By now, you've probably sick of reading about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's New York City nuptials. Apologies if you came to the Huntress blog to escape it all. But even if you're allergic to celebrity gossip, you have to admit that the security apparatus surrounding America's Royal Wedding was impressive. And hey, it worked. As of this writing, no one's even seen the dress yet.
As Huntress' newly hired Swiftie in Residence, I've compiled some Tay-keaways for cybersecurity professionals on how to protect your crown jewels from paparazzi threat actors.
1. Make your environment a fortress
Madison Square Garden was already equipped with its own world-class set up of metal detectors, badges, facial recognition technology, security cameras, and door alarms. Add to that the couple's private security team, the NYPD, and even the FBI and National Guard, and you've got an impenetrable citadel, what Taylor might call "unbreakable heaven."
Defender Tay-keaway: Like the meaning behind Taylor's lyrics, the strongest security postures are multi-layered. Weaving human analysis with SIEM and cutting-edge detection and response technology is the best way to achieve defense in depth.
Key lyric:
Baby, I know places we won't be found, and
They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down
2. Trust no one
There's no doubt that Taylor and Travis's employees, vendors, and even guests were required to sign strict non-disclosure agreements ahead of the big day. A few MSG employees were reportedly escorted off the premises during the event for violating the strict no-phones policy. In other words, the wedding was not BYOD.
Defender Tay-keaway: Authenticate early and often. Combining multi-factor authentication and single-sign on secures user accounts while avoiding login fatigue.
Key lyric:
I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me
3. Throw off the scent
Known to strategically leak false stories to the press from time to time, Taylor reportedly commissioned six different wedding dresses with the intention of only wearing one. While a white gown shaped like a pastry was spotting being loaded into the venue the day of, we suspect it was planted. There's no way the real dress would be left out in the open air.
Defender Tay-keaway: Deception tools like honeypots and honey tokens create decoys that can entrap threat actors and divert them away from your environment.
Key lyric:
You look like Clara Bow in this light
4. Keep tabs on your people
Digital wedding invitations were reportedly sent in April but never leaked to the press, thanks to a customized watermark that identified the invited guest by name.
Defender Tay-keaway: Identity has become the most crucial security perimeter. Know exactly who's in your environment with identity threat detection and response (ITDR). For Microsoft users, Huntress just launched a Managed ISPM that locks down the 365 attack surface.
Key lyric:
… The who's who of "Who's that?" is poised for the attack
5. Learn from the past
While some fans stuck up their nose at the aesthetic of the sports and entertainment venue, the security-conscious choice was likely influenced by past close calls such as the thwarted terrorist attack on the Eras tour in Vienna and the Swiftie invasion of Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's wedding in New Jersey.
Defender Tay-keaway: Document your incidents veraciously so you can refer back and apply lessons learned. Better yet, prepare your team with security awareness training so users can learn from risk-free simulations based on real tradecraft.
Key lyric:
Lookin' backwards
Might be the only way to move forward
