The ransomware, malware and phishing attacks going on in the healthcare industry are quite alarming these days. The customers' data in the healthcare industry is more sensitive than in most industries, and this has proven to be a sweet spot for threat actors. Recent research by Infloblox reported that in 2022, there were over 546 major data breaches due to malicious activity. This follows a 4%...

New rules requiring publicly-listed firms to disclose serious cybersecurity incidents within four days have been adopted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The tough new rules , although undoubtedly well-intentioned, are likely to leave some firms angry that they are being "micromanaged" and - it is argued - could even assist attackers. From December 2023, listed firms are...

How many security products does it take to monitor an organization? Even a small company often finds itself working with multiple monitoring tools to gain visibility into its security posture. This creates multiple blind spots, as a security analyst needs to jump between different tools with different formats and configurations to research a security incident. Adding to this problem is that the...

Machine learning (ML) is a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) , which enables machines and software to automatically learn from historical data to generate accurate output without being programmed to do so. Many leading organizations today have incorporated machine learning into their daily processes for business intelligence. But the ability of machine learning can be altered by threat actors...

Large data can offer a massive affordable advantage for companies. Scientists, information analysts, marketing professionals, and advertisers rely upon receiving valuable insights from substantial pools of consumer information. When examined correctly, this information can provide valuable insight for organizations that understand how to use it. The regular procedure of gathering and arranging...

Introduction For the longest time within the cybersecurity industry, we have had Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) whose role is to set the strategic direction for Information Security within an organisation. But what are the stepping stones to becoming a CISO? In the past, this has been a difficult question to answer, but typically the CISO is someone who moved up through the ranks in...

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...

A few years back, data was constrained to the on-premise infrastructure. Data management, governance, and protection were fairly uncomplicated in this enclosed environment. The emergence of cloud computing and multi-cloud infrastructures has not only introduced more complexity in data management and governance, but it has also increased security risks significantly. Consequently, organizations...

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...

We're all familiar with tech support scams - where the unwary are tricked into granting remote access to their computers by fraudsters, in the belief that the "tech support person" will fix a non-existent "problem" (such as a "virus infection") or make a refund after claiming that there has been fraudulent activity detected on an account. It's not uncommon for the fraudster, who can put their well...

Human error is a major contributing factor to company data breaches . More than 340 million people may already have been affected by a data breach in the first four months of 2023. With cybercrime rates soaring around the world, it’s clearly an area where investment and expertise are required. While updating laptops with the latest antimalware software and setting up workers with complex passwords...

As business operations evolve, the challenge of securely moving data within the cloud is one of elevated concern . Transferring sensitive information to it is another. Many are caught between what worked in on-prem technologies and what is needed in cloud-based architectures . Others have sidestepped the security challenges by implementing a Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution. Fortra canvassed...

Remote work has shifted the mindset away from the old style of employment, showing up to the office every day. However, it seems that more businesses are starting to grab back some of the traditional practice of showing up to the office. The timing is probably helping, as the northern hemisphere is starting to warm up, making the commute to an office slightly more enjoyable. However, as we move...

Fortra’s Core Security recently released its 2023 Pen Testing Report , and there’s plenty to see. In this year’s report, IT decision-makers can learn what their peers are saying about why they pen test , how often they pen test, and whether or not they’re pen testing in-house, among other topics. Each year, Core Security collects and produces some of the industry’s most relevant data on the state...

A federal grand jury has indicted a former employee of a contractor operating a California town's wastewater treatment facility , alleging that he remotely turned off critical systems and could have endangered public health and safety. 53-year-old Rambler Gallor of Tracy, California, held a full-time position at a Massachusetts company that was contracted by the town of Discovery Bay to operate...

Cybersecurity liability insurance has progressed dramatically since the first bona fide policies emerged in the late 1990s. Some of the greatest changes that have occurred in recent years include insurance companies no longer insuring against state-sponsored attacks or ransomware events. The insurers do not want to become part of a cyber-war. In some cases of ransomware, the attackers have figured...

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 directive was to develop a common level of...

It’s no secret that we’re (still) in an international cyber talent crisis, and that skilled workers are in high demand. We conducted research into the top ten highest paying jobs in cybersecurity to find out just what kind of opportunities awaited those who entered the field. Here are the types of jobs companies are willing to pay (the most) for and what they entail for those looking to upskill...

Technology has supercharged marketing. The vast data at marketers' disposal provides unparalleled insight into what customers want, why they want it, and how they use products and services. Behavioral analytics benefits businesses and consumers; it allows companies to drive sales and increase conversion rates while providing customers services tailored to their wants and needs. Behavioral...

There's good news for any business which has fallen victim to the Akira ransomware . Security researchers at anti-virus company Avast have developed a free decryption tool for files that have been encrypted since the Akira ransomware first emerged in March 2023. The ransomware has been blamed for a number of high profile attacks - including ones against universities, financial institutions, and...