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...

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...

“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...

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...

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...

Security configurations are an often ignored but essential factor in any organization’s security posture: any tool, program, or solution can be vulnerable to cyberattacks or other security incidents if the settings are not configured correctly. Staying on top of all of these security configurations can be a daunting responsibility for security or IT teams to focus on, which is where security...

The number of endpoints in an organization often exceeds the number of employees. Managing these often disparate entities is more than a full-time job. Moreover, keeping them secure is equally difficult, yet securing all of your endpoints against cyber threats has become paramount for organizations worldwide. A common oversight that undermines these security efforts is the misconception about data...

Let’s start the second quarter of the year with boosting our security posture by adopting two-factor authentication methods on our accounts to make them more secure. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an identity and access management security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data. The first factor you provide is a password (often referred to as something...

In today's digital landscape, it is important for organizations to depend upon the tools they use for cybersecurity. Large businesses can employ many security solutions, practices, and policies that must combine to create a robust and layered security strategy. While many of these tools are important and necessary, organizations often don't use them to their full potential. With any security tool...

I’ll start this one with an apology – I’ve been watching a lot of the TV show The Bear (which I’d highly recommend!) and thus been thinking a lot about kitchen processes and the challenges of making everything come together nicely (both in life and in a recipe). If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is a comedy-drama about a chef who manages his deceased brother’s sandwich shop. When I see...

Thanks to the burgeoning supply chain, a host of IoT and work-from-home devices, and an expanding cloud presence, organizations are constantly ingesting new hardware into their IT environments. With each new line of code comes a fresh chance for a hidden vulnerability. With each unfound weakness, attackers gain one more opportunity to gain a foothold in the organization and compromise sensitive...

Security and compliance are often tightly intertwined. The main difference is that sometimes, security can outpace compliance efforts. While it is easy to infer that a more secure system exceeds a compliance requirement, an auditor should not be expected to deduce the state of a system; the evidence needs to be clear. There are many factors that can cause compliance shifts. Configurations are...

Any time the television news presents a story about cybersecurity, there is always a video of a large data center with thousands of blinking lights. Even most cybersecurity blogs will include an image of many lights on the front panels of servers, routers, and other hardware. However, most people don’t notice that the lights are usually green or some shade of blue. Rarely are those lights yellow...

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, the HIDS enables in-house staff to investigate...

Protecting sensitive data and other assets requires an organization to be adaptable and stay informed on things like the digital landscape and threat trends. While some aspects of security are within an organization’s control, it can be extremely difficult to manage all of the risks and vulnerabilities that are likely to arise. Security configuration management (SCM) is one way to take control of...

Using security tools to monitor activities on IP based endpoints and the resulting changes that occur pose one of the most formidable challenges to security and regulatory compliance efforts, thanks to its potential to disrupt established security measures and protocols. Compliance frameworks, such as PCI DSS and NIST 800-53/SI-7, require organizations in every sector to maintain a consistent and...

Energy efficiency and availability is a major concern for all countries and governments. The electric grid is a vital sector, and any malfunctions will create ripple effects on any nation’s economy. As the grid is heavily dependent on cyber-enabled technologies and a vast chain of suppliers, contractors, and partners, the ability to safeguard the availability and reliability of the grid is crucial...

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks occur when adversaries overwhelm a connected target’s resources, aiming to make it unavailable. Learning the best strategies to protect from DDoS attacks is critical to energy grid cybersecurity. A well-planned DDoS attack on the grid could halt essential services, cause substantial disruptions to households and businesses, and prove incredibly costly...

In the intricate realm of cybersecurity, the relentless surge of cyber threats demands a constant reassessment of defensive strategies. Amidst this dynamic landscape, a subtle yet indispensable player takes center stage — Security Configuration Management (SCM) . This blog embarks on an insightful journey into the critical role played by SCM in the ongoing battle against cyberattacks, shedding...