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What is ISO 27002:2022 Control 8.9? A Quick Look at the Essentials

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...
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Understanding Firewalls – Types, Configuration, and Best Practices for Effective Network Security

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...
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What is The Network and Information Security 2 Directive (NIS2)?

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...
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CISA Cybersecurity Strategic Plan: What you need to know

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...
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The Use of Natural Language Processing for Identifying and Mitigating Threats

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...
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2023 Business Email Compromise Statistics

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...
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Is Your MSP Taking Its Own Security Seriously?

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...
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An Introduction to Cyber Threat Intelligence: Key Concepts and Principles

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...
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What is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

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,...
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ATT&CKing the Center for Internet Security

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...
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What is SWIFT? 8 Things You Need to Know

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...
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How the NIS2 Directive Will Impact You

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...
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PCI DSS 4.0 Requirements –Test Security Regularly and Support Information Security with Organizational Policies and Programs

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...
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5 Things Everyone Needs to Know About GRC

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...
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Is the CMMC 2.0 Rollout on the Horizon?

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...
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What is the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)?

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...
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A Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) IT Compliance Primer

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...
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Insider Risk Hits Closer to Home

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...
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PCI DSS 4.0 Requirements – Protect from Malicious Software and Maintain Secure Systems and Software

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...