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Escalating tensions in the Kashmiri conflict between India and Pakistan illustrate a point the Indian government has been driving home for years; it is time to double-down on securing India's critical financial services. As the cornerstone of the nation's stability, the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector was the focus of India's first Digital Threat Report 2024, and offers a "comprehensive view of the most critical risks facing the industry today." The report leverages attack data from last year to pinpoint several areas of concern, including advanced social engineering...
As a cybersecurity expert, you are aware that performing static scans is only one part of a good defense-in-depth strategy. Similarly, periodic vulnerability assessments, while valuable, are only a single piece of cyber defense fortification. Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) establishes a logical setting to control organizational threats proactively. CTEM enables an augmented cybersecurity posture, active real-time risk mitigation, and threat precursor disabling. Decoding CTEM CTEM is an always-on strategy that monitors all attack surfaces for risk detection. It focuses on...
Few sectors exemplify the enormous value of data as healthcare does. From the relatively mundane, such as digitalizing patient data for streamlined care, to the extraordinary, like the use of AI to revolutionize prostate cancer diagnosis and care, data is the lifeblood of modern healthcare and, as such, must be protected. For years, we have been told that humans and human error are the weakest link in cyber defenses, but it's time to challenge this notion. This view ignores the crucial role that healthcare professionals play in protecting patient data. With the right tools, culture, and...
Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) have long served as the front line of defense for web applications, filtering out malicious traffic and enforcing security policies. But as threats grow more sophisticated and application environments become more dynamic, many are questioning whether traditional WAFs are still up to the task. In 2025, with the rise of cloud-native applications, APIs, and machine learning-driven attacks, it's no longer enough to rely on static, rule-based filtering. Whether you're evaluating your existing defenses or considering the next generation of application security...
We are in the middle of an AI gold rush. Generative AI (Gen AI) has exploded from research labs into everyday business workflows at breakneck speed. Marketing, software development, customer support, HR, companies across industries deploy Gen AI tools to boost efficiency, automate tasks, and gain an edge. But security trails behind. In the rush to innovate, organizations chase speed and visibility, leaving risk management behind. The benefits of Gen AI are real, but so are the risks, and many only now come into focus. Security has become an afterthought again. This oversight could prove costly...
India's Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 is a turning point in how personal data is regulated, managed, and protected across the country. As every industry becomes more digital, this law makes it clear who owns data and who must protect it. The Act introduces a legal imperative and an operational opportunity for SOC managers, CISOs, DPOs, and IT security teams to revisit how data is collected, stored, shared, and protected. Penalties for non-compliance are hefty, up to ₹250 crore (almost $30M) for each contravention, making the Act among the most stringent data protection...
Protecting your organization from cyber threats and meeting compliance requirements is simpler than ever with the new Tripwire Enterprise 9.3 release, which includes the following enhancements: IPv6 Support IPv6-Only Support: Now fully compatible with environments that operate exclusively on IPv6. This is helpful to: U.S. Federal agencies that must adhere to OMB Memorandum M-21-07 Organizations pursuing FEDRAMP Environments observing NIST SP 800-119 guidelines Axon 3.31 IPv6-Only Support: Expanded to fully support IPv6-only environments RHEL 9.5 Compatibility: Now supports Red Hat Enterprise...
The threat landscape in Mexico is a precarious one. A recent industry report reinforces the severity of Mexico's cybersecurity challenges, describing the country as having a "high level of cyber vulnerability" and noting that state-backed groups and ransomware gangs increasingly view Mexico as an easy target due to "gaps in investment and preparedness." In that context AI-powered attacks and an immature cyber-regulatory infrastructure combine to create a perfect storm of cyber peril for the coming year; and it's one that the country is going to have to figure out how to weather in real-time...
Mexico is in the middle of a digital revolution. Nearshoring, cloud adoption, e-commerce expansion, and AI-driven automation have helped transform everything from manufacturing plants in Monterrey to financial institutions in Mexico City. In just the last five years, Mexico has seen explosive growth in digital platforms and smart infrastructure, fueling economic momentum and global competitiveness. But this progress comes with a caveat: the digital acceleration has outpaced cybersecurity readiness. According to a 2023 report, Mexico was one of the top six most-targeted countries globally for...
As digital transformation sweeps across the healthcare sector, there has never been more at stake. Healthcare data is worth a lot on the black market. Unlike financial data, which has a short shelf life (accounts can be frozen, and fraud alerts issued), medical records stay fresh for a long time. They contain a host of personal information, like medical histories, insurance data, and payment information, which malefactors can use to steal identities, commit insurance fraud, or even create fake medical records. Also, hospitals operate in a highly pressurised environment, where time is of the...
What is ShrinkLocker? ShrinkLocker is a family of ransomware that encrypts an organisation's data and demands a ransom payment in order to restore access to their files. It was first identified by security researchers in May 2024, after attacks were observed in Mexico, Indonesia, and Jordan. So far, so normal. What makes it noteworthy? The ShrinkLocker ransomware is unusual because it uses VBScript and Microsoft Windows's legitimate security tool BitLocker to assist with the encryption of victims' files. Hang on. You mean BitLocker, the full-disk-encryption feature that's supposed to boost...
In an era where innovative technologies are emerging left, right, and center, two of the most influential in recent years are experiencing exponential growth. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are immersive technologies that have now firmly integrated into numerous industries. As these technologies have become more prevalent in our personal and professional lives, they bring with them security and privacy challenges that are hard to overlook. In addition, recent VR/AR security threats (such as the Quest VR attack on Meta) could certainly diversify and multiply if left unmitigated...
Networks form a critical core for our modern-day society and businesses. People, processes, and technologies should be in place for monitoring, detecting, logging, and preventing malicious activities that occur when an enterprise experiences an attack within or against their networks. Key Takeaways for Control 13 Enterprises should understand that their systems and networks are never perfectly immune to a cyberattack. Enterprises can leverage the safeguards provided by Control 13 to guide the evolution and maturity of their security posture. Network monitoring and defense should be viewed as a...
Data shows that financial motivation is a huge incentive for threat actors, which explains the rising prevalence of ransomware and other extortion breaches in the corporate world. In 2023 alone, business email compromise (BEC) complaints received by the FBI amounted to over 2.9 billion. Source This situation highlights an uncomfortable truth that has become clearer over the years: cybersecurity is no longer just about technology—it's about the very survival of a business. According to IBM's 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average total cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s November 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1132 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-43451 A vulnerability that allows for NTLMv2 hash disclosure has been both publicly disclosed and actively exploited. According to Microsoft, only minimal interaction is required and a user left or right clicking on a malicious file is enough to trigger this vulnerability. Microsoft has reported this vulnerability as Exploitation Detected. CVE-2024-49039...
Scammers have leapt at the opportunity to exploit vulnerable UK residents by sending bogus messages telling them they need to take action to receive help with their winter heating bills. In July, the UK's new Labour Government announced that it was limiting who was eligible for assistance with their winter fuel bills by making eligibility means-tested. The controversial decision appears to have inspired fraudsters to launch a campaign designed to steal sensitive information from low-income senior citizens and leave them even more out of pocket. Many people have reported receiving scam text...
When tasked with the IT security of an organization, it can be easy to get bogged down in particulars and definitions and lose heart before you’ve even begun. With a plethora of terms to learn, details to secure, and moving parts to keep track of, building an effective cybersecurity strategy is no simple task. It requires a great deal of effort, planning, and coordination. Security is a crucial aspect of any organization’s success, and cyberthreats are constantly evolving to become more sophisticated and more effective. Understanding the fundamentals of cybersecurity terminology is an...
In today's cybersecurity landscape, controlling access to USB drives is critical, particularly for organizations looking to maintain compliance with regulations like NERC CIP and bolster their security posture. Unauthorized USB usage poses significant risks, from data exfiltration to malware injection. However, restricting USB access entirely isn't always practical. Instead, organizations can implement solutions that monitor and manage USB usage effectively. This blog walks you through creating a USB registry rule using Tripwire Enterprise to monitor real-time USB insertion while ensuring only...
Understanding the threats we face is crucial to protecting against them. Industry research and reports are invaluable to this understanding, providing insights to inform mitigation efforts. Few cybersecurity reports are as valuable or comprehensive as the annual ENISA Threat Landscape Report (ETL). Now in its 20th year and published by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the ETL covers data from June 2023 to July 2024, revealing the key trends shaping the cyber threat landscape in Europe and beyond. So, without further ado, let's dive in. Geopolitics Drives Cyber Threats...
File Integrity Monitoring ( FIM) is a key intelligence and audit tool in an advanced security portfolio. While it is a logical component to integrate into your Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response ( SOAR) tooling, it’s important to consider your approach to ensure you can gain the most benefits from it. Classify First The sensible starting place for your integration is to consider your FIM strategy. Working with clients to integrate FIM data sets for SOAR use cases, I’ll typically focus on ensuring FIM data is well classified: Categorize – Your FIM tool is likely already...
Users who do not have the appropriate security awareness training are considered a weak link in the security of an enterprise. These untrained users are easier to exploit than finding a flaw or vulnerability in the equipment that an enterprise uses to secure its network. Attackers could convince unsuspecting users to unintentionally provide access to the enterprise network or expose sensitive information. Proper training should be provided to users in order to decrease the risk of a security incident. Key Takeaways for Control 14 An enterprise should provide users with frequent security...
Tripwire's October 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge, Office, Excel, and Visio that resolve remote code execution, elevation of privilege, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 80 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, denial of service, and remote code execution vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities affect core Windows, Kernel, Win32k...
International law enforcement agencies have scored another victory against the LockBit gang, with a series of arrests and the seizure of servers used within the notorious ransomware group's infrastructure. As Europol has detailed in a press release, international authorities have continued to work on "Operation Cronos", and now arrested four people, seized servers, and implemented sanctions against an affiliate of the ransomware group. A suspected LockBit developer who made the mistake of holidaying outside of Russia was the first to be arrested, thanks to an extradition treaty the country had...
Tripwire's September 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the list are patches for Microsoft Excel, Visio, and Publisher that resolve remote code execution, elevation of privilege, and security feature bypass vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 35 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, denial of service, and remote code execution vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities affect core Windows...
Human nature tells us that we’ll go for the low-hanging fruit before climbing a tree. Since threat actors are (after all) human, the same applies to them. Since databases are particularly vulnerable to many lower-level attacks, they are constantly at high risk. From misconfiguration to credential theft, these repositories of sensitive information can be preyed upon by even the most nascent cybercriminals. However, this Achilles’ heel also makes them easy to protect – once you know what threatens them. This article will focus on a handful of major database security threats and what you need to...
Have you ever stopped to consider all of the components that comprise a working automobile? Even a cursory examination reveals more parts than might be considered when we turn the ignition key. However, many of these components are useless when detached from the full product. A steering wheel without a car is not exactly an efficient mode of transportation. However, when multiple entities work together in tandem, the result can be a thing of beauty. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The individual pieces and parts become more than the sum of the various bits when orchestrated...
We’re over halfway through the year, and ChainAnalysis has released parts one and two of their 2024 Crypto Crime Mid-Year Update . The update provides valuable insight into the cryptocurrency and cybersecurity landscape, so let’s look at the key takeaways and what they mean. There’s Been an Overall Decline in Illicit Activity Contrary to what one might expect, aggregate illicit activity on the blockchain decreased 19.6% from H1 2023 to H1 2024, falling from $20.9B to $16.7B. Although ChainAnalysis notes that illicit activity totals will likely rise over time, these statistics demonstrate that...
For the past few years, the CRM market has witnessed steady growth and it is projected to reach $89 billion by 2024. Estimates are that this growth will continue into the foreseeable future. Essentially, CRM systems have come to stay and have become the backbone of many organizations. However, the bleak state of cybersecurity cuts across many industries, and CRM systems are equally vulnerable. Hence, organizations need to make concerted efforts to secure their customers’ data, which can be sensitive. However, there are seven key practices you can use to secure your cloud CRM data and ensure...
It cannot be denied that the rise of remote work has opened up many opportunities for both employers and job seekers. Despite this, however, it has also presented a plethora of challenges when it comes to recruiting in the cybersecurity and tech spaces, one of the most notable of which is the proliferation of candidates who either don’t exist entirely or who aren’t who they claim to be. Companies have embraced digital channels and processes to streamline recruitment and onboarding, saving time, money, resources, and extending opportunities to workers who are not bound by geographical red tape...
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that malicious hackers continue to be capable of compromising industrial control systems (ICS) and other operational technology (OT) using "unsophisticated methods" - suggesting that much more still needs to be done to secure them properly. In an advisory posted on CISA's website yesterday, the agency said that internet-accessible industrial systems could be vulnerable to a number of methods of compromise, including exploitation of default credentials and brute force attacks. Notably, CISA chose to particularly highlight...
Privacy and convenience have always been at odds, especially regarding digital onboarding or online sign-ups. For modern organizations, striking a balance between the two has become increasingly important. At the same time, a recent report said 53% of customers suggest that they would give up their interaction with a brand if it took longer than two minutes, while as many as 87% expect basic levels of privacy to be met. Customers are more privacy literate than ever. They understand the value of their data and expect the brands they deal with to address data privacy concerns adequately. While...
At a time when digital connectivity is the lifeblood of all business operations, the specter of network attacks is greater than ever. As entities depend on complex network infrastructures, malefactors exploit vulnerabilities with growing sophistication and frequency. Understanding the diverse nature of these threats—from DoS and DDoS attacks to reconnaissance exploits—is crucial for devising effective defense strategies. This article delves into the primary types of network attacks, offering insights into their mechanisms and practical approaches to protecting today's networks against these...
A new ransomware operation has started to leak information it claims has been stolen from organisations it has compromised around the world. In recent days Valencia Ransomware has posted on its dark web leak site's so-called "Wall of shame" links to gigabytes of downloadable information that has seemingly been exfiltrated from a Californian municipality, a pharmaceutical firm, and a paper manufacturer. The alleged victims include the City of Pleasanton in California (where the attacker claims to have stolen 283GB of sensitive information), Malaysian pharmaceutical firm Duopharma Biotech (25...
When discussing the consequences of a data breach for organizations, we usually consider three types of damage: financial, legal, and, somewhat more tenuously, reputational. But what about stock prices? One would assume that stock price—an indicator of a business’s overall health and investor confidence—would plummet after a breach, but is this really the case? Do Stock Prices Fall After Data Breaches? In short, yes, data breaches do negatively impact stock prices. But this statement oversimplifies the issue. For example, the impact of a data breach on stock price varies depending on the...
Amid the numerous instruments that have augmented our digital communication and commerce experiences over time, email remains a staple for everything, from confirming purchases to life-changing events like the authorization of financial aid. It comes as no surprise that email scams have been a mainstay of cyberattacks since the earliest days of online correspondence. Worse yet, their scope and sophistication have kept pace with and taken liberal advantage of general digital developments. Today's phishing attempts and other scams are more thought-out, cunning, and effective than ever. This...
So, you're considering integrating the NIST CSF 2.0 (National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework) into your cybersecurity practices. Congratulations! You've taken the first step toward improving your organization's cybersecurity posture. However, you may need clarification about the best approach to aligning your cybersecurity practices with the NIST CSF. This process can strain financial and time resources, so it's best you plan your approach correctly and take a thoughtful and systematic approach to integration. So, please keep reading for an explanation of NIST...
The modern age of renewable energy has seen a surge in solar panels and wind turbines. While these systems enhance sustainability, their digital technologies carry risks. Cybersecurity professionals must know the relevant nuances when integrating renewable systems. How Solar Energy Is Vulnerable to Outside Attacks Recent incidents have demonstrated the importance of cybersecurity for power grids. There are three primary ways that solar energy is vulnerable to outside threats: 1. Inverters The primary infiltration location for solar energy is the inverters. These tiny devices convert the...
To allay dependence on oil revenue and expand the private sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed, in recent years, to establishing a knowledge-based economy. Consequently, they have become a formidable competitor in Information Communication Technology (ICT). As the ICT industry has grown, so have government agencies to regulate it, namely the Signals Intelligence Agency, formerly known as (and often still referred to as) the National Electronic Security Authority (NESA). As ICT services imbue nearly every sector within the UAE – transportation, retail, financial services...
Securing virtual identities and entry points has become a critical priority as cyber threats grow more sophisticated. A Single Sign-On (SSO) system offers ease and allows multi-functionality with a single set of identity verification, but they are enticing targets for cyber attackers. Organizations need Zero Trust Architecture to alleviate this risk. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) is a protection framework that is designed on the principle of never trust and always verify. Incorporating Zero Trust standards with SSO systems improves safeguards for businesses. It makes sure that every...
Change is relentless. Technology evolves at breakneck speed, and security practitioners face a constant barrage of updates, system tweaks, and new tools. This relentless stream of modifications can create a clutter of information, making it challenging to pinpoint what is truly important. Effectively filtering through this noise through effective change management is critical for maintaining operational efficiency and security. In this blog, we'll delve into three essential levels of change that can help you cut through the clutter and focus on what really matters for your tech environment...
There are many good business, security, and compliance reasons for leveraging the extensive rule and policy engines of Fortra’s Tripwire Enterprise (TE) to implement Security Configuration Management (SCM) capabilities, which have been documented very well in other blogs. In contrast, this article deals more with “how can we fully leverage this capability” technically instead of “why” we use them. TE policy tests enable a constant reportable gauge on profile-based, security-related configuration settings. The primary value of this capability is enabling organizations to identify security...
Tripwire's August 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft, Adobe and Google. First on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge and Google Chromium that resolve 12 vulnerabilities, including information disclosure, remote code execution, and memory corruption vulnerabilities. Up next are patches for Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Visio, Excel, Project, and Office that resolve remote code execution, elevation of privilege, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Up next are patches for Adobe Reader and Acrobat. These patches resolve 12 issues, including...
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is a cybersecurity process that involves continuously monitoring files and systems to identify any unauthorized changes. FIM solutions maintain file integrity by comparing a file or system's current state to a known, trusted baseline and flagging any discrepancies. It is key for identifying security breaches, preventing data tampering, and maintaining compliance. This is particularly true in an era where data breaches and cyberattacks are increasingly sophisticated and commonplace. FIM plays a vital role in protecting critical assets by helping entities detect...
Who doesn't fancy earning US $2.5 million? That's the reward that's on offer from the US Department and State and Secret Service for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a Belarusian man who allegedly was a key figure behind the development and distribution of the notorious Angler Exploit Kit. 38-year-old Vladimir Kadariya is charged with a range of cybercrime offences which saw millions of internet users defrauded through malvertising and other means since at least October 2013. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate but often redirected victim...
When outsourcing the IT department was first introduced, many business owners hailed it as the solution to all their technology problems. The promise of reduced headcount, less overhead and sunk costs, as well as reduced management responsibilities, seemed like a gift that would boost profits. When cloud computing entered the business world, the same promises were realized. However, shifting responsibility to an outside administrator brought new risks to the organizations. Modifications to an environment could be made with little oversight or traceability. The lack of oversight can be...
Effectively acting as an invisible shield, the inner workings of IoT security are often taken for granted. However, we can focus and shine a light on the protocols and practices that provide the foundation of IoT security to help others see how these efficiently operate behind the scenes to protect complex networks of interconnected devices. We will consider everything from everyday smart home devices to large-scale, cloud-based services, focusing on the security measures that are in play to prevent data breaches and avoid potentially disastrous cyber attacks against organizations. What Is IoT...
It has been only one year and nine months since OpenAI made ChatGPT available to the public, and it has already had a massive impact on our lives. While AI will undoubtedly reshape our world, the exact nature of this revolution is still unfolding. With little to no experience, security administrators can use ChatGPT to rapidly create Powershell scripts. Tools like Grammarly or Jarvis can turn average writers into confident editors. Some people have even begun using AI as an alternative to traditional search engines like Google and Bing. The applications of AI are endless! Generative AI in...
What Is Authentication? Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system. It is a critical component of security, ensuring that only authorized individuals or entities can access sensitive information or systems. There are several methods of authentication, including knowledge-based factors (something you know, like a password), possession-based factors (something you have, like a security token), and inherence-based factors (something you are, like a fingerprint). Authentication has evolved rapidly in the past few years. Technologies like passwordless authentication...
NIST SP 800-53 is a framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that provides guidelines and best practices for securing federal information systems and protecting the privacy of individuals whose information these systems handle. The Special Publication has gone by several different names. NIST initially released Special Publication 800-53 in 2005 under the title “Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems,” updated it in 2009 to “Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations,” and most recently removed...
An investigation dating back almost ten years has seen the extradition this week to the United States of a man suspected to be the head of one the world's most prolific Russian-speaking cybercriminal gangs. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) says it has been investigating a cybercriminal using the online handle "J P Morgan" since 2015, alongside parallel investigations run by the United States FBI and Secret Service. The first notable appearance of the moniker "J P Morgan" dates back to 2011, when he and associates launched the Reveton ransomware. Early versions of Reveton posed as a warning...
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), published by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is a widely used set of guidelines for mitigating organizational cybersecurity risks. It contains recommendations and standards to help organizations identify and detect cyberattacks and advice on how to respond, prevent, and recover from cybersecurity incidents. Since Version 1.0’s initial release in 2014, the NIST CSF has undergone two major updates: Version 1.1 in 2018 and Version 2.0 in 2024. Let’s explore what the Framework is and does and how it has changed over the years...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s August 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1119 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-38178 CVE-2024-38178 describes a vulnerability in the Microsoft Edge scripting engine when run in Internet Explorer Mode. On top of requiring Edge be running in Internet Explorer Mode, an attacker must convince a user to click on a link to load the malicious code. Microsoft has reported this vulnerability as Exploitation Detected. CVE-2024-38193 A vulnerability...
Cybercriminals are notorious for their opportunism. No situation is off limits: whether they exploit conflict and human suffering, blackmail vulnerable individuals by threatening to leak therapy notes, or even bring healthcare organizations to their knees, cybercriminals will stop at nothing to make a quick buck. Hurricane season is a particularly lucrative time of year for cybercriminals. Every year, inclement weather rips through the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, causing billions of dollars in damage and putting lives at risk. This year's season began with unusual ferocity as Hurricane Beryl...
Tripwire's July 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the list are patches for Microsoft Office and Outlook that resolve remote code execution and spoofing vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 65 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, denial of service, and remote code execution vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities affect core Windows, Kernel, Cryptographic Services, Imaging, Layer-2...
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was enacted to restore public confidence in the wake of major corporate and accounting scandals. The legislation aims to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws. One key aspect of SOX compliance is ensuring the integrity and security of financial data. In the digital age, cybersecurity practices play a crucial role in adhering to SOX requirements. Entities can employ several cybersecurity measures to protect their financial data and comply with SOX regulations at every pillar...
