Guides

Practical information on keeping systems and data safe from attack.

Guide

How ransomware happens and how to stop it

Ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated. This is how CERT NZ’s critical controls can help.

Guide

Hardening RDP if you have to use it

Understanding why RDP is necessary and who needs access are important when hardening the RDP server. For example, if sta

Guide

Mitigating denial-of-service attacks

There are multiple ways to manage a denial-of-service (DoS) incident and the way you respond depends on the controls yo

Guide

Preparing for denial-of-service incidents

Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks aim to exhaust your resources and take your operations offline. They can have a signific

Guide

Mitigating the impact of incidents in M365

CERT NZ has seen a lot of phishing attacks on Microsoft 365, due to it being a commonly used cloud platform. A percentag

Guide

Securing access to Microsoft 365

We see a large number of Microsoft 365 (formally known as Office 365) branded phishing attacks, due to it being such a c

Guide

Manage authentication

Using a combination of authentication security controls can protect your organisation from a wide range of unauthorised

Guide

Secure defaults for macros

While macros have a valid business function, they are often used by attackers too. Using secure default configurations w

Guide

Cloud-based identity providers and authentication

Using single sign-on with a large cloud identity provider allows your users to protect fewer passwords and your IT staff

Guide

How to report a vulnerability

If you find a vulnerability in a service or product, you should report it to the individual or organisation (the 'vendor

Guide

Mobile device management

A mobile device is any portable device that can access and hold organisational data. It's important to secure these devi

Guide

Default credentials

Change the passwords on any systems that come with default credentials before you use the systems in your environment.

Guide

Unused services and protocols

Unused or older services and protocols often have their own vulnerabilities. Proactively scan your network for any that

Guide

Legacy systems

Legacy systems are systems that are no longer supported by the vendor, or systems that an organisation no longer maintai

Guide

Reporting a vulnerability to CERT NZ

A vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or an online service. Vulnerabilities can be exploited to damage a

Guide

Traffic light protocol

The traffic light protocol (TLP) is a set of designations used to ensure that sensitive information is shared with the c