to the simple phish application.

As always your milage and paranoia may vary, but it is still pretty easy to get people to click or reply ~ even with age old spam phish attacks like this. What kind of return percentages did you get? What lessons did you learn? Drop us a line on Twitter (@lbhuston) and let us know. 

July’s Touchdown Task: Go Phish Yourself!

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This month’s touchdown task is to spend about an hour doing some phishing. Phish your user base, executives and other likely targets. Use the process as a basis for ongoing awareness and security training.

Phishing is a LOT easier and more effective than you might think. We’ve made it easy for you to do, with a free tool called MSI SimplePhish. You can learn exactly how to do it by clicking here.

Pay special attention to this step:

PreCursor: Obtain permission from your security management to perform these activities and to do phishing testing. Make sure your management team supports this testing BEFORE you engage in it.

You might need a couple more ideas for some phishing templates, so here are a couple of the most simple examples from real phishing going on right now:

1. Simply send a non-sensical subject line and the entire body of the message is the phishing url. You might encode this to make it more fun using something like a URL shortener.

2. Copy one of those spam messages that go around where the target inherits 40 million dollars from an oil company exec in the Congo or somewhere. Check your spam folder for examples. Replace the URLs with your phish site URL and click send.

3.  Send a simple music trivia question, which is common knowledge, and tell them to click on the target URL to answer. Make it appear to be from a local radio station and if they answer correctly, they win a prize (movie tickets, concert tickets, etc.)

As a bonus, simply do what many testing vendors do ~ open your gmail spam folder and pick and choose any of the spam templates collected there. Lots to pick from. 

The exercise should be fun, easy and likely effective. If you need any help, drop us a line or give us a call. Until next month, stay safe out there! 

Malware Emails

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There’s a couple malware emails making the rounds right now. One claims to be from the UPS, and the other said to come from CNN.com. The UPS email claims that they tried to deliver a package but the recipient address was wrong. The email contains an attachment invoice which it explains you need to print out and take it to their office. The CNN email contains a subject of “CNN.com Daily Top 10” and includes links that attempt to entice a user to click on them. If you follow the link, you’re redirected to a site and prompted to install an updated flash player. In both cases, of course, the executables are not what they say they are. Usually these emails are fairly easy to pick out due to grammatical and spelling errors. It’s also a good idea to not open any unexpected attachments, even if you believe they’re from a reputable source.