Bot attacks constitute a major danger to businesses and individuals. For five consecutive years, the percentage of global web traffic connected to bad bots has increased, reaching 32% in 2023, a 1.8% increase from 30.2% in 2022, while human traffic represented only 50.4%. These nefarious bots are designed to breach a system, access confidential files illegally, and disrupt normal operations, which leads to severe financial and reputational consequences. In this sense, it is important to have deep knowledge of the different types of bot attacks to help establish a resilient security measure...
The staggering sum of US $75 million has reportedly been paid to a ransomware gang in what is believed to be the largest known ransom payment made by a cyber attack victim since records began. Researchers at Zscaler claim in a new report that the record-breaking figure was paid by an undisclosed Fortune 50 company to the Dark Angels ransomware group. The reported payment almost doubles the previous record - $40 million paid by insurance giant CNA Financial in 2021 after being locked out of its network by attackers using the Phoenix Locker ransomware. Dark Angels, which emerged in May 2022, has...
In our continuing series of book reviews, the Fortra team read How AI Works: From Sorcery to Science by Ronald T. Kneusel. The book is advertised as unraveling “the mysteries of artificial intelligence, without the complex math and unnecessary jargon.” I really enjoyed how the book began with an AI Overview. As a hot sauce fan, I found it amusing that the first example utilized a hot sauce factory. The entire overview is an excellent read for anyone curious about the basics of AI, and it was expertly told. Other members of the team had good things to say about the book: “How AI Works” is a...
Ransomware has evolved significantly since its inception. Initially, these attacks were relatively simple: malware would encrypt a victim's files, and the attacker would demand a ransom for the decryption key. However, as cybersecurity measures improved, so did ransomware gangs' tactics. Modern ransomware attacks often involve sophisticated techniques such as data exfiltration, where attackers steal sensitive information before encrypting it. This development allows them to threaten to release the stolen data publicly, adding an additional layer of extortion. Re-extortion is the latest...
Burnout happens when job demands such as workload, time pressure, and difficult clients are high, as well as when job resources, including quality leadership, autonomy and decision authority, recognition, and strong relationships, are lacking. The field of cybersecurity is particularly difficult, but that doesn't mean burnout is inevitable, and it doesn't mean you can't recover after experiencing burnout. There are some daily practices that you can take to help you avoid burnout while keeping your performance and productivity high. Recharging Your Batteries Each day, you have a certain amount...
The transition to PCI DSS 4.0 is here. The transition period from PCI DSS 3.2 ended on March 31, 2024, so businesses in all sectors must focus on aligning their practices with the new requirements. This blog will guide you through the key points discussed by PCI experts Steven Sletten and Jeff Hall in a recent webinar held by Fortra on "PCI 4.0 is Here: Your Guide to Navigating Compliance Success." High-Level Goals and Flexibility PCI DSS 4.0's main aim is to ensure that the standard continues to meet the payment industry's evolving security needs. One focus of the new standard is to offer...
SEXi? Seriously? What are you talking about this time? Don't worry, I'm not trying to conjure images in your mind of Rod Stewart in his iconic leopard print trousers. Instead, I want to warn you about a cybercrime group that has gained notoriety for attacking VMware ESXi servers since February 2024. Excuse me for not knowing, but what is VMWare EXSi? EXSi is a hypervisor - allowing businesses who want to reduce costs and simplify management to consolidate multiple servers onto a single physical machine. ESXi is a popular choice with cloud providers and data centres that have a require to host...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising solution to modernize power grids. The technology, alongside other upgrades like Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, could make energy infrastructure more reliable and sustainable. However, AI power grids also pose significant cybersecurity risks. Attacks against critical infrastructure are becoming more common. As energy authorities ramp up their investments in AI, they should pay attention to these risks to enable a safer tech transformation. The Current State of AI Power Grids The use of AI in power grids is still a new concept...
Cybersecurity has become an integral part of our daily lives, impacting everyone around the world. However, the question arises: are rules and regulations alone sufficient to make cyberspace secure? Ethics, which are the principles that guide our decisions and help us discern right from wrong, play a crucial role in this context. They aim to create positive impacts and promote the betterment of society. Ethics are essential to cybersecurity because they ensure adherence to principles and guidelines that uphold the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of information while respecting...
In our technologically advanced era, where cyber threats and data breaches are constantly evolving, it's crucial for companies to focus on Security Configuration Management (SCM) to protect their resources and information. Whether dealing with infrastructure, cloud services, industrial installations, or outsourced solutions, each environment presents unique security challenges that require customized approaches and tools for effective protection. Let's explore SCM, its significance, and the specialized strategies and methods used in different settings. Understanding Security Configuration...
As our interactions with the digital world grow, connections will be established within seconds, leading to more online attacks. One type of attack we may be exposed to is known as a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) — a technique cyber attackers use to take over our online communications. The best way to stay safe online is with a better understanding of the problems caused by these digital attacks and identification of the dangers and consequences they entail. Understanding MitM Attacks This form of attack happens when an adversary intercepts a communication process. The attacker positions himself...
Vulnerability management is a foundational cornerstone for reducing your organization’s cyber risk, but what are vulnerabilities and why is it important to create a strong vulnerability management program? The National Institute of Science and Technology ( NIST) defines a vulnerability as, “Weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls, or implementation that could be exploited or triggered by a threat source.” With hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities that have been discovered, it is increasingly more important to get vulnerability management right and...
In recent years, cloud technology has become integral to business operations. Compared to on-premises infrastructure, it allows for improved scalability and flexibility, cost savings, collaboration, security, and data loss prevention. The cloud computing market is set to reach $679 billion in value in 2024. But what are the trends currently defining the cloud computing market? According to Donnie MacColl, Senior Director of International Support and Global Data Protection Officer at Fortra, the cloud technology landscape 2024 is characterized by several key trends, many of which are evolutions...
What's happened? A new strain of the HardBit ransomware has emerged in the wild. It contains a protection mechanism in an attempt to prevent analysis from security researchers. HardBit? I think I've heard of that before. Quite possibly. HardBit first emerged in late 2022, and quickly made a name for itself as it attempted to extort ransom payments from corporations whose data it had encrypted. That doesn't sound unusual. What made HardBit different?, and demand that You're right. In many ways, HardBit is like other ransomware. It is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation made available -...
A career in cybersecurity can be rewarding, challenging, and, frankly, lucrative. But it's not the easiest industry to break into: the skills required for a cybersecurity role are both niche and specific, the bar for entry is relatively high, and there are very few entry-level jobs available. But don't be disheartened. The cybersecurity industry is crying out for fresh talent. With hard work, a little luck, and the right advice, you can set yourself up for a long and satisfying career in cybersecurity. With this in mind, we spoke to two industry veterans to get their thoughts on breaking into...
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming more pervasive within different industries, its transformational power arrives with considerable security threats. AI is moving faster than policy, whereas the lightning-quick deployment of AI technologies has outpaced the creation of broad regulatory frameworks, raising questions about data privacy, ethical implications, and cybersecurity. This gap is driving regulators to intervene with guidance in creating standards that reduce the risks. A report by the World Economic Forum suggests that best-practice guidelines are necessary for maintaining...
Companies often go for high-end cybersecurity solutions because dealing with complex problems looks impressive. The appeal of fancy tech and advanced security challenges gives them a sense of achievement and a chance to show off their skills - and says they're serious about staying ahead of cyber crooks. However, this isn't always the best strategy. Many significant risks arise from simple vulnerabilities and overlooked areas, which is why a balanced approach that tackles both advanced and basic security needs is essential for thorough protection. But how should businesses go about this? We...
Pig butchering scams came onto the scene a few years ago and have been gaining momentum ever since. A unique take on an old classic, pig butchering is a typical investment scam with a romantic or relationship-based twist. The large sums of "invested" money are typically funneled into fake crypto apps where they are promptly lost. Those who have fallen victim to pig butchering scams have taken out home mortgage loans, borrowed from friends and family, and even lost their life savings on the financial advice of those they were led to believe cared about them. The more you know about this type of...
It seems like such a short time ago that the Security Standards Council released the newest version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). It has been a full year, and version 4.0 is now in effect. Industries that adhere to the Standard were given the year to implement the new changes. The Standard includes limited exceptions for specific requirements, classifying them as best practices until March 31, 2025; however, similar to how rapidly this new Standard became effective, 2025 is not that far away. Two Requirements of particular interest in the Fortra product line...
What's RansomHub? Despite first appearing earlier this year, RansomHub is already considered one of the most prolific ransomware groups in existence. It operates a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation, meaning that a central core of the group creates and maintains the ransomware code and infrastructure, and rents it out to other cybercriminals who act as affiliates. How has RansomHub become such a big deal so quickly? RansomHub undoubtedly benefited from the disruption caused to the LockBit gang by law enforcement in February 2024. An international operation against LockBit not only saw...
For cybersecurity professionals tasked with defending the public sector, tackling the U.S. Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) is just another hurdle to a safer federal tomorrow. Part of a wide collection of necessary federal government compliance requirements, it hones in on which baseline security configurations are necessary for federally deployed IT products. While not a standalone piece of legislation, USGCB compliance is a core requirement of FISMA (Federal Information Security Modernization Act). Here's the top 10 FAQs related to USGCB and how you can come out on top. 1. What is...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s July 2024 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1114 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-38112 A vulnerability in the Windows MSHTML Platform could allow spoofing to occur. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires that the attacker convince the victim to execute a malicious file. Microsoft has reported this vulnerability as Exploitation Detected. CVE-2024-38080 A vulnerability in Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization platform could allow an...
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is a Department of Defense (DoD) service provider that supplies a global information-sharing architecture for all DoD members "from the President on down." Their cybersecurity measures are among the best in the world. As Amy Probst, Lead Customer Management Specialist at DISA, explains, DISA’s Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) program "monitors for and protects against malicious cyber activity, reports cyber incidents, and shares pivotal cyber situational awareness to defend the Department of Defense Information Network and customer terrain."...
The IT and OT systems that support not only federal governmental agencies but also national critical infrastructure must be protected, but developing a security strategy effective against threats is no easy feat. It can be difficult to cover all of the necessary areas, given that these systems are “complex and dynamic, technologically diverse, and often geographically dispersed,” according to a report from the United States Government Accountability Agency (GAO). The GAO report concerns the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy and its associated implementation plan, assessing the strategy...
Each day, it seems that we hear of another healthcare organization being compromised by a cyber attack. It is clear that the healthcare industry is the new favorite target amongst cybercriminals. Fortunately, vigorous efforts are available to combat these threats. We recently spoke to Errol Weiss, Chief Security Officer at Health-ISAC. Errol spearheads the information sharing and analysis center, helping to make the healthcare sector better informed and more resilient. Tell us about how you became involved in the cybersecurity profession. I got interested in cybersecurity as a teen, reading...
What's happening? Security researchers have warned that a new ransomware group has taken an unusual twist on the traditional method of extorting money from its corporate victims. So what's different this time? Whereas many ransomware attacks see a company's company's data exfiltrated by attackers, and the threat made that stolen data will be sold to other cybercriminals or released to the public, the Volcano Demon gang... Sorry, excuse me? Volcano Demon? Yes, that's the name of the ransomware gang. Can I continue? Sure. Go ahead. What are they doing? As I was saying... the Volcano Demon group...
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), enacted by the United States Congress in 2002, is a landmark piece of legislation that aims to improve transparency, accountability, and integrity in financial reporting and corporate governance. The act was a response to high-profile corporate scandals, such as those involving Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco International, which shook investor confidence and underscored the need for regulatory reforms to prevent corporate fraud and protect investor interests. Compliance with the SOX Act is mandatory for publicly listed companies in the U.S. Failure to comply with SOX...
In Part 1, the existing global regulations around IoT were introduced. In this part, the challenge of complying with these rules is examined. The IoT Security Challenge Securing the Internet of Things (IoT) presents complex challenges that stem primarily from the scale, heterogeneity, and distributed nature of IoT networks: Inconsistent security standards: One of the most pressing issues is the inconsistency of security features across different devices and manufacturers. Since IoT encompasses a wide range of device types—from simple sensors to sophisticated industrial machinery—the level of...
Tripwire's June 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Chromium that resolve use after free, heap buffer overflow, and out of bounds write vulnerabilities Next on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office and Outlook that resolve 4 remote code execution vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 35 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure...
Contrary to what one might expect, creating a File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) system is pretty easy. Practically anyone with a modicum of Python, Perl, or development skills can write an app or script to gather a file's checksum, compare it to a list or baseline, and tell you whether or not said file has changed. But creating a good FIM solution is hard. Many inadequate checkbox File Integrity Monitoring solutions are on the market because while detecting change is easy, reconciling it is not. Purchasing one of these inferior solutions could result in a failed audit and severe financial...
Containerization has revolutionized application development, deployment, and management – and for good reason. The ability to automatically wrap an application and its dependencies into a single, easily deployable package helps developers focus on what they do best: writing code. Widely recognized as the go-to method to boost productivity and simplify the process, containerization keeps gaining traction with organizations looking to streamline their software development and delivery practices. According to Forrester, 71% of DevOps teams leverage containers and microservices to deliver...
There's some possibly good news on the ransomware front. Companies are becoming more resilient to attacks, and the ransom payments extorted from businesses by hackers are on a downward trend. That's one of the findings of insurance broker Marsh, which conducted an analysis of the more than 1800 cyber claims it received during 2023 from its clients in the United States and Canada. According to Marsh, ransomware attacks were linked to less than 20% of all claims made to the firm during the last year. Instead, claims were often driven by other factors. These factors include the "increased...
As we pass the halfway mark of 2024, data breaches remain on the rise. Cybercriminals are finding more and more inventive ways to infiltrate organizations, exploiting vulnerabilities in networks, software, and human behavior. From phishing schemes and ransomware attacks to insider threats and supply chain compromises, the threat of cyber attacks continues. This is bad news, especially for certain industries. The consequences of these breaches extend far beyond financial losses. Companies that fall victim can face regulatory fines and civil legal problems. Several industries have been targeted...
As the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris approach, organizers are intensifying cybersecurity measures in response to warnings from experts and law enforcement agencies about a likely surge in cyberattacks. The Games, set to start on 26 July this year, are projected to sell over 13 million tickets and attract more than 15 million visitors to Paris, generating around 11 billion euros in economic activity. Big Events Attract Bad Attention, Too And because cybercriminals are like pickpockets, always following the crowds, this massive influx of commerce and data makes the event an attractive target for...
Artificial Intelligence ( AI) is now integrated into almost every available technology. It powers numerous real-world applications, from facial recognition to language translators and virtual assistants. AI offers significant benefits for businesses and economies by boosting productivity and creativity. However, it still faces practical challenges. Machine learning often requires substantial human effort to label training data for supervised learning. Artificial Intelligence, often referred to as Narrow AI or "weak AI," is designed to perform specific tasks and operates within a limited scope...
Zero Trust maturity might be one of the least understood security buzzwords of our era. The term “Zero Trust” was originally coined over a decade ago and described the principle of not assigning digital trust to any entity, ever, for free. It represented a fundamental paradigm shift from the trust-happy early internet days to the threat-filled cyber landscape we now know. Since then, companies have been striving to make all their systems Zero-Trust mature. As right they should. Attackers aren’t worthy of any more trust than they ever were, and we should not assign it to them. However, there...
In the past four years, cyberattacks have more than doubled. Cybercriminals are leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate more sophisticated attacks. Geopolitical tumult has increased cyber risk. Couple these factors with a near-ubiquitous desire for businesses to expand their operations, and it’s easy to understand the need for scaling Security Operations Center (SOC) operations. However, scaling SOC operations is no mean feat, especially considering the current threat, economic, and business landscapes. There are many challenges that SOC managers, CISOs...
I recently came across the " Johari Window Model" and thought this would be a good way to gain inspiration to explain the conundrum faced by many cybersecurity customers. The table below shows us the breakdown of the stages that are applicable not just to IT and OT environments but also to other facets of our daily lives. This model can be applied to asset discovery and Fortra's Security Configuration Management (SCM) system. There are situations when we lose insight into what our network asset inventory consists of. This is sometimes unintentional because, as busy individuals in the world of...
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the global network of physical devices connected to the internet, capable of collecting and sharing data. IoT devices range from everyday household items to sophisticated industrial tools. By integrating sensors and communication hardware, IoT bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds, enabling environments where smart devices operate interconnectedly and autonomously. IoT's growth is driven by the increasing availability of affordable computing power and connectivity, advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence, and the cost...
What is Qilin? Qilin (also known as Agenda) is a ransomware-as-a-service criminal operation that works with affiliates, encrypting and exfiltrating the data of hacked organisations and then demanding a ransom be paid. Qilin seems like a strange name. Where does it come from? The Qilin is a creature from Chinese mythology that combines the features of a dragon and a horned beast. Sometimes, it is compared to a unicorn. So the Qilin ransomware comes from China? Err, no. Sorry. The group behind the Qilin ransomware operation appears to be linked to Russia. Hmmph. So how long has the Qilin...
We often interview InfoSec professionals who came to the profession from other areas of technology. Many network engineers, system administrators, and developers found it easy to make the transition to information security. The previous skills were easily applied to cybersecurity. However, in rare instances, an individual can connect a seemingly unrelated specialty to the world of InfoSec. This is the path that Tracy Z. Maleeff, the InfoSecSherpa, carved for herself with great results. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Tracy about her unique journey into cybersecurity. What was...
Tripwire's June 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the list this month is a patch for Microsoft Windows Error Reporting (CVE-2024-26169). This CVE is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Next on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Chromium that resolve use after free, heap buffer overflow, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Next on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Excel that resolves a remote code execution vulnerability. Up next are patches for...
The successful implementation of new tools and processes hinges not just on the technology itself but on meticulous project management. From ensuring secure access to the underlying infrastructure, a new tool will be implemented upon defining clear goals and understanding the security footprint of the service. Even the earliest steps of your rollout can be important in the long run. Getting all the parts right from the onset helps to ensure that you can reap the benefits of a successful deployment far faster and easier than those who might stumble at the initial stages. Defining Clear Goals...
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) regulations often make exacting demands of Fortra Tripwire's customers, requiring them to update or create new change processes and document those processes in order to comply. In any NERC CIP-centered IT\OT project, there are always crucial indicators of success - even before the project gets underway. Here are the major factors for managers and decision-makers to keep in mind before they begin. The intent is to enable accurate scoping of projects, as well as identifying areas where Professional...
Integrity is a vital component of any cybersecurity policy, making up one-third of the CIA Triad. However, until recently, the industry has had a limited understanding of the term, using it primarily in the context of data security. Integrity means so much more than this principle alone: it impacts every facet of an information system and can drive an organization's entire security program. Fundamentally, integrity ensures that no one tampers with your assets, whatever and wherever they may be. From protecting your network, systems, physical assets, and more, applying integrity to your entire...
As summer approaches, many of us are eagerly planning our much-awaited vacations. Whether you're jetting off to exotic destinations or embarking on a road trip closer to home, it's important to remember that cybersecurity should be a part of your travel checklist. From safeguarding your devices to protecting your personal information, here are some easy-to-follow tips to ensure a cyber-safe summer getaway... Leave your corporate devices at home: For non-work-related travels, do not take your corporate-issued devices. Instead, store them in a safe place in your home. Update, Update, Update...
With 86% of UK adults using a form of online or remote banking and high street banks closing in record numbers, banking websites have become an integral part of our daily lives. They have changed how we manage our money, allowing us to send and receive money from anywhere in the world, open or close accounts at the click of a button (or tap or a screen), and avoid queuing in physical banks. They have also transformed the UK's criminal landscape. In the '90s, the "Bank Job" was a massive part of British criminal life, with 847 bank robberies taking place in 1992 alone. By 2011, that number had...
Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), initially known for its perceived complexity in configuration and maintenance, has evolved into an indispensable security architecture across most Linux distributions. It empowers administrators to finely control the actions permitted to individual users, processes, and system daemons, thereby bolstering defense against potential security breaches. Through the enforcement of precise security parameters, SELinux functions within the kernel to partition security policies and oversee their implementation, granting administrators heightened authority over system...
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that scammers are impersonating its employees in an attempt to commit fraud. In an alert posted on the CISA website, the organisation warned that so-called impersonation scams are on the rise. An impersonation scam is any type of fraud where a criminal pretends to be a trusted individual or organisation to dupe a victim into handing over personal information or money or taking an unwise action. Impersonation scammers will often put some effort into making their fraudulent communications look more convincing, such as...
The Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report noted a 180% increase in exploited vulnerabilities over the previous year’s figures. The importance of keeping an up-to-date vulnerability management policy for remediating and controlling security vulnerabilities cannot be understated. 1. Overview: Summary of Vulnerability Management Policy Taking the time to give a short summary of the policy and who and what it involves will help to better flesh out the policy the organization is trying to implement. Describing what types of devices, software, and networks are subject to vulnerability...
Many companies strive to achieve the best security possible. Along the path to improved security, many companies are also required to meet various compliance standards. In some cases, compliance is also a regulatory requirement. This crossroad between security and compliance can sometimes seem at odds with the organization’s goals. Compliance does not always equal security. For many organizations, the sheer complexity of a compliance framework results in a patchwork of semi-satisfied security professionals, executives, and auditors. It doesn’t have to be that way. Loosely Embrace Uncertainty...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s June 2024 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1110 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-50868 The only disclosed vulnerability we have this month, is CVE-2023-50868, a DNSSEC protocol level vulnerability that can lead to denial of service. The vulnerability is a CPU Exhaustion related to the Closest Encloser Proof in NSEC3, a mechanism within DNSSEC. NSEC3 is the improved version of NSEC, a technology that helps prevent against DNS Cache Poisoning...
Exploring the intricate relationship between people and cybersecurity opens up a dynamic landscape where individuals' decisions, habits, and intentions significantly impact the safety and integrity of digital systems. Cybercriminals are savvy opportunists, and like pickpockets, they go where the crowds are. They scan the virtual world, identifying weaknesses in the popular sites and systems people use. Whether it's social media platforms teeming with personal data or online marketplaces bustling with transactions, cybercriminals meticulously search for chinks in the digital armor. Natural...
Did your company fall victim to the LockBit ransomware? Have cybercriminals left gigabytes of your data encrypted, with no easy route for recovery that doesn't involve paying a ransom? Well, don't fear. The FBI announced this week that it had obtained over 7,000 decryption keys for the LockBit ransomware and is urging victims to come forward for free assistance. In a speech at this week's Boston Conference on Cyber Security, Cyber Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran detailed some of the FBI's recent successes in the war against cybercrime, including its action against the LockBit ransomware-as-a...
Threats to sensitive data are everywhere. From sophisticated cybercriminal syndicates to accidental exposure to nation-state-backed advanced persistent threat (APT) groups and everything in between, it's never been more critical for organizations to have the correct data protection tools. When designing how to protect company information from loss, regardless of the method, companies deploy a “defense in depth” strategy or leverage multiple security measures to protect an organization's assets. When correlated, this creates a powerful approach to identifying when something is going wrong in...
