Compliance and security often go hand in hand as ideas that attempt to protect against cyber threats. While both compliance and security are designed to lower risk, they are not mutually inclusive—that is, not everything that is required for compliance will necessarily help with security, and not everything that bolsters security will necessarily put you in compliance. Both are vital to...

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 guide: How Managed Services Can Help with...

Electric grids are part of every nation’s critical infrastructure. Every societal activity and business depends on reliable and safe electricity distribution. The US electric grid is a huge network of powerlines, distribution hubs, and renewable and non-renewable energy generators that is increasingly exposed to cyber-physical risks due to the accelerated reliance on cyber-enabled systems and IoT...

The then-new 2014 NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) was designed to plug security gaps in operational technology. It’s still in use today and more relevant than ever. Fortra’s whitepaper provides a cohesive review of this security staple and how to glean the best out of it for your strategy. A Brief History of NIST CSF “The full maximum NIST Cybersecurity Framework is about as big an umbrella as...

When building a tower, it helps to start with a sturdy foundation. Cyber maturity is the tower, and there are three levels that build it: Foundational IT/OT & Security Control Processes Fundamental Security Control Capabilities Advanced Security Control Capabilities Fortra occupies a unique space in the industry because of the sheer size of the security portfolio. It’s one thing to advocate for...

Do you remember where you were on 25th May 2018? Perhaps you were enjoying a Friday night drink with friends. Perhaps you were with family, relaxing after a busy week at work. I was actually having a GDPR Birthday party with friends and colleagues because 25th May 2018 was a landmark day for the world of Data Protection (yes, seriously, we had a party!). But the funny thing about the effective...

Non-compliance in cybersecurity marks a grave oversight. It involves neglecting established security protocols, leaving organizations vulnerable to malicious actors. Read on as we examine the potential risks of non-compliance, including heightened susceptibility to cyberattacks, the specter of data breaches, and the erosion of a company's hard-earned reputation. Risks of Non-Compliance Non...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...