Many organizations have a vulnerability management (VM) problem without knowing it. Vulnerability management is a crucial component of any organization’s cybersecurity program and is required by most major compliance standards because of its sink-or-swim impact on network security. One of the biggest issues in VM is that organizations aren’t testing the entirety of their networks. Could yours be...

The latest version of the CIS Controls was released in June 2024. The new version, 8.1, introduces some minor updates via design principles.ContextNew asset classes are updated to better match the specific parts of an enterprise’s infrastructure that each Safeguard applies to. New classes require new definitions, so CIS has also enhanced the descriptions of several Safeguards for greater detail,...

The original NIS Directive came into force in 2016 as the EU’s first comprehensive law governing cybersecurity in member states. As part of its key policy objective to make Europe “fit for the digital age,” the European Commission proposed in December 2020 that NIS be revised, and NIS2 entered into force in January of 2023. Member states were required to transpose it into law by October 17, 2024...

Since 2008, the CIS Controls have been through many iterations of refinement and improvement leading up to what we are presented with today in CIS Controls version 8.1.CIS Controls reflect the combined knowledge of experts from every part of the ecosystem (companies, governments, and individuals). The controls reflect consideration by people in many different roles, such as threat analysts,...

Security experts have warned that a cybercriminal group has been running a malicious and inventive phishing campaign since August 2024 to break into organizations across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.The Russian group, known as Storm-2372, has targeted government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as firms working in IT, defence, telecoms, health, and the...

Today, I will be going over Control 2 from version 8.1 of the top 18 CIS Controls – Inventory and Control of Software Assets. I will go over the seven safeguards and offer my thoughts on what I’ve found.Key Takeaways for Control 2Reusability. The tools that were mentioned in Control 1 will be used in Control 2 as well. Reusing tools that accomplish goals for both Controls 1 and 2 can help cut...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s February 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1143 as soon as coverage is completed. In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-21391A vulnerability in Windows Storage could lead to elevation of privilege, however, it is important to note that this would not give complete access to the file...

Building a vulnerability management (VM) program from the ground up is no small feat. It requires technical expertise, organizational buy-in, and a clear roadmap. In recent months, I’ve been working with a client who had to discard their legacy approach and start afresh. We came to realize just how many components have to come together to get a decent start on a VM project while also showing value...

Key Takeaways for Control 3At the heart of a strong data management plan is awareness surrounding the 'Five Ws' of the enterprise's data:What data does the enterprise store or handle?Who should have access to it?Where is it stored or accessed?When should it be deleted?Why does it need protection?A comprehensive data management plan incorporates the answers to these questions with policy decisions...

Tripwire's January 2025 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft.First on the list are patches for the Microsoft office platform, including Word, Access, Visio, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook. These patches resolve 13 issues such as remote code execution and security feature bypass vulnerabilities.Next are patches that affect components of the core Windows...

Key Takeaways for Control 4Most fresh installs of operating systems or applications come with preconfigured settings that are usually insecure or not properly configured with security in mind. Use the leverage provided by multiple frameworks such as CIS Benchmarks or NIST NCP to find out if your organization needs to augment or adjust any baselines to become better aligned with the policies your...

In the early part of 2024, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) released the latest version of the well-respected Critical Security Controls (CSC). The new version, 8.1, adds contours to the prior versions, making it more comprehensive and timely in today’s challenging cybersecurity environment.The CIS CSC has been a valued source of guidance for many organizations since its initial release in...

Knowing who has credentials, how those credentials are granted, and how they are being used is the foundation of any secure environment. It begins with user accounts and the credentials they use. Maintaining a thorough inventory of all accounts and verifying any changes to those accounts as authorized and intentional vs unintended is paramount to establishing a secure environment, and this...

Recently, I looked at Microsoft’s assigned CVSS v3.1 scores for Patch Tuesday vulnerabilities alongside the Microsoft assigned severity ratings. I wanted to revisit these numbers and see just how closely CVSS aligns with Microsoft’s opinion of severity.Disclaimer: I’m aware that CVSS v4.0 exists. However, Microsoft has not yet adopted it, and I wanted an apples-to-apples comparison.What Is CVSS v3...

Remote work isn’t just a temporary trend anymore; it has become a permanent fixture. What began as a quick response during the pandemic has evolved into the new normal for businesses worldwide. In America, 20% of people now work from home.While this has its advantages (flexibility for workers and cost savings for businesses), it’s not without its complications, having cracked open a host of issues...

CIS Control 6 merges some aspects of CIS Control 4 (admin privileges) and CIS Control 14 (access on a need-to-know basis) into a single access control management group. Access control management is a critical component in maintaining information and system security, restricting access to assets based on role and need. It is important to grant, refuse, and remove access in a standardized, timely,...

Today’s VERT Alert addresses Microsoft’s January 2025 Security Updates. VERT is actively working on coverage for these vulnerabilities and expects to ship ASPL-1139 as soon as coverage is completed.In-The-Wild & Disclosed CVEsCVE-2025-21333The first of three Hyper-V vulnerabilities this month is a heap-based buffer overflow that leads to privilege escalation to SYSTEM. Microsoft has reported this...

Enterprise networks frequently experience changes in endpoint devices, software, and files, which can introduce risk to the organization. To mitigate this, companies can implement foundational security controls like file integrity monitoring (FIM), which tracks changes to essential files and helps restore them if unauthorized. Additionally, organizations may use these controls to monitor for...

Tripwire's December 2024 Patch Priority Index (PPI) brings together important vulnerabilities for Microsoft and Adobe.First on the list is a notice about Windows Common Log File System Driver (CLFS). CVE-2024-49138 impacts Windows CLFS, which Microsoft released a patch for in December 2024. This vulnerability has been detected as actively exploited and has been added to the CISA Known Exploited...

When it comes to cybersecurity, vulnerability management is one of the older technologies that still play a critical role in securing our assets. It is often overlooked, disregarded, or considered only for checkbox compliance needs, but a proper vulnerability management program can play a critical role in avoiding a series of data breaches.CIS Control 07 provides the minimum requirements and table...