The ISF (Information Security Forum) Standard of Good Practice (SoGP) is a comprehensive set of best practices designed to help organizations effectively manage their information security risks. Covering various topics, including governance, risk management, compliance, incident management, and technical security controls, it helps establish and maintain a robust information security program tailored to an organization's specific needs and risks. Aims of the Standard of Good Practice for Information Security The SoGP aims to: Deliver resilience— Empowers organizations to respond rapidly to...
Have you ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could mimic consciousness and autonomously control various tasks? It sounds rather daunting. However, it may not be as intimidating as it seems under the right conditions. Moreover, Would AI perform tasks independently in the same manner as humans? And what implications does this hold for cybersecurity? In the present day, we are observing the rise of self-driving cars that operate with minimal human input. While they have their share of challenges and limitations, they unquestionably reduce the need for manual labor and showcase the...
When you speak with many of the seasoned veterans of cybersecurity, it is not unusual to learn of the twisted path in technology that eventually landed them in the security profession. However, the newest cybersecurity professionals are digital natives. They grew up in a world of technology and were exposed to cybersecurity as early as their first interactions with the internet. Dilki Rathnayake stands out as a person who has been involved in cybersecurity since her earliest days on the internet. As a dedicated and prolific cybersecurity author, she has grown her knowledge and career entirely...
Anyone remotely wired into technology newsfeeds – or any newsfeeds for that matter – will know that AI (artificial intelligence) is the topic of the moment. In the past 18 months alone, we’ve borne witness to the world’s first AI Safety Summit, a bizarre and highly public leadership drama at one of the world’s top AI companies, and countless prophecies of doom. And yet, even after all that, it seems businesses have largely failed to take meaningful action on AI. In early May 2024, ISACA, a leading IT governance association, released new research revealing the extent of the AI problem. The crux...
An insider threat is someone inside an organization – including current and former employees, partners, and contractors – who, intentionally or otherwise, put their organization at risk. They typically abuse their access to private information and privileged accounts to steal or sabotage sensitive data, often for financial gain or even revenge. Organizations today must have effective security solutions in place to identify and respond to insider threats. File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is one such solution. FIM tools monitor, detect, and respond to unauthorized file and data changes or access...
Vulnerability management and patch management are often confused. However, it's crucial to recognize that, while complementary, they are distinct processes. Understanding the differences between vulnerability management and patch management is essential for a solid security posture. Let's delve into the concepts to understand better what they are, how they differ, and how they work together. Defining Vulnerability Management Vulnerability management encompasses the proactive identification, assessment, prioritization, and mitigation of security vulnerabilities across an organization's IT...
A vast network of millions of compromised computers, being used to facilitate a wide range of cybercrime, has been disrupted by a multinational law enforcement operation. The 911 S5 botnet, described as "likely the world's largest botnet ever" by FBI Director Christopher Wray, has had its infrastructure and assets seized and its alleged mastermind arrested and charged. 35-year-old YunHe Wang, a dual citizen of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, is alleged with co-conspirators to have operated the 911 S5 botnet and created and distributed malware to compromise and hijack millions of Windows...
The energy sector is having a tumultuous decade. During the COVID pandemic, the price of oil plummeted. In 2021, a ransomware attack forced one of the US’s most significant oil pipelines to cease operations for five days, causing a state of emergency in seventeen states. Putin’s war in Ukraine has disrupted natural gas supplies across Europe. And now, it seems, it is the electricity providers’ turn to suffer a blow. On March 11th, 2024, the European Commission adopted new cybersecurity rules—the EU network code on cybersecurity for the electricity sector (C/2024/1383)—to “establish a recurrent...
Data is the lifeblood of modern organizations, and while watertight data protection policies are undeniably crucial, the need for robust data destruction methods has never been more pressing. Ultimately, all parties and vendors in your supply chain trust you to maintain the integrity of their data. Once that data is no longer needed, transparency about its whereabouts is vital. However, there is an alarmingly overlooked facet to this pressing need for organizations: data on electronic devices or cloud repositories can pose a cyber security risk. Even with an established, multi-layered cyber...
A security incident can be the result of a single unauthorised change. A few may say, 'one change is inconsequential, don't sweat the small stuff.' But when it comes to infrastructure security, the detail is of paramount importance! Just a single edit to a single line item can have a negative effect on an entire file or operating system. It's essential to be made aware of any unauthorised file change and to be made aware with haste. And whilst some may opt for an all-in-one security tool to meet this requirement, the best approach is to rollout a dedicated File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)...
Cloud computing offers indisputable benefits, but with the caveat that it can quickly become a disorganized jumble unless adequately managed. It’s common for the average organization to use dozens of cloud instances, solutions, and resources scattered across multiple platforms. Such off-premises services quickly accumulate to accommodate the company’s ever-growing needs. This uncurbed growth, known as cloud sprawl, creates significant economic and security challenges. Different departments spin up cloud storage and virtual machines as needed to perform their day-to-day tasks. Sometimes...
Cyberattacks on the automotive industry are becoming more sophisticated. In its 2024 Automotive Cybersecurity Report, Upstream found that 50% of all automotive cyber incidents in 2023 had a high or massive impact. Similarly, 95% of all attacks in 2023 were executed remotely, and 37% of attacker activities in the deep and dark web target multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) simultaneously. The Changing Automotive Security Landscape International institutions are taking steps to help automotive organizations defend themselves against black hat hackers and other digital threats. In...
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are some of the most exciting technologies in the world. They have already begun to revolutionize productivity, supercharge creativity, and make the world a better place. But as with any new technology, generative AI has brought about new risks—or, rather, made old risks worse. Aside from the much-discussed potential " AI apocalypse" that has dominated headlines in recent months, generative AI has a more immediate negative impact: creating convincing phishing scams. Cybercriminals create far more sophisticated scams with generative AI than...
A scammer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for laundering over US $4.5 million obtained by targeting businesses and the elderly with Business Email Compromise ( BEC) and romance fraud scams. Malachi Mullings, a 31-year-old from Sandy Springs, Georgia, was charged with opening 20 bank accounts in the name of a sham company, The Mullings Group LLC, to launder millions of dollars generated through fraudulent activity between 2019 and July 2021. Some of the money that Mullings processed had been defrauded from "numerous individual victims" who had fallen foul of romance scams. Several of...
Much has been made of cyber resilience in recent years. And with good reason: failing to bounce back quickly from a security event can have dramatic financial consequences. In early 2023, Royal Mail took several days to recover from a Lockbit cyberattack, losing upwards of £10 million in the process. However, for all the talk about resilience, the industry seems to be overlooking one of its fundamental tenets: risk management. It is, perhaps, understandable that we overlook risk management. Striking the right balance can be difficult, with risk managers often either needing to be more...
How can an organization prepare to be cyber-resilient in 2024? The major trends to look out for seem to focus mainly on AI. While the rise of generative AI indeed poses challenges, executives should be cautious not to miss other critical trends that will shape the cybersecurity landscape this year. AI-driven Social Engineering Since the advent of commercial Large Language Models (LLM), many have criticized the numerous possibilities they offer to malicious cyber actors. That's not all, though. AI also enables cybercriminals to obtain large amounts of data to launch phishing attacks. The rise...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has a long and storied history. Ancient Greeks, for example, told stories of Talos, an enormous automaton that stood guard over Crete’s shores. In the 17th century, Gottfried Leibniz, Thomas Hobbes, and René Descartes explored the possibility that all rational thought could be as systematic as algebra or geometry. By the mid-20th century, British computer scientist Alan Turing was seriously investigating the possibility of “machine intelligence,” and by 1956, “artificial intelligence research” was an established academic discipline. Fast forward to today, and...
In early April this year, the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) released its Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2024. It provides a comprehensive overview of the UK's cybersecurity landscape, exploring the different cyberattacks and cybercrimes businesses, charities, and private sector educational instructions face, the impacts on these organizations, and how they respond. The report is a valuable resource for the cybersecurity community. It serves as a sort of cybersecurity "State of the Nation" and provides detailed insight into cybercrime's impact on the UK...
Cybersecurity is more important than ever. With a skyrocketing number of cyber threats and data breaches, organizations are always on the lookout for ways to strengthen their online defenses. However, one major obstacle the cybersecurity sector faces is a lack of diversity and representation of women. According to Cybersecurity Ventures research, only a quarter (25%) of global cybersecurity jobs were held by women in 2022. This number is expected to jump by only 5% by 2025 and only 10% by 2030 to reach 35%. This represents a significant gender gap in an industry that is growing at a rapid pace...
When you think of the cybersecurity "CIA" triad of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, which one of those is most important to your organization? While the answer may vary by season for your organization, there is no argument that they are all equally vital sides of that CIA triangle, and each deserves the correct level of care and attention. For the purposes of this blog, we will be focusing on the importance of the second pillar, Integrity, and how Tripwire's white paper " Closing the Integrity Gap with NIST's Cybersecurity Framework" takes a fresh look at the importance of...
Law enforcement agencies worldwide have coordinated to take down one of the world’s largest hacker forums, scoring a victory against cybercrime. BreachForums, a notorious marketplace for stolen data, was seized by the authorities on Wednesday, according to a message on its website. BREACHFORUMS IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE FBI This website has been taken down by the FBI and DOJ with assistance from international partners. The message described how the authorities are "reviewing" the site's "backend data" and inviting victims and anyone with information about cybercriminal activity on...
Attacks against industrial control systems (ICS) are on the rise. Cyberattacks are more prevalent, creative, and faster than ever. So, understanding attackers' tactics is crucial. The IBM Security X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2023 highlights that backdoor deployments enabling remote access to ICS systems were the most common type of attacker action in 2022. The positive news is that 67% of attempts to deploy ransomware through backdoors were foiled by defenders who disrupted the backdoor before the attackers could execute the ransomware. When attackers see a weakness, they exploit it...
File integrity monitoring (FIM) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) are two cybersecurity solutions that are often foundational aspects of organizations’ security strategies. EDR is implemented in order to stop known and unknown threats at endpoints, often with advanced functions such as behavioral monitoring and analysis, antivirus protection, and threat response capabilities. FIM can monitor files, servers, operating systems, and networks for potentially suspicious changes and provides insight into what changes are made and by whom in an effort to enable the restoration of files after...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s May 2024 Security Updates . VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1106 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2024-30040 Up first this month, we have a security feature bypass in MSHTML. More specifically, we have an Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) mitigation bypass in Microsoft Office. There is an interesting disconnect in the current Microsoft content that will hopefully be updated soon. At the time of writing, Microsoft indicated that a user would need to download the...
“When the cat’s away, the mouse will play,” the old adage goes. Filings to anti-fraud non-profit Cifas would support that claim, as Insider Threat Database (ITD) reports rose by 14% this past year and are largely attributable to hard-to-monitor work-from-home employees mixed with “increasing financial pressures.” The report details further incidents of dishonest behavior as recorded this year by the UK’s National Fraud Database (NFD). Insider Threats on the Rise Over 300 individuals were reported to the IDT in 2023. The most common cause? Dishonest action to obtain benefit by theft or...
It’s the fifth requirement in CIS Control 1: Use a passive asset discovery tool. Sounds simple enough. But what does it mean? And what, specifically, makes it so important that it became one of the first five requirements of the widely applied CIS Controls used by so many organizations to establish their most basic levels of cyber hygiene? The usefulness of passive asset discovery and the importance of finding the right passive asset discovery tool are the subjects of today’s blog. What Is Asset Discovery? Asset discovery is the ability to provide visibility of all devices located within an...
Cybercriminals are notoriously tricky to pin down. They are experts in obfuscation and misdirection, masters of avoiding consequences. Not since the early days of the Wild West have criminals managed to evade capture and maintain anonymity as effectively as modern cybercriminals do. Part of the reason for these staggeringly low conviction rates is that we usually have little idea of what country an attacker is in. We can make educated guesses: if a cybercrime group, for example, launches an explicitly politically motivated attack on the US, we might assume the attack originated in Russia or...
The FBI has issued a warning to US retailers about a financially-motivated malicious hacking ring that has been targeting employees with phishing attacks in an attempt to create fraudulent gift cards. Staff at the corporate offices of US retail companies have been the target of highly-sophisticated email phishing and SMS phishing ("smishing") attacks. These attacks attempt to gain access to employee accounts, IT systems, and cloud services used by the company. Once they have gained access, the cybercriminals target other employees in order to move laterally through a network. They attempt to...
The Rolling Stones wanted to protect their space; we, as security practitioners, need to protect ours. Data 'castles' in the cloud are out there, and they're constantly under siege. By drawing inspiration from a band that embodied personal freedom, we can draw some – okay, very stretched - parallels to modern cloud security . Nonetheless, they work. And we all knew this blog was coming. And if you read the blog backward you can hear the name of the latest malware family... Maybe. "Hey, you. Get off of my cloud!" We're quite certain the real meaning of the Stones' pinnacle lyric was the...
As technologies advance and the world grows more complicated, collaboration and coordination have become increasingly important. Setting standards, sharing information, and bringing experts together are essential to safely developing technologies for national and global priorities, and the world needs organizations to fulfill this role. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Society of Automation (ISA) are two such organizations. While separate entities, the ANSI/ISA are closely linked and share many of the same goals. What is a Standard? Standards are core to...
In the first installment of our series on cyber resilience, we discussed what being a resilient organization means. In this installment, we'll explore why organizations need to consider how to become resilient, who's responsible for achieving this, and the processes organizations must have to prioritize actions and effectively spend their budgets. Why Your Organization Needs to Consider Cyber Resilience An organization needs to consider resilience because an improperly handled incident can go so far over budget that it cannot return to business as usual (BAU) or simply because they don't have...
In 2022, the Security team at Microsoft published a cybersecurity awareness campaign named “# BeCyberSmart ”. Even though that was two years ago, the same best practices still apply. Cybersecurity is an important part of our daily lives and can enable us to accomplish more while keeping our data and identity protected. Be CyberSmart Security starts with awareness. Here are some tips to help you stay safe online. Phishing: This is usually in the form of an email, website, or text message that lures you into giving away confidential information about yourself or your organization. How to avoid...
From more broad laws like GDPR to industry-specific regulations like HIPAA , most organizations today must comply with some kind of data protection guideline. Some businesses may even have to comply with numerous data protection regulations. As such, compliance with data protection regulations has become increasingly complicated. National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) is one such data protection framework—albeit a particularly specific one. We’ll go into this in a bit more detail later, but NIST SP 800-171 applies only to non-federal...
With the widespread use of AI technology, numerous AI models gather and process vast amounts of data, much of which comprises personal information utilized to offer personalized experiences. However, this abundance of data poses inherent risks, particularly in terms of privacy and security. As AI systems become more sophisticated, the potential for unauthorized access or misuse of sensitive data escalates, emphasizing the need to implement robust safeguards within AI systems to ensure the protection of user privacy and prevent unauthorized access and exploitation. Artificial intelligence...
In the modern digital landscape, cybersecurity is paramount, making the differentiation between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing essential for safeguarding organizational assets. Vulnerability scanning offers a broad sweep for potential security weaknesses, serving as an early warning system. Penetration testing takes a more targeted approach, exploiting vulnerabilities to understand the real-world effectiveness of existing security measures. Both practices are cornerstone elements of a comprehensive security framework , ensuring that defenses exist and are effective against...
Tripwire's April 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. Firsts on the list are patches for Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based) and Chromium that resolve 2 spoofing vulnerabilities. Next on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Office and Excel that resolves spoofing and remote code execution vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 80 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, denial of...
With cybersecurity, the digital battlegrounds stretch across the vast expanse of the internet. On the one side, we have increasingly sophisticated and cunning adversaries. On the other, skilled cybersecurity practitioners who are desperate to protect their companies’ assets at all costs. One fundamental truth rings clear: it’s an ongoing and relentless battle of wits. Much like modern-day mercenaries, bad actors are armed with an arsenal of sophisticated tools and threats , continually looking for any chinks in the security armor to exploit. Their objectives range from financial gain and fraud...
Supply chain attacks are a serious and growing threat to businesses across all industries. However, these attacks pose an even greater risk for manufacturers in critical infrastructure sectors. One pernicious form of supply chain attack is spoofing, where attackers impersonate legitimate suppliers to sneak malicious code or components into products. Research shows that 2023 had the highest number (2769 in the US alone) of entities affected by supply chain spoofing. This figure is nearly twice as high as the number recorded in 2017. Organizations in different industries must urgently implement...
In 1971, Ray Tomlison developed the first email service while working at The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) . This development changed how we communicated. However, even though this was an exceptional tool, it was not very user-friendly, requiring users to have specific software installed on their computers. In 1996, Sabeer Bhatia founded Hotmail, making it the first web-based email messaging service. Exactly one year after Microsoft acquired Hotmail, I opened my first email account. I still remember the feeling of euphoria that came from receiving a virtual response to the...
Most people remember the iconic movie Terminator, in which the cyborg T-800 was dispatched back in time from the year 2029 with the mission to eliminate Sarah Connor. She was destined to give birth to the future leader of the human resistance against machines, thus threatening their dominance. If Sarah were killed, humanity's fate would be sealed, and the earth would succumb to the rule of machines. Kyle Reese, a soldier of the resistance, was tasked with safeguarding her. Yet, their journey was fraught with danger as the relentless Terminator embarked on a ruthless spree, targeting every...
What's going on? A wave of cheap, crude, amateurish ransomware has been spotted on the dark web - and although it may not make as many headlines as LockBit , Rhysida , and BlackSuit , it still presents a serious threat to organizations. What's "junk gun" ransomware? It's a name coined by Sophos researchers for unsophisticated ransomware that is often sold cheaply as a one-time purchase. "Junk gun" ransomware is appealing to a criminal who wants to operate independently but lacks technical skills. Can you give some examples? Sure. The Kryptina ransomware was made available for sale in December...
Tech leaders taking cybersecurity seriously is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s undoubtedly good that organizations are waking up to the genuine threat cyberattacks pose, it’s depressing that they must siphon off so many resources to protect themselves rather than using them for growth and innovation. A recent survey of UK technology leaders, run by UK IT Leaders and the Horizon CIO Network, revealed that over half of those surveyed said cybersecurity was their top priority for 2024. Again, this is both a good and bad thing. The cyber threat landscape is about as dangerous as ever...
Alexandre Dumas's timeless novel "The Three Musketeers" immortalized the ideal of unyielding solidarity, the enduring motto "All for one and one for all." In the face of ever-evolving threats in the digital realm, the European Union echoes this spirit with its landmark Cyber Solidarity Act . This new legislation recognizes that collective defense is the cornerstone of cybersecurity – in a world where a cyberattack on one nation can have ripple effects across borders, a unified response is no longer an option but a necessity. The stakes are high. Cyberattacks on businesses, government...
In 2023, companies lost about $4.45 million on average because of data breaches. As cyber threats advance, securing endpoints is more important than ever. An advanced Host-based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) provides a sturdy remedy to improve endpoint security . By monitoring and examining system responses and device status, HIDS identifies and tackles nefarious behaviors that are often overlooked by conventional defenses. The Significance of Advanced HIDS in Endpoint Security An advanced HIDS plays a crucial part in strengthening endpoint security. It is capable of identifying and...
Budgetary and resource constraints play a huge role in cyberattacks on smaller organizations. Amidst a strained global economy, many under-resourced organizations like non-profits, local governments, and hospitals struggle to keep their heads above water - they simply don't have the funds to invest in cybersecurity. To make matters worse, cybercriminals see these organizations as easy prey. Although they may not be able to shell out for extortionate ransom demands as big business can, at the end of the day, data is data and is always worth something on the dark web. In many cases, smaller...
The experience of seeing a doctor has transformed dramatically, thanks in part to the emergence of telemedicine. This digital evolution promises convenience and accessibility but brings with it a host of cybersecurity risks that were unimaginable up until a few years ago. The unique cybersecurity challenges facing telemedicine today underscore the importance of adopting stringent security measures to protect the sanctity of this vital service. Advanced Cybersecurity Threats to Telemedicine The stakes are high as the healthcare sector grapples with the dual challenge of expanding digital...
As businesses transition to hybrid and multi-cloud setups, vulnerabilities arising from misconfigurations and security gaps are escalating, attracting attention from bad actors. In response, the US National Security Agency (NSA) issued a set of ten recommended mitigation strategies, published earlier this year (with support from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on six of the strategies). The recommendations cover cloud security, identity management, data protection, and network segmentation. Let ' s take a closer look: 1. Uphold the Cloud Shared Responsibility Model...
Police have successfully infiltrated and disrupted the fraud platform "LabHost", used by more than 2,000 criminals to defraud victims worldwide. A major international operation, led by the UK's Metropolitan Police, has seized control of LabHost , which has been helping cybercriminals create phishing websites since 2021 to steal sensitive information like passwords, email addresses, and bank details. LabHost has helped criminals create over 40,000 fraudulent websites and steal data from over 70,000 victims in the UK alone. Scammers used the service to steal vast amounts of information...
I’m always surprised – and a little disappointed – at how far we have to go before supply chain cybersecurity gets the respect and attention it deserves. I sat down this week with a new client who wanted some help addressing several internal issues surrounding their IT systems. When I asked them about their relationship with the supplier – essentially, how was their supply chain cybersecurity? - their response was not only worrying but, unfortunately, quite typical. "Well, we've used them since we first started the business a couple of years ago, so we've kind of grown up together,” they...
Cybersecurity has always been a complex field. Its adversarial nature means the margins between failure and success are much finer than in other sectors. As technology evolves, those margins get even finer, with attackers and defenders scrambling to exploit them and gain a competitive edge. This is especially true for AI. In February, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published an article entitled " AI and cybersecurity: How to navigate the risks and opportunities ," highlighting AI's existing and potential impacts on cybersecurity. The bottom line? AI benefits both the good and bad guys, so it's...
The term Internet of Things (IoT) describes a network of technologies and services where various devices are interconnected and exchange data. These devices can be anything from wearable fitness trackers, smart televisions, and wireless infusion pumps to cars and many others. These internet-connected devices gather, process, and transmit a vast amount of data, including personal information, proprietary data, and infrastructure data that can be used for critical decisions or to bring about physical changes. From connected devices to connected places IoT is closely connected to cyber-physical...
Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, covert, and frequent every day. This year alone has seen the likes of T-Mobile and PharMerica suffering serious security breaches. These incidents disrupted operations and threatened their bottom lines, not to mention the lingering aftereffects and negative brand perception in the eyes of their customers. Taking the recent Optus data security breach as an example, one source indicated that up to 30% of Optus customers would switch providers due to that incident. Even if an individual’s data has not been compromised, the risk outweighs the rewards...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s September 2023 Security Updates , which includes a recently introduced release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1073 on Wednesday, September 13th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-36761 Microsoft has indicated that a vulnerability impacting Microsoft Word, including the preview pane, has been publicly disclosed and has seen active exploitation. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could disclose NTLM hashes to the attacker. Microsoft has reported this vulnerability as...
