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Common Phishing Attacks and How to Protect Against Them

Phishing is a malicious attempt to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal data. These attacks are typically carried out by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in electronic communications. Phishing can take many forms and has evolved to become more sophisticated, making it imperative for individuals and...
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This Senate Bill Could Improve Voting Machine Security

The upcoming election has brought up conversations about the security of our voting infrastructure. While recent developments have somewhat shifted attention toward more visceral threats such as "death threats against county clerks, polling-place violence, and AI-fueled disinformation," the protection of voting machine security is still a pressing concern.Securing electronic voting infrastructure...
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Understanding Managed Service Providers (MSPs): Choosing the Right Provider

The demand for robust security, transparency, and accountability is at an all-time high, and many businesses are relying on managed service providers (MSPs) to manage their IT infrastructure, ensure data security, or provide seamless operational support. Concurrently, MSPs must continuously innovate and differentiate their offerings to meet the growing needs of businesses.The wide range of MSPs...
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Exploring the Impact of NIST SP 800-53 on Federal IT Systems

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...
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Updates and Evolution of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework: What’s New?

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...
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Low-Hanging Fruits Vs. Those at the Top of the Tree: Cybersecurity Edition

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...
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Insider Threats Maintain a Rising Trend

“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...
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The Impact of NIST SP 800-171 on SMBs

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...
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Enhancing Endpoint Security with Advanced Host-Based Intrusion Detection Capabilities

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...
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Oops, Malware! Now What? Dealing with Accidental Malware Execution

On an ordinary day, you're casually surfing the web and downloading some PDF files. The document icons seem pretty legitimate, so you click without a second thought. But, to your surprise, nothing happens. A closer look reveals that what you believed to be a harmless PDF was, in fact, an executable file. Panic sets in as your settings lock up, and...
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Managed Cybersecurity Services Secure Modern Environments

In an era characterized by relentless digital transformation and interconnectedness, cybersecurity has evolved into a complex and dynamic battleground. Businesses, governments, and individuals find themselves locked in a perpetual struggle against a relentless flood of evolving threats. From sophisticated cybercriminal syndicates to state-sponsored...
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Federated Learning for Cybersecurity: Collaborative Intelligence for Threat Detection

The demand for innovative threat detection and intelligence approaches is more pressing than ever. One such paradigm-shifting technology gaining prominence is Federated Learning (FL). This emerging concept harnesses the power of collaborative intelligence, allowing disparate entities to pool their insights without compromising sensitive data. A...
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The Importance of Host-Based Intrusion Detection Systems

What Is a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS)? A host-based intrusion detection system, or HIDS, is a network application that monitors suspicious and malicious behavior, both internally and externally. The HIDS’ job is to flag any unusual patterns of behavior that could signify a breach. By bringing this activity to the team’s attention,...
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Resolving Top Security Misconfigurations: What you need to know

One of the most common factors that can lead to cybersecurity incidents is a security misconfiguration in software or application settings. The default settings that come with the implementation of these tools and solutions are often not configured securely, and many organizations do not invest the time and resources into ensuring that they are. ...
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Guide to Creating a Robust Website Security Incident Response Plan

Earlier this year, the SEC proposed a new set of rules on cybersecurity governance, which would require public companies to make appropriate disclosures of cyber risks and management procedures. Although the amendments target the financial sector, it is one more evidence of the fact that cybersecurity is no longer a backburner component of business...
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Operational Resilience: What It Is and Why It's Important

Frankly stated, operational resilience is your ability to climb the mountain, no matter the weather. Businesses now need more than a good security structure to weather the storms of AI-driven threats, APTs, cloud-based risks, and hyper-distributed environments. And more importantly, operational resilience in 2024 requires a paradigm shift....
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NIST CSF 2.0: What you need to know

Organizations looking to protect their sensitive data and assets against cyberattacks may lack the ability to build a cybersecurity strategy without any structured help. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a free, public framework to help any organization mature its IT security posture. Recently, the institute published an...
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Massive Surge in Security Breaches of Pensions Prompt Questions

A recent report from RPC has revealed that cybersecurity breaches in UK pension schemes increased by 4,000% from 2021/22 to 2022/23. Understandably, the announcement has raised serious concerns about the efficacy of financial service organization’s cybersecurity programmes. Although the reasons for cyberattacks on financial services are fairly...
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Understanding Cybersecurity Footprinting: Techniques and Strategies

Footprinting, also known as fingerprinting, is a methodology used by penetration testers, cybersecurity professionals, and even threat actors to gather information about a target organization to identify potential vulnerabilities. Footprinting is the first step in penetration testing. It involves scanning open ports, mapping network topologies, and...
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How MSSPs Help with Cybersecurity Compliance

While always a part of business, compliance demands have skyrocketed as the digital world gives us so many more ways to go awry. We all remember the Enron scandal that precipitated the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). Now, SOX compliance means being above board on a number of cybersecurity requirements as well. Fortra's Tripwire recently released a new...