As the realm of technology continues to evolve, the significance of cloud computing has grown exponentially. This paradigm shift offers unparalleled scalability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness benefits. However, with these advantages come a host of security challenges that need careful consideration. This article delves into the vital realm of cloud security, exploring the multifaceted landscape of safeguarding data, identities, networks, and services. Data Vulnerability and Privacy Concerns Within cloud computing, a critical aspect is understanding the shared responsibility model. This...
Before the revolution of Information Technology (IT), the world experienced the revolution of Operational Technology (OT). Operational Technology is the combination of hardware and software that controls and operates the physical mechanisms of industry. OT systems play an important role in the water, manufacturing, power, and distribution systems that transformed the industry into the modern age. All of these systems function to operate, automate, and manage industrial machines. With the rise of the internet within the industrial sector, OT systems are also being exposed to the same disruptive...
It's easy to rest on our laurels. Prevent a few breaches – or go long enough without one – and you start to feel invincible. While our efforts are certainly laudable, we can't get too comfortable. As defenders, we always need to be on the hunt for what we've missed and ways to do better. Here are ten common cybersecurity mistakes that crop up (and how to avoid them): Failing to get executive suppo rt. It's tempting to run off down the right direction before getting C-suite approval (ask for forgiveness, not permission, right?). However, that can backfire with unintended consequences down the...
Tripwire's August 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office, Excel, Visio, Teams, and Outlook. The patches resolve 10 issues including remote code execution, information disclosure, security feature bypass, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Up next is a patch for Windows Defender that resolves an elevation of privilege vulnerability. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 35 vulnerabilities, including elevation...
A Texas court has heard how last month a gang of men used a Raspberry Pi device to steal thousands of dollars from ATMs. According to local media reports , three men were arrested in Lubbock, Texas, after attempting to steal "large sums of US currency" from ATMs. The men - 38-year-old Abel Valdes, 41-year-old Yordanesz Sanchez, and 33-year-old Carlos Jordano Herrera-Ruiz - were arrested on August 3 in a hotel room, where a number of Raspberry Pis and other evidence was recovered. According to court documents, the men used a Raspberry Pi to assist in the heist - plugging it into the ATM and...
The basic parameters that control how hardware, software, and even entire networks operate are configurations, whether they take the form of a single configuration file or a collection of connected configurations. For instance, the default properties a firewall uses to control traffic to and from a company's network, such as block lists, port forwarding, virtual LANs, and VPN information, are stored in the firewall's configuration file. Configuration management is now presented as a new control in the new, revised edition of ISO 27002:2022 (Control 8.9). It is a crucial component of an...
One thing is becoming evident as ransomware attacks increase in frequency and impact: businesses can take additional precautions. Unfortunately, many companies are failing to do so. Most victims are sufficiently warned about potential weaknesses yet unprepared to recover when hit. Robust ransomware prevention is more important than ever. This becomes very clear when you consider what causes the majority of ransomware attacks nowadays. Some are caused by errors that are easily avoidable. Let’s examine some of the most common issues that leave organizations vulnerable to ransomware attacks...
2023 Cost of a Data Breach: Key Takeaways It’s that time of year - IBM has released its “ Cost of a Data Breach Report .” This year’s report is jam-packed with some new research and findings that highlight how organizations are implementing security and risk mitigation techniques to help identify and contain data breaches. Key Takeaways The average total cost of a data breach has reached an all-time high in 2023 of $4.45 million. This is an increase of 2.3% from last year’s $4.35 million. Even with data breach costs rising, surveyed companies were split 49% to 51% on whether to increase...
In a digital-first world, safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring compliance with industry regulations are paramount. Enter "Continuous Compliance" – a dynamic approach reshaping the cybersecurity paradigm . As a key part of an effective compliance strategy, continuous compliance is pivotal in fortifying security measures. This modern strategy empowers organizations to stay one step ahead of cyber criminals by fostering real-time monitoring and rapid response to potential threats. Continuous compliance lays the groundwork for achieving superior security in today's complex and ever-changing...
South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPIA), also known as the PoPI Act, is a comprehensive data protection legislation designed to safeguard the privacy and information of South African citizens. While Jacob Zuma assented to PoPIA in November 2013, the act took effect in July 2020. Parliament granted all South African entities a one-year grace period, expecting them to comply by June 30th, 2020. As part of the act, the South African Parliament formed a new government agency, the Information Regulator, to monitor and enforce PoPIA compliance in the public and private sectors...
Technology companies are often seen as revolving doors of constantly shifting personnel. Whether they are seeking a better work environment or chasing a higher paycheck, these staff changes can hurt an organization’s progress. Worse yet, the customers are often negatively impacted by these changes in the continuity of established relationships. At Fortra, we're proud to have a higher average tenure than most organizations with many team members having been with the company for more than 20 years. We recently spoke with Troy Thompson, Director of Services at Fortra, who has more than two...
On June 22nd, 2023, the National Cyber Security Centre ( NCSC ), the UK's cybersecurity agency, released a Cyber Threat Report for the country's legal sector. Developed to update a previous iteration from 2018, the report reflects a dramatic change in the cybersecurity threat landscape, offering advice that considers the security issues inherent with remote working , new data revealing the UK legal sector's vulnerability to cybercrime, and the increasing prevalence of attacks on smaller organizations. Many experts have hailed the NCSC's report as the most important of the year - for good...
A firewall is a security device that controls the flow of traffic across a network. A firewall may be a hardware appliance, or it may be a piece of software that runs on a third-party operating system. Firewalls operate based on a set of pre-defined, as well as customizable security rules that inspect network traffic to block or permit access to a network. Oftentimes, a firewall is logically positioned between a private and a public network, acting as both the first and last line of defense in a network. In a large enterprise, it is common to see separate firewalls within the network...
In years gone by, there was a stigma attached to hiding one's browsing history. Wiping browsing history was seen as suspicious; it suggested that someone had something to hide. It was – and still is- the butt of many jokes. However, individuals might want to hide their browsing history for many reasons. They range from the relatively trivial – like concealing a surprise gift – to the essential – like protecting personal data . A person's browsing history can reveal much about them, including their interests, preferences, and sensitive information. Whether you're looking to safeguard your data...
In the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, businesses face an exhaustive battle to safeguard their valuable data while complying with industry regulations. To address these challenges, innovative solutions have emerged to enhance network security. Network visibility remains a crucial focus. The profound impact of heightened visibility cannot be ignored, as it plays a crucial role in fortifying network security and achieving compliance objectives . Organizations that embrace tactics for improved visibility will realize the transformative potential of these modern approaches. The Importance...
The Network and Information Security 2 ( NIS2 ) Directive is the European Union's (EU) second attempt at an all-encompassing cybersecurity directive. The EU introduced the legislation to update the much-misinterpreted Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive (2016) and improve the cybersecurity of all member states. It signed NIS2 into law in January 2023, expecting all relevant organizations to comply by October 18th, 2024. This article will explore NIS2's goals, why the EU introduced it, whom it applies to, its essential elements, and the penalties for non-compliance. Why was NIS2...
After a series of high-profile cryptocurrency heists, a state-sponsored North Korean malicious hacking group is poised to cash out millions of dollars. That's the opinion of the FBI, which this week has warned cryptocurrency companies about recent blockchain activity it has observed connected to the theft of hundreds of millions of cryptocurrency in recent months. The FBI says that the notorious North Korean-backed Lazarus Group is behind a series of recent attacks, including: June 22 2023 - The theft of $60 million worth of virtual currency from Alphapo. June 22 2023 - The theft of $37...
In an era of escalating financial crimes, the spotlight shines brightly on the rising concerns in the realm of cybersecurity. According to a recent survey , a staggering 68% of UK risk experts anticipate a surge in financial crime risks over the next year. These apprehensions echo globally, with 69% of executives and risk professionals worldwide foreseeing an upswing in financial crime risks, predominantly fueled by cybersecurity threats and data breaches. The State of Financial Crime Risks Within the landscape of rising financial crime, the significance of cybersecurity cannot be exaggerated...
While the phrase sounds like the stuff of textbook jargon, the term "configuration drift" hides an extremely crucial caution. Configuration drift is important because it can lead to compliance drift. Compliance drift means that the state of compliance has changed as a result of a configuration that has been changed, which has caused your system to fall out of compliance. When your systems are misconfigured, this small hinge swings a wide door that leads to regulatory scrapes against standards such as PCI DSS , SOX , NERC , and more . The resulting consequences are hefty fines, loss of public...
The Importance of APIs Businesses of all sizes are increasingly relying on APIs to connect with their customers, partners, and other systems. APIs, or application programming interfaces, are the building blocks of the modern web, and they allow businesses to share data and functionality in a secure and efficient way. Without APIs, businesses are limited in their ability to innovate and grow. They lack the ability to integrate with other systems, create new products and services, or reach new markets. They are at a competitive disadvantage. Companies who know how to implement APIs properly “...
The Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability (CIA) Triad is a crucial information security model that guides and assesses how an organization manages data during storage, transmission, and processing. Each component of the triad plays a vital role in maintaining information security: Confidentiality means that data should not be accessed without authorization. Most times, it is equivalent to privacy. Integrity involves maintaining the consistency, accuracy, and trustworthiness of data over its entire lifecycle. Availability means information should be consistently and readily accessible for...
The United States stands at a pivotal juncture for true digital and cyber security, with unlimited potential. The 2023 U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy presents a fresh perspective on safeguarding digital territory—a perspective rooted in collaboration, innovation, and accountability. This moment poses a critical consideration of whether to invest in a future where collaboration is the norm, innovation in defense outpaces the bad-intentioned, and the responsibility of cybersecurity rests with the capable. The vision is clear: a world where debilitating cyber breaches are the exception...
Security researchers have identified that a widespread LinkedIn malicious hacking campaign has seen many users locked out of their accounts worldwide. Some users who have had their access to their LinkedIn accounts blocked by the cybercriminals changing their passwords have been pressured into paying a ransom, according to a report from Cyberint, and threatened with permanent account deletion. In other instances, LinkedIn users report that they have received notification emails from LinkedIn telling them that their accounts have been temporarily locked due to "unusual activity". These appear...
Serverless architecture has increased in recent years, and is anticipated to grow by nearly 25% over the next decade, According to one source, the serverless architecture market was worth over $9 billion in 2022, with its compound annual growth rate projected to increase. The market could be worth over $90 billion by 2032. This indicates the immense amount of potential that this industry carries, influenced by the increasing adoption of DevOps by organizations. However, all this progress could be impeded by cybersecurity risks not being attended to in a robust manner. Some of the most common...
According to the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2023 report released by the UK government, 50% of UK businesses face a fundamental cyber security skills gap, while 33% grapple with an advanced skills gap. This is just one of the challenges that the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) must face. While these figures remain similar to 2022 and 2021, it's evident that there's still work to be done to bridge the expertise divide. Interestingly, the ClubCISO Security Maturity Report 2023 also highlighted the fact that the shortage of talent is of key concern to CISOs. According...
The past three months witnessed several notable changes impacting privacy obligations for businesses. Coming into the second quarter of 2023, the privacy space was poised for action. In the US, state lawmakers worked to push through comprehensive privacy legislation on an unprecedented scale, we saw a major focus on children's data and health data as areas of concern, and AI regulation took center stage as we examined the intersection of data privacy and AI growth. Internationally, the EU continued to set the standard for AI regulation through its AI Act, trans-Atlantic data flows advanced...
As technology advances, the battle between cyber criminals and organizations intensifies. Cyber threats have become more sophisticated, complex, and widespread, posing a significant risk to the security and integrity of sensitive data. In Q1 2023 alone, the number of global cyber attacks increased by 7%, with an average of 1,248 attacks reported per week. In a separate report by The Independent Advisor, 350 million potential records were compromised in notable data breaches in the first five months of 2023 alone. These numbers are staggering. Yet, organizations are not ignoring these findings...
In cybersecurity, knowledge is everything. From APT intelligence to zero-day vulnerabilities, relevant and timely information can be the difference between a thwarted attack and a total disaster. With Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks at their zenith, there has never been a better time for a comprehensive BEC report. As such, Fortra has released its 2023 BEC Trends, Targets, and Changes in Techniques Report. So, without further ado, let's dive into the report's key findings and what we should learn from them. BEC attacks are more common than ever In 2023, the volume of nefarious emails...
A few years ago, I wrote about the importance of security immutability. More specifically, I discussed how important it is that your environment be unchangeable in order to ensure that it remains secure. As I looked back on the article, I found it rather amusing that the article was published 4 years ago, but that feels like a lifetime ago. In the last few years, we really have seen just how volatile the world can be. Interestingly, while the world around us has changed in ways that we never imagined over the past few years, our technology has been doing that for decades. That’s why there’s a...
A strong vulnerability management program underpins a successful security strategy overall. After all, you can’t defend weak points you don’t know are there. It is predicted that 2023 will see an average of 1,900 critical Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) a month, up 13% from last year. This is due to increased interconnectedness, the addition of more tools, IoT devices and SaaS services, and the increased risk of human error. With so many ways to inadvertently let hackers into a network, vulnerability management needs to be an area of cybersecurity strength, not weakness, for any...
What is Rhysida? Rhysida is a Windows-based ransomware operation that has come to prominence since May 2023, after being linked to a series of high profile cyber attacks in Western Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The group appears to have links to the notorious Vice Society ransomware gang. What kind of organisations has Rhysida been hitting with ransomware? The US Department of Health and Human Services' Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center has this month described Rhysida as a "significant threat to the healthcare sector", Rhysida has targeted hospitals and clinics...
Network engineers and security analysts have a lot in common. Both require the ability to not only understand the problems at hand but to ascertain the moments leading to them. A typical scenario would include a request to help with a problem a customer has been experiencing. The person you are trying to assist is probably a member of the IT team in the organisation. During these situations, we must engage our highest analytical skills. When something drifts from the expected behavior, the first question is always, "What has changed?" Then, the next question is, “What is the impact and...
The cybersecurity landscape has become more complex for many reasons. For one, it is the constantly changing risk environment where businesses are compelled to confront evolving threats and actors that leverage emerging technologies and advanced tactics. Cybersecurity has become a top priority for boards since they realize that being cyber resilient is a strategic choice and a competitive advantage. Complexity is a growing concern Many businesses opt to mitigate these growing threats by buying cybersecurity technology solutions. According to Gartner, the cybersecurity market will balloon in...
All segments of the cloud market are predicted to see growth in 2023, according to research by Gartner. In an April Press Release, the firm forecasts that global spending on public cloud services will exceed 21% this year, totaling $597.3 billion overall in 2023. This is up over $100 billion from last year’s (mere) $491 billion. “Organizations today view cloud as a highly strategic platform for digital transformation, which is requiring cloud providers to offer more sophisticated capabilities as the competition for digital services heats up,” notes Sid Nag, Vice President Analyst at Gartner...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s August 2023 Security Updates, which includes a recently introduced release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1068 on Wednesday, August 9th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-38180 A vulnerability in Kestrel could allow for a denial of service. Kestrel is the cross-platform web server that is included with (and enabled by default in) ASP.NET Core. When detecting a potentially malicious client, Kestrel will sometimes fail to disconnect said client, resulting in the denial of service...
Safeguarding sensitive data is a huge concern for organizations. One of the biggest challenges they face is the threat posed by insiders who work for the organization. In fact, a report found that 74% of organizations are at least moderately vulnerable to threats from insiders. This has increased spending towards protecting against insider threats by more than 76% between 2018 to 2022, according to a global report by the Ponemon Institute. Safeguarding sensitive data from insider threats is crucial in the environment of PCI DSS, especially with the release of PCI DSS 4.0. But first, let’s...
Tripwire's July 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office, Access, Excel, and Outlook. The patches resolve 10 issues including remote code execution, information disclosure, security feature bypass, and spoofing vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 90 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, remote code execution, and denial of...
The World Wide Web, now simply referred to as the Internet, is by far the most significant technological revolution in tech history. The current generation of the internet is Web 2.0, which allows users to browse and write content powered by centralized data centers. Today the cyber world is rapidly progressing towards Web 3.0. Web 3.0 is a decentralized database where users have complete control of their data without the need for a third-party platform to facilitate the content, and it is also an intelligent version equipped with Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Semantic Web...
Newly-released research reveals the eye-watering costs that the manufacturing sector has suffered in recent years at the hands of ransomware. The analysis, by Comparitech, looked at 478 confirmed ransomware attacks on manufacturing companies between 2018 and July 2023, in an attempt to determine their true cost. Whereas many of the headlines connected with ransomware have focused on the ransoms demanded by cybercriminal gangs, Comparitech's research also explored the cost of downtime - with day-to-day operations impacted, and production lines sometimes brought to a standstill meaning that...
We have come a long way in the cybersecurity sector in a relatively short period of time, but there remain many challenges in day-to-day operations that create security gaps in many organizations. One of the most common is tied to how we build our solutions, making sure they are secure out-of-the-box instead of only being evaluated during a pen test or annual review, and finding out then that there is much more that needs to be done to achieve data security. Starting out with the blueprints If we were to liken our IT security processes to traditional workplace health and safety operations...
Most small and midsized businesses trust an IT services partner to help them secure their networks. A few years ago, high-profile cyberattacks targeting MSP vendors Kaseya and SolarWinds thrust the security risk of relying on a complex chain of vendors into the technology media and moved the Department of Homeland Security to issue a statement about the need for greater security in the IT services industry. In the intervening two years, the FBI, CISA, and NSA have continued to ring the alarm bell of MSP-based attacks. Despite sustained attention, supply chain attacks surged last year by over...
Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), or threat intelligence, is evidence-based knowledge established from current cyber threats, gathered from myriad sources to identify existing or potential attacks. Threat intelligence assists in identifying the motives, targets, and attack behaviors of a threat actor and implementing strong defenses from future attacks. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach 2022 report, the average data breach costs its victims $4.35 million. Using threat intelligence, these losses can be mitigated, and such attacks can be avoided. Threat intelligence benefits organizations...
Despite being the second-largest internet market in the world, India has yet to pass a comprehensive data privacy bill. It is important to have policies and regulations in place to protect them and their right to data privacy—a right that India’s Supreme Court recognized in 2017. Since then, the country’s government has been working towards passing a bill that codifies the rights of individuals to data privacy and protection. The most recent draft of the bill was released in late 2022, and it is expected to be tabled in Parliament during the Monsoon Session of July 2023. The following is a...
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of privacy and security standards put into effect by the European Union (EU). Widely accepted as the world's strictest security and privacy law, GDPR imposes regulations on organizations that target or collect data relating to people in the EU. European Parliament signed GDPR into law in 2016, requiring all organizations to comply by May 2018. The EU introduced GDPR to replace the monstrously antiquated Data Protection Directive 1995 and "harmonize" data privacy rules across Europe, providing greater protection and rights to individuals...
The latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations report indicates that over 70% of data breaches involved the human element. Cybercriminals exploit people to trick them into clicking unsafe links, opening malicious attachments, entering their credentials into bogus login pages, sharing sensitive data, and authorizing fraudulent fund transfers. One area where many exploits take place is on social media platforms. It is essential to exercise caution while using social media platforms by observing security best practices such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and being...
The ransomware, malware and phishing attacks going on in the healthcare industry are quite alarming these days. The customers' data in the healthcare industry is more sensitive than in most industries, and this has proven to be a sweet spot for threat actors. Recent research by Infloblox reported that in 2022, there were over 546 major data breaches due to malicious activity. This follows a 4% increase over the 521 major data breaches reported by healthcare institutions in 2023. These numbers have continued to rise steadily for over 5 years. The data also shows that from 2016 to 2022, the...
New rules requiring publicly-listed firms to disclose serious cybersecurity incidents within four days have been adopted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The tough new rules, although undoubtedly well-intentioned, are likely to leave some firms angry that they are being "micromanaged" and - it is argued - could even assist attackers. From December 2023, listed firms are required to report details about "material" cyberattacks describing "the incident's nature, scope, and timing, as well as its material impact or reasonably likely material impact on the registrant." What does...
How many security products does it take to monitor an organization? Even a small company often finds itself working with multiple monitoring tools to gain visibility into its security posture. This creates multiple blind spots, as a security analyst needs to jump between different tools with different formats and configurations to research a security incident. Adding to this problem is that the reporting from each tool usually differs, making the creation of a uniform report a chore. Integrations and Splunk Many organizations have tried to solve their individual problem by using Splunk to...
Machine learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which enables machines and software to automatically learn from historical data to generate accurate output without being programmed to do so. Many leading organizations today have incorporated machine learning into their daily processes for business intelligence. But the ability of machine learning can be altered by threat actors to be malicious, causing systems to malfunction, or to execute an attack. This is known as adversarial machine learning. It misguides machine learning models with deceptive input to make mistakes in...
Large data can offer a massive affordable advantage for companies. Scientists, information analysts, marketing professionals, and advertisers rely upon receiving valuable insights from substantial pools of consumer information. When examined correctly, this information can provide valuable insight for organizations that understand how to use it. The regular procedure of gathering and arranging massive datasets can be taxing, as well as resource-intensive. The privacy issue posed by the collection of consumer data is one of the most challenging of all. To address these growing problems, the use...
Introduction For the longest time within the cybersecurity industry, we have had Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) whose role is to set the strategic direction for Information Security within an organisation. But what are the stepping stones to becoming a CISO? In the past, this has been a difficult question to answer, but typically the CISO is someone who moved up through the ranks in IT and developed additional knowledge and skills related to data protection, privacy and risk management. But over the last decade, a quiet revolution has been gathering momentum, and a new role (and...
I recently spoke at a Fortra Webinar about CIS and MITRE. More specifically, I discussed the intersection between the CIS Critical Security Controls, CIS Benchmarks, and MITRE ATT&CK. In this post, I won't go into deep details about the core background, but there are plenty of excellent references available online, including our breakdown of the various CIS Controls. I do, however, want to share the outcome of my research. One of the things that prompted my decision to talk about the intersection between these offerings was a CIS blog post discussing how they would start mapping the CIS...
A few years back, data was constrained to the on-premise infrastructure. Data management, governance, and protection were fairly uncomplicated in this enclosed environment. The emergence of cloud computing and multi-cloud infrastructures has not only introduced more complexity in data management and governance, but it has also increased security risks significantly. Consequently, organizations have turned to solutions like Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) to mitigate those security risks and cope with the growing demand for cloud adoption...
In our increasingly digital world, global communications and financial interactions are nigh inescapable for anyone in any industry or walk of life. The infrastructure in place for international transactions is complex and layered, containing moving parts that work in tandem to make things like transferring money nearly seamless. Many of those moving parts are enabled, supported, and developed by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT), “the financial industry’s neutral and trusted infrastructure provider.” SWIFT has a variety of functions and goals, mostly...
We're all familiar with tech support scams - where the unwary are tricked into granting remote access to their computers by fraudsters, in the belief that the "tech support person" will fix a non-existent "problem" (such as a "virus infection") or make a refund after claiming that there has been fraudulent activity detected on an account. It's not uncommon for the fraudster, who can put their well-honed social engineering skills to play when talking to their intended victim, to make it appear as though they have accidentally transferred too much money into their target's online bank account...
Human error is a major contributing factor to company data breaches. More than 340 million people may already have been affected by a data breach in the first four months of 2023. With cybercrime rates soaring around the world, it’s clearly an area where investment and expertise are required. While updating laptops with the latest antimalware software and setting up workers with complex passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA) for email access, and a secure VPN are all good practices, the real investment is in educating employees. Here’s why: A team is only as good as its weakest link...
Not too long ago, I watched an automobile commercial on television in which the manufacturer placed a huge emphasis on integrity, going on to define the lines of the automobile. I was impressed by this advertisement, so much so that I started looking at all vehicles in a new way. I would walk around the vehicle and look to ensure the spaces between the hood and the fenders were identical, the space between the doors and the fenders were also identical, and that all the parts of that vehicle fit together seamlessly like the stamped pieces of a picture puzzle. So how do we apply the concept of...
As business operations evolve, the challenge of securely moving data within the cloud is one of elevated concern. Transferring sensitive information to it is another. Many are caught between what worked in on-prem technologies and what is needed in cloud-based architectures. Others have sidestepped the security challenges by implementing a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution. Fortra canvassed opinions from a group of subject matter experts across multiple industries in order to better understand the challenges with modern file transfer. What were the roadblocks when moving files from on-prem...
Cybersecurity professionals seem to always be in the mode of learning. For me, this involves a lot of online training. With all that's available, it is easy to become immersed in a topic. Every so often, during a course, I'll look back to my early experiences in learning and consider how different things are. Yet many things seem to also remain the same. Learning, and the desire for knowledge in general, is something that, once instilled in you, can drive you forward across your entire lifetime. Have you ever found yourself taking the time to consider not just your current educational...
Remote work has shifted the mindset away from the old style of employment, showing up to the office every day. However, it seems that more businesses are starting to grab back some of the traditional practice of showing up to the office. The timing is probably helping, as the northern hemisphere is starting to warm up, making the commute to an office slightly more enjoyable. However, as we move towards an in-office presence, it may make us more relaxed about some of the rules of remote working. As we approach the summer months, it’s an excellent time to review some security best practices...
Fortra’s Core Security recently released its 2023 Pen Testing Report, and there’s plenty to see. In this year’s report, IT decision-makers can learn what their peers are saying about why they pen test, how often they pen test, and whether or not they’re pen testing in-house, among other topics. Each year, Core Security collects and produces some of the industry’s most relevant data on the state of pen testing today. Here’s a quick overview of what this year’s report has to offer. Why are your peers pen testing? When asked, “Why do you pen test?” surveyed security practitioners seemed to be on...
Any organization or agency that receives federal tax information (FTI) is now required to prove that their data protection policies meet IRS 1075 compliance standards. That means federal, state, county and local entities – as well as the contractors they employ – all fall within this scope. What is IRS 1075? IRS 1075 lays out a framework of compliance regulations to ensure federal tax information (FTI) is kept confidential. While this may sound simple enough, IRS 1075 is actually made up of a complex set of managerial, operational and technical security controls that must be continuously...
A federal grand jury has indicted a former employee of a contractor operating a California town's wastewater treatment facility, alleging that he remotely turned off critical systems and could have endangered public health and safety. 53-year-old Rambler Gallor of Tracy, California, held a full-time position at a Massachusetts company that was contracted by the town of Discovery Bay to operate its water treatment plant. Gallor is said to have had an "instrumentation and control tech" role at the plant, which he did from July 2016 to December 2020. However, according to the indictment, Gallor...
With the evolution of technology, network activities have increased excessively. Many day-to-day tasks are intertwined with the internet to function. On one level of the infamous OSI model, the data exchanged between devices is broken down into smaller units and transmitted in the network in the form of packets. These packets contain information that is useful for investigators and network administrators for analysis and troubleshooting purposes. Unfortunately, the bits they contain are equally revealing for threat actors to use for nefarious purposes. Packet sniffing is the technique of...
There’s nothing that makes you feel older than realizing how much of your life you have dedicated to a single topic. At what point do you consider yourself an expert? After more than 17 years in vulnerability management, I’m starting to come around to the idea that I might be an expert in the field. Although, the main reason I feel that way is because, at this point, I’ve seen pretty much everything. One of those things that I’ve seen time and time again is the argument around Patch Management vs. Vulnerability Management. We could delve deeper into discussions around management vs. assessment...
Cybersecurity liability insurance has progressed dramatically since the first bona fide policies emerged in the late 1990s. Some of the greatest changes that have occurred in recent years include insurance companies no longer insuring against state-sponsored attacks or ransomware events. The insurers do not want to become part of a cyber-war. In some cases of ransomware, the attackers have figured out how much cyber liability coverage a company has, and that is the payment that they request for the decryption key. This has all led to insurance companies increasing their due diligence prior to...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s July 2023 Security Updates, which include a new release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1064 on Wednesday, July 12th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-32046 A vulnerability in MSHTML could allow an attacker to execute code in the context of the logged in user providing the attacker can convince the user to visit a malicious link. It is important to note that older, supported versions of Windows have an IE Cumulative update available to them that must be installed in addition to...
Have you heard of the NIS Directive? The full name is quite a mouthful, "DIRECTIVE (EU) 2022/2555 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union". The informal name has been shortened to the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive. The aim of the directive was to develop a common level of cybersecurity across the Member States that could be applied to entities of critical national importance. The original version of NIS was promulgated in 2016 and has since been repealed and replaced with the new...
It’s no secret that we’re (still) in an international cyber talent crisis, and that skilled workers are in high demand. We conducted research into the top ten highest paying jobs in cybersecurity to find out just what kind of opportunities awaited those who entered the field. Here are the types of jobs companies are willing to pay (the most) for and what they entail for those looking to upskill, reskill, or make the transition into a cyber-focused career. We continue with the second half of our two-part series below. Careers have been ranked in descending order by average national salary with...
Technology has supercharged marketing. The vast data at marketers' disposal provides unparalleled insight into what customers want, why they want it, and how they use products and services. Behavioral analytics benefits businesses and consumers; it allows companies to drive sales and increase conversion rates while providing customers services tailored to their wants and needs. Behavioral analytics is also an invaluable cybersecurity resource; artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools analyze data to allow security teams to identify suspicious behavior patterns that could...
There's good news for any business which has fallen victim to the Akira ransomware. Security researchers at anti-virus company Avast have developed a free decryption tool for files that have been encrypted since the Akira ransomware first emerged in March 2023. The ransomware has been blamed for a number of high profile attacks - including ones against universities, financial institutions, and even a daycare centre for children. Organisations hit by the Akira ransomware soon realise that they have a problem - many of their data files have been renamed to add the extension .akira, their...
Hey, did you get that sketchy email? You know, the one from that malicious hacker always trying to fool us into clicking on some malware? Boy, these criminals are relentless. Wait, what? You clicked on it? Uh-oh... A hypothetical scenario, but one that plays out every day in organizations across the globe. The truth is that it is a very real scenario that offers a good opportunity to dive deeper into the topic of email security. Email is one of the top communication tools for businesses — and one of the most vulnerable. Sophisticated email phishing attacks are one of the top cybersecurity...
In the world of cybersecurity, there are a few constants, one of the big ones being the fact that news, innovation, and threats move fast and are constantly evolving. It is important for security professionals to stay in the loop about major developments in cybercriminal activity and the cybersecurity industry. Fortra’s PhishLabs offer resources to learn about a variety of cybersecurity-related topics, including a blog that regularly features cybersecurity news. In order to stay up to date on pertinent events, we have summarized the main takeaways from the first quarter of 2023. Shift in...
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) has always been a massive security undertaking for any organization that has worked to fully implement its recommendations. One interesting aspect that seems to be overlooked is the focus on the Requirements, and while minimizing the testing necessities. Not only is testing part of the full title of the Standard, but it is formally memorialized in Requirement 11 of the Standard, “Test Security of Systems and Networks Regularly.” The most noteworthy upgrades in PCI DSS version 4.0 to Requirement 11 which are applicable to all...
Over the following years, the costs associated with cybercrime, projected at $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, will exceed the estimated worldwide cybersecurity spending—$267.3 billion annually by 2026. Leadership needs to change its perspective on managing cyber risks instead of just spending more money to match the losses incurred. Cyber risk management as a business enabler The cyber economy is being dominated by threat actors who take advantage of the growing attack surfaces of organizations and the vulnerabilities that arise from our dependence on connected services. Many cybercriminals...
Tripwire's June 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Progress MOVEit. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for the Progress MOVEit Transfer application. An exploit targeting the MOVEit vulnerability CVE-2023-34362 has been recently added to the Metasploit Exploit Framework. Next on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Edge. These patches resolve elevation of privilege, information disclosure, and security feature bypass vulnerabilities. Up next are patches for Microsoft Office, Outlook, Excel, and...
If you’re looking for job security, look no further: The cybersecurity sector can keep you gainfully employed for a very, very long time. There are an ever-growing number of ways in which someone with cybersecurity prowess can contribute, and as digital assets continue to develop and diversify, it’s safe to say they’ll always be kept on their toes. From software security engineers to CISOs, each role plays a part in securing the overall ecosystem of a digital enterprise and creates a vacuum in security management when vacant. Unfortunately, most companies struggle onward despite these...
The past few years have been among the most challenging for most businesses. Lockdowns, staff reductions, and reduced revenues resulted in the demise of many businesses. For those who remained, the new onuses brought about by supply chain concerns and inflation present even greater reasons for maximum resilience in order to survive. With all the physical challenges of running a business, it is equally important for businesses to revisit their cybersecurity preparedness to make sure that they can best protect the valuable information that keeps the business running. Perhaps the biggest threat...
The FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT) is a diagnostic test designed to help institutions identify risks and gauge cybersecurity preparedness. The tool is primarily for financial and non-depository institutions, enabling organizations to make risk-driven security decisions informed by regular cybersecurity assessments and standardized risk measurement criteria. While it is voluntary, financial institutions have expressed concern that failing to use it could result in falling short of compliance standards. In this article, we will explore what the FFIEC CAT is, as well as how and why you...
Most data crimes are the result of online compromises. This makes sense, as the criminals don’t need to know any of the old, dirty, hands-on techniques such as lock-picking, dumpster diving, or any other evasive maneuvers to carry out a successful attack. However, this doesn’t mean that the old methods are completely defunct. Physical security is still an important facet of a complete security program. In the new 4.0 version of PCI DSS, Requirement 9, “Restrict Physical Access to Cardholder Data” aims to keep the CDE safe from physical compromises. Like its earlier version, it also reiterates...
This piece was originally published on Fortra’s blog. Infosecurity Europe has closed its doors for another year. The aftermath of these events can be a strange time; still reeling from the chaos of the show floor and nursing feet unaccustomed to such intense use, it’s often difficult to make sense of everything we’ve learned. But, as the old adage goes, “when in doubt, write it out.” So, I thought I’d do just that. Without further ado, here’s the key takeaways from my colleague, Donnie MacColl, and myself. Changing Approaches in Awareness Training It’s no secret that the industry has grown...
The Department of Defense (DoD) introduced the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) in 2019. This framework outlined a series of security standards contractors must meet to win DoD contracts, so it’s a big concern for many companies. However, four years later, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification rollout has yet to take effect. Part of this delay comes from the fact that the DoD has revamped the CMMC. The new framework — appropriately called CMMC 2.0 — makes several important changes and comes with a new timeline. Government contractors may have to adapt to these...
An Application Programming Interface (API) is an essential and ubiquitous software that allows the exchange of information between day-to-day applications and processes, such as Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, universal profile login pages, and autonomous vehicles. APIs synchronize and maintain the data exchange between clients and servers, responding to each request. Since API functionality is essential for modern-day processes, they are an appealing target for threat actors. API security can be compromised by various threats, and the impact can be...
It’s no secret that the U.S. power grid is one of the main foundations of the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and daily way of life. Now that almost everything is digitized, it is hinging on it even more. We wouldn’t be able to use even most vending machines (not to mention cell towers or the internet) without a working electrical supply, and the importance of keeping it safe cannot be understated. Thankfully, a lot of positive changes have already been made. More remains to be done. As the issue is one of national concern – and yet still involves private power companies – the solution needs...
The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA or GLB Act), or financial modernization act, is a bi-partisan federal regulation passed in 1999 to modernize the financial industry. It repealed vast swathes of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 and the Bank Holding Act of 1956, allowing commercial banks to offer financial services such as investments or insurance. It also controls how financial institutions deal with their customer's private information. The Act has three sections: The Financial Privacy Rule – Regulates the collection and disclosure of private financial information. The Safeguards Rule – Requires...
At the turn of the most recent century, the financial world was in a moment of unregulated growth, which lead to some serious corporate misdeeds in the United States. This presented the opportunity for two senators to enact a new law to ensure accurate and reliable financial reporting for public companies in the US. The result was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002. But what does financial reporting have to do with cybersecurity and IT compliance? A lot, as it turns out, now that financial systems are ruled by servers, databases, complex ERP applications, and the people who run them. While...
Elon Musk's ascension isn't the first thing to cause waves of scams on Twitter, and it certainly won't be the last. On July 20th of 2022, data belonging to over 5 million Twitter users was put up for sale on the internet underground for $30,000. The FTC reported that we've experienced a recent "gold mine for scammers" and the April bump to a 10,000-character limit (for Twitter Blue) only makes things more interesting. Any digital watering hole is a place where scammers will congregate, hoping to blend into the crowd and pick a few pockets. Well, it's been working. Here are a few of the most...
The NSA has published a guide about how to mitigate against attacks involving the BlackLotus bootkit malware, amid fears that system administrators may not be adequately protected against the threat. The BlackLotus UEFI bootkit made a name for itself in October 2022, when it was seen being sold on cybercrime underground forums for $5,000. The news sent a shiver down the spines of many in the cybersecurity community, as BlackLotus was the first in-the-wild UEFI bootkit capable of bypassing UEFI Secure Boot on fully updated UEFI systems. BlackLotus is a sophisticated piece of malware that can...
Attackers always seek the easiest path to get into our systems and compromise data. System misconfigurations and insecure default settings are often the criminals' favorite vectors since these errors allow them easy access to critical systems and data. The rise of misconfiguration errors was primarily driven by cloud data storage implementations deployed without appropriate access controls. Despite the efforts of the major cloud providers to make the default configurations more secure, these errors persist. Organizations have many good reasons to locate and remediate insecure configurations...
In the early days of computer networking, the idea of restricted permissions was shunned. Network administrators could access every system in the environment. In some extreme cases, a CEO would demand full administrative access to a network, thinking that this would protect against a rogue employee. As you can imagine, this set up a point of failure beyond logic. Fortunately, this ideology of unlimited access has waned, and many C-level executives now realize that they are high-level targets, so they appreciate that their access should be limited to only what they need to run the executive...
If you’re busy securing the perimeter, mandating strong authentication practices, and restricting software downloads, you may be missing the mark. (Just to be clear: if you are doing those things, keep it up. You’re off to a good start, and none of what follows here replaces classic and vital cybersecurity measures.) Protecting your organization from outside threats is foundational to any effective cybersecurity strategy. But, risks are not only the domain of faceless intruders and exposed weaknesses. Insider risk is an often-overlooked, steadily growing threat. What is Insider Risk? The...
They say character isn’t gained in a crisis; it’s displayed in one. By the time the disaster hits, the time for preparation has passed. But what if you could go through that earth-shattering event beforehand so when the time came, you’d be ready? Well, in security, you can. And it's not called cheating – it's called Red Teaming. It’s done differently, it provides a different outcome, and it tests a part of your security infrastructure that may never get tested otherwise; your team. Red Teaming might be the logical next step to successful pen testing, but it’s a beast all its own. Here’s what...
Zero trust is a hot topic in cybersecurity, and for a good reason. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to securing your data and networks; rather, zero trust offers a more holistic perspective comprised of many different safety measures and practices and a shift in perspective on security. As threat actors step up their efforts and business operations, and depend more and more on digital communications and assets, organizations are increasingly choosing to adopt zero-trust principles and infrastructure in the hopes of securing their enterprise against breaches and attacks. Cybersecurity...
What Is an SBOM (Software Bill of Materials)? A software bill of materials (SBOM) is a comprehensive, structured inventory of all components, libraries, and dependencies used within a software product or application. It typically includes information about the names, versions, and licensing details of each component. SBOM plays a critical role in managing the security of open source components by providing visibility, enabling vulnerability management, ensuring license compliance, facilitating risk assessment, and fostering collaboration with the open source community. Why Is SBOM Security...
Digital technology is becoming an increasingly essential part of nearly every industry, and supply chains are no exception. In recent years, supply chains have become more dependent on digital solutions, from manufacturing, packing, and shipping processes, to storing records in the cloud. While digital technology increases speed, efficiency, and interconnectivity across industries, this increased complexity can also lead to higher gaps in cybersecurity. As more digital data is transferred through a company, the potential for cybersecurity weaknesses increases. Supply chains are not immune to...
Cybercrime has become a dominant concern for many businesses, as well as individuals. Cybercriminals will target any business, and any individual if they can realize a profit from their minimal efforts. One of the ways that criminals achieve their goals is through the use of malware that garners a fast profit, such as ransomware. More enterprising criminals will use more persistent malware, which enables them to return to the target for further victimization. Malware has progressed, revealing some trends that may help cybersecurity professionals in combatting current and future strains. 1...
We often hear how a company was compromised by a sophisticated attack. This characterization contains all the romantic thrill of a spy movie, but it is usually not how most companies are victimized. Most breaches usually happen as a result of malware entering the environment. The need to protect against malware is addressed in progressive degrees in Requirement 5 of the new 4.0 version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Ian Thornton-Trump, who has experience in both military intelligence, as well as corporate environments, sees profound impacts from the new...
The cybersecurity community is one of the best communities around. Whether it is our peers, our colleagues, or our managers, there are a number of great qualities that we all share. That’s one of the reasons that we’re so lucky to work in this industry. One of the more interesting aspects of the industry is that there are so many ways to accomplish a goal, and that doesn’t just apply to technical skills. Soft skills, like people management and communication, are equally important and have a multitude of approaches. Over the years, I’ve had a handful of managers and I’ve found that the best...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s June 2023 Security Updates, which include a new release notes format. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1060 on Wednesday, June 14th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs There were no in-the-wild or disclosed CVEs in the June Patch Tuesday drop. CVE Breakdown by Tag While historical Microsoft Security Bulletin groupings are gone, Microsoft vulnerabilities are tagged with an identifier. This list provides a breakdown of the CVEs on a per tag basis. Vulnerabilities are also colour coded to aid with...
In April 2023, German artist Boris Eldagsen won the open creative award for his photographic entry entitled, Pseudomnesia: The Electrician. But, the confusing part of the event for the judges and the audience was that he refused to receive the award. The reason was that the photograph was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool. It was reported that Eldagsen “said he used the picture to test the competition and to create a discussion about the future of photography.” Was it the shortcoming of the judges that they couldn’t discern what was real and what was fake? Generative AI...
More than ten years after the hack of the now-defunct Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange, the US Department of Justice says it has identified and charged two men it alleges stole customers' funds and the exchange's private keys. Two Russians, 43-year-old Alexey Bilyuchenko, and Aleksandr Verner, 29, are charged with conspiring to launder 647,000 Bitcoins - in a cryptocurrency heist which would have been worth approximately half a billion dollars today. The DoJ alleges in the unsealed indictment that starting in 2011, Bilyuchenko and Verner stole huge amounts of cryptocurrency from Tokyo-based Mt...
If you mention data leakage to most people, they may think that it sounds like a problem for a plumber, but the phrase “data leak” has specific and troubling concerns for a business. Data leakage is a particular security threat, and there are many sources for data leaks. Data Breach Versus Data Leak Data breaches occur when an attacker from outside your organization gets into your IT ecosystem and steals private or sensitive information. Data leaks occur from the inside out. This happens when someone inside the organization shares confidential data with unauthorized recipients or leaves a gap...
What is the SEC? Founded 85 years ago at the height of the Great Depression, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a clear mission: to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. Put simply, the SEC aims to protect US investors by maintaining a fair market. The SEC doesn’t work directly with investors, however. Instead, it regulates stock exchanges and entities that trade and sell securities, such as investment advisors, asset managers, and brokers. The SEC also regulates investment companies dealing with ETFs and mutual funds...
If you, or your kids, are fans of Minecraft - you might be wise not to download any new mods of plugins for a while. Computer security researchers say that they have uncovered that cybercriminals have succeeded in embedding malware named "Fracturizer" within packages and plugins used to modify the behaviour and appearance of the phenomenally popular game. As Bleeping Computer reports, hackers compromised accounts at modding platforms CurseForge and Bukkit to inject Fracturizer into a number of widely-used plugins for the game. Plugins with similar malware have reportedly been found as early as...
Contrary to stereotype, today’s cyberattacks aren’t limited to complex tactics such as the use of zero-day exploits or polymorphic malware that flies under the radar of traditional defenses. Instead of going the extra mile to set such schemes in motion, most threat actors take a shortcut and piggyback the human factor. A combination of a would-be victim’s security awareness gap, insufficient attention to detail, and innate gullibility create a potential recipe for disaster when seasoned cybercriminals step in. To increase the success rate of such attacks, fraudsters accurately align their...
Tripwire's May 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Edge. These patches resolve elevation and security feature bypass vulnerabilities. Up next are 3 patches for Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Access that resolve remote code execution, security feature bypass, and denial of service vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 25 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information...
If someone asked you “are you protecting your data,” your initial response would probably be to clarify what they are referring to specifically, since the question is so broadly stated. You could just reply with a terse “Yes,” but that is as open-ended and nebulous as the question. The general idea of data protection encompasses so many areas, from the amount of data that is being stored, to the methods of securing it all. In the new Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) Requirements 3 and 4 add specificity to the question of how to protect data. In the case of PCI DSS, the...
It’s hard to be in the realm of technology and not hear about APIs these days. Whether it’s the launch of the ChatGPT API or news of a significant data breach at Twitter, APIs are having their time in the spotlight. Yet, despite their ubiquity, many still have questions about APIs' capabilities (and limitations). What are APIs for? What do they do? And what are they unable to do in the current era? What is an API? An API is an Application Programming Interface - a small piece of software designed for communication. An API serves as a messenger between an end user and a website or application...
On the surface, ransomware – malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid – appears to be off to yet another ruthless start in 2023 as one of the leading types of malware. Recent victims of public attacks in North America include industries such as health care, communication, education, and even government offices and municipalities. While this all seems like business-as-usual for ransomware infections, this is not quite the case. Despite increasing ransom demands and the entry of several new ransomware gangs last year, one survey indicates that...
Traveling abroad, whether for business or leisure, brings plenty of tangible benefits to individuals and organizations. Coupled with the convenience of innovative technology at our fingertips, business professionals can achieve a lot if they spend much of their time on foreign shores. However, despite this digital evolution, traveling abroad can present numerous risks to your data and systems. If you do not take precautions to secure your data - and that of your business’s clients, suppliers, and other employees, which may be stored in the cloud - you could fall victim to a cyber attack...
Back in 2015, we published an article about the apparent perils of driverless cars. At that time, the newness and novelty of sitting back and allowing a car to drive you to your destination created a source of criminal fascination for some, and a nightmare for others. It has been eight years since the original article was published, so perhaps it is time to revisit the topic to see if driverless cars have taken a better direction. When the concept of driverless cars was introduced, the pressing questions that surrounded the topic ranged from liability concerns, vulnerabilities leading to...
A cloud-native application is specifically created to operate seamlessly within a cloud environment, taking advantage of cloud infrastructure and services to achieve top-notch performance, adaptability, and reliability. They use microservices instead of monolithic structures, allowing independent development and deployment. Microservices are hosted in containers, providing a lightweight and portable runtime environment. Serverless computing, which enables code execution in response to events without managing underlying infrastructure, is another key element of cloud-native architecture. While...
Jetpack, an extremely popular WordPress plugin that provides a variety of functions including security features for around five million websites, has received a critical security update following the discovery of a bug that has lurked unnoticed since 2012. Jetpack's maintainers, Automattic, announced on Tuesday that it had worked closely with the WordPress security team to push out an automatic patch for every version of Jetpack since 2.0. The security hole is in Jetpack's API and has been present since version 2.0 was released over a decade ago, in 2012. The vulnerability, which could allow...
We have officially entered the 12-month countdown to the enactment of the new Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The new version, 4.0, set to go into effect on April 1, 2024, contains some interesting and notable changes. Is your organization ready to meet the new requirements? In this 6-part series, we spoke with specialists who help to break down the changes to make your transition to the new Standard as easy as possible. Jeff Man, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) at Online Business Systems who focuses on PCI advisory services, notes how something as subtle as the...
Not all Risks Become Threats Insider threats are an updated version of the wolf in sheep's clothing - the people we rely on to safeguard systems and data can sometimes be the ones who pose the greatest risk. From malicious actors to negligent employees, insider threats come in many forms and can have devastating consequences for organizations of all sizes. Who’s an Insider? An insider is “anyone who has access to an organization’s sensitive information or systems." This includes employees, contractors, and consultants. Everyone who has insiders has insider risk, but that’s not the same as...
Cybersecurity has risen to become a major concern for nearly every industry. With the constant stream of news about the escalating numbers of breaches, it is understandable that governments have taken a more active role by passing cybersecurity and privacy legislation. Some of the industries are not top of mind to many people. For example, few people are aware of all of the industries that make up the 16 sectors of critical infrastructure. However, most people will certainly know that the financial sector is part of the vital functioning of the economy. The most visible component of the...
Most cybersecurity professionals will often try to cybersplain the importance of protection to their friends. In most social circles, many of the businesses that people work in are small businesses. Perhaps you are the owner of a small delicatessen, a dry cleaner, or you run a yoga studio, or some similar individually owned operation. Many of these small business owners will respond to cybersecurity conversations with either the resignation that they can’t afford protection or worse, a shrug and a comment that their business is too small to be an attractive target. Both of these assumptions...
While we all know the actual point of PCI is vastly more far-reaching, we can’t deny that the juggernaut of PCI DSS 4.0 compliance is getting past the auditors. However, there is a right way to do it that doesn’t just check the box – it creates the underlying business operations that enable you to pass an audit any day, at any time, with just the processes you have in hand. Here’s how. The PCI 4.0 Challenge First, we have to understand the challenges of the new requirements we’re working with and why they might present auditing challenges in the first place. To those who don’t understand the...
How many internet-connected devices do you own? If you took a quick inventory around your house, you may be surprised at exactly how many there are. Have you ever wondered how they all communicate, not only with each other, but with the internet as well? This is, in part the result of technology known as IP addressing. What is an IP address? An IP (Internet Protocol) address is your computer's address on the internet. Just as your home has a postal address, a unique IP address is assigned to every device on the internet, serving as an identifier for your system, allowing the ability for...
The US healthcare sector continues to be aggressively targeted by ransomware operators. Royal and BlackCat are two of the more recent – and highly sophisticated – ransomware threats. These two new flavors of ransomware pose serious potential impacts on the healthcare sector, but there are appropriate mitigation and defense strategies that organizations can take to protect against them. What is Royal Ransomware? Royal Ransomware first reared its ugly head in early 2022 and, since then, has continued to make headlines with its nefarious acts. The Royal cybercriminal group employs typically...
Bad enough for your company to be held to ransom after a cyber attack. Worse still to then have one of your own employees exploit the attack in an attempt to steal the ransom for themselves. That's the situation gene and cell therapy firm Oxford BioMedica found itself in. On 27 February 2018, the Oxford-based firm discovered that it had suffered a cyber attack after it received a ransom demand from a malicious hacker explaining that they had broken into the company's systems. The company did the right thing - it informed the police, and it assigned its own IT security staff to investigate the...
Back in 2015, we published an article about the third party risks that are introduced into a home network. Now, eight years later, it is a good time to revisit the landscape of the home network. If we think about the technology in most homes in 2015, it was fairly sparse, consisting only of a router with an internet connection. The speed of most home internet connections was well below 100Mbps. It was surprising to realize that even in those early days, there were more connected devices than most people could reasonably manage. Most home tech support consisted of a technician who would come...
Polymorphic and metamorphic malware constantly changes itself in order to avoid detection and persistently remain on the system. This adaptive behavior is the main distinctive attribute of these types of malware, which is also why they are harder to detect; it is also why they pose a great threat to systems. On the surface, the functionality of this sort of changing and mutating malware appears the same, but each has its own differences. Polymorphic malware Polymorphic malware continually changes its features using dynamic encryption keys, making each iteration appear different. This method is...
Cybersecurity awareness is on the rise as more organizations adopt security awareness training programs. Why the hype? In several recent reports, we break down our findings around why SAT is on the rise—and why companies need it now more than ever. Employees are discovering cyberattacks the hard way Recent study by Fortra's Terranova Security in collaboration with Ipsos revealed employees' knowledge and interest in learning cyber security best practices. Anecdotally, there was a high level of knowledge about cyber risks. Unfortunately, much of this knowledge was hard-won. Per the results, 76%...
This one took a bit longer to read than most of the books we review, but that’s entirely on me… everyone else finished it a while ago. This time around, we’re looking at How to Hack Like a Legend: Breaking Windows by Sparc Flow. The No Starch Press page says that the book is “packed with interesting tricks, ingenious tips, and links to useful resources to give you a fast-paced, hands-on guide to penetrating and bypassing Microsoft security systems.” The content of the book is quite interesting, and it covers a number of topics including AMSI, Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics, Kerberoasting...
I’m going to jump on board the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) bandwagon in this blog and talk about why I’m excited about some of the prospects for this being applied to the compliance and file integrity monitoring data that Tripwire has been specialising in for many years. An Analyst’s Ally A problem faced by many security teams is understanding all the signal data collected from their security tools. The risk with “tuning monitoring down” is that you’re often left throwing away data that can be critical in forensic analysis, but in “keeping the volume up” you have to face...
The Tripwire Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) keeps its finger on the cybersecurity pulse. Check out some of the stories that stood out for us recently: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Netgear Routers Netgear RAX30 routers are subject to multiple vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities could be chained together to achieve an authentication bypass and code execution. It is advised that vulnerable Netgear RAX30 routers are updated to version 1.0.10.94 or later to resolve these vulnerabilities. https://thehackernews.com/2023/05/netgear-routers-flaws-expose-users-to.html Privilege...
The Artificial intelligence (AI) based language model, ChatGPT, has gained a lot of attention recently, and rightfully so. It is arguably the most widely popular technical innovation since the introduction of the now ubiquitous smart speakers in our homes that enable us to call out a question and receive an instant answer. But what is it, and why is it relevant to cyber security and data protection? What is ChatGPT? The "GPT" in ChatGPT stands for "Generative Pre-Trained Transformer". It is a state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing (NLP) model developed by OpenAI, based on a deep learning...
Gabrielle is a security engineer. She deploys tools to scan for threats and vulnerabilities, read logs, and manage the security risks for her company, but is all that data really helping? Sometimes, it seems like she works in a noise factory instead of a SOC. The cacophony of all the log and event data and vulnerability scans are pouring into the SIEM, and it’s Gabrielle’s job to listen to the symphony of data and find the out-of-tune notes. All she hears, however, is the sound of a thousand grade-school bands warming up their instruments. Is there some way to get that data in tune so it...
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, and others have issued a joint alert, advising organisations of the steps they should take to mitigate the threat posed by BianLian ransomware attacks. BianLian, which has been targeting different industry sectors since June 2022, is a ransomware developer, deployer and data extortion group which has predominantly targeted enterprises. In recent months the group's attack model has changed from one where financial, business, client, and personal data has been exfiltrated for leverage followed by encryption of victims' systems...
As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You're the CEO, the accountant, the salesperson, and the HR manager. With so much on your plate, cybersecurity might not be at the top of your priority list. But it should be. Small businesses are a prime target for cybercriminals, and a security breach can be devastating to your company's reputation and financial health. The good news is that there are affordable steps you can take to protect your business. The Prevalence of Cyber Threats Cyber threats come in many forms, from phishing emails, to ransomware attacks. Small businesses may be...
This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. Thinking about your own network isn’t enough to keep your business safe and profitable. As more buyers, sellers, and partners collaborate ever more closely across the world, supply chain IT risks are rising with no slowdown in sight. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, supply chain attacks surpassed malware incidents by 40% in 2022.1 There’s never been more at risk for wide collections of companies that depend on each other. According to Josh Davies, Fortra’s Alert Logic Principal Technical Product Marketing...
Tripwire's April 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Edge. These patches resolve over 15 vulnerabilities such as spoofing, type confusion, and use after free vulnerabilities. Up next are 3 patches for Microsoft Office, Word, and Publisher that resolve 4 remote code execution vulnerabilities. Next are patches for Adobe Acrobat and Reader that resolve 16 vulnerabilities. Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches...
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a conceptual framework developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). It has been in use for over 40 years, and is cited in every computer network book. It is also a favorite resource for just about every cybersecurity exam. The OSI model is represented in seven layers that help us understand how communications between computer systems occur. This is beneficial in troubleshooting network-related issues, since it exclusively separates protocols, services, and interfaces of each layer, and for manufacturers to maintain compatibility...
Businesses should patch their TP-Link routers as soon as possible, after the revelation that a legendary IoT botnet is targeting them for recruitment. The notorious Mirai botnet, which hijacks control of vulnerable IoT devices, is now exploiting TP-Link Archer AX21 routers to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The warning comes from security researchers and the US Government's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), after it was identified that a security flaw in the TP-Link Archer AX21 Wi-Fi router was being actively exploited in order to allow malicious...
“The cyber economy is the economy” Those words were spoken by the US National Security Advisor way back in 2005, and it is remarkable to see how prescient they were. The economy is not only supported by the cyber world, but that world is entirely data driven. Data has become a primary focus, not just for regulatory fodder, but for business survival. Rethinking cyber risk for business transformation Organisations that recognize the value of data also recognize the need to protect it. This is something which is highlighted in the latest IBM research paper, “Prosper in the cyber economy –...
Cloud Security Challenges Organizations embracing cloud environments must understand that cloud applications and services have become popular targets for cybercriminals. A few notable and inherent risks with cloud deployments include: API Vulnerabilities Unfortunately, API exploits are on the rise, costing organizations dearly. Whether it’s stolen data or denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, an API security breach can put data in the hands of criminals and cost a company its hard-won reputation in the blink of an eye. To avoid API vulnerability exploits: Review APIs currently in use and keep a...
This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. If you’re building an application, you want to ensure it’s reliable, consistent, and rapidly deployable in any cloud environment. That’s what containers are used for — packaging instructions into a digital object for reuse. Without them, you’ll struggle to run some application components from server to server. But when you deploy containers, there are security risks that you should be aware of and can mitigate. Malicious web actors can infiltrate them and seed all kinds of corruption, stealing data, and disrupting your...
The phone rings, displaying "Potential Spam," warning of the possible downfall of accepting the call. We also have the option to set specific ringtones for the special people in our lives, so we audibly know immediately who’s calling. For other callers, like the once-a-year important call from our insurance or investment rep, we'll at least add their names so we can see when they ring. And, of course, there are the numbers that we have blocked. We all have our own personal and individual ways of blocking or allowing callers. Businesses do the same thing, not only with phone numbers but also...
Think of all the different points within your organization that provide access to information. That could be your website, the mobile version of your application, your Slack instance, and so much more. It’s a list that gets very long, very quickly. All of those endpoints, both physical and digital, make up the attack surface of your organization. Basically, each endpoint is an element that could be compromised in some way to gain access to sensitive information which could negatively affect your business or customers. Having full visibility into your attack surface, and the capabilities to...
Iranian state-sponsored hacking group Charming Kitten has been named as the group responsible for a new wave of attacks targeting critical infrastructure in the United States and elsewhere. The group (who are also known to security researchers by a wide variety of other names including Mint Sandstorm, Phosphorous, Newscaster, and APT35) has been operating since at least 2011, making a name for itself by targeting activists and journalists in the Middle East, as well as organisations in the United States, UK, Israel, and elsewhere. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that the group, which...
Most cybersecurity professionals know that cyber breaches increase each year. So it’s no surprise that the cybersecurity insurance business also keeps growing briskly. According to data from Markets and Markets and Polaris Market Research, the cyber insurance market swelled to $11.9 billion worldwide in 2022, up from $10.1 billion the previous year, and is projected to grow to more than $29 billion by 2027. This projected growth scenario is expensive, which is why many companies, especially smaller ones, still don’t have this insurance and may continue to hold back until they suffer a cyber...
The boon of online business and credit card transactions in the early 90s and 2000s resulted in an increasing trend of online payment fraud. Since then, securing business and online card transactions has been a growing concern for all business and payment card companies. The increasing cases of high-profile data breaches and losses from online fraud emphasized the need for urgent measures and a standardized approach to address the issue. To tackle the growing concerns of payment card fraud and cybercrime, industry giants such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express together created a global...
This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding WAFs: How it Works, Types, and Security Models Web applications drive digital transformation, remote work, employee productivity, and consumer interactions. The ability to connect to critical applications over the internet gives workforce members a way to work synchronously and asynchronously, while also making products or services easily available to consumers. A web app usually consists of multiple, connected components, generally categorized within presentation, application, and...
Many organizations have either been formed in, or have migrated to cloud-based environments due to the efficiency, flexibility, mobility, cost savings, and other benefits. The majority of applications that are used today are incorporated with the cloud. Most of our data and processes exist in the cloud. But simple as it is, just uploading your files to the cloud or using services of the cloud, doesnt guarantee that its secure. The cloud too can be compromised by cyberattacks, just as on-premise devices. Cloud security consists of safeguarding cloud-based infrastructure, applications, and...
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a technique used to identify the underlying reasons for a problem, with the aim of trying to prevent it from recurring in the future. It is often used in change management processes to help identify the source of any issues that arise following any modifications to a system or process. RCA is something Tripwire Enterprise is often deeply tied into too. Before we talk too much about the tooling though, it’s worth setting the scene for RCA, and exploring some common processes involved in the analysis and where it “kicks in” when something goes wrong. What is RCA...
Spring is here! Who’s up for some digital spring cleaning? Digital de-cluttering helps you organize your life and has the bonus of reducing your vulnerability to common threats. But knowing where to begin can be hard; most of us leave a larger digital footprint than we realize. I have created a checklist to help you clear away the clutter and reap the rewards of a clean digital slate. Benefits of Digital Declutter Spotting online threats is not always easy. After all, their purpose is to deceive you. But, with a healthy polish of your online presence, you can reduce the likelihood of falling...
The K-12 Report breaks down the cyber risks faced by public schools across the country and is sponsored by the CIS (Center for Internet Security) and the MS-ISAC (Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center). Published “to prepare K-12 leaders with the information to make informed decisions around cyber risk”, the report provides a data-driven analysis of what went well, what could be better, and what exactly is threatening our K-12 schools. The MS-ISAC is federally funded by CISA and a division of the CIS. What security risks are K-12s concerned about? When considering the security...
Three Nigerian nationals face charges in a US federal court related to a business email compromise (BEC) scam that is said to have stolen more than US $6 million from victims. 29-year-old Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo was extradited from Canada to the United States earlier this month, according to a Department of Justice press release, and will appear before a federal court on Friday. Two of Simon-Ebo's alleged conspirators, James Junior Aliyu, 28, and 31-year-old Henry Onyedikachi Echefu. Aliyu, who is also known as "Old Soldier" or "Ghost", and Echefu were arrested in South Africa, from where the...
Multinational payment processing firm Nexway has been rapped across the knuckles by the US authorities, who claim that the firm knowingly processed fraudulent credit card payments on behalf of tech support scammers. A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint argues that Nexway and its subsidiaries broke the law by helping scammers cheat money from unsuspecting consumers. Victims were tricked into believing that their computer was malware-infected and that the scammer (often pretending to be a Microsoft support technician) would help them fix it. According to the FTC, Nexway is guilty of...
Electrical grid security has been getting a lot of attention recently. It started fairly quietly, and then when it was a featured story on a news program, it rose to the top of the collective consciousness. However, the news stories that followed were focused entirely on the physical vulnerabilities of the US power grids. Few, if any stories covered the cybersecurity angle of securing the grids. The physical grid machinery has remained woefully unprotected against attack. The physical power generating infrastructure of several power companies has been attacked in the United States just this...
The EPA isn't mincing words when it comes to protecting public drinking water. Earlier this month they released a memorandum putting specifics into the general advice to maintain cybersecurity at public water systems (PWSs). Per the report, “[The] EPA clarifies with this memorandum that states must evaluate the cybersecurity of operational technology used by a PWS when conducting PWS sanitary surveys.” That’s pretty straightforward. Operational Technology (OT) has always been a thorn in the side of industrial complexes, especially as digitization has inspired many to improve with IoT...
This piece was originally published on Fortra’s AlertLogic.com Blog. Managed detection and response (MDR) would be nothing without a SOC (security operations center). They’re on the frontline of our clients’ defenses — a living, breathing layer of intelligence and protection to complement our automated cybersecurity features. These are the people who make our MDR services best in class so dependable. It’s time you met them. With our new webinar series, Inside Alert Logic’s SOC, we’ve begun to pull back the curtain on how a SOC operates, how we work and what those methods mean for your...
It was just a short time ago that Fortra came into being, as the new face of HelpSystems. Fortra is a company that combines a group of cybersecurity products and services into one portfolio. As with all acquisitions, many customers wondered what benefits this would bring to the Tripwire product line. We took the opportunity to speak with Fortra’s Principal Evangelist, Antonio Sanchez, who sheds light on how this acquisition delivers more value to all of our customers. Antonio also spoke with us about some industry trends including cybersecurity insurance, third party supplier risk, and the...
What Is Microsegmentation? Microsegmentation is a security technique that partitions a network into small, isolated sections to reduce the attack surface and reduce an organizations risk. Each microsegment is typically defined by specific security policies, accessible only to authorized users and devices. Microsegmentation is often seen as a more effective security strategy than traditional network segmentation because it can significantly limit the ability of attackers to move laterally across a network and access sensitive data or systems. Additionally, microsegmentation can help...
The demand for cybersecurity in the energy sector is often understated. There is a misconception that very little IT is involved, and much of it does not impact operations. But 97% of surveyed ICS security professionals in the energy, oil, and gas sector believe cybersecurity is a growing concern. No industry has been untouched by digital transformation. With the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) powering more sophisticated forms of automation, the use of cyber-physical systems will only grow. Even if you don’t feel that cybersecurity posture is a pressing...
Accountants are being warned to be on their guard from malicious hackers, as cybercriminals exploit the rush to prepare tax returns for clients before the deadline of US Tax Day. US Tax Day, which falls on Tuesday April 18 this year, is the day on which income tax returns for individuals are due to be submitted to the government. Inevitably it's a busy time for accounting firms and bookkeepers who are feverishly collecting necessary documents from their clients. And, according to a warning from Microsoft, cybercriminals have also been busy - taking advantage are taking advantage of the...
We seem to be fascinated by fraudsters, and recent documentaries prove this. The documentary landscape is populated with many fraud-centered stories, such as The Tinder Swindler, Fyre, The Con, Fake Heiress, The Inventor, and many others. Some have even been made into series, such as the story of Elisabeth Holmes in The Dropout, and the story of Anna Delvey in Inventing Anna. We just can’t get enough of it, and who can blame us? These stories are fascinating, entertaining, and engaging. We want to know how these fraudsters achieved their deceptive goals, and how they managed to fool so many...
Military cybersecurity operations are shifting to a digital battlefield, where tools and technology work to save lives and increase efficiency. With these advancements comes the increased need for resilient measures to meet the needs of soldiers, leadership, and civilians alike. A ransomware attack rocked the U.S. Marshals Service in February 2023, compromising critical state data on everything from top-secret operations, to internal administrative information. A new strategy from the Biden administration, along with other advancements in technical architecture, is aimed at helping the U.S. to...
Each month, at the State of Security, we publish a range of content provided by VERT. Whether it’s a round-up of all the latest cybersecurity news, our Patch Priority Index that helps guide administrators on what they should be patching , a book review, general musings from the team, or most notability our Patch Tuesday round-up. VERT is helping organizations stay abreast of the cybersecurity environment. VERT has a long history, and has continued to provide actionable information to help keep organizations safe. Since you may not be familiar with the VERT mission, we recently spoke with Tyler...
CISA released in late February a cybersecurity advisory on the key findings from a recent Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) red team assessment to provide organizations recommendations for improving their cyber posture. According to the Agency, the necessary actions to harden their environments include monitoring network activity to spot abnormal behavior, conducting regular assessments and drills, and enforcing phishing-resistant MFA anywhere possible. What Prompted the CISA Advisory? In 2022, CISA conducted a red team assessment (RTA) following a request from a large...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s April 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1050 on Wednesday, April 12th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-28252 A vulnerability in the Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver has been exploited in-the-wild. CLFS provides a general-purpose logging service to other software via the Microsoft Windows SDK. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would lead to an attacker gaining SYSTEM access. Kaspersky has provided a detailed analysis of an attack that utilized this...
Dealing with the aftermath of ransomware attacks is like Russian roulette. Submitting the ransom might seem like it’s the sole option for recovering locked data. Ransomware also continues to evolve as a threat category within the past year, with old names like REvil rearing their heads and new players like Black Basta emerging in 2022. Malicious actors employ ransomware to extort money (at least most of the time) from organizations, who pay to avoid the costs associated with suffering a data breach. But paying the ransom doesn’t always mean that your organization will get its affected data...
What do you need to know from PwC’s 2023 Global Digital Trust Insights report? The short answer: Teamwork. If you don’t have a lot of time today, just remember that. Based on the recommendations in this report, if you want your business to make progress in cybersecurity, C-suite executives need to come together and unitedly work towards a more secure future. Who was included in this Survey? The data in this survey comes from 3,522 business, technology, and security executives from around the world. Some of the questions were asked to all participants, and others were specific to certain types...
When I was younger, you could add a second processor to a computer, but it didn’t double the workload it handled. Natural inefficiencies meant that 1+1 was approximately 1.5 or maybe 1.75 times the workload. Today, multiprocessing and multithreading is so common that even the Windows calculator takes advantage of the benefits. So, when I look at the recent acquisition of Tripwire by Fortra, how do I calculate the result of 1 + 1? Company mergers are commonplace these days. In many cases, it presents a challenge to the “absorbed” organization to avoid feeling like they were swallowed up by the...
In security, there are always tensions; the balancing act between security, convenience, and functionality. While these three, often competing interests cause many people to become frustrated, there are some simple steps that can ease the security struggle: Any Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is better than no MFA. Any password manager is better than not using one. Determine your current level of risk, your risk exposure, and act in the way that best protects you. A look at the Trio Securing your digital life is a never-ending pursuit, but, while it can seem overwhelming at times, don’t let...
Tripwire's March 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Google and Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Office Outlook that resolves a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability (CVE-2023-23397) that should be patched as soon as possible. This vulnerability has seen exploitation in the wild and allows attackers to perform an NTLM Relay attack. Please refer to the following link for a detailed technical discussion for this issue (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/03/24/guidance-for...
As the United States government, the energy industry, and individual consumers work toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, it is crucial to consider how new and advancing technologies affect, and are affected by, cybersecurity concerns. Increasing use of smart energy devices can be useful for consumers to have more control over their energy consumption, but can also pose a security risk if the devices and systems are not adequately protected. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a report discussing certain trends and challenges to consider as the...
The rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies has brought about significant concerns regarding wallet vulnerabilities and digital theft among individuals and businesses transacting in the market. While the meteoric rise in the value of cryptocurrency has attracted legitimate investors, it has also caught the attention of malicious actors who are constantly searching for vulnerabilities to exploit. According to blockchain analytics company, Chainalysis, the illegal utilization of cryptocurrencies reached an all-time high of $20.1 billion in the previous year, primarily due to a surge in...
Quantum computers can solve highly complex problems faster than any of its predecessors. We are currently in a period of a quantum revolution. Many organizations are currently investing in the quantum computer industry, and it is predicted that the quantum computing market may increase by 500% by 2028. Due to their powerful computing capabilities, the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has estimated that by April 2030, RSA, Diffie-Hellman (DH), and Elliptic-Curve Cryptography (ECC) algorithms will become vulnerable to quantum attacks. This makes many organizations vulnerable to “harvest now...
The rapidly changing technology and portability of mobile devices have forced people to rely heavily on those products. With their increased functionalities, mobile devices carry out a number of our day-to-day activities, such as surfing the web, booking appointments, setting up reminders, sharing files, instant messaging, video calling, and even mobile banking. Given all these functionalities, mobile devices are vulnerable to online threats and susceptible to physical attacks due to their portability. Some security threats include malware specifically designed for mobile devices, i.e., worms...
While a majority of discourse in the cybersecurity industry is focused on external threats – malicious hacking, phishing, and the like – the fact is that internal actors are just as capable of causing damage to an enterprise, if not more so. An insider threat may have access to resources or areas of the network that someone outside the organization would need to do extra work to obtain. Insider threats, similarly to external ones, come in a wide variety of packages and can be motivated by many different factors. Malicious Insider Threats 1. Financial Gain Many internal actors who perpetrate...
The Tripwire Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) keeps its finger on the cybersecurity pulse. Check out some of the stories that stood out for us recently: WordPress forced the patching of WooCommerce Plugin The WooCommerce Plugin is subject to a privilege escalation vulnerability where an unauthenticated attacker could gain admin access to vulnerable stores. This vulnerability allows attackers to impersonate administrators and take over vulnerable websites. At this point, the vulnerability was not publicly exploited on the internet. Admins that host their own installation of...
When it comes to law enforcement crime investigations, there is a maxim of, “follow the money”. This broadly means that if you can follow the money trail, it will eventually lead you to the perpetrator of the crime. In today’s modern society, money has now become a series of binary ones and zeros that are transferred between bank accounts without any real effort on either party, and cybercriminals are fully aware of how easy, and fragile, this process is. In December 2022, the tenth edition of the ENISA Threat Landscape (ETL) report was released. It is an annual report about the status of the...
A new report from ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, looking at cyberattacks targeting the European transport network over a period of almost two years, has identified that ransomware has become the prominent threat. ENISA's report, its first ever analysis of the myriad of cybersecurity threats facing the transport sector in the EU, mapped and studied cyber incidents targeting aviation, maritime, railway, and road transport between January 2021 and October 2022. During this period, the three major threats identified were: ransomware attacks (38%) data-related threats (30%)...
During discussions with clients about their approach to managing IT services, many organizations refer to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) practices as a key component of their approach. This is not surprising, as the ITIL framework provides a practical methodology for IT management, enabling the use of technology to align with business needs. By prioritizing business goals over technology-centric standards, ITIL can be readily applied to a broad range of infrastructure environments, driving continuous improvement and enhancing operational stability. In the fast-moving...
Hardening in Cybersecurity Cybersecurity hardening is a comprehensive approach to keeping your organization safe from intruders, and mitigating risk. By reducing your attack surface, vulnerability is reduced in tandem. Hardening (or system hardening) considers all flaws and entry points potentially targeted by attackers to compromise your system. While innovative and determined cybercriminals will seek out any opportunity to breach your security for their gain, hardening shrinks the attack surface as much as possible, adding more difficulty to an attacker’s efforts. Benefits of Hardening...
Cybersecurity is no longer the exclusive domain of computers, servers, and handheld devices. As wireless connectivity grows, it makes many daily activities more convenient, but it also means that cars may be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric vehicles are starting to dominate the auto market, but they often carry significant cybersecurity risks. Recent research shows how the apps and services that let drivers access their cars’ functions remotely are just as easily accessible to unauthorized parties. How Cybercriminals Exploit VINs Security researcher, Sam...
How big is Ransomware? The San Francisco 49ers, confirmed a ransomware attack, Cisco was attacked by the Yanluowang ransomware gang, and Entrust was attacked by Lockbit. And that’s just a handful of ransomware accounts noted in 2022. On the surface, ransomware is relatively easy for any criminal to perpetrate, however, those who develop this malicious software are part of established businesses, complete with traditional hierarchies, and corporate structures, selling their product under the moniker of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). The chart below, from Outpost24, shows the countries most...
The cybersecurity landscape is continuously evolving. It has led businesses to question how they are protecting themselves and their consumers from data breaches. Since 2014, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has commissioned the Cybersecurity Breaches Survey of the UK to understand what protections are in place, and where the UK can improve for future security postures. The National Cyber Strategy 2022 supports researching cyber resilience amongst UK educational institutions, businesses, and charities to better understand the threats these industries face. By...
When did you last have a light-bulb moment? For me, it was very recent. I was working with a client, supporting them in their latest Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) annual compliance assessment, and, in discussion with the Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), I had a sudden urge to challenge something we’ve all, always, believed to be a fundamental tenet of managing information security – the need for annual policy reviews. There were a number of policy documents being relied upon for evidence, but they did not have a current date. Given that there was nothing fundamental...
From its inception, the automotive industry has been shaped by innovation and disruption. In recent years, these transformations have taken shape in rapid digitization, ever-growing Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and advanced connectivity. These shifts have redirected the automotive industry, meeting and surpassing customer expectations for what vehicles should accomplish. However, they have also opened the door to cybersecurity concerns — and the last year has shown just how much of an impact these threats can have. Recently, Upstream published their 2023 Global Automotive...
Security researchers have released a new decryption tool that should come to the rescue of some victims of a modified version of the Conti ransomware, helping them to recover their encrypted data for free. Conti was one of the most notorious ransomware groups, responsible for hundreds of attacks against organisations, which netted criminals over $150 million. Its victims included the government of Costa Rica which declared a national emergency after systems in multiple departments were severely impacted. However, things began to unravel for the Conti ransomware gang in February 2022, when the...
Legacy gas and coal plants are being aged out – and no one wants to pay enough to keep them going. With increased pressure from green energy laws and added competition from renewable sources, these monsters of Old Power are being shown the door. Considering they've predated and precipitated all Industrial Revolutions (except for this last one – that was digital), it's safe to say they've had a good long run. So, what's the fuss? Apparently, a mass exodus of one-fourth of the production capacity of U.S. coal-based energy plants and nearly 10% of the nation's national gas supplies will be hard...
The world of security advisories is disjointed, with disparate systems holding critical documentation in various formats. To make matters more challenging, despite living in a digital-first era, most of these documents are not legible for machines and must be parsed, reviewed, or referenced by humans. As system administrators contend with a rapidly changing threat landscape and the need to remain agile in the face of innovative cyber criminals, manually reading advisories, reviewing listed products and versions, and evaluating risk and potential actions is burdensome, at best. In the world of...
A Rootkit is a malicious program composed of malware that is created to provide prolonged root-level or privileged-level access to a computer. It remains hidden in the computer system while maintaining control of the system remotely. Rootkits have the ability to steal data, eavesdrop, change system configurations, create permanent backdoors, deactivate other security defensive programs, and conceal other types of malware. They spread through phishing emails, infected shared folders, executable documents, and pirated software or software on infected websites. Different types of Rootkits. 1...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s March 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1046 on Wednesday, March 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-24880 Up first this month is a publicly disclosed and exploited vulnerability impacting Windows SmartScreen. SmartScreen prompts you when running certain files downloaded from the Internet to warn you that you should exercise caution before proceeding. SmartScreen is able to do this using the zone identifier Alternate Data Stream (ADS) or Mark of the Web. When the Zone...
If you were to poll the folks in a typical office about which aspect of the infamous CIA Triad was most important to them, you would likely get different answers from different people. While confidentiality, integrity, and availability are all important and serve to function together, for the sake of fun, what if you had to choose one factor as the most critical? The legal team would most likely fall upon the confidentiality leg, as that is how they maintain the secrets of the organization. The sales team would probably select availability, as their lifeblood depends on knowing their current...
If you blinked, you might have missed it… On October 25th 2022, the new standard for the Information Security Management System, ISO27001 was released. Without fuss, and without fanfare. But, to quote a famous movie, “There was a great disturbance in the force.” ISO27001 is possibly one of the world's best-known standards for Information Security Management because it has broken out of the realms of the cybersecurity industry and into the world of business. Ask the average business owner if they've heard of Cyber Essentials, or PCI DSS, and you may get a few nodding heads, but ask if they've...
Reliable electricity is essential to the convenience of modern life, and also functions as a crucial contribution to America’s economy and level of comfort. Yet citizens take it for granted, rarely thinking about it much. The reality, unfortunately, is that the power grid has also become a rapidly growing target for criminals, including cybercriminals, and it would be no big surprise if the list of culprits eventually begins to include some of the same adversaries that have already played an active role in many other high-profile attacks. Energy is one of the 16 sectors that the Department of...
The US Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) has issued new requirements for airport and aircraft operators who, they say, are facing a "persistent cybersecurity threat." The agency's new directive compels the aviation industry to improve their defences against malicious hackers and cybercriminals, just days after Preisdent Biden announced its National Cybersecurity Strategy that seeks tighter regulations to protect the United States's critical infrastructure. Announcing its new cybersecurity requirements, the TSA explained that airport and aircraft operators must develop a TSA...
APIs will continue to drive business and accelerate digital transformation this year to the extent that nearly no other technology can; according to the 19th Developer Economics survey by Slashdata, almost 90% of all developers use APIs. This makes them a target for attackers who aren’t afraid to engage in any tactic, especially tried-and-true methods like parameter tampering attacks - malicious API attack traffic surged 117% from 2021 to 2022. While well known, these attacks can be successful due to security holes left by the speedy development culture that drives API usage in the first place...
I logged into one of my online accounts today, and the entire interface was different. At first, I checked to make sure that I was actually on the correct site. Once I confirmed that, I just accepted that the company who runs the software made changes that would improve the performance and functionality of the software. Once I logged in, I noticed that even the desktop icon had changed. Change is a normal expectation in the digital world. Sometimes, a change can be merely cosmetic, improving the user experience. Many times, changes are implemented to remediate a coding error, or to patch a...
Business email compromise (BEC) is a dangerous type of email spoofing that targets businesses, aiming to damage them in some way. Overall, BEC “is one of the most financially damaging online crimes,” according to a joint Cybersecurity Advisory by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA OCI), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Another report shows that 29% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) involved cite BEC and phishing as posing the greatest danger to their enterprises. Although BEC is...
Is your security tool an island? Does it do its singular task with little more to offer than what it says on the package? Too many security offerings behave as singular entities, forcing you to constantly perform task switching to complete a job. If you are using a robust tool, then you may not be taking full advantage of its capabilities. Many capabilities of a good tool can be broadened with the use of an Application Programming Interface (API) “Application Programming Interface” sounds like it’s going to be an ominously complicated topic, but it’s something you should take notice of when...
Malware as a Service is the unlawful lease of software and hardware from the Dark Web to carry out cyber attacks. The threat actors who use this service are provided with botnet services and technical support by the MaaS owners. This service opens doors to anyone with minimal computer skills to use and distribute pre-made malware. The data that is stolen is often sold to the highest bidder or left for the service subscribers. MaaS is an illegal version of Software as a Service (SaaS). The system of Malware as a Service Malware development and distribution is more than the simple act of just...
Tripwire's February 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month is a patch for Microsoft Defender for Endpoint that resolves a security feature bypass vulnerability. Next are patches for Microsoft Edge that resolve 15 vulnerabilities, including remote code execution, spoofing, and tampering vulnerabilities. Up next on the priority list are patches for Microsoft Word, OneNote, Publisher, and Office that resolve remote code execution, spoofing, security feature bypass, and information disclosure...
Willie Sutton, the criminal who became legendary for stealing from banks during a forty year career, was once asked, "Why do you keep robbing banks?" His answer? "Because that's where the money is." However, today there's a better target for robbers today than banks, which are typically well-defended against theft... Cryptocurrency wallets. Trezor, the manufacturers of one of the world's leading hardware wallets that promises to store securely the private keys of cryptocurrency investors, has warned its users to be wary of SMS text messages that claim it has suffered a security breach. Some...
Around 39 billion records were compromised between January and December of last year, according to Flashpoint’s 2022 A Year in Review report. While this result is quite staggering, it also sends a clear message of the need for effective database security measures. Database security measures are a bit different from network security practices. The former involves physical steps, software solutions and even educating your employees. However, it’s equally important to protect your site to minimize the potential attack vectors that cyber criminals could exploit. Let’s look at 10 database security...
We all know about the attacker who leverages their technical expertise to infiltrate protected computer systems and compromise sensitive data. This type of malicious actor ends up in the news all the time. But they’re not the only ones making headlines. So too are “social engineers,” individuals who use phone calls and other media to exploit human psychology and trick people into handing over access to the organization’s sensitive information. Social engineering is a term that encompasses a broad spectrum of malicious activity. What is Social Engineering? Social Engineering is the malicious...
The key to protecting your digital life Even those who consider themselves well educated about security threats - and do everything they have been taught to do - can still end up as a victim. The truth is that with enough time, resources, and skill, anything and anyone can be successfully attacked. This is why it is important to make it as time-consuming and impractical as possible for a motivated criminal to steal things most important to your safety, financial security, and privacy. Attacks are not free for the criminals. Every tool, tactic, and technique costs them time, as well as money to...
Deepfakes are forged images, audio, and videos that are created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning technologies. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), deepfake videos are increasing at an annual rate of 900%, and recent technological advances have made it easier to produce them. VMware states that two out of three defenders report that deepfakes were used as a part of an attack to influence operations, or to launch disinformation campaigns. Other uses include phishing scams, identity theft, and financial fraud. There are many recent deepfake attacks, such as...
Security threat actors are becoming smarter, and their attacks more devious. Staying ahead of cybercriminals and vulnerabilities is the only way to defeat the attackers at their own game. If you want to protect your organization from cyber threats, then you need to think like an attacker. Operational security, also known as OPSEC, is a discipline that considers the perspective of potential threat actors. It's a proactive approach to security that helps IT teams and security managers identify and fix risks and vulnerabilities before any criminals have a chance to exploit them. OPSEC was...
They’re far from old news: despite the hype about “increasingly sophisticated, automated attacks,” these 10 tried-and-true website security attacks are still top of the list for career malicious hackers. No one likes to work harder than they have to, and black hats are no different. Why repel from the ceiling when you could just try the front door? While these common exploits aren’t as simple as phishing attacks, they have been around long enough to be well-known (and well-used) in the industry. Until organizations get smart about how to defend against them, they still will be. The 10 Most...
Governments play a key role in the continued operation of society. While getting a speeding ticket or paying taxes may not be anyone’s favorite thing to do, they contribute to the government’s ability to protect its citizens while maintaining its infrastructure and services. Cybersecurity is critical for all organizations and government agencies, as they may hold sensitive information on both individuals, as well as key infrastructure. This raises cybersecurity to an imperative for the protection and operation of organizations. Apart from the Departments of Defense, and Homeland Security, many...
OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot has been a phenomenon, taking the internet by storm. Whether it is composing poetry, writing essays for college students, or finding bugs in computer code, it has impressed millions of people and proven itself to be the most accessible form of artificial intelligence ever seen. Yes, there are plenty of fears about how the technology could be used and abused, questions to be answered about its ethical use and how regulators might police its use, and worries that some may not realise that ChatGPT is not as smart as it initially appears. But no-one can deny that it has...
A ransomware outfit is advising its victims to secretly tell them how much insurance they have, so their extortion demands will be met. As security researchers at Varonis describe, a new strain of the HardBit ransomware has taken the unusual step of asking targeted companies to spill the beans of whether they have cyber insurance (and the terms of that insurance) anonymously. According to a part of a message in the ransomware note dropped on computers after an attack, sharing insurance details benefits both the victim and the attackers. ...since the sneaky insurance agent purposely negotiates...
Organizations are progressively moving towards a predominantly cloud-based computing environment. What this means is that essentially all of their back-end infrastructure, systems, and client-facing applications can be accessed and distributed through the cloud. Modern cloud computing goes a step further than simply being present in a virtual environment. Companies now have more flexibility and customization potential when deciding whether their environments - or certain components of them - remain in a private or public space. Public and private cloud environments overlap in some capacity but...
What Is Kubernetes Observability? Kubernetes observability refers to the ability to monitor and diagnose the performance and behavior of a Kubernetes cluster and its applications. This includes monitoring resource usage, tracking the status of pods and deployments, and identifying and troubleshooting errors. Observability tools for Kubernetes typically include metrics, logging, and tracing capabilities. These tools can be integrated with Kubernetes to provide a comprehensive view of the cluster and its applications, allowing administrators to quickly identify and resolve issues. For more...
There’s a good chance that you have heard the word phishing or probably even been a victim in the past, however you do not understand what it really means and how to protect yourself from being a victim. According to CNBC, there were 225 million phishing attacks in 2022 which depicts a 61% increase from the number of reported cases in 2021. Sadly, as the number of cases increases, it is also becoming increasingly difficult to spot a potential phishing attack because the attack methods are becoming more sophisticated by the day. However, no matter how sophisticated a phishing attack method is...
As governments and organizations standardize and harmonize their responses to better mitigate the increasing number of cyber-attacks, so do cybercriminals. In Europe, security decision-makers and businesses face similar attack techniques as their global counterparts. While the methodologies employed are identical because they all rely on the same digital technologies exploiting similar vulnerabilities, the motivations vary. Global threat actors: motivations and playbooks The threat actors can be distinguished into two major groups according to their motivation: Organized criminals act...
Mail filters play a huge role in protecting organizations from cyberattacks. Even though their task is quite small, they are very important for an organization’s ability to deter many malicious phishing and spam emails before delivery to a person’s inbox. According to the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, 40% of attacks in the manufacturing industry are phishing attacks, and 1 in 3 employees are most likely to fall for a phishing scam. How do mail filters work? Email SPAM filters use a variety of techniques to protect mail delivery. A mail filter will take action, such as rejecting...
Application dependencies occur when technology components, applications, and servers depend on each other to provide a business solution or service. Developers have a specific technology stack in mind when building solutions. This can typically include operating systems, database engines, and development frameworks (such as .Net or Java), as well as other infrastructure. There are various types of application dependencies, such as libraries, plugins, databases, cache storage, and third-party services the application uses. If an application dependency is missing or has issues, it can affect...
The owner of a Russian penetration-testing company has been found guilty of being part of an elaborate scheme that netted $90 million after stealing SEC earning reports. For nearly three years, 42-year-old Vladislav Klyushin - the owner of Moscow-based cybersecurity firm M-13 - and his co-conspirators had hacked into two US-based filing agents used by publicly-traded American companies to file earning reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a Department of Justice press release explains, the earning reports contained sensitive corporate information that allowed the hackers to...
As the world grows increasingly digital and dependent on the internet, cyberthreats are constantly evolving to clash with newer and more rigid security features. Despite cybercriminals’ propensity for finding new and innovative ways to take advantage of their targets, however, there are also tactics that have been in use since the early days of the internet. These tried-and-true methods continue to work more than 25 years after the advent of phishing, but educating yourself on what scams look like can help you not to fall victim to them. 1. Impersonating known senders “Every phishing scam...
When it comes to acronyms, Technology and Cybersecurity often rival various branches of government. Technology acronyms are usually somewhat bland, amounting to little more than the arcane argot of the profession, such as SOC, SIEM, and DNS. Government, however, rarely disappoints in its inventiveness, whether it is the acronym of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, or the more recent proposal towards Stopping Another Non-Truthful Office Seeker (SANTOS) act, named after embattled US House of Representatives member, George Santos. Sometimes, even...
The fact that scammers haunt Facebook and Twitter is not surprising. Even so, digital criminals don’t stop with just those two platforms. They’re also known to stalk users on LinkedIn where connections carry greater professional gravity. Fortunately, users can stay alert of such activity by familiarizing themselves with the most common types of LinkedIn scams. In no particular order, here are five such ruses that should be on everyone’s radar. Scam #1: Illegitimate Contact Requests Like on any social media platform, the act of connecting with another LinkedIn user creates ample room for...
The Compliance Landscape Only those hiding from the news, prospects, and customers can miss the data security and privacy challenges that are occurring. More businesses are relying on data analytics (garnered from data collection) for more and improved service and product offerings. More individuals want data privacy and security. More nations want their citizens protected from corporate tactics that rely on mining and scraping personal data. More customers want tailored experiences that only come through data analytics. These, often conflicting desires, bring us back to the origins of the...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2023 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1042 on Wednesday, February 15th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2023-21823 The first vulnerability in the list this week is CVE-2023-21823, a vulnerability in Windows Graphic Component that can allow for code execution leading to SYSTEM privileges. Updates are available for all supported versions of Windows as well as Microsoft Office for IOS, Android, and Universal. Microsoft Office for Universal is a version of Microsoft Office...
A brute force attack is an attempt to reveal passwords and login credentials in order to gain access to network resources. These attacks are mainly done with the purpose of gaining unauthorized, and undetected access to compromise systems. Threat actors usually prefer this attack method since it is simple to carry out, and can cause significant damage. Once a person’s credentials are revealed, the attacker can log in, generally unnoticed. Brute force attacks are still prevalent today, and many organizations are frequently affected. The most common motives behind Brute force attacks are to...
Today’s energy sector is undergoing massive change, especially as more utilities try to usher in clean or renewable energy alternatives like solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind power. In addition to the clean energy transition, grid modernization is another major shift in the energy industry. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is expected to transform the energy grid and support modernization efforts. However, with more technological innovations than ever before, operators must make careful considerations, especially in light of recent cyberattacks against critical infrastructure...
We create massive amounts of data daily, from the exercise stats compiled by our wearable devices to smart meters used at our homes to reduce expense consumption to maintenance statistics of critical systems in industrial settings. If data creation continues at its present rate, more than a yottabyte (a million trillion megabytes) will likely be generated annually by 2030. Even though big data is moving power behind modern, digital-first organizations, an average company uses only a fraction of the data they collect. According to a recent survey by VMware, 83% of business leaders believe that...
Tripwire's January 2023 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Office that resolve 6 vulnerabilities, including remote code execution and information disclosure vulnerabilities. Next are patches for Adobe Reader and Acrobat that 15 vulnerabilities, including arbitrary code execution, memory leak, denial-of-service, and elevation of privilege vulnerabilities. Up next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches...
February 7th is the 20th Safer Internet Day, a day to focus on addressing ways to reduce the risks created by our now very online world. Painting the internet as an inherently dangerous place full of predators and … would be using too broad a brush. The internet is an amazing technology - an information sharing resource unrivaled in depth, breadth, and reach. Despite all the good, useful, and fun the internet brings, it has one major drawback: on the other end of the computer is a person. Like any tool, the impact of its use depends on the user and people will find ways to misuse and abuse...
A truism about the free tools online is that if you aren’t paying for the service, then you are the product. Take your grocery store's “club” card program. You sign up and give them your name and phone number, and every time you shop, you swipe your card and get discounts on certain items. If you shop at the same store all the time, it makes total sense to take advantage of these discounts to save yourself some cash. It is easy to see why a consumer would use an offer for a discount, but why does offering it make sense to the store? Every club card swipe gives the grocery some data points...
The Tripwire Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) keeps its finger on the cybersecurity pulse. Check out some of the stories that stood out for us recently: Compromised Linux Endpoints can be isolated with Microsoft Defender Microsoft Defender for Endpoint can now isolate compromised Linux environments. This can potentially mitigate the amount of data attackers could obtain from infected systems. The network isolation feature cuts off access to the network, but it allows Defender for Endpoint to continue monitoring the system. It is possible to “release from isolation” when the...
Industrial control systems are fundamental to all industrial processes, from power generation to water treatment and manufacturing. ICS refers to the collection of devices that govern a process to ensure its safe and effective execution. These devices include Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and other control systems like Remote Terminal Units (RTU) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). A malfunction in any of these systems or the network in which they operate could result in the failure of the entire industrial process, with...
It’s another new year and hence another occasion to predict how the cybersecurity landscape will evolve in 2023. Once again, it will be challenging, as most every year is, and could wind up being an unusually difficult 12 months because of multiple headwinds. One is that it has become clear that a huge increase in remote working is here to stay, if only because so many companies have adopted a durable hybrid policy – one that blends remote work with work in the office some weekdays. This is good for workers, who prefer to commute to work less, but not for corporate cybersecurity because remote...
2022 saw privacy truly take hold in the U.S., while Europe buttressed its position as the global leader and other regions worked to get up-to-speed with new or amended laws. U.S. Privacy in 2022 Laws passed in 2021 and 2022 meant many U.S. companies spent the past year preparing for new privacy requirements that came into effect on January 1st in California and Virginia, with more to come out of Colorado and Connecticut in July, and Utah on December 31st. The new laws put new categories of personal data in scope (employee and B2B in California), bring new data subject rights, and GDPR-like...
UK banking group TSB is calling on social networks and dating apps to better protect their users from fake profiles, following an alarming spike in romance fraud. Examining data from December 2020 - January 2022, TSB determined that romance fraud almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels, with a record increase in losses of 91% - averaging £6,100 per incident. The bank's findings uncovered that those duped into a "relationship" on average made payments for two months (62 days), but recorded at least one scam that spanned over 1059 days - almost three years. In 32% of cases - almost one in...
Extortion, and especially “sextortion” emails, are becoming more frequent, and they can be extremely alarming when received. Such emails work by using threats to extort money, evoking intense fear. This type of correspondence comes in many guises and features various elements, but essentially, they work in the same way. These activities can refer to real-life experience such as cheating on a partner or online behaviors such as visiting porn sites. They are called sextortion scams because there is an element of sexual behavior to them, something which is highlighted by scammers as undesirable...
Passwords are the most basic and common authentication method used to secure access to systems. But the process of using and maintaining secure passwords for numerous platforms can be quite tedious. According to Verizon`s 2020 Data Breach Investigation Report, weak, and re-used passwords resulted in 81% of data breaches. Apart from that, there are many more vulnerabilities and risks related to passwords, passwords are an increasingly unsuitable authentication option. Three main problems with passwords Human behavior and passwords – Many people prefer convenience over security. The usage of...
Are you sitting comfortably? Then let us begin… No, this isn’t the start of some Christmas fairy tale… it’s how I begin reading most reports which cover the last 12 months in Cybersecurity, and there are quite a few to look at. But for me, the one I value most is the ENSIA Threat landscape (ETL) report, which is now in its tenth year. Every year, the report does a great job of presenting what has been happening over the last 12 months, and giving us actionable information that we can use in presentations and board papers. In short, it gives us threat intelligence at a strategic level, and if...
All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of December 19th, 2022. I’ve also included some comments on these stories. NIST Recommends upgrading from SHA-1 The SHA-1 algorithm has reached the end of its usefulness, according to security experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) , and is being put out to pasture. NIST now recommends that IT professionals replace all existing instances of...
The FBI is warning US consumers that cybercriminals are placing ads in search engine results that impersonate well-known brands, in an attempt to spread ransomware and steal financial information. In a public service announcement issued this week, the FBI describes how cybercriminals are purchasing ads that show up at the very top of search engine results, often purporting to link to a legitimate company's website. However, anyone clicking on the link is instead taken to a lookalike page that may appear identical, but is in fact designed to phish for login credentials and financial details, or...
Tripwire's November 2022 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft. First on the patch priority list this month are patches for Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel that resolve 8 vulnerabilities, including remote code execution, information disclosure, and security feature bypass vulnerabilities. Up next are patches that affect components of the core Windows operating system. These patches resolve over 40 vulnerabilities, including elevation of privilege, information disclosure, security feature bypass, remote code execution, and denial of service...
This year marks the release of the first 2022 Vulnerability Management Report from Fortra. The report, which was conducted in September 2022, is based on a comprehensive survey of over 390 cybersecurity professionals with the goal of gaining insights into the latest trends, key challenges, and vulnerability management solution preferences. According to the report, cybersecurity teams require readily available, effective vulnerability management solutions that help scale cybersecurity capabilities to protect the business without adding more staff. Beyond vulnerability scanning, this includes...
There’s usually a surge in online activities during festive periods. People place gift orders and send funds to loved ones, and organizations roll out offers that reflect the spirit of the festivity. Threat actors will usually take advantage of this activity to sneak past your defenses. By convincingly impersonating any of these legitimate offers, they can gain access to an organization's network, and wreak havoc. Here are simple steps that employees and organizations alike can take to avoid phishing attacks during this festive period. Always assume there's a threat Phishing remains the most...
Call her Linda Leesburg. Fresh out of graduate school and starting her first serious job, she decided to buy some kitchen utensils and related items, including a dish set, cookware, silverware and a coffee maker, to outfit the kitchen of her new apartment. She could easily buy these products at a local store, but she discovered a store online that offered them at an unusually low price. Leesburg paid about $250 for everything, using a few gift cards she had received in recognition of her academic and job-hunting success, and waited patiently for a truck to deliver the goods. But they never...
When we speak of necessary evils, some images readily spring to mind. A dental appointment, automobile insurance, and many others. In cybersecurity, audits fit this image quite well. There are many uncomfortable aspects of audits, including the need to maintain accurate records, as well as finding the time to perform all the work required to satisfy the auditors. Deep down, we all know that audits are necessary. After all, we want to think that our systems are as secure as we say they are. All of the hard work, the due diligence, the checking and double-checking assures us that everything is...
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority for cybersecurity. Established in 2016, it has worked to improve online safety and security, and has brought clarity and insight to an increasingly complex online world. In its 6th annual review, it gives insights to its understanding of the cyber environment affecting the UK. One of the most important roles of the NCSC is to identify, monitor, and analyse key cybersecurity threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. This information is shared not only with government organisations, but also private enterprises, and other...
Recent advancements in the digital landscape have led to a new kind of paradigm, one where enterprise perimeters are no longer clearly defined or limited. The rapid uptake of remote working, cloud, and IoT led to these prominent shifts, resulting in users, applications, and data no longer residing exclusively within the perimeters of the enterprise. This has led to enterprise perimeters becoming “borderless”. In today’s day and age, with the cross-perimeter flow of digital assets becoming ubiquitous, it is clear that borderless enterprise perimeters are the new norm. However, from a security...
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently published important cybersecurity guidance to help protect retailers, which comes right as the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Retail organizations are no strangers to cyber attacks. In fact, some recent large-scale retail industry cyber attacks have included popular brands such as Guess, Under Armour, CVS Health, Home Depot, and Target. While cyber attacks show no signs of slowing down, many businesses and organizations have stepped up by employing best cybersecurity practices and skilled cybersecurity professionals. But, cyber...
Law enforcement agencies in the United States, UK, Netherlands, Poland, and Germany have brought down the most popular DDoS-for-hire services on the internet, responsible for tens of millions of attacks against websites. 50 of the world's biggest "booter" sites used to launch disruptive distributed denial-of-service attacks have been taken down as part of "Operation Power Off" - a joint action by the US Department of Justice, FBI, the UK's National Crime Agency, and their equivalents. As a result, visitors to scores of DDoS-for-hire sites are greeted with the following message today: THIS...
The holiday season has arrived, and cyberattacks are expected to increase with the upcoming celebratory events. According to The Retail & Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) 2022 Holiday Season Threat Trends and summary report, ransomware and phishing attacks are expected to increase in retail. With the FIFA World Cup 2022, many cybersecurity experts have advised heightened caution about online impersonation scams and phishing campaigns. Looking back at 2021, studies show a 30% increase in ransomware attacks, and a 70% increase in attempted ransomware attacks during...
Network security is a significant topic that all organizations should consider as a major concern. Regardless of the industry, business, or scope of their operations, all enterprises need to have good network security practices in place to protect against cyberattacks. There are a plethora of different security solutions for different needs, and organizations have to figure out what will work best for them and use the resources that they require. While the specific policies, systems, and software employed for network security will vary widely from one enterprise to the next, it is important...
As we walk towards the end of 2022, full-scale predictions are made about the trends for cybersecurity in the upcoming year: how will cybersecurity affect us, what major cyber threats will dominate the landscape, and, where shall we allocate cybersecurity budgets? Above all, what can we do to secure our businesses and protect our tangible and intangible assets from cybercriminals’ activities? As we are looking for what trends 2023 will hold in store for us, it is important to comprehend that cybersecurity is a perpetual battle against the cyber threats. Despite the increasing number of high...
Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s December 2022 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1034 on Wednesday, December 14th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2022-44698 This vulnerability allows a malicious individual to bypass SmartScreen, which does a reputation check based on Mark of the Web identifiers. We saw CVE-2022-41091 released last month, which was widely discussed on social media and bypassed Mark of the Web. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability, which has seen public exploitation, could allow a...
Cybersecurity threats to manufacturing and process plants are coming from a wide range of attack vectors, including supply chain, logistics, enterprise computing, remote connections, operator stations, programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems (DCSs), smart sensors, and new smart devices. Internet of Things (IoT) technologies offer greater connectivity and endless applications, but they make the cybersecurity […]… Read More
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All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of August 29th, 2022. I’ve also included some comments on these stories. WordPress 6.0.2 Patches Vulnerability That Could Impact Millions […]… Read More
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The biggest cyber security threat that businesses have to tackle is much closer than you’d think. Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations report – found human error to be a key driver in 82% of breaches, which is why it is crucial for businesses to address cyber security awareness in the workplace and ensure that employees […]… Read More
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Amid a wave of hacks that have cost investors billions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency, the FBI is calling on decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms to improve their security. In a warning posted on its website, the FBI said that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting DeFi platforms to steal cryptocurrency, often exploiting vulnerabilities in smart contracts to […]… Read More
The post FBI issues warning after crypto-crooks steal $1.3 billion in just three months appeared first on The State of Security.
The increasing popularity of online payment systems results from the world’s gradual transition to a cashless and contactless digital economy — an economy, projected in a recent Huawei white paper, to be worth $23 trillion by 2025. With digital commerce emerging as the largest segment in the projected $8.49 trillion global digital payments market in […]… Read More
The post Defense and Development: Key points from The Complete Guide to Application Security for PCI-DSS appeared first on The State of Security.
CI/CD is a recommended technique for DevOps teams and a best practice in agile methodology. CI/CD is a method for consistently delivering apps to clients by automating the app development phases. Continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment are the key concepts. CI/CD adds continuous automation and monitoring throughout the whole application lifetime, from the […]… Read More
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All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of August 22nd, 2022, including some commentary of mine. VMware fixed a privilege escalation issue in VMware Tools VMware this […]… Read More
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The volume and impact of data breaches have accelerated largely in 2022, which has contributed to many adverse effects for businesses. Tc highlights several updated factors that have generated great costs across 17 countries and regions, and 17 industries. The report has included new related areas of analysis such as: Extended Detection and Response (XDR). […]… Read More
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Most of us already know the basic principle of authentication, which, in its simplest form, helps us to identify and verify a user, process, or account. In an Active Directory environment, this is commonly done through the use of an NTLM hash. When a user wants to access a network resource, such as a file […]… Read More
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LastPass, the popular password manager used by millions of people around the world, has announced that it suffered a security breach two weeks ago that saw attackers break into its systems and steal information. But don’t panic just yet – that doesn’t mean that all of your passwords are now in the hands of internet […]… Read More
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Medical imaging cybersecurity needs to evolve to meet today’s security threats. Cyberthreats specifically targeting health care institutions have increased over recent years. More data is also at risk since patients have begun widely using telemedicine services. In addition to the risk of information theft, there is a very serious risk to patients, including the potential […]… Read More
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With Cyber Security Awareness month fast approaching, information security professionals and data protection managers will be looking at how to secure board-level buy-in for company-wide cybersecurity awareness campaigns. Often, this is the biggest hurdle for any cyber awareness campaign as senior leadership weighs the costs and benefits of investing in the security of their business. […]… Read More
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The second quarter of 2022 offered plenty of positing on privacy, both in the U.S. and internationally. In the U.S., we saw the addition of another state privacy law, and a spark of hope in privacy professionals’ eyes with the introduction of tangible federal legislation. Plus, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is positioned to act […]… Read More
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In the context of hybrid work, the threat of data loss is rampant. Cybersecurity systems that were once designed to operate within the confines of a network perimeter have become obsolete, with employees using various devices, networks, and applications to get their work done. As such, it’s easier than ever for companies to be vulnerable […]… Read More
The post 5 Things We Learned from The Definitive Guide to Data Loss Prevention (DLP) appeared first on The State of Security.
Arriving at the keynote hall for Black Hat 2022, I was immediately struck by the size of the crowd – after the seemingly endless pandemic hiatus, the cyber industry had come out in force. The mood was one of enthusiasm, and the entire place reverberated with the vibrancy of reunion. It was a great event […]… Read More
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All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of August 15th, 2022. I’ve also included some comments on these stories. Newly Uncovered PyPI Package Drops Fileless Cryptominer to […]… Read More
The post Extra, Extra, VERT Reads All About It: Cybersecurity News for the Week of August 15, 2022 appeared first on The State of Security.
Can you remember your first email? Either sending one, or receiving it? I certainly remember explaining to people what email was, and I also remember someone telling me they could live without their email server for “about a month before it becomes a problem”. Can you imagine that now? A month without email? Emails are […]… Read More
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The world of enterprise cybersecurity is exceedingly dynamic. In a landscape that is ever-changing, security professionals need to combat a class of evolving threat actors by deploying increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques. Today with enterprises operating in an environment that is more challenging than ever, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platforms play an indispensable […]… Read More
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In a previous post my colleague spoke about how ensuring devices on your network is a great way to minimize the attack surface of your infrastructure. Organizations like the Center for Internet Security (CIS) provide guidelines on how to best configure operating systems to minimize the attack surface. The CIS calls these “benchmarks.” Many security […]… Read More
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All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of August 8st, 2022. I’ve also included some comments on these stories. Slack leaked hashed passwords from its servers for […]… Read More
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This year marks the eighth edition of the popular IBM i Marketplace Survey Results. Each year, HelpSystems collects data about how companies utilize the IBM i platform and the IT enterprises it helps. Year after year, the survey has started to demonstrate long-term directions that provide useful information about the future of this entrusted technology. […]… Read More
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In March 2022, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was updated with a number of new and modified requirements. Since their last update in 2018, there has been a rapid increase in the use of cloud technologies, contactless payments have become the norm, and the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a massive growth in […]… Read More
The post A 5 Step Checklist for Complying with PCI DSS 4.0 appeared first on The State of Security.
A new type of scam, called “pig butchering” is gaining momentum. Pig butchering is a unique scam which uses a romance scam script, but with an investment spin on it, where victims are groomed to invest large sums of money, often on fake crypto apps. Behind the scenes of these scams are scam centers run […]… Read More
The post 5 tips for spotting and avoiding Pig butchering scams appeared first on The State of Security.
Ransomware is to blame for the closure of all 175 7-Eleven stores in Denmark on Monday. The retailer closed all of its stores in Denmark after its cash registers and payment systems were brought down in the attack. Initially, 7-Eleven’s Danish division did not say that ransomware was responsible for its problems, simply describing the […]… Read More
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This week, I spoke with a new client who told me all about how they are looking forward to addressing a number of internal issues surrounding their IT systems. They explained that over the last 12 months, they repeatedly had issues of delays in service and outages, which had affected their business. Discussing this further, […]… Read More
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During the last few years, we have witnessed an increase in advanced cyber attacks. Cybercriminals utilize advanced technology to breach the digital boundary and exploit enterprises’ security vulnerabilities. No industry feels secure; security professionals do their utmost to close security gaps and strengthen their cyber defense. As new technologies pop up at an unprecedented rate, […]… Read More
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Cybersecurity is becoming more of a common term in today’s industry. It is being passed around executive meetings along with financial information and projected marketing strategies. Within the cybersecurity lexicon, there are some attack methods that are repeated enough to become part of a “common tongue”. These terms are infrastructure agnostic; it does not really […]… Read More
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“Data: We have never had so much of it, and it has never been so challenging to protect.” These are some of the opening words in the new survey published by ISMG and HelpSystems in the ‘Data Security Survey 2022’. The survey explores how COVID19 has permanently changed how CISOs approach Data Security. It is […]… Read More
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Today’s Patch Tuesday VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s August 2022 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1015 on Wednesday, August 10th. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEs CVE-2022-34713 According to Microsoft, CVE-2022-34713 is a variant of the Dogwalk vulnerability. There has been a lot of Twitter discussion around this […]… Read More
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At a time when the state of cybersecurity is constantly changing, with new and increasing threats arising each day, it is vital for all organizations to keep it near the top of their list of priorities. Business applications are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, and their ability to protect and defend themselves against these attacks is […]… Read More
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All of us at Tripwire’s Vulnerability Exposure and Research Team (VERT) are constantly looking out for interesting stories and developments in the infosec world. Here’s what cybersecurity news stood out to us during the week of August 1st, 2022. I’ve also included some comments on these stories. Windows 11 Smart App Control blocks files used […]… Read More
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Life among America’s nearly 32 million small businesses has never been easy. According to the Small Business Administration, about 20% of small business startups fail in their first year and half succumb to failure within five years. Bigger businesses have always had more capital, better access to loans, and more staying power. Lately, survival has […]… Read More
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The rising number of cyber attacks against software applications has emphasized how security must serve as an important factor in software development. More than the traditional Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) procedures, now security-integrated development lifecycles are being widely adapted. These aren’t the typical security assessments that are performed at the very end of development of […]… Read More
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The aviation safety sector is the study and practice of managing aviation risks. It is a solid concentration of regulations, legal documents, investigations of accidents and near-miss aviation incidents. On top of them lie lessons learned and shared knowledge; reports, facts and stats forming a cognitive super vitamin, that the aviation community uses to keep […]… Read More
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Cyberattacks are an increasingly common occurrence for a spectrum of industries. Rising cybercrime affects everyone, but certain sectors are more at risk than others. In 2023, the auto industry could face particularly significant dangers. Attacks in the automotive space can impact automakers, automotive fleets, and consumers alike. Reducing these risks will be crucial as more […]… Read More
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Tripwire’s July 2022 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe. First on the patch priority list this month are patches that resolve 2 vulnerabilities in Edge. Next is a patch that resolves a security feature bypass vulnerability in Office. Up next are patches for Adobe Reader and Acrobat that resolve […]… Read